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the　body；　as　we　have　already　said　when　speaking　of　the　universe；　he

will　not　allow　enemy　placed　by　the　side　of　enemy　to　stir　up　wars　and

disorders　in　the　body；　but　he　will　place　friend　by　the　side　of　friend；

so　as　to　create　health。

　　Now　of　all　motions　that　is　the　best　which　is　produced　in　a　thing

by　itself；　for　it　is　most　akin　to　the　motion　of　thought　and　of　the

universe；　but　that　motion　which　is　caused　by　others　is　not　so　good；

and　worst　of　all　is　that　which　moves　the　body；　when　at　rest；　in

parts　only　and　by　some　external　agency。　Wherefore　of　all　modes　of

purifying　and　reuniting　the　body　the　best　is　gymnastic；　the　next

best　is　a　surging　motion；　as　in　sailing　or　any　other　mode　of

conveyance　which　is　not　fatiguing；　the　third　sort　of　motion　may　be

of　use　in　a　case　of　extreme　necessity；　but　in　any　other　will　be

adopted　by　no　man　of　sense：　I　mean　the　purgative　treatment　of

physicians；　for　diseases　unless　they　are　very　dangerous　should　not

be　irritated　by　medicines；　since　every　form　of　disease　is　in　a

manner　akin　to　the　living　being；　whose　complex　frame　has　an

appointed　term　of　life。　For　not　the　whole　race　only；　but　each

individual…barring　inevitable　accidents…comes　into　the　world　having

a　fixed　span；　and　the　triangles　in　us　are　originally　framed　with　power

to　last　for　a　certain　time；　beyond　which　no　man　prolong　his　life。

And　this　holds　also　of　the　constitution　of　diseases；　if　any　one

regardless　of　the　appointed　time　tries　to　subdue　them　by　medicine；

he　only　aggravates　and　multiplies　them。　Wherefore　we　ought　always　to

manage　them　by　regimen；　as　far　as　a　man　can　spare　the　time；　and　not

provoke　a　disagreeable　enemy　by　medicines。

　　Enough　of　the　composite　animal；　and　of　the　body　which　is　a　part　of

him；　and　of　the　manner　in　which　a　man　may　train　and　be　trained　by

himself　so　as　to　live　most　according　to　reason：　and　we　must　above

and　before　all　provide　that　the　element　which　is　to　train　him　shall　be

the　fairest　and　best　adapted　to　that　purpose。　A　minute　discussion　of

this　subject　would　be　a　serious　task；　but　if；　as　before；　I　am　to

give　only　an　outline；　the　subject　may　not　unfitly　be　summed　up　as

follows。

　　I　have　often　remarked　that　there　are　three　kinds　of　soul　located

within　us；　having　each　of　them　motions；　and　I　must　now　repeat　in　the

fewest　words　possible；　that　one　part；　if　remaining　inactive　and

ceasing　from　its　natural　motion；　must　necessarily　become　very　weak；

but　that　which　is　trained　and　exercised；　very　strong。　Wherefore　we

should　take　care　that　the　movements　of　the　different　parts　of　the　soul

should　be　in　due　proportion。

　　And　we　should　consider　that　God　gave　the　sovereign　part　of　the　human

soul　to　be　the　divinity　of　each　one；　being　that　part　which；　as　we　say；

dwells　at　the　top　of　the　body；　inasmuch　as　we　are　a　plant　not　of　an

earthly　but　of　a　heavenly　growth；　raises　us　from　earth　to　our

kindred　who　are　in　heaven。　And　in　this　we　say　truly；　for　the　divine

power　suspended　the　head　and　root　of　us　from　that　place　where　the

generation　of　the　soul　first　began；　and　thus　made　the　whole　body

upright。　When　a　man　is　always　occupied　with　the　cravings　of　desire　and

ambition；　and　is　eagerly　striving　to　satisfy　them；　all　his　thoughts

must　be　mortal；　and；　as　far　as　it　is　possible　altogether　to　become

such；　he　must　be　mortal　every　whit；　because　he　has　cherished　his

mortal　part。　But　he　who　has　been　earnest　in　the　love　of　knowledge

and　of　true　wisdom；　and　has　exercised　his　intellect　more　than　any

other　part　of　him；　must　have　thoughts　immortal　and　divine；　if　he

attain　truth；　and　in　so　far　as　human　nature　is　capable　of　sharing　in

immortality；　he　must　altogether　be　immortal；　and　since　he　is　ever

cherishing　the　divine　power；　and　has　the　divinity　within　him　in

perfect　order；　he　will　be　perfectly　happy。　Now　there　is　only　one　way

of　taking　care　of　things；　and　this　is　to　give　to　each　the　food　and

motion　which　are　natural　to　it。　And　the　motions　which　are　naturally

akin　to　the　divine　principle　within　us　are　the　thoughts　and

revolutions　of　the　universe。　These　each　man　should　follow；　and　correct

the　courses　of　the　head　which　were　corrupted　at　our　birth；　and　by

learning　the　harmonies　and　revolutions　of　the　universe；　should

assimilate　the　thinking　being　to　the　thought；　renewing　his　original

nature；　and　having　assimilated　them　should　attain　to　that　perfect　life

which　the　gods　have　set　before　mankind；　both　for　the　present　and　the

future。

　　Thus　our　original　design　of　discoursing　about　the　universe　down　to

the　creation　of　man　is　nearly　completed。　A　brief　mention　may　be　made

of　the　generation　of　other　animals；　so　far　as　the　subject　admits　of

brevity；　in　this　manner　our　argument　will　best　attain　a　due

proportion。　On　the　subject　of　animals；　then；　the　following　remarks　may

be　offered。　Of　the　men　who　came　into　the　world；　those　who　were　cowards

or　led　unrighteous　lives　may　with　reason　be　supposed　to　have　changed

into　the　nature　of　women　in　the　second　generation。　And　this　was　the

reason　why　at　that　time　the　gods　created　in　us　the　desire　of　sexual

intercourse；　contriving　in　man　one　animated　substance；　and　in　woman

another；　which　they　formed　respectively　in　the　following　manner。　The

outlet　for　drink　by　which　liquids　pass　through　the　lung　under　the

kidneys　and　into　the　bladder；　which　receives　then　by　the　pressure　of

the　air　emits　them；　was　so　fashioned　by　them　as　to　penetrate　also　into

the　body　of　the　marrow；　which　passes　from　the　head　along　the　neck

and　through　the　back；　and　which　in　the　preceding　discourse　we　have

named　the　seed。　And　the　seed　having　life；　and　becoming　endowed　with

respiration；　produces　in　that　part　in　which　it　respires　a　lively

desire　of　emission；　and　thus　creates　in　us　the　love　of　procreation。

Wherefore　also　in　men　the　organ　of　generation　becoming　rebellious

and　masterful；　like　an　animal　disobedient　to　reason；　and　maddened　with

the　sting　of　lust；　seeks　to　gain　absolute　sway；　and　the　same　is　the

case　with　the　so…called　womb　or　matrix　of　women；　the　animal　within

them　is　desirous　of　procreating　children；　and　when　remaining

unfruitful　long　beyond　its　proper　time；　gets　discontented　and　angry；

and　wandering　in　every　direction　through　the　body；　closes　up　the

passages　of　the　breath；　and；　by　obstructing　respiration；　drives　them

to　extremity；　causing　all　varieties　of　disease；　until　at　length　the

desire　and　love　of　the　man　and　the　woman；　bringing　them　together　and

as　it　were　plucking　the　fruit　from　the　tree；　sow　in　the　womb；　as　in

a　field；　animals　unseen　by　reason　of　their　smallness　and　without　form；

these　again　are　separated　and　matured　within；　they　are　then　finally

brought　out　into　the　light；　and　thus　the　generation　of　animals　is

completed。

　　Thus　were　created　women　and　the　female　sex　in　general。　But　the

race　of　birds　was　created　out　of　innocent　light…minded　men；　who；

although　their　minds　were　directed　toward　heaven；　imagined；　in　their

simplicity；　that　the　clearest　demonstration　of　the　things　above　was　to

be　obtained　by　sight；　these　were　remodelled　and　transformed　into

birds；　and　they　grew　feathers　instead　of　hair。　The　race　of　wild

pedestrian　animals；　again；　came　from　those　who　had　no　philosophy　in

any　of　their　thoughts；　and　never　considered　at　all　about　the　nature　of

the　heavens；　because　they　had　ceased　to　use　the　courses　of　the　head；

but　followed　the　guidance　of　those　parts　of　the　soul　which　are　in

the　breast。　In　consequence　of　these　habits　of　theirs　they　had　their

front…legs　and　their　heads　resting　upon　the　earth　to　which　they　were

drawn　by　natural　affinity；　and　the　crowns　of　their　heads　were

elongated　and　of　all　sorts　of　shapes；　into　which　the　courses　of　the

soul　were　crushed　by　reason　of　disuse。　And　this　was　the　reason　why

they　were　created　quadrupeds　and　polypods：　God　gave　the　more　senseless

of　them　the　more　support　that　they　might　be　more　attracted　to　the

earth。　And　the　most　foolish　of　them；　who　trail　their　bodies　entirely

upon　the　ground　and　have　no　longer　any　need　of　feet；　he　made　without

feet　to　crawl　upon　the　earth。　The　fourth　class　were　the　inhabitants　of

the　water：　these　were　made　out　of　the　most　entirely　senseless　and

ignorant　of　all；　whom　the　transformers　did　not　think　any　longer　worthy

of　pure　respiration；　because　they　possessed　a　soul　which　was　made

impure　by　all　sorts　of　transgression；　and　instead　of　the　subtle　and

pure　medium　of　air；　they　gave　them　the　deep　and　muddy　sea　to　be

their　element　of　respiration；　and　hence　arose　the　race　of　fishes　and

oysters；　and　other　aquatic　animals；　which　have　received　the　most

remote　habitations　as　a　punishment　of　their　outlandish　ignorance。

These　are　the　laws　by　which　animals　pass　into　one　another；　now；　as

ever；　changing　as　they　lose　or　gain　wisdom　and　folly。

　　We　may　now　say　that　our　discourse　about　the　nature　of　the　universe

has　an　end。　The　world　has　received　animals；　mortal　and　immortal；　and

is　fulfilled　with　them；　and　has　become　a　visible　animal　containing　the

visible…the　sensible　God　who　is　the　image　of　the　intellectual；　the

greatest；　best；　fairest；　most　perfect…the　one　only　begotten　heaven。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…THE　END…

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