of various Names to preserve his Writings from being thumbed by rude and illiterate Readers For he said that Wisdom was properly the knowledg of those things which were apprehended by the Understanding and were truly existent which was separated from the Body in the Contemplation of God and the Soul. Moreover he defin'd Wisdom and Philosphy to be an inbred desire of Divine or Heavenly Wisdom But generally he took it for all sort of Skill and Knowledg as when we call an Artificer a Knowing Man. He also makes use of the same words to signifie several things Thus he makes use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signify Plain or Simple as in Euripides thus speaking of Hercules in his Lysimnius Careless and Plain but for the most part honest Who measured Wisdom still by Deeds not words What e're he said he meant The same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato frequently uses sometimes for Honest sometimes for Small tho' at other times he makes use of different words to signify one and the same thing Thus he calls Idea sometimes Genus sometimes Species as also the Beginning the Exemplar and the Cause Sometimes he expresses the same thing by contrary words Thus he give◠the Names of Entity and Non Entity to Sensible Entity because it is generated Non Entity because of its being subject to continual Change. Moreover he calls Idea that which never is moved nor is permanent the same one and many And this he uses to do in several other things As for his works they require a threefold Exposition First what every one of the Subjects are that are discoursed of Then the end of the Discourse whether according to the first Intention or in lieu of an Example whether to assert or 〈◊〉 fute and thirdly whether rightly and truly said In the next place in regard there are several marks and Characters affixed tohis Books let us take some account of Them also The Letter X. is affixed to Sentences and Figures altogether according to the Platonic Custom Double XX. to his peculiar Opinions and Tenents X′ accented to his more polite and elegant Flourishes Double accented X″ to the Emendations of others A little Dagger †accented for the rejecting ridiculous Confutations An Antisigma to shew the double use and transpositions of Writing A small Half-Moon to shew the Context of the Philosophy An Astcrisk * to shew the Concurrently of Opinions A Dagger to denote a Confutation And thus much for the Notes and particular Marks which he that desired to understand gave s much Money to his instructor as Antigonus the Carystian relates in his Treatise concerning Zeno late put forth As for his Opinions which he most fancied they were these That the Soul was Immortal and transmigrated into several Bodies having its beginning from Number but that the Beginning of the Body was Geometrical He defined it to be the Idea of a Spirit altogether separate moveing it self and consisting of three parts That the Rational part was seated in the Head. That part which was subject to Passion and Anger in the Heart and the Part which brought forth Desire and Concupiscence in the Navel and Liver That it encompassed the one half of the Body all over in a circular Form consisting of the Elements and that being divided according to Harmonical Intervals made two Semi-circles joined together◠the innermost of which being divided into six Parts made all the other seven Circles and lay Diametrically to the Left side within the other close to the side upon the Right and therefore it was most predominant as being but one For the other was divided within of which the one was of the same and the rest of the Other alledging this to be motion of the Soul that of the Universe and of the Planets and that by means of the middle Segments holding Proportion with the Extreams she comprehends all Beings and adapt◠'em together as having the Principles of all things in her self according to Harmony That Opinion arises from the Elevation of the Circle of the Other Knowledg from the Elevation of the Circle of the same That there were two Beginnings of all Things God and Matter which he calls Intelligence and nominates to be the Cause That Matter is without form and immense from the coalition and conjunction of Forms That this Matter at first being hurried up and down without order was at length rammassed together into one Place by the wise God who deem'd Ordel more seemly than Disorder That this existent Matter is divided into four Elements Fire Water Air and Earth Out of which the World and all things therein were Created only that the Earth is immutable believing it to be the cause of that Diversity of Forms whereof it consists for that the Forms of all other things are of the same kind being all composed of one Oblong Triangle tho' the Figure of the Earth be peculiar to it self seeing the Figure of Fire is Pyramidical the Air resembles an Octaedron the Water an Icosaedron but the Form of the Earth is Cubical Which is the reason that the Earth never changes into Them nor they into the Earth However he denies every Element to be confin'd to its proper place for that the Circular Motion by constraining and depressing to the Center congregates the smaller but separates the more bulky things which is the reason that when they change their forms they also change their Places That the World was Created single and one and was made a sensible Being by the Creator as being for its greater Excellency endued with Life and as the most glorious of Fabricks proceeding from the best of Causes and therefore but one though not Infinite because the Exemplar by which it was Created is but one That it is of a Sphaerical Figure as being the Form of the Creator For he encompasses the whole Creation and the World contains all other Forms of all things Moreover that it is smooth without any other Circular Organ as having no need of any such thing farther that the World is Immortal because it cannot be dissolv'd again into God. But that Cod was the cause of the whole Creation since only that which was good could do good That the best of causes was also the cause of the Creation of Heaven For that there could be no other cause of the most lovely part of the Creation than the best and most excellent of intelligible Beings which it being certain that God himself is and that the Heaven is also likest to him as being the next that transcends in Beauty there can be no Creature that it can resemble but only God. That the World consists of Fire Water Air and Earth Of Fire to the end it might be visible Of Earth that it might be solid of Air and Water that it might not want Proportion For solid things derive their Solidity from two Mediums to the end the whole may be made One. But then it takes its
Chrysippus Poâ—sidonius and Antipaâ—er affirm it to be the Air. Boethus assâ—rts the Globe of the Fix'd Sâ—ars to be the Divine Nature Nature they sometimes define to bâ— that which comprehends and embraces the World sometimes that which causâ—s the Products of the Earth to groâ— and flourish Nature therefore is a Habit deriving motion from it self according to the Sâ—ermatic Rationalities terminating and putting an end to those things that flow from her at certain prefix'd times and performing what she was ordain'd for and it is apparent that she aims at profitable Pleasure by the Structure of Man. On the other side Zeno Chrysippus Posidonius and Boethus in their Treatises of Fate assert all things to have been created by Fate Now Fate is a Series of things link'd together or else thâ—t Reason by which the World is administer'd They also allow all manner of Divination to be substantial or else Providence Which was the Opinion of Zeno Chrysippus Athenodorus and Posidonius But Panaetius will not yield it to be a Substance for that the Prima Mâ—tâ—ria or first Matter was the Substance of all things as Cleanthes and Zeno both acknowledge Now Matter is that of which any thing consists and it is call'd sometimes Matter sometimes Substance or the Caâ—se of all things both general and particular but the Substance of the Whole neither increases nor diminishes A Body they say is a terminated Substance as Apollodorus and Antipater define it It is also Passive for if it were immutable those things which are could not be form'd out of it Hence the Division of it extends to Infinity Which Chrysippus denies for that there is nothing Infinite which can be divided The Mixtures also are made quite through the whole and not with Limitation or by Apposition of Parts for a small Quantity of Wine being thrown into the Sea will resist for a time but soon mingle and lose its Nature They also affirm That there are Daemons or Spirits which have the Guardianship of Humane Affairs and that the Souls of Wise men being departed from the Bodies become Hero's As to those things that derive their Original from the Air they say That Winter is the congealing of the Air by reason of the Sun's remoteness the Spring a more moderate Temper of the Air upon the Return of the Sun to our Hemispere Summer when the Air is heated by the approach of the Sun to the North and that the Fall of the Leaf is occasion'd by the Sun's Departure from us That the Winds are the Flowings and Inundations of the Air various in their Names according to the Climates from whence they come and of which the Sun is the Cause by exhaling the Clouds That the Rain-bow is the Reflexion of the Sun-Beams upon Watery Clouds Or as Possidonius defines it the Manifestation of some part or portion of the Sun or Moon in a dewle Cloud concave and shewing it self firm and contiguous to the apprehension of Sight as the Periphery of a Circle fancy'd in a Looking-Glass That Comets Bearded Comets and other Celestial Meteors are substantial Fires caus'd by the thicker Part of the Air drawn up into the Ethereal Region A Sun-Beam the kindling of a sudden Flame swistly darted through the Air and representing to the Sight the Figure of a long Line The Rain is the Alteration of a Cloud turn'd into Water when the Moisture exhal'd by the Sun either from the Earth or the Sea loses its first Operation and thickens into Ponderosity which being congeal'd is call'd Frost or Ice Hail is a more solid Cloud crumbl'd by the force of the Wind. Snow is the Moisture of a compacted Cloud according to Possidonius Lightning is the kindling of Clouds shatter'd and brok'n by the Wind as Zeno defines it Thunder is a Noise which proceeds from the rushing of the Clouds one against another A Thunder-Bolt is a vehement kindling and baking of a substantial Cloud which then comes poudring down upon the Earth the Clouds being once brok'n and shiver'd in pieces A Typho is the sâ—oaky Wind of a broken Cloud carry'd vehemently to the Earth A Prester or Fiery Whirlwind is a Cloud surrounded with Fire carry'd by the Wind into the Concavities of the Earth or else a Wind enclos'd in the Bowels of the Earth according to Posidonius Of which there are several sorts as Earth-quak's Yâ—â—nings of the Earth Burnings and Ebullitions Now having plac'd the Earth in the middle they make it the Center of the whole next to which is the Water which has a Center likewise with the Earth so that the Earth seems to be in the Water and above the Water is the Air in a Body resembling a Sphear That there are five Circles in the Heavens the Arctic which always appears the Summer Tropic the Equinoctial the Winter-Tropic and the Antarctic They are also call'd Parallels because they never meet one another The Zodiac is an oblique Circle because it touches the Parallels They also reckon five Zones the Frigid Zone beyond the Arctic Pole uninhabited through extremity of Cold the Temperate Zone the Torrid Zone the Southern Temperate Zone and the Southern Frigid Zone They further conceive Nature to be an artificial Fire tending her own way to Generation which is also a fiery and artificial Spirit That the Soul is sensible and is a Spirit bred within us therefore it is a Body and remains after Death but is liable however to Corruption But the Soul of the whole is incorruptible the Parts of which are Souls of Beasts Zeno and Antipater affirm the Soul to be a Hot Spirit as being that with which we breath and by which we are mov'd Cleanthes also asserts That all souls are so long durable till they lose their Heat But Chrysippus allows that Pre-eminency to none but the Souls of Wise men As to the Senses they affirm Sight to be the Interval between the Sight and the subjected Light conically extended according to Chrysippus But as Apollodorus defines it that Part of the Air which resembles a Conical Figure next the Sight of which the Basis is the Object next the Sight which is apparent to be seen when the Air is smitten with a Wand Hearing is the interval of Air between the Speaker and the Heurer smitten into Circles which upon that Agitation flows into the Ears like the Circles made by a Stone in a Cistern of Water That Sleep proceeds from the Relaxation of the sensible Faculty being put upon the stress in the Principality of the Soul. That the Passions are occasion'd by the Alterations of the Spirit The Seed is that which was appointed by Nature to generate the like to that by which it was begotten and that the Seed of Man mixes its Moisture with some Parts of the Soul thereby to communicate the Reason of the Parent to the Thing generated which Chrysippus affirms to be a Spiritual Substance as appears by the Seeds that are sown in the Earth which being too old never grow
proportion from all things that so it may become perfect and incorruptible That time is the Image of Sempiternity which always endures but that time is the Circumrotation of the Heavens For that Nights and Days and Months c. are but parts of Time and therefore there could be no time without the nature of the World. That after the Creation of Time were also Created the Sun the Moon and Planets and that God kindl'd the Light of the Sun that the number of the Hours might be manifest and certain and that the Creatures might be capable to understand Number That the Moon moves above the Circle of the Earth next to her the Sun and over them the Planets That they are all endued with Life as being all consolidated by a Lively Motion That for the greater Perfection of the World being made like to the Intelligible Life the nature of all Creatures was made which the Earth enjoying the Heavens also must of Necessity enjoy That the Gods were for the most part of a fiery Substance That the various sorts of Living Creatures were divided into three distinct Kinds such as lived in the Air such as the Water nourished and such as bred upon the Earth But that the Earth was the Eldest of all the Deities in Heaven The Structure of which was reared for the variation of Day and Night and that the Earth being in the Center is moved about the Center Now in regard he asserted two Causes therefore he said some things were Diuturnal others proceeded from the necessary Cause those were Fire Water Earth and Air not Elements exactly neither but capable of Impression which consisted of Triangles joined together and would be resolved again into the same and that the Elements from which they sprang were the oblong Triangle and the Isosoeles And these were the Beginnings and twofold Causes of all things whose Exemplar and Pattern were God and Matter which of Necessity must be void of Form as all other Substances capable of Impression That the cause of these things was a necessary cause which receiving the Ideas begat the Substances and was moved by the dissimilitude of its Power and by its own Motion compelled those things that were moved by it to move contrary to it That these Causes at first moved without any Order but when the World began to be embellished and adorn'd they received their Symmetry and Order from God. For there were also two Causes before the Creation of Heaven though very obscure and irregular till the World was brought to Perfection and then the Heaven was made of a Mixture and Materials chosen out of all Existences then Created He held that God and the Soul were Immaterial for that as being such and no otherwise it could be free from Corruption and Perturbation And for Ideas he supposes 'em to be certain Principles and Causes that such and such things are by Nature what they are Concerning Good and Evil his Tenents were these that the End was to be like God. That vertue was sufficient to render Life happy though it wanted these Utensils of the Body as Health Strength quickness of the Senses and the like or the exteriour advantages of Wealth Nobility Honour c. For that without these a wise and vertuous Man might be happy moreover he may be admitted to the Government he may Marry and he will be sure to observe the Laws besides he will make as wholesome Laws for the Benefit of his Country according to the utmost of his Ability unless the perverseness of the People frustrate his good Intentions He held that the Gods took Care of human Affairs and that there were also Daemâ—ns or Spirits He first design'd the Notion of Honest to be that which is contiguous to laudable rational profitable and seemly as they are imprinted by Nature and taken so to be He also discoursed of the truth of Words and may be said to have been the first that had the true Art of putting and answering Questions as being his continual Practice Moreover in his Dialogues he allowed the Justice of God to be a Law to the end he might render his Perswasions to Justice the more prevalent and prevent the Punishment of Evil-Doers after Death Which was the Reason that he was look'd upon as fabulous and trivial by some Persons while he intermixed in his Works such Stories as those as if the uncertainty of what should happen after Death would be a means to deter Men from injustice and injury His distribution of things as Aristotle affirms was after this manner Of Blessings said he or enjoyments some are of the Mind others of the Body others Extrinsecal Justice Prudence Frugality c. he plac'd in the Mind Beauty Health and Strength in the Body Riches Friends and Prosperity of our Country he numbred among external Happinesses and thus he asserted three sorts of Blessings He also divided Friendship into three sorts Natural Sociable and Hospitable Natural the Friendship of Parents to their Children and Kindred one to another of which also other Living Creatures participate Soâ—iable is that which Custom and Converse begets where there is no tye of Consanguinity such as that between Pylades and Orestes Hospitable is that which we shew to Strangers being induc'd thereto either by Letters of Recommendation or some secret Sympathy of Disposition to which some add a fourth which is Amorous Friendship As for the Forms of Civil Government he allowed five sorts Democratical Aristocratical Oligarchical Regal and Tyrannical Democratical is where the Multitude have the Power in their hands and chuse Magistrateâ— and make their own Laws Aristocracy where neither the Rich nor the Poor nor the Noble but they who are the most Just and Vertuous and consequently the Best Oligarchy is where the Magistrates are Elected by their Estates for the Rich are fewer by much than the Poor Regal Government is either according to the Law or by Succession The Kingdom of the Carthaginianâ— is a Kingdom according to Law for it is Political but that of the Lacedemonians by Succession Tyranny is that when the People aâ—â— govern'd by force and constraint of one single Person against their wills He asserted also three sorts of Justice The one that related to the Gods the other to Men the third to the Deceased For they that Sacrifice according to the Law and are careful in observance of Religious Ceremonies are Just and Pious toward the Gods. They who pay their Debts and deliver up their Trusts are just toward Men And they that take care of the Monuments of their Predecessors and pay their Funeral Duties to their Friends are just to the Deceas'd He also asserted three sorts of Knowledge The one relating to Trade and Manufacture the other Speculative the other Practical In the first are included Carpenterâ— Shipwrights and the like professing a Craft or Trade To Practical he referr'd the Art of well governing neat piping or playing upon the Harâ— which all consist in