St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

What Apuleius the Platonist held concerning the qualities of those ayrie spirits. CHAP. 16.

THis same Platonist speaking of their qualities saith, that they are (as men)

subiect to passions; of anger, delight, glory, vnconstancie in their ceremonies, and furie vpon neglect. Besides, to them belong diuinations, dreames, auguries, prophesies, and all •…•…gicians miraculous workes. Briefly he defineth them, things created, passiue, reaso∣•…•…le, •…•…reall, eternall: In the three first they perticipate with vs: in the fourth with •…•…ne, in the fift with the gods: and two of the first the gods share with them * 1.1 also 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the (a) gods (saith hee) are creatures: and giuing each element to his pro•…•…habitants, hee giues earth to men, and the other creatures: water to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 &c. aire to these spirits, and Aether to the gods. Now in that the spirits are cre•…•…res, they communicate both with men and beasts, in reason with gods and •…•…in eternity with gods onely; in passion with men onely, in ayrie essence with 〈◊〉〈◊〉. So that they are creatures is nothing; for so are beasts: in that they are rea∣so•…•…able, so are we, equally: in that they are eternall, what is that without felicity: (b) Temporall happinesse excells eternall miserie. In that they are passiue, what ge•…•… by that? so are we, and were we not wretched wee should not bee so: in t•…•… •…•…ir bodies are ayrie, what of that, seeing a soule of any nature is prefer∣r•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a body of what perfection so euer? And therefore the honor giuen by t•…•… •…•…le, is not due to the soules inferiour. But if that amongst these spirits qua∣liti•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 had reckoned wisdome, vertue and felicitie, and haue made them com∣mun•…•… these with the gods, then had he spoake some-what, worth noting, yet o•…•… we not to worship them as God, for these ends, but rather we should know him of whom they had these good gifts. But as they are, how farre are they from wo•…•…h of worship, being reasonable to be wretched, passiue to be wretched, eter∣nall 〈◊〉〈◊〉 euer wretched? wherefore to leaue all and insist on this onely which I said 〈◊〉〈◊〉 spirits shared with vs, that is passion, if euery element haue his crea∣•…•… and ayre immortalls, earth and water mortalls, why are these spirits 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…o perturbations? (to that which the Greekes call (c) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, whence our 〈◊〉〈◊〉 passion deriueth: word (d) of word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and passion, being (e) a motion of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…e against reason). Why are these in these spirits that are not in beasts? 〈◊〉〈◊〉 apparance of such in beasts, is (f) no perturbation, because it is not against 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which the beast wanteth. And that it is a perturbation in men, (g) their •…•…esse, or their (h) wretchednesse is cause. For we cannot haue that perfec∣•…•… wisdom in this life that is promised vs after our acquittance from morta∣l•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the gods they say cannot suffer those perturbations, because that their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is conioyned wi•…•…h felicity: and this they affirme the reasonable soule 〈◊〉〈◊〉 absolutely pure, enioyeth also. So then if the gods be free from passion, be∣•…•… they are (i) creatures blessed, and not wretched: and the beasts, because •…•…e creatures, neither capable of blessednesse nor wretchednesse: it romai∣•…•… •…•…t these spirits be perturbed like men, onely because they are creatures not •…•…d but wretched.

L. VIVES.

TH•…•… (a) Gods] Plato also in his Timaeus saith, that they are inuisible creatures. Apuleius de deo S•…•…cr. makes some vncorporall Daemones, viz. Loue & Sleep. (b) Temporal▪ It is said that Chyron 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sonne refused immortality, & that Vlysses chose rather to liue and die at home with his •…•…er and friends, then to liue immortal amongst the goddesses. Plato saith it is better to liue a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 little while, then to be eternally possest of all bodily pleasures without iustice & the other * 1.2 〈◊〉〈◊〉. de legib: the Philosophers haue a saying, it is better to be then not to be: of that hereafter. 〈◊〉〈◊〉] So Tull. Tus. qu. translateth it: & Quintil. l. 6. termeth it affects, & holds y^• most proper. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ly of their ancients, vseth passion for it: but I make doubt that the copy is faulty li. 20. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ds are. It helpeth the passions of the belly, being 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thervpō. (d) Word of word] as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; & passio of p•…•…tior, to suffer. (e) A motion] Tully hath it from Z•…•…no. (f) No perturbation]

Tully Tusc. quaest. The affections of the body may be inculpable, but not the mindes: all which arise out of the neglect of reason, and therefore are existent onely in men: for that which wee see by accident in beasts, is no perturbation. (g) Their foolishnesse] For wee are ouer-borne with false opinions: and our selues rather worke our affects then receiue them ab extra, and as S•…•…a saith, we are euer worse afraide then hurt. The Stoikes held all perturbations to haue their source from deprauation of opinion. For desire is an opinion of a future good: and feare an opinion of future euill, sorrow, of present euill, ioy of present good, all which we measuring by the fondnesse of our thoughts, and not by the nature of things, thence it comes that wee are rapt with so many violent thoughts, (h) Their wretchednesse] This is mans miserie, that the very wisest is subiect to sorrow, ioy, and other affects, doe he what he can. (i) Creatures] Socrates durst not confesse that these spirits were bad, or wretched: but hee boldly affirmes they are neither good nor happy. Plato. Conuiuio.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Plato's de∣uills.
• * 1.2

  Immortali∣ty worse then mor∣tality.