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

Of Plato the cheefe of Socrates his schollers, who diuided. Phylosophy into three kindes. CHAP. 4.

BVt of all Socrates his schollers, there was one whose glory worthily ob∣scured all the rest: Plato: (a) Hee was an Athenian, borne of honest pa∣rentage, and endowed with perfection of vnderstanding farre more then all his fellowes. So hee thinking that his inuention and (b) Socrates his instructi∣ons were all too short of the true ayme of Phylosophy, and therefore would needes goe trauell to any place where Fame tolde him he might drinke of the fount of noble sapience. So went hee into (c) Aegipt, and there

learnt all that hee held worth learning, and from thence into (d) Italy, where the Pythagoreans were famous, and there didde he drayne from the most eminent teachers, all the Phylosophy of Italy. And because hee dearely affected his maister Socrat•…•…s, hee maketh him in all his Dialogues to temperate that which (a) either he had learned of others, or inuented of him-selfe, with his delicate vrbanity and motality. So whereas the study of (f) wisedome is eyther concerning action * 1.1 or contemplation, and thence assumeth two seuerall names, actiue and contemp∣latiue, the actiue consisting in the practise of morality in ones life, and the con∣templatiue in penetrating into the abstruse causes of nature, and the nature of Diuinity. (g) Socrates is said to excell in the actiue: Pythagoras in the contem∣platiue. But Plato conioyned them into one perfect kinde, which (h) hee subdi∣uided into three sorts: The Morall: consisting chiefly in action: The Naturall in contemplation: The Rationall, in (i) distinction of true and false: (k) which though it bee vsefull in both the other, yet it pertaineth more particularly to contemplation. And therefore this Trichotomy or triple diuision doth not con∣tradict the other Dichotomy that includeth all in action and contemplation. But as for Plato's opinion herein, what should be the end of all actions, the cause of all natures, and the light of all reasons, is both tedious to follow, and may not bee rashly affirmed. For (l) delighting in his maister Socrates his dissembling of his knowledge (whome hee maketh disputant in all his dialogues) and affecting that, he left his owne opinions in these great questions as ambiguous (very neare) as his maisters? yet do we intend out of his owne discourses, and his relations (m) from others, to repeat some of his positions, eyther such as do square with truth of that religion, which our faith professeth and defendeth, or such as oppose it: as farre as shall concerne the singularity or multititude of goddes, whome the Catholike religion sayth we must worship for the obtayning of eternall felicity in the life to come. For it may be that such as knew Plato to excell al the other Phlosophers of al nations, and vnderstood him far bettter then others, do think that in God is the cause of natures, y^e light of reason and the rule of life: which haue reference to the three Phylosophies, Naturall, Rationall and Morall. (n) For if a man were created, by his excelling part to aspire to that which excelleth all, that is, the One, True, almighty God, without whome nothing hath being, no reason instructeth and no vse assisteth: (o) then let him be searched out, in whom we haue all security: let him be beheld, in whom is al our certainty, let him bee beloued, in whome is all our morality.

L. VIVES.

PLato (a)] His parents were Aristo and Perictione: Hee came from Codrus by the father, * 1.2 the last King of Athens: by the mother from Solon, one of the seauen sages; the famous Law-giuer of Athens. Both his pedigrees claime from Neptune. He was born at Athens: Olym∣•…•…iad. 88. His life and actions are recorded by many; who extoll him for wisedom and conuer∣sation aboue al earthly men. But indeed their loue is so far from doing him more then right, y^t but that I know them stand dearely affected vnto him, I should suspect they did somwhat enuy his praise for he erreth in my iudgement that holdeth not Plato to haue bin some-what more then man, at least of that same rare, and singular race and stamp of men. (b) Socrates his] A diuers reading. (c) Aegipt] Laertius (saith Euripides) & he went thether together, after his return from Italy. (d) Italy] Into Magna graecia, where Pythagoras had left many of his sect: of whom Ar∣•…•…as the elder read vnto Plato at Tarentum, and Euritus, Timaeus at Locris, Phylolaus at Croto. Tully in his Cato Maior, saith he came thether in the Consulships of L. Aemilius, and Appius Cla•…•…dius: though Liuy at that time (that was twenty foure yeares after the Candine foyle) put∣teth Furius Camillus in Appius his place. Plato went also to Megara to Euclide the Mathema∣titian,

and to Theodorus another of Cyrene: and but for the warres ment to haue vis•…•…ed •…•…he Persian Magies. (e) Either he had] Al this learning he said was Socrates his (Epist ad Dyo•…•…s) Ascribing all his Phylosophy both morall & natural to him. (f) Wisedome is] •…•…lato & Aris•…•…e recken some disciplines that are neither actiue nor contemplatiue, but effectual, as Architecture and al mechanike trades. So that some they say are speculatiue, as Theology: some act•…•…ue wher∣in * 1.3 no effect remaines after the act, as musique and all rhetorike: some affecting materially as al the trades, building, cobling, caruing, &c. But this last is impertinent in this place. (g) Socra•…•… said] Actiue, that is in morality and vertuous rule of the actions, wherein he is said to be wh•…•…ly imploied: yet did hee speculate much in this kind: for Adymantus saith to him (Pl to Dere∣pub. lib. 2.) Thou hast spent thy time in nothing but speculation: And what paines he tooke in the inuestigation of the meanes to attain the summum bonum, him-selfe sheweth in his Apology in Plato: but he directed all to action: but Pythagoras his aymes being at matters only pertayning to them-selues, had their full limitation in them-selues. (h) He sub-diuided] This diu si•…•… (saith Eusebius de praep. Euang.) hee had from the Hebrewes, alledging Atticus the Phyloso∣phers opinion, who describeth them plainly, and that hee conioyned the parts of Phylosophy that was in peeces before, as the torne members of Pentheus: for Thales and his followe•…•…s were all Physicall: The other sages all Morall: Zeno and the Eleans, all Logicall. All these Plato combined and diuulged, publishing his Phylosophy perfect, not by peece-meale as Aris∣totle confirmes (Phys. lib, 7.) Phylosophy at first (saith Laertius in his Plato) medled but with nature: then came Socrates and made it Morall. then Plato with his rationall made it absolute & had the last hand vpon it. Apuleius speaking of him saith that he filled al his bookes with the most admirable and extracted things that Zeno and Parmenides had taught, so conioyning the tripar•…•…ite Phylosophy, and so reconcyling each, that he auoyded all dissonance of parts, and made each acknow∣ledge a dependance vpon other. (Dogmat. Platon) Some of his Dialogues all Logicall, as his •…•…or∣gias and his Euthydemus: some priuately Morall, as his Memnon, Eutiphyro, Phylebus and Crito: some publikely Morall, as his Lawes, and his Respublica: Some Naturall, as his Timaeus: Some Supernaturall, as his Parmenides, and his Sophista: yet all these are Logically composed. (i) dis∣tinction of true] terminat or disterminat, all is but to distinguish, so doth Lucane vse disterminat. ab auson•…•…s disterminat arua Colonis, diuides the fieldes. And Mela vseth it so also, Bosphorus dis∣terminat Europam ab Asia, Bosphorus diuides &c. (k) Which though it be] It is a great questi∣on in our Schooles whether Logicke be speculatiue or practike: A fond question truly I thinke, * 1.4 and fellow with most of our Phylosophycall theames of these times, where the dreames of practise and speculation do nought but dull young apprehensions. And now at last the cause goes on the Practikes sides, because it teacheth to dispute: as though wee argue not more in our contemplation of nature, then in our morality. But these Schoole-men neither know how to speculate in nature, nor action, nor how the lifes actions are to be ordered: Not that I thinke these must belong onely to speculation, but Augustine saith here, That it is necessary to them both: but especially it is imployed about seeking truth, falshood, and probability.] (l) Delighting 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his maister] Plato (as I said) confessed that Socrates was author of all his workes, and in all his Dialogues, the wordes that Plato giueth him, are by his author onely to be held his opinions, * 1.5 though hee speake his owne opinion by the mouth of Timaus, and the Arthemian stranger, and Zeno the Elean. (m) From others] Or from him: For Socoates and hee were still of one opi∣nion, though others were so also. (n) For if a man] [What need such a turmoyle whether this be the intellect, or will, since Aristotle to omit others, saith that the minde is mans most excel∣ling part, in that it is both intellect, will and memory: But they are so hard, that beeing not vnderstood by these fellowes, they admire them: mary these beeing playne, and almost palpable, they neglect] (o) Then let] Alluding to the diuision of Phylosophy into three parts: The old bookes for security, read certainty, and for certainty, truth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The stu•…•…y of wisedom and what •…•…t concernes.
• * 1.2

  Plato.
• * 1.3

  Effecting disciplines, Plato.
• * 1.4

  [This note the Louanists haue left out who∣ly.
• * 1.5

  Plato.] [And this also for company.]