The five days debate at Cicero's house in Tusculum between master and sophister.

SECT. XXVI. From further Endowments.

IN my judgment, I must say, even these more familiar and illustrious Instances, seem not performable, without some Divine Power: so as I should think that either a Poet pours out a grave and accomplish'd Poem, without some hea∣venly Instinct of the Mind; or that any Eloquence, without some extraordinary impulse, can flow in a mighty Stream of lofty Words, and copious Sen∣tences. And for Philosophy, the Mother of all Arts, what is it else; but, as Plato saith, the Gift, as I the Invention of the Gods? This first train'd us up to their Worship; next, to Justice towards men, which consists in the Preservation of Societies:

And lastly to Moderation and Courage, this also hath dispell'd the darkness from our Souls, as from our Eyes, that we can behold the Extremities of Nature; what is above, below, first, midst, last. Truly this Power seems to me to be Divine, which can work so many, and so admirable Effects. For what is Memory of things and words? What is Inventi∣on? Certainly such, as no greater Perfections can be apprehended to be in God. Now, I am not of the mind, that the Gods take pleasure in Feast∣ing on Nectar and Ambrosia, or in a Goddess of everlasting Youth, to bear their Cups: Nor do I believe Homer, who saith, that Ganymede was ra∣vish'd by the Gods, for his Beauty, to fill Jupiter Drink; a Cause no way sufficient, why such an injury should be offer'd Laomedon. This was a meer Fiction of Homer's, who made Gods like men; I could have wish'd, he had rather made men like Gods. Wherein like Gods? in Activity, Wisdom, Invention, Memory. Therefore, the Soul, which, as I say, is Divine; as Euripides pre∣sumes to say, is a God; truly if God be either Spirit, or Fire, the same is mans Soul; for as that heavenly Nature is free both from Earth and moisture; so the humane Soul partakes of neither of them. But if it be a fifth Nature, first intro∣duc'd by Aristotle; the same is common both to the Soul and God. Pursuant to which opinion, we thus express'd our selves word for word, in our Book of Consolation.