The history of philosophy, in eight parts by Thomas Stanley.

After so serious a Discourse, it will not be amisse to give the Reader a Poeticall entertainment upon the same Subject, being A PLATONICK DISCOURSE, Written in Italian by IOHN PICUS Earl of MIRANDULA, In explication of a Sonnet by HIERONIMO BENIVIENI.

The first PART.

Sect. I.

IT is a principle of the Platonists, That every created thing hath a threefold being; Causal, Formal, Participated. In the Sun there is no heat, that being but an elementary quality, not of Celestiall nature: yet is the Sun the cause and Fountain of all hear. Fire is hot by nature, and its proper form: Wood is not hot of its self, yet is capable of receiving that quality by Fire. Thus hath heat its Causall being in the Sun, its Formall in the Fire, its Participated in the Fuel. The most noble and perfect of these is the Causal: and therefore Platonists assert, That all excellencies are in God after this manner of being; That in God is nothing, but from him all things; That Intellect is not in him, but that he is the original spring of every Intellect. Such is Plotinus's meaning, when he affirms,* 1.1 God neither understands nor knows; that is to say, after a formall way, As Dionysius Areopagita, God is neither an In∣tellectuall nor Intelligent nature, but unspeakably exalted above all In∣tellect and Knowledge.

Sect. II.

PLatonists distinguish Creatures into three degrees. The first comprehends the corporeall and visible; as Heaven, Elements, and all compounded of them: The last the invisible, incorporeal, absolutely free from bodies, which properly are called Intel∣lectual (by Divines, Angelicall) Natures. Betwixt these is a middle nature, which though incorporeall, invisible, immortall, yet moveth bodies, as being obliged to that Office; called, the

rationall Soul; inferiour to Angells, superiour to Bodies; subject to those, regent of these: Above which is God himselfe, author and principle of every Creature, in whom Divinity hath a ca∣suall being; from whom, proceeding to Angells, it hath a for∣mall being, and thence is derived into the rationall Soul by participation of their lustre: below which, no nature can assume the Title of Divine.

Sect. III.

THat the first of these three Natures cannot be multiplyed, who is but one, the principle and cause of all other Divini∣ty, is evidently proved by Platonists, Peripateticks, and our Di∣vines. About the second (viz.) The Angelick and Intellectuall, Platonists disagree. Some (as Proclus, Hermias, Syrianus, and ma∣ny others) betwixt God and the rationall Soul place a great number of creatures; part of these they call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Intelligi∣ble, part intellectuall; which termes, Plato sometimes confoun∣deth, as in his Phaedo. Plotinus, Porphyrius, and generally the most refined Platonists, betwixt God and the Soul of the World, as∣signe only one Creature, which they call the Son of God, be∣cause immediately produced by him. The first opinion complies most with Dionysius Areopagita, and Christian Divines, who as∣sert the number of Angells to be in a manner infinite. The second is the more Philosophick, best suiting with Aristotle and Plato, whose sense we only purpose to expresse; and therefore will de∣cline the first path (though that only be the right) to pursue the latter.

Sect. IV.

VVE therefore, according to the opinion of Plotinus, con∣firmed not only by the best Platonists, but, even by Aristotle, and all the Arabians, especially Avicenna, affirm, That God from eternity produced a creature of incorporeall and in∣tellectuall nature, as perfect as is possible for a created being, beyond which, he produced nothing; for, of the most perfect cause, the effect must be most perfect, and the most perfect can be but one; for, of two or more, it is not possible but one should be more or lesse perfect than the rest, otherwise they would not be two, but the same. This reason for our opinion I rather choose, then that which Avicen alledges, founded upon this principle, That from one cause, as one, can proceed but one ef∣fect. We conclude therefore, that no creature but this first minde proceeds immediately from God: for, of all other effects issuing from this minde, and all other second causes, God is only the mediate efficient. This by Plato, Hermes, and Zoroaster, is called the Daughter of God, the Minde, Wisdome, Divine Reason, by some interpreted the Word; not meaning (with our Divines) the Son of

God, he not being a creature, but one essence coequall with the Creator.

Sect. V.

ALL understanding agents have in themselves the form of that which they design to effect: as an Architect hath in his minde a figure of the building he undertakes, which as his pat∣tern he exactly strives to imitate: This Platonists call the Idea or Exemplar, believing it more perfect, then that which is made after it: and this manner of Being, Ideal, or Intelligible, the o∣ther Materiall and Sensible: So that when a Man builds a house, they affirm there are two, one Intellectuall in the Workmans mind; the other sensible, which he makes in Stone, Wood, or the like; expressing in that matter the form he hath conceiv'd: to this Dante alludes.

••None any work can frame, Unless himself become the same.

Hereupon they say, though God produced only one creature, yet he produced all, because in it he produced the Ideas and forms of all, and that in their most perfect being, that is the Ideal, for which reason they call this Mind, the Intelligible World.

Sect. VI.

AFter the pattern of that Mind they affirm this sensible World was made, and the exemplar being the most perfect of all created things, it must follow that this Image thereof be as perfect as its nature will bear. And since animate things are more perfect then the inanimate; and of those the rational then the irrationall, we must grant, this World hath a Soul perfect above all others. This is the first rationall Soul, which, though incorpo∣reall, and immateriall, is destin'd to the function of governing and moving corporeall Nature: not free from the body as that mind whence from Eternity it was deriv'd, as was the mind from God. Hence Platonists argue the World is eternall; its soul being such, and not capable of being without a body, that also must be from eternity; as likewise the motion of the Hea∣vens, because the Soul cannot be without moving.

Sect. VII.

THe antient Ethnick Theologians, who cast Poeticall vails over the face of their mysteries, expresse these three natures by other names. Coelum they call God himself; he produc'd the first Mind, Saturn: Saturn the Soul of the World, Iupiter. Coelum imples Priority, and excellence, as in the Firmament, the first Heaven. Saturn signifies Intellectuall nature, wholly imploy'd in

contemplation; Iupiter active life, consisting in moving and go∣verning all subordinate to it. The properties of the two latter a∣gree with their Planets: Saturn makes Men Contemplative, Iu∣piter Imperious. The Speculative busied about things above them; the Practick beneath them.

Sect. VIII.

WHich three names are promiscuously used upon these grounds: In God we understand first his Excellence, which as Cause, he hath above all his effects; for this he is called Coelus. Secondly, the production of those effects, which denotes conversion towards inferiours; in this respect he is sometimes called Iupiter, but with an addition, Optimus, Maximus. The first Angelick nature hath more names, as more diversity. Every crea∣ture consists of Power and Act: the first, Plato in Philebo, calls In∣finite: the second, Finite: all imperfections in the Mind are by reason of the first; all perfections, from the latter. Her operati∣ons are threefold. About Superiours, the contemplation of God; about the knowledge of herself; about inferiours, the production and care of this sensible World: these three proceed from Act. By Power she descends to make inferiour things; but in either re∣spect is firm within her self. In the two first, because contempla∣tive, she is called Saturn: in the third, Iupiter, a name principally applyed to her power, as that part from whence is derived the act of Production of things. For the same reason is the soul of the World, as she contemplates her self or superiours, termed Sa∣turn; as she is imployed in ordering worldly things, Iupiter: and since the government of the World belongs properly to her; the contemplation to the Mind; therefore is the one absolutely called Iupiter, the other Saturn.

Sect. IX.

THis World therefore (as all other creatures) consisteth of a Soul and Body: the Body is all that we behold, compoun∣ded of the four Elements. These have their casuall being in the Heavens, (which consist not of them, as sublunary things; for then it would follow that these inferiour parts were made before the Celestiall, the Elements in themselves being simple, by con∣course causing such things as are compounded of them:) Their formal being from the Moon down to the Earth: Their partici∣pate and imperfect under the Earth, evident in the Fire, Air, and Water, experience daily finds there; evinc'd by naturall Philo∣sophers: to which the antient Theologians aenigmatically allude by their four infernall Rivers, Acheron, Cocytus, Styx, and Phlegeton.

We may divide the body of the World into three parts: Ce∣lestiall, Mundane, Infernall: The ground why the Poets ••eign

the Kingdom of Saturn to be shar'd betwixt his three Sons, Iupi∣ter, Neptune, and Pluto: implying only the three-fold variation of this corporeall World; which as long as it remains under Sa∣turn, that is, in its Ideal Intellectual being, is one and undivided; and so more firm and potent: but falling into the hands of his Sons, that is, chang'd to this material Being, and by them divided into three parts, according to the triple existence of bodies, is more infirm and lesse potent, degenerating from a spiritual to a corporeal estate. The first part, the heavenly, they attribute to Iupiter; the last and lowest to Pluto; the middle to Neptune. And because in this principality is all generation and corruption, the Theologians express it by the Ocean, ebbing or flowing continual∣ly: by Neptune understanding the Power or deity that presides over Generation. Yet we must not imagine these to be different souls, distinctly informing these three parts: the World her self being one, can have but one Soul; which as it animates the subterrane∣all parts, is called Pluto; the sublunary Neptune; the celestiall, Iupiter. Thus Plato in Philebo averrs by Jove is understood a regall soul, meaning the principall part of the World which governs the other. This opinion, though only my ow••••, I suppose is more true then the expositions of the Grecians.

Sect. X.

NExt that of the World, Platonists assign many other rational souls. The eight principall are those of the heavenly Spheres; which according to their opinion exceeded not that number; con∣sisting of the seven Planets, and the starry Orb. These are the nine Muses of the Poets: Calliope (the universall soul of the World) is first, the other eight are distributed to their severall Spheres.

Sect. XI.

PLato asserts,* 1.2 That the Author of the World made the mundane, and all other rationall souls, in one Cup, and of the same Elements; the universall soul being most perfect, ours least: whose parts we may observe by this division: Man, the chain that ties the World to∣gether, is placed in the midst: and as all mediums participate of their extreams, his parts correspond with the whole World; thence called Microcosmus. In the World is first Corporeall Na∣ture, eternall in the Heavens; corruptible in the Elements, and their compounds, as Stones, Mettals, &c. Then Plants. The third degree is of Beasts. The fourth rationall souls. The fifth Angeli∣call minds. Above these is God, their origine. In man are likewise two bodies; one eternall, the Platonists Vehiculum coeleste, imme∣diately inform'd by the rational soul: The other corruptible, sub∣ject to sight, consisting of the Elements: Then the vegetative fa∣culty, by which generated and nourished. The third part is Sensitive and motive. The fourth Rational; by the

Latine Peripateticks believ'd the last and most noble part of the Soul: yet, above that is the Intellectuall and Angelick; the most excellent part whereof, we call the Souls Union, immediately joyning it to God, in a manner resembling him; as in the other Angels, Beasts, and Plants. About th••se Platonists differ, Pro••lus and Porphyrius only allow the rationall part to be Immortall▪ Zenocrates and Speusippus the sensitive also; Numenius and Plo∣tinus the whole Soul.

Sect. XII.

IDeas have their casuall being in God, their formall in the first Minde, their participated in the rationall Soul. In God they are not, but produced by him in the Angelick nature, through this communicated to the Soul, by whom illuminated, when she re∣flects on her intellectuall parts, she receives the true formes of things, Ideas. Thus differ the Souls of Men from the Celestiall: these in their bodily functions recede not from the Intellectuall, at once contemplating and governing. Bodies ascend to them, they descend not. Those employ'd in corporeall office are de∣priv'd of contemplation, borrowing science from sence, to this wholly enclin'd, full of errors: Their only means of release from this bondage, is, the amatory life; which by sensible beauties, exciting in the soul a remembrance of the Intellectuall, raiseth her from this terrene life, to the eternall; by the flame of love re∣fined into an Angell.

The Second PART.

Sect. I.

THE apprehensive faculties of the Soul are em∣ploy'd about truth and falshood; assenting to one, dissenting from the other. The first is af∣firmation, the second negation. The deside∣rative converse in good and ill, inclining to this, declining to that. The first is Love, the se∣cond Hate. Love is distinguish'd by its objects; if of riches, termed covetousnesse; of honour, ambition; of hea∣venly things, piety; of equalls, friendship: these we exclude, and admit no other signification, but, the desire to possesse what in it selfe, or, at least in our esteem, is fair: of a different nature from the love of God to his Creatures, who comprehending all, cannot de∣sire or want the beauty and perfections of another: and from that of friends which must be reciprocall. We therefore with Plato define it, *〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉* The desire of beauty. Desire is an inclina∣tion

to reall or apparent good. As there are divers kinds of good, so of desire. Love is a species of desire, Beauty of good. Desire is Naturall or Knowing. All creatures have a particular perfe∣ction by participation of the divine goodnesse. This is their end, including that degree of felicity whereof they are capable, to which center they tend. This desire we call Naturall; a great te∣stimony of Divine Providence, by which they are unwittingly (as an Arrow by the Archer) directed to their mark. With this, all Creatures desire. God, as being the Originall good imprinted and participated in every particular. This is in every Nature, as more or lesse capable; addressed to ends more or lesse noble; yet, is the ultimate end of all the same, to enjoy God, as far as they may: Thus as the Psalmist, Every thing worships and praiseth God; like suppliants, turning and offering themselves up to him, saith Theodoret.

Sect. II.

THe other Species of Desire is employed only about things known, given by Nature, that to every apprehensive facul∣ty, there might be a desiderative; to embrace what it judgeth good, to refuse what it esteemeth evill; in its own nature en∣clin'd to good: None ever desires to be miserable; but, the ap∣prehensive Vertue many times mistaking Evill for Good, it oft falls out that the desiderative (in its selfe blind) desires evill. This in some sence may be said voluntary, for none can force it; in another sence, not voluntary, deceived by the judgment of its Companion. This is Plato's meaning, when he saith,* 1.3 No man sins willingly.

Sect. III.

IT is the Property of every desiderative Vertue, that He who desires, possesseth in part the thing he desires, in part not: for, if he were wholly deprived of its Possession, he would never de∣sire it: this is verified two waies. First, nothing is desired unlesse it be known; and to know a thing is in some part to possesse it. So Aristotle,* 1.4 The Soul is all, because it knowes all. And in the Psalmist God saith, All things are mine, I know them. Secondly, there is al∣waies some convenience and resemblance betwixt the desirer and desired: Every thing delights and preserves it selfe by that, which by naturall affinity is most conformable to it; by its con∣trary is grieved and consum'd. Love is not betwixt things un∣like; Repugnance of two opposite natures is naturall hate. Hate is a repugnance with knowledge. Hence it followeth, that the na∣ture of the desired, is in some manner in the desirer; otherwise, there would be no similitude betwixt them: yet imperfectly; else it were vain for it to seek what it entirely possesseth.

Sect. IV.

AS desire generally followes knowledge, so severall knowing are annexed to severall desiring Powers: We distinguish the knowing into three degrees; Sence, Reason, Intellect; atten∣ded by three desiderative Vertues, Appetite, Election, Will▪ Appetite is in Bruits, Election in Men, Will in Angels. The sense knowes only corporeall things, the Appetite only desires such; the Angelick Intellect is wholly intent on Contemplation of spirituall Conceptions, not inclining to Materiall Things, but when divested of matter, and spiritualiz'd, their Will is only fed with intemporall spirituall Good. Rationall Nature is the Mean betwixt these Extreams; sometimes descending to Sense, sometimes elevated to Intellect; by its own Election complying with the desires of which she pleaseth. Thus it appears, that cor∣poreall Objects are desired, either by Sensuall Appetite, or Ele∣ction of Reason inclining to Sense: Incorporeall by Angelick Will, or, the Election of Reason, elevated to Intellectuall Height.

Sect. V.

BEauty in generall, is a Harmony resulting from severall things, proportionably concurring to constitute a third: In respect of which temperament, and mixture of various Natures, agreeing in the composition of one, every Creature is Fair; and in this sence no simple being is Beautifull, not God himselfe; this Beauty begins after him, arising from contrariety, without which is no com∣position; it being the union of contraries, a friendly enmity, a disagreeing concord; whence Empedocles makes discord and con∣cord the principles of all things; by the first, understanding the varietie of the Natures compounding; by the second, their Uni∣on: adding, that in God only there is no Discord, He not being the Union of severall Natures; but, a pure uncompounded Uni∣ty. In these compositions the Union necessarily predominates over the contrariety, otherwise the Fabrick would be dissolved. Thus in the fictions of Poets, Venus loves Mars: this Beauty can∣not subsist without contrariety; she curbs and moderates him, this temperament allaies the strife betwixt these contraries. And in Astrologie, Venus is plac'd next Mars, to check his destructive influence; as Iupiter next Saturn, to abate his malignancy. If Mars were alwaies subject to Venus (the contrariety of principles to their due temper) nothing would ever be dissolved.

Sect. VI.

THis is Beauty in the largest sence, the same with Harmony; whence God is said to have framed the World with musicall harmonious temperament. But Harmony properly implies a

melodious agreement of Voices; and Beauty in a restrict accep∣tion relates to a proportionable concord in visible things, as Har∣mony in audible. The desire of this Beauty is Love; arising only from one knowing faculty, the Sight; and that gaye Plotonius, (En••ead. 3. lib. 5. 3.) occasion to deprive 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Love, from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Sight. Here the Platonist may object; If Love be only of visible things, how can it be applyed to Ideas, invisible natures? We answer, Sight is twofold, corporeal and spirituall; the first is that of Sense, the other the Intellectuall faculty, by which we agree with Angels; this Platonists call Sight, the corporeall being only an Image of this. So Aristotle, Intellect is that to the Soul which sight is to the Body: Hence is Minerva (Wisdom) by Homer call'd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Bright-ey'd. With this sight Moses, Saint Paul, and other Saints, beheld the face of God: this Divines call Intellectuall, ••••tuitive cognition, the Be••tificall vision, the Reward of the Righteous.

Sect. VII.

AS Sight, so Beauty (it••object) is twofold (the two Venus•••• celebrated by Plato, [Sympos.] and our Poet) Sensible, called Vulgar Venus. Intellectuall in Ideas (which are the object of the Intellect, as colour of sight) nam'd Celestiall Venus, Love also is twofold, Vulgar, and Celestial▪ for as Plato saith* 1.5 There must ne∣cessarily be as many Loves as Venus's.

Sect. VIII.

VEnus then is Beauty, whereof Love is generated: properly his Mother, because Beauty is the cause of Love, not as pro∣ductive principle of this act, to Love, but as its object: the Soul, being the efficient cause of it as of all his acts; Beauty the mate∣riall: For in Philosophy the efficient is assimilated to the Father, the material to the Mother.

Sect. IX.

CElestiall Love is an Intellectuall desire of Ideall Beauty: I∣deas, (as we said before) are the Patterns of things in God▪ as in their Fountain; in the Angelick Mind, Essentiall; in the Soul by Participation, which with the Substance partakes of the Ideas and Beauty of the first Mind: Hence it follows, that Love of Celestial Beauty in the Soul, is not Celestiall Love perfectly, but the nearest Image of it. Its truest being is with the desire of Ideal Beauty in the first Mind, which God immediately adorns with Ideas.

Sect. X.

LOve (saith Plato) was begot on Penia, by Porus (the Son of Metis) in Iupiters Orchard, being drunk with Nectar, when the Gods met to celebrate Venus Birth. Nature in it self inform, when it receives form from God is the Angelick Mind; this form is Ideas, the first Beauty; which in this descent from their divine Fountain, mixing with a different nature, become imperfect. The first mind, by its opacousness eclipsing their lustre, desires, that Beauty which they have lost; this desire is love▪ begot when Porus the affluence of Ideas mixeth with Penia the indigence of that informe nature we termed Iupiter (1. 8.) in whose Garden the Ideas are planted, with those the first Mind adorned, was by the Antients named Paradise; to which contemplative life and eternall felici∣ty Zoroastres inviting us, saith, seek, Seek Paradis••: our Divines trans∣fer it to the Coelum Empyraeum, the seat of the happy Souls, whose blessednesse consists in contemplation and perfection of the In∣tellect, according to Plato. This Love begot on Venus birth-day, that is, when the Ideal Beauty, though imperfectly, is infused into the Angelick Mind; Venus yet as a Child, not grown to perfection. All the Gods assembled at this Feast, that is their Ideas, (as by Saturn we understand both the Planet and his Idea) an expression bor∣rowed from Parmenides. These Gods then are those Ideas that precede Venus (She is the beauty and Grace resulting from their variety▪) Invited to a Banquet of Nectar and Ambrosia: those whom God feasts with Nectar and Ambrosia are eternall beings, the rest not; These Idea's of the Angelick Mind are the first eter∣nals; Porus was drunk with Nectar, this Ideal affluence fill'd with Eternity; other Idea's were not admitted to the Feast, nor indu∣ed with Immortality.

Orpheus upon the same grounds saith, Love was born before all other Gods, in the bosom of Chaos: Because Nature full of indistinct imperfect forms (the Mind replenished with confused Ideas) desires their perfection.

Sect. XI.

THe Angelick Mind desires to make these Idea's perfect; which can onely be done by means opposite to the causes of their imperfection, these are Recession from their Principle, and mixti∣on with a contrary Nature: Their Remedy, separation from the unlike Nature, and return and conjunction (as far as possible) with God. Love, the desire of this Beauty, excites the Mind to conversion and re-union with him. Every thing is more perfect as nearer its Principle; This is the first Circle. The Angelick Mind, proceeding from the Union of God, by revolution of intrinsecall knowledge returneth to him. Which with the Antients is Venus adulta, grown to perfection. Every Nature that may have this

conversion, is a Circle; such alone are the Intellectuall and Rati∣onall, and therefore only capable of felicity, the obtaining their first Principle, their ultimate end and highest good. This is pecu∣liar to Immortall Substances, for the Materiall (as both Plato∣nists and Peripateticks grant) have not this reflection upon them∣selves, or their Principle. These, (the Angelick Mind and Rati∣onall Soul) are the two intelligible Circles; answerable to which in the corporeall World are two more; the tenth Heaven immoveable, image of the first Circle; the Celestiall Bodies, that are moveable, image of the second. The first Plato mentions no••, as wholly different and irrepresentable by corpo∣reall Nature: of the second in Timaeo he saith, That all the Cir••les of this visible Heaven (by him distinguished into the fixed sphere and seven Planets) represent as many Circles in the Rationall Soul.

Some attribute the name of Circle to God; by the antient Theologists called Coelus; being a Sphear which comprehends all; as the outmost Heaven includes the World.

In one respect this agrees with God, in another not; the property of beginning from a point and returning to it, is repugnant to him; who hath no beginning▪ but is himself that indivisible point from which all Circles begin, and to which they return: And in this sence it is likewise inconsistent with materiall things, they have a beginning, but cannot return to it.

In many other Properties it agrees with God; He is the most perfect of beings; this of figures; neither admit addition: The last Sphear is the place of all bodies, God of all Spirits: the Soul (say Platonists) is not in the Body, but the body is in the Soul, the Soul in the Mind, the Mind in God, the outmost Place; who is there∣fore named by the Cabalists 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Sect. XII.

THe three Graces are Handmaids to Venus, Thalid, Euphrosyne, Aglaia; Viridity, Gladnesse, Splendour; properties attend∣ing Ideal Beauty. Thalia, is the permanence of every thing in its entire being; thus is Youth called green, Man being then in his perfect state; which decaies as his years encrease, into his last dissolution. Venus, is proportion, uniting all things. Viridity, the duration of it; In the Ideall World, where is the first Venus, is al∣so the first Viridity; for no Intelligible Nature recedes from its being by growing old. It communicates this property to sensible things as far as they are capable of this Venus, that is, as long as their due proportion continues. The two other properties of Ideal Beauty are Illustration of the Intellect, Aglaia, Repletion of the wil with desire and joy, Euphrosyne.

Of the Graces one is painted looking toward us; The conti∣nuation of our being is no reflex act. The other two with their

faces from us, seeming to return; the operations of the Intellect and Will are reflexive; What comes from God to us, returnes from us to God.

Sect. XIII.

VEnus is said to be born of the Sea; Matter, the Inform Nature whereof every Creature is compounded, is represented by Water, continually flowing, easily receptable of any form. This being first ••n the Angelick Minde, Angells are many times ex∣prest by Water, as in the Psalms, The Waters above the Heavens praise God continually, so interpreted by Origen; and some Plato∣nists expound the Ocean (stil'd by Homer Father of Gods and Men) this Angelick Minde, Principle and Fountain of all other Creatures; Gemistius, Neptune; as Commander of all Waters, of all Mindes Angelicall and Humane. This is that living Fountain, whereof he that drinketh shall never thirst: These are the Wa∣ters whereon (David saith) God hath founded the World.

Sect. XIV.

POrus (the Affluence of Ideas proceeding from God) is stiled by Plato the Son of Metis (Counsell,) in Imitation of the Scrip∣ture: whence our Saviour by Dionysius Areop. is termed the Angel of Counsell, that is, the Messenger of God the Father; so Avicen calls the first Cause conciliative, the Minde not having Ideas from it selfe but from God, by whose Counsell she recei∣veth Knowledge and Art to frame this visible World.

Sect. XV.

LOve,* 1.6 according to Plato, is Youngest and Oldest of the Gods; They, as all other things, have a two-fold Being, Ideal and Naturall. The first God in his Naturall Being was Love, who dispenc'd theirs to all the rest, the last in his Ideal. Love was born in the Descent of the Ideas into the Angelick Minde, which could not be perfect till they, its Essence, were made so, by loves conversion to God. The Angelick Minde owing its na∣turall being to Love, the other Gods who succeeded this Minde, necessarily are younger then He in their naturall Being, though they precede him in their Ideal, as not born till these Ideas, though imperfectly, were joyn'd to the inform'd Nature.

Sect. XVI.

THe Kingdome of Necessity is said to be before that of Love.* 1.7 Every Creature consists of two Natures, Materiall, the imperfect, (which we here understand by Necessity) and Formall, the oc∣casion of perfection. That whereof it most partakes is said to be predominant, and the Creature to be subject to it. Hence is Ne∣cessity (matter) suppos'd to raigne when the Ideas were imper∣fect,

and all imperfections to happen during that time; all per∣fections after Love began his reign; for, when the Minde was by him converted to God; that which before was imperfect in her, was perfected.

Sect. XVII.

* 1.8 VEnus is said to commend Fate. The order and concatenation of causes and effects in this sensible World, called Fate, de∣pends on the order of the Intelligible World, Providence. Hence Platonists place Providence (the ordering of Ideas) in the first Minde, depending upon God, its ultimate end, to which it leads all other things. Thus Venus, being the order of those Ideas, whereon Fate, the Worlds order, depends, commands it.

Fate is divided into three parts, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos: That which is one in Providence, indivisible in Eternity, when it comes into Time and Fate is divisible, into Past, Present, and Future. Others apply Atropos to the fixed Sphear, Clotho to the seven Planets, Lachesis to sublunary things.

Temporall corporeall things only are subjected to Fate; the Rationall Soul being incorporeall, predominates over it; but, is subjected to Providence, to serve which is true liberty. By whom the Will (obeying its Lawes) is led to the Acquisition of her de∣sired end. And as often as she endeavours to loose her selfe from this Servitude, of Free she becomes a Servant and Slave to Fate, of whom before she was the Mistresse. To deviate from the Laws of Providence, is, to forsake Reason, to follow Sense and Irrati∣onall Appetite, which being corporeall, are under Fate; he that serves these, is much more a servant then those he serves.

Sect. XVIII.

AS from God Ideas descend into the Angelick Mind, by which the Love of Intellectuall Beauty is begot in her, called Divine Love; so the same Ideas descend from the Ange∣lick Minde into the Rationall Soul, so much the more imperfect in her, as she wants of Angelicall Perfection: From these springs Human Love. Plato discourseth of the first, Plotinus of the latter▪ who by the same Argument, whereby he proves Ideas not acci∣dentall, but substantiall in the Angelick Minde, evinceth like∣wise the specificall Reasons, the Ideas in the Soul, to be substan∣tiall, terming the Soul Venus, as having a specious splendid Love, in respect of these specificall Reasons.

Sect. XIX.

VUlgar Love is the Appetite of sensible Beauty, through corporeall sight. The cause of this Beauty is the visible Heaven by its moving power. As our motive faculty consists in Muscles and Nerves (the Instruments of its Operation,) so the

motive faculty of Heaven is fitted with a Body proper for cir∣cular sempiternall motion: Through which Body the Soul (as a Painter with his Pencill changeth this inferiour matter into va∣rious Forms. Thus vulgar Venus (the beauty of materiall forms) hath her casuall being from the moving power of the Heavens, her formall from colour, enlightned by the visible Sun as Ideas by the invisible; her participate in the Figure and just order of parts communicated to sight by mediation of light and colour, by whose Interest only it procures love.

Sect. XX.

AS when the Ideas descend into the Minde, there ariseth a desire of enjoying that, from whence this Ideall Beauty comes; so when the species of sensible Beauty flow into the Eye, there springs a two-fold Appetite of Union with that, whence this Beauty is derived; one Sensuall, the other Rationall; the principles of Bestiall and Human Love. If We follow Sense, We Judge the Body wherein We behold this Beauty, to be its Foun∣tain; whence proceedes a desire of Coition, the most intimate union with it: This is the Love of irrationall Creatures. But Reason knowes, that the Body is so far from being its Originall, that it is destructive to it, and the more it is sever'd from the Bo∣dy, the more it enjoyes its own Nature and Dignity: We must not fix with the species of Sense in the Body, but refine that spe∣cies from all reliques of corporeall infection.

And because Man may be understood by the Rationall Soul, either considered apart, or, in its union to the Body; in the first sence, human Love is the Image of the Celestiall; in the second, Desire of sensible Beauty; this being by the Soul abstracted from matter, and (as much as its nature will allow) made Intellectu∣all. The greater part of men reach no higher than this; others more perfect, remembring that more perfect Beauty which the Soul (before immers'd in the Body) beheld, are inflam'd with an incredible desire of reviewing it, in pursuit whereof, they sepa∣rate themselves as much as possible from the Body, of which the Soul (returning to its first dignity) becomes absolute Mistresse. This is the Image of Celestiall Love, by which man ariseth from one perfection to another, till his Soul (wholly united to the Intellect) is made an Angell. Purged from materiall drosse, and transformed into spirituall flame by this Divine Power, he mounts up to the Intelligible Heaven, and happily rests in his Fathers bosome.

Sect. XXI.

VUlgar Love is only in Souls immerst in Matter, and over∣come by it, or at least hindred by perturbations and passi∣ons. Angelick Love is in the Intellect, eternall as it. Yet but

inferr'd, the greater part turning from the Intellect to sensible things, and corporeall cares. But so perfect are these Celestiall Souls, that they can discharge both Functions, rule the Body; yet not be taken off from Contemplation of Superiours: These the Poets signifie by Ianus with two faces, one looking forward upon Sensible things, the other on intelligible: lesse perfect Souls have but one face, and when they turn that to the Body, cannot see the Intellect, being depriv'd of their contemplation; when to the Intellect, cannot see the Body, neglecting the Care thereof. Hence those Souls that must forsake the Intellect, to apply them∣selves to Corporeall Government, are by Divine Providence confin'd to caduque, corruptible Bodies, loosed from which▪ they may in a short time, if they fail not themselves, return to their Intellectuall felicity. Other Soules not hindred from Spe∣culation, are tyed to eternall incorruptible Bodies.

Celestial Souls then (design'd by Ianus, as the Principles of Time, motion intervening) behold the Ideal Beauty in the Intel∣lect, to love it perpetually; and inferiour sensible things, not to desire their Beauty; but, to communicate this other to them. Our Souls before united to the Body, are in like manner double∣fac'd; but, are then as it were, cleft asunder, retaining but one; which as they turn to either object, Sensuall or Intellectuall, is deprived of the other.

Thus is vulgar love inconsistent with the Celestiall; and many ravish'd at the sight of Intellectuall Beauty, become blinde to sensible; imply'd by Callimachus, Hymn. 5. in the Fable of Tyresias, who viewing Pallas naked, lost his sight; yet by her was made a Prophet, closing the eyes of his Body, she open'd those of his Minde, by which he beheld both the Present and Future. The Ghost of Achilles which inspir'd Homer with all Intellectuall Contemplations in Poetry, deprived him of corporeal sight.

Though Celestiall Love liveth eternally in the Intellect of every Soul; yet, only those few make use of it, who declining the Care of the Body, can with Saint Paul say, Whether in the Body, or out of the Body they know not. To which state a Man sometimes ar∣rives; but, continues there but a while, as we see in Extasies.

Sect. XXII.

THus in our Soul (naturally indifferent to sensible or intel∣ligible Beauty) there may be three Loves; one in the In∣tellect, Angelicall; the second Human; the third Sensuall: the two latter are conversant about the same object, Corporeall Beauty; the sensuall fixeth its Intention wholly in it; the hu∣man separates it from matter. The greater part of mankind go no further then these two; but they whose understandings are purified by Philosophy, knowing sensible Beauty to be but the Image of another more perfect, leave it, and desire to see the Ce∣lestial,

of which they have already a Tast in their Remembrance, if they persevere in this Mental Elevation, they finally obtain it; and recover that, which though in them from the beginning, yet they were not sensible of, being diverted by other Objects.

The Sonnet.

I.

LOve, (whose hand guides my Hearts strict Reins Nor, though he govern it, disdains To feed the fire with pious care Which first himself enkindled there) Commands my backward Soul to tell What Flames within her Bosom dwell; Fear would perswade her to decline The charge of such a high design; But all her weak reluctance fails, 'Gainst greater Force no Force avails. Love to advance her flight will lend Those wings by which he did descend Into my Heart, where he to rest For ever, long since built his Nest: I what from thence he dictates write, And draw him thus by his own Light.

II.

LOve, flowing from the sacred spring Of uncreated Good, I sing: When born; how Heaven he moves; the soul Informs; and doth the World controwl; How closely lurking in the heart, With his sharp weapons subtle art From heavy earth he Man unites, Enforcing him to reach the skies. How kindled, how he flames, how burns; By what laws guided now he turns To Heaven, now to the Earth descends, Now rests 'twixt both, to neither bends. Apollo, Thee I invocate, Bowing beneath so great a weight. Love, guide me through this dark design, And imp my shorter wings with thine.

III.

WHen from true Heav'n the sacred Sun Into th' Angelick Mind did run, And with enliv'ned Leaves adorn, Bestowing form on his first-born; Enflamed by innate Desires, She to her chiefest good aspires; By which reversion her rich Brest With various Figures is imprest; And by this love exalted, turns Into the Sun for whom she burns. This flame, rais'd by the Light that shin'd From Heav'n into th' Angelick Mind, Is eldest Loves religious Ray, By Wealth and Want begot that Day, When Heav'n brought forth the Queen, whose Hand The Cyprian Scepter doth Command.

IV.

THis born in amorous Cypris arms, The Sun of her bright Beauty warms. From this our first desire accrues, Which in new fetters caught, pursues The honourable path that guides Where our eternall good resides. By this the fire, through whose fair beams Life from above to Mankind streams, Is kindled in our hearts, which glow Dying, yet dying greater grow; By this th' immortal Fountain flows, Which all Heaven forms below, bestows; By this descends that shower of light Which upwards doth our minds invite; By this th' Eternall Sun inspires And souls with sacred lustre fires.

V.

AS God doth to the Mind dispence Its Being, Life, Intelligence, So doth the Mind the soul acquaint How't understand, to move, to paint; She thus prepar'd, the Sun that shines In the Eternal Breast designs, And here what she includes diffuses, Exciting every thing that uses

Motion and sense (beneath her state) To live, to know, to operate. Inferiour Venus hence took Birth; Who shines in heav'n, but lives on earth, And o're the world her shadow spreads: The elder in the Suns Glass reads Her Face, through the confused skreen Of a dark shade obscurely seen; She Lustre from the Sun receives, And to the Other Lustre gives; Celestiall Love on this depends, The younger, vulgar Love attends.

VI.

FOrm'd by th' eternal Look of God, From the Suns most sublime abode, The Soul descends into Mans Heart, Imprinting there with wondrous Art What worth she borowed of her star, And brought in her Celestiall Carre; As well as humane Matter yields, She thus her curious Mansion builds; Yet all those fames from the divine Impression differently decline: The Sun, who's figu'rd here, his Beams Into anothers Bosom streams; In whose agreeing soul he staies, And guilds it with its virtuous Raies, The heart in which Affection's bred, Is thus by pleasing Errour fed.

VII.

THe heart where pleasing Errour raigns, This object as her Child maintains, By the fair light that in her shines (A rare Celestiall Gift,) refines; And by degrees at last doth bring To her first splendours sacred spring, From this divine Look, one Sun passes Through three refulgent Burning-glasses, Kindling all Beauty, which the Spirit, The Body, and the Mind inherit. These rich spoiles, by th' eye first caught, Are to the Souls next Handmaid brought, Who there resides: She to the brest Sends them; reform'd, but not exprest: The heart, from Matter Beauty takes,

Of many one Conception makes; And what were meant by Natures Laws, Distinct, She in one Picture draws▪

VIII.

THe heart by Love allur'd to see Within her self her Progeny; This, like the Suns reflecting Rayes Upon the Waters face, survaies; Yet some divine, though clouded light Seems here to twinckle, and invite The pious Soul, a Beauty more Sublime, and perfect to adore. Who sees no longer his dim shade Upon the earths vast Globe display'd, But certain Lustre, of the true Suns truest Image, now in view. The Soul thus entring in the Mind, There such uncertainty doth find, That she to clearer Light applies Her aimes, and near the first Sun flies: She by his splendour beautious grows, By loving whom all Beauty flows Upon the Mind, Soul, World, and All Included in this spacious Ball.

IX.

BUt hold! Love stops the forward Course That me beyond my scope would force. Great Power! if any Soul appears Who not alone the blossoms wears, But of the rich Fruit is possest, Lend him thy Light, deny the rest.

The Third PART.

TO treat of both Loves belongs to different Scien∣ences; Vulgar Love to Naturall or Morall Philosophy; Divine, to Theology or Meta∣physicks. Solomon discourseth excellently of the first in Ecclesiastes, as a Naturall Philoso∣pher, in his Proverbs as a Morall: Of the se∣cond in his Canticles, esteemed the most Di∣vine of all the Songs in Scripture.

S••anza I.

The chief order established by Divine Wisdom in created things, is, that every inferiour Nature be immediately governed by the superiour; whom whilst it obeys, it is guarded from all ill, and lead without any obstruction to its determinate felicity; but, if through too much affection to its own liberty, and desire to prefer the licentious life before the profitable, it rebell from the superiour Nature, it falls into a double inconvenience. First, like a Ship given over by the Pilot, it lights sometimes on one Rock, sometimes on another, without hope of reaching the Port. Se∣condly, it loseth the command it had over the Natures subjected to it, as it hath deprived its superiour of his. Irrationall Nature is ruled by another, un••it for its Imperfection to rule any. God by his ineffable Excellence provides for every thing, himselfe needs not the providence of any other▪ Betwixt the two ex∣treams, God and Bruits, are Angells and Rationall Souls, gover∣ning others, and governed by others. The first Hierarchy of An∣gells immediately illuminated by God, enlighten the next un∣der them; the last (by Platonists termed Daemons, by the He∣brewes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as Guardians of Men) are set over us as We o∣ver Irrationalls. So Psalm 8. Whilest the Angells continued sub∣ject to the Divine Power, they retained their Authority over o∣ther Creatures; but when Luciser and his Companions, through inordinate love of their own Excellence, aspir'd to be equall with God, and to be conserved, as He, by their own strength, they fell from Glory to extream Misery; and when they lost the Priviledge they had over others, seeing us freed from their Em∣pire, enviovsly every hour insidiate our good. The same order is in the l••sser World, our Soul: the inferiour faculties are directed by the superiour, whom following they erre not. The imagina∣tive corrects the mistakes of outward sense; Reason is illumina∣ted by the Intellect, nor do we at any time miscarry, but when the Imaginative will not give credit to Reason, or Reason con∣fident of it selfe, resists the Intellect. In the desiderative the Ap∣petite

is govern'd by the Rationall, the Rationall by the Intelle∣ctuall, which our Poet implies, saying,

[Love whose hand guides my hearts strict reins.]

The cognoscitive powers are seated in the Head, the desidera∣tive in the Heart: In every well order'd Soul, the Appetite is go∣vern'd by Intellectuall Love; implyed by the Metaphor of Reins, borrowed from Plato in his Phaedrus.

[Love to advance my flight, will lend The wings by which he did ascend Into my heart—]

When any superiour vertue is said to descend, we imply not, that it leaves its own height to come down to us, but drawes us up to it selfe; its descending to us, is our ascending to it; other∣wise such conjuction would be the imperfection of the vertue, not the perfection of him who receives it.

II.

[Love ••lowing from the sacred Spring Of uncreated good—]

From the Fountain of divine goodnesse into our Souls, in which that influx is terminated.

[When born, &c.]

The order, participation, conversion of Ideas, see Part 2. Sect.

[—how Heaven he moves, the Soul Informs, and doth the World controul.]

Of these three properties, Love is not the efficient: God pro∣duceth the Ideas in the Angelick Minde, the Minde illustrates the Soul with Ideal Beauty; Heaven is moved by its proper Soul: But, without Love, these principles do not operate: He is cause of the Mindes conversion to God, and of the Souls to the Minde; without which, the Ideas would not descend into the one, nor the Specifick reasons into the other: the Soul not illuminated by these, could not elicite this sensible form out of matter, by the motion of Heaven.

III.

WHen the ••irst emanation from God (the plenty of Ideas) descended into the Angelick Minde, she, desiring their perfection, reverts to God, obtaining of him what she covets; which the more fully she possesseth, the more fervently she loves. This desire, (Celestiall Love,) born of the obscure Minde and Ideas, is explain'd in this Stanza:

[—true Heaven—]

God who includes all created beings, as Heaven all sensible,

lib. 2. Sect. Only Spirituall things, according to Platonists, are true and reall, the rest but shadowes and images of these.

[—the sacred Sun]

The light of Ideas streaming from God.

[—enlivened leaves—]

The Metaphore of Leaves relates to the Orchard of Iupiter, where these Ideas were planted 2. 10. Enlivened, as having in themselves the principle of their operation, Intellection, the no∣blest life, as the Psalmist, Give me understanding, and I shall live. So the Cabalist to the second Sephirah, which is Wisdome, attributes the name of Life.

[—adorn bestowing form—]

To adorn denotes no more then accidentall perfection, but I∣deas are the Substance of the Minde, and therefore he adds, bestowing form; which though they come to her from without, she receives not as accidents, but as her first intrinsecall act: which our Author implies, terming her desires innate.

[And by this love exalted, turns Into the Sun, for whom she burns.]

Love transformes the Lover into the thing loved.

[—Wealth and Want—]

Porus and Penia, 2. 10.

IV.

The properties of Celestiall Love are in this Stanza discovered.

[—in new fetters caught—]

The Soul being opprest by the Body, her desire of Intellectuall Beauty sleeps; but, awakened by Love, is by the sensible Beauty of the body, led at last to their Fountain, God.

[—which glow Dying, yet glowing greater grow.]

Motion and Operation are the signes of life, their privation of death: in him who applies himselfe to the Intellectuall part, the rationall and the sensitive fail; by the Rationall he is Man, by the Intellectuall communicates with Angels: As Man he dies, re∣viv'd an Angell. Thus the Heart dies in the flames of Intellectu∣all Love; yet, consumes not, but by this death growes greater, re∣ceives a new and more sublime life. See in Plato the Fables of Al∣cestes and Orpheus.

V.

This Stanza is a description of sensible Beauty.

[The elder in the Suns glasse reads Her face, through the confused skreen Of a dark shade obscurely seen.]

Sensible light is the act and efficacy of Corporeall, spirituall light of Intelligible Beauty. Ideas in their descent into the in∣form Angelick Minde, were as colours and figures in the Night: As he who by Moon-light seeth some fair object, desires to view and enjoy it more fully in the day; so the Minde, weakly behol∣ding in her selfe the Ideal Beauty dim and opacous (whch our Author calls the skreen of a dark shade) by reason of the Night of her imperfection, turns like the Moon) to the eternall Sun, to perfect her Beauty by him; to whom addressing her selfe, she be∣comes Intelligible light; clearing the Beauty of Celestiall Venus▪ and rendring it visible to the eye of the first Minde.

In sensible Beauty we consider first the object in it selfe, the same at Midnight as at Moon: Secondly, the light, in a manner the Soul thereof: the Author supposeth, that as the first part of sensible Beauty (corporeall forms) proceeds from the first part of Intellectual Beauty (Ideal forms) so sensible light flowes from the intelligible, descending upon Ideas.

VI. VII. VIII.

Corporeall Beauty implies, first, the materiall disposition of the Body, consisting of quantity in the proportion and distance of parts, of quality in figure and colour: Secondly, a certain qua∣lity which cannot be exprest by any term better then Graceful∣nesse,, shining in all that is fair: This is properly Venus, Beauty, which kindles the fire of Love in Mankinde: They who affirm it results from the disposition of the Body, the sight, figure, and co∣lour of features, are easily confuted by experience. We s••e many persons exact, and unaccustomable in every part, destitute of this grace and comlinesse; others lesse perfect in those particular con∣ditions, excellently gracefull and comely; Thus Catullus,

Many think Quintia beau••ious, fair, and tall, And s••reight she is, apart I grant her all: But altogether beautious I deny; For, not one grace doth that large shape supply.

He grants her perfection of quality, figure, and quantity; yet not allowes her handsome, as wanting this Grace. This then must by consequence be ascribed to the Soul, which when per∣fect and lucid, transfuseth even into the Body some Beams of its Splendour. When Moses came from the divine Vision in the Mount, his face did shine so exceedingly, that the people could not behold it unlesse vail'd. Porphyrius relates, that when Ploti∣nus his soul was elevated by divine Contemplation, an extraor∣dinary brightnesse appeared in his looks; plotinus himselfe a∣verres, that there was never any beautifull Person wicked, that this Gracefulnesse in the Body, is a certain sign of perfection in the Soul, Proverbs 17. 24. Wisdome shineth in the countenance of the Wise.

From materiall beauty wee ascend to the first Fountain by six Degrees: the Soule through the sight represents to her self the Beauty of some particular person, inclines to it, is pleased with it, and while she rests here, is in the first, the most imperfect mate∣rial degree. 2. She reforms by her imagination the Image she hath received, making it more perfect as more spirituall; and separa∣ting it from Matter, brings it a little nearer Ideal Beauty. 3. By the light of the agent Intellect abstracting this Form from all sin∣gularity, she considers the universall Nature of Corporeal Beau∣ty by it self: This is the highest degree the Soul can reach whilst she goes no further then Sense. 4. Reflecting upon her own Ope∣ration, the knowledge of universall Beauty, and considering that every thing founded in matter is particular, shee concludes this universality proceeds not from the outward Object, but her In∣trinsecal Power: and reasons thus: If in the dimme Glasse of Ma∣teriall Phantasmes this Beauty is represented by vertue of my Light, it follows, that beholding it in the clear Mirrour of my sub∣stance divested of those Clouds, it will appear more perspicuous: thus turning into her self, shee findes the Image of Ideal Beauty communicated to her by the Intellect, the Object of Celestiall Love. 5. Shee ascends from this Idea in her self, to the place where Celestiall Venus is, in her proper form; Who in ful∣ness of her beauty not being comprehensible, by any particular Intellect, she, as much as in her lies, endeavours to be united to the first Mind, the chiefest of Creatures, and general Habitation of Ideal Beauty, obtaining this, she terminates, and sixeth her jour∣ney: this is the sixt and last degree: They are all imply'd in the 6, 7, and 8 Stanza's.

[Form'd by th' Eternal look, &c.]

Platonists affirm some Souls are of the nature of Saturn, others of Iupiter, or some other Planet; meaning, one Soul hath more Conformity in its Nature with the Soul of the Heaven of Saturn, then with that of Iupiter, and so on the contrary; of which there can be no internal Cause assigned; the External is God, who (as Plato in his Tim••eus) Soweth and scattereth Souls, some in the Moon, others in other Planets and Stars, the Instruments of Time.

Many imagine the Rational Soul descending from her Star, in her Vehiculum Coeleste, of her self forms the Body, to which by that Medium she is united: Our Author upon these grounds suppo∣seth, that into the Vehiculum of the Soul, by her endued with Pow∣er to form the Body, is infused from her Star a particular forma∣tive vertue, distinct according to that Star; thus the aspect of one is Saturnine, of another Joviall, &c. in their looks wee read the nature of their Souls.

But because inferiour matter is not ever obedient to the Stamp, the vertue of the Soul is not alwaies equally exprest in the visible Effigies: hence it happens that two of the same Nature are un∣like;

like; the matter whereof the one consists, being lesse dispo∣sed to receive that Figure then the other; what in that is com∣pleat is in this imperfect; our Author infers, that the figures of two Bodies being formed by vertue of the same Star, this Conformity begets Love.

[From the Suns most sulime aboad]

The Tropick of Cancer: by which Soules according to Platonists descend, ascending by Capricorn. Cancer is the House of the Moon, who predominates over the vitall parts, Capricorn of Saturn presiding over Contemplation.

[The Heart in which affection's bred Is thus by pleasing Errour fed.]

Frequently, if not alwaies, the Lover believes that which hee loves more beautious then it is, he beholds it in the Image his Soul hath formed of it; so much fairer as more separate from Matter, the Principle of Deformity; besides, the Soul is more In∣dulgent in her Affection to this Species, considering it is her own Child produc'd in her Imagination.

[—one Sun passes Through three re••ulgent Burning-glasses.]

One Light flowing from God, beautifies the Angelick, the Ra∣tional Nature, and the Sensible World.

[—the Souls next Hand-maid—]

The Imaginative

[—to the Breast]

The Breast and Heart here taken for the Soul because her nearest Lodging; the Fountain of Life and Heat.

[—reform'd but not exprest.]

Reform'd by the Imagination form the deformity of Matter; yet not reduc'd to perfect Immateriality, without which true Beauty is not Exprest.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ennead. 6. lib. 7. 37.
• * 1.2

  In ••imaco.
• * 1.3

  In Timaeo 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.4

  De Anima, 3. 9.
• * 1.5

  Sympos:
• * 1.6

  Sympos.
• * 1.7

  Plat. Sympos.
• * 1.8

  Plat. Sympos.