The history of the Chaldaick philosophy by Thomas Stanley.

CHAP. VII.

Fountains, and Principles.

BEsides this last Order of Intellectuals, which Psellus styles seven fountains, and the Anonymus summarist fountainous fathers, the latter gives Acount of many other fountains, They reverence also (saith he) a fountainous Triad of Faith, Truth, and Love; they like∣wise assert a Principiative Son from the solar fountain,* 1.1 and Archange∣lical, and the fountain of Sense, and fountainous Iudgment, and the fountain of Perspectives, and the fountain of Characters which walketh on unknown Marks,* 1.2 and the fountainous Tops of Apollo, Osyris, Hermes, they assert material fountains of Centers and Elements, and a Zone of Dreams, and a fountainous Soul.

Next the fountains, saith Psellus, are the Hyperarchii; The Anony∣mus more fully,* 1.3 Next the fountains, they say, are the Principalities, for the fountains are more principle then the principles; Both these names of Fountains and Principles are used by Dionysius Areopagita, frequently; even in the third Triad, he puts the name of Principles, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (or Principalities) after whom the Arch-angels.

Of the Animal-productive Principles, (continues the Anonymus) the top is called Hecate, the middle principiative Soul, the bottom princia∣tive Virtue. This seems to be that Hecate, whom Psellus saith, they held to be the fountain of Angels, and of Daemons, and of Souls, and of Natures; The same which the Oracle means, saying,

On the left side of Hecate, is the fountain of virtue: for the Chal∣daeans,* 1.4 (as Psellus saith) esteem Hecate a Goddesse, seated in the middle rank, and possessing as it were the Center of all the Powers; in her right parts they place the fountain of Souls, in her left the fountain of goods or of Virtues; Moreover they say, the fountain of Souls is prompt to propa∣gations, but the fountain of Virtues continueth within the bounds of its own Essence, and is as a Virgin incorrupted; which setlednesse and im∣mobility, it receives from the power of the Amilicti, and is guirt with a Virgin Zone. What Psellus here calls the fountain of Souls, and the fountain of Virtues, is the same which the Anonymus styles, principiative Soul, and principiative Virtue.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.3

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

  in Orac.