'This then,' said she,' is a simple, single thing by nature, only divided by the mistakes of base humanity; and while men try to gain a part of that which has no parts, they fail both to obtain a fraction, which cannot exist, and the whole too after which they do not strive.'
'Tell me how they fail thus,' I said.
'One seeks riches by fleeing from poverty, and takes no thought of power,' she answered, 'and so he prefers to be base and unknown, and even deprives himself of natural pleasures lest he should part with the riches which he has gathered.Thus not even that satisfaction reaches the man who loses all power, who is stabbed by sorrow, lowered by his meanness, hidden by his lack of fame.Another seeks power only: he scatters his wealth, he despises pleasures and honours which have no power, and sets no value upon glory.You see how many things such an one lacks.Sometimes he goes without necessaries even, sometimes he feels the bite and torture of care;and as he cannot rid himself of these, he loses the power too which he sought above all things.The same argument may be applied to offices, glory, and pleasure.For since each one of these is the same as each other, any man who seeks one without the others, gains not even that one which he desires.' Page 78'What then? ' I asked.
'If any man desires to obtain all together, he will be seeking the sum of happiness.But will he ever find that in these things which we have shewn cannot supply what they promise?' 'No.
'Then happiness is not to be sought for among these things which are separately believed to supply each thing so sought.'
'Nothing could be more plainly true,' I said.
'Then you have before you the form of false happiness, and its causes; now turn your attention in the opposite direction, and you will quickly see the true happiness which I have promised to shew you.'
'But surely this is clear even to the blindest, and you shewed it before when you were trying to make clear the causes of false happiness.For if I mistake not, true and perfect happiness is that which makes a man truly satisfied, powerful, venerated, renowned, and happy.
And (for I would have you see that I have looked deeply into the matter)I realise without doubt that that which can truly yield any one of these, since they are all one, is perfect happiness.
'Ah! my son,' said she,' I do see that you are blessed in this opinion, but I would have you add one thing.'
'What is that? ' I asked.
'Do you think that there is anything among mortals, and in our perishable lives, which could yield such a state? ' Page 79'I do not think that there is, and I think that you have shewn this beyond the need of further proof.'
'These then seem to yield to mortals certain appearances of the true good, or some such imperfections; but they cannot give true and perfect good.'
'No.'
'Since, then, you have seen what is true happiness, and what are the false imitations thereof, it now remains that you should learn whence this true happiness may be sought.'
'For that,' said I,' I have been impatiently waiting.'
'But divine help must be sought in small things as well as great (as my pupil Plato says in his Timoeus ) 1 ; so what, think you, must we do to deserve to find the place of that highest good? '
'Call,' I said,' upon the Father of all, for if we do not do so, no undertaking would be rightly or duly begun.'
'You are right,' said she; and thus she cried aloud: --2
'Thou who dost rule the universe with 79:1 -- Plato, Timoeus , 27 C.(ch.
v.) -- ' All those who have even the least share of moderation, on undertaking any enterprise, small or great, always call upon God at the beginning.
79:2 -- This hymn is replete with the highest development of Plato's theory of ideas, as expressed in the Timoeus , and his theory of the ideal good being the moving spirit of the material world.Compare also the speculative portion of Virgil, ?neid , vi.Page 80everlasting law, founder of earth and heaven alike, who hast bidden time stand forth from out Eternity, for ever firm Thyself, yet giving movement unto all.No causes were without Thee which could thence impel Thee to create this mass of changing matter, but within Thyself exists the very idea of perfect good, which grudges naught, for of what can it have envy?
Thou makest all things follow that high pattern.In perfect beauty Thou movest in Thy mind a world of beauty, making all in a like image, and bidding the perfect whole to complete its perfect functions.All the first principles of nature Thou dost bind together by perfect orders as of numbers, so that they may be balanced each with its opposite: cold with heat, and dry with moist together; thus fire may not fly upward too swiftly because too purely, nor may the weight of the solid earth drag it down and overwhelm it.Thou dost make the soul as a third between mind and material bodies: to these the soul gives life and movement, for Thou dost spread it abroad among the members of the universe, now working in accord.Thus is the soul divided as it takes its course, making two circles, as though a binding thread around the world.Thereafter it returns unto itself and passes around the lower earthly mind; and in like manner it gives motion to the heavens to turn their course.Thou it is who dost carry forward with like inspiration these souls and lower lives.Thou dost fill these weak vessels Page 81with lofty souls, and send them abroad throughout the heavens and earth, and by Thy kindly law dost turn them again to Thyself and bring them to seek, as fire doth, to rise to Thee again.
'Grant then, O Father, that this mind of ours may rise to Thy throne of majesty; grant us to reach that fount of good.Grant that we may so find light that we may set on Thee unblinded eyes; cast Thou therefrom the heavy clouds of this material world.Shine forth upon us in Thine own true glory.Thou art the bright and peaceful rest of all Thy children that worship Thee.To see Thee clearly is the limit of our aim.
Thou art our beginning, our progress, our guide, our way, our end.
