Chap. XI. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 483 



Tertio, From this theory of genus and fpeci s, I think we may ex- 

 plain the myfterious langtuge in which Plato (peaks of ideas, without 

 -adopting his fyftem of ideas. An idei, he tells us, is, * That which 



* makes one of the many ; which, preferving the unity and integrity of 



* its own nature, runs through and mixes with things injinite in num- 



* ber; and yet, however multifo*'m it may appear, is always the fame \ 



* fo that, by it, we fiad out and difcriminate the thing, whatever 

 ^ different (hape it may affame, and under whatever difguife it may, 



* Proteus-hkey hide itfelf * ;' for, according to the account that I have 

 given of the matter, it is evident, that the vifible forms, whicli are de- 

 rived from the Intelligible form, mu!l: be many^ and likewne rr.Tj, in 

 refpet^: of the original form, whxh, like the fignature of the feal. th3y 

 have all impreffed upon them. Further, that this form, when it 15 

 produced into ad, muft neceflarily run through, and mix with an infi- 

 nite number of things, the original form ftill remaining on« arwJ the 

 fame, without addition, diminution, or alteration of any kind. And, 

 laftly, it is no doubt true, that this form, by being mixed and incorpo- 

 rated with matter, is very often obfcured and hid ; fo that it is very diffi- 

 cult to find it out feparated from the matter, and difcriminated from 

 other forms with which it may be mixed. Neither is it difhculr. I 

 think, from the principles I have laid down, to clear up that puzzle, 

 which Ariftotle objeds to the dodrine of ideas, both of Plato, and of 

 the Pythagoreans ; the former of which faid, that all things were 

 what they were h%participation of the idea, the latter by i7nitation f ; 

 for both were in the right, and expreffed the fame thing only by dif- 

 ferent words; for the material thing is truly an imitation of the ideal 

 form, and, as it has that form upon it, may alfo be properly enough 

 faid to participate of it. 



P p p 2 Lajlly, 



'* See Plato in Philebo, et alibi. 



t Metaphyf. lib. i. cap. 6. p. 848. Editio Du Pai. 



