488 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. BookV. 



neceflity, but of counfel and defign. Now, this intelledual world, 

 comprehending fuch infinite variety of forms, all united together in 

 one amazing fyftem, can be nowhere elfe but in the mind of the 

 Deity *. 



Here we may fee with what propriety God is called in Scripture 

 the God of Truth ; for in him are all ideas or fpeciefes of things, with 

 all their connexions, dependencies, and relations to one another. I'hefe, 

 by a wonderful proceflion, of which we can have no idea, are produ- 

 ced into a<51:, and become the material or vlfible world, which is no 

 other than a tranfcript of the Divine Mind, fuch as is legible even 

 by us poor mortals ; for it is from thence that we firft derive our 

 ideas, recognizing the feveral forms and fpeciefes of things, and invef- 

 tigating their feveral connections, dependencies, and relations, with 

 much labour and agitation of mind — from thence, by the help of this 

 firft philofophy, of which I treat, we afcend to the fountain of all 

 truth, and all fcience, and difcover there that tranfcendant truth which 

 I mentioned in the beginning of this bookf, and which alone can give 



to 



* This Inte]!e£lual world may be confidered as poetically defcribed in the follow- 

 ing beautiful Ijnes of Homer, fo well tranflated by Lucretius, that it is not eafy to fay, 

 whether the tranflation or original be mod beautiful. The paflage in Homer is, 



0*jXt/'-47r»v5^', *«C< ^x.^t hvv S09J cta-(pxXif cctei 



Efiutvxi' at/r' xvifioiTi Ttixa-a-iTxty ovti vor' cftfi^M 



AtviTxtf tvrt yjuy tfriTn^.vxTxt' xXXx /^xX xiS^n 



JliTTTxTxt «>ysf£As5, Mvxti l' isTtlit^ouii xiyM* Odyf. O- V. 4^* 



The words of Lucretius are, 

 Apparet divum numen, fedefque quietae ; 

 Quas nequeconcutiunt venti, neque nubila nimbis 

 Adfpergunt ; neque nix acri concreta pruina 

 Cana cadens violat; fempcrque innubilus aether 



Integit, et large diffufa luminc ridct. Lib. 3- v. 18. 



In this manner thofe poets may be underflood to have contrafled the (lillnefs and 

 tranquillity of the intelledual world, with the conftant motion and agitation, the ne- 

 vcr-ceafing round of generation and corruption of the material world- 

 t rage 374- 



