Chap. Iir. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 159 



Let us now contraft, with the operations of the Pradical Intellea, 

 the Speculative Life and the Occupation of a Philofopher. He 

 Jives, as it were, in the Intelleaual world, and is converfant with 

 pure Ideal Forms, refembling, in fome degree, thofe in the Mind of 

 the Deity, the Patterns and Archetypes of all Material Tilings, which 

 have no reality or permanency of exiflence except in fo far as they 

 participate of them. He dwells, too, within himfelf, ftudies himfelf 

 that is, his owA Mind, and from thence proceeds to the contemplation 

 of fuperior Minds, and even of Deity itfelf. The employment, 

 in this manner, of his Nobleft Faculty upon the Nobleft Objeds, 

 muft, of neceflity, produce the greateft happinefs of which human 

 Nature, in this ftate of its exiftence, is capable. Nor is this hap- 

 pinefs difturbed, in any great degree, by the clamorous wants of an in- 

 digent Animal Nature, more indigent in vulgar men than in any other 

 animal, the imagination of man being more rich and fertile than that 

 of any Brute, and confequently producing more appetites and defires, 

 which having invention and fagacity fufficient to gratify, he is thereby 

 rendered more miferable. It is no wonder, therefore, that Ariftotle 

 thought the Contemplative and Philofophical Life fo much prefera- 

 ble to the Pradical * ; and that Plato judged it neceffary to compel 

 the citizens of his commonwealth, after they had continued to phi- 

 lofophife fome time, to defcend to govern the ftate, and to mix in the 

 affairs of men, as the Gods of Homer did in the battles of the 

 Greeks and Trojans, — Qiof m notoi/ utf^w^ for fuch a Man is truly a 

 God among men. 



CHAP.. 



• See the note * upon p. 105. 



