172 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book IIT. 



Plato fpeaks fo much of, and which, from him, is called Platonic 

 Love? But the love, that Arlftotle here fpeaks of, belongs to the A- 

 nimal Nature: And, where it is, there muft alfo he the contrary paf- 

 fion of Hatred ; and, accordingly, Ariftotle joins the two together, 

 and fays, that the Mind, in its perfe(fl ftate^ neither Loves nor Hates. 

 Now, all thefe alTedions of the Animal Nature are, as it is well 

 known, much ftronger in Man than in any other Animal :' And, 

 though they no doubt give pleafure of fome kind, yet it is certain 

 that they produce the grcatert: part of the mifery to which human life 

 is liable; for they muft neceflarily be attended with Anger, Jealoufy, 

 Envy, Malignity, and fuch like perturbations, as cannot be the por- 

 tion of perfed Intelligence. But, as in that ftate we muft enjoy the 

 greateft happinefs our Nature is capable of, and as that cannot be 

 without defire of fome kind or another, (for Happinefs is the ac- 

 complifhment of defire), the mind, in that ftate, muft neceflarily de- 

 fire the enjoyment of Beauty and Truth. Nor indeed is it polfible, 

 I think, to conceive, that Intelligence, entirely feparated from the 

 Animal Life and all its concerns, can have any other enjoyment be- 

 fides the contemplation of Beauty and Truth; which, as they are to 

 be feen in the higheft perfedion in Nature and its great Author, the 

 ftudy of thefe higheft objeds muft be the occupation and delight of 

 pure Intelligence. — But, of this, I have faid enough in the preceding 

 part of this volume. 



CHAP. 



