284 GIORDANO BRUNO PART 



telligible species " or ideal forms, rarely sought, and 

 rarely seen by those that seek them. His dogs are 

 the thoughts that issue outwards in search of good- 

 ness, wisdom, beauty beyond himself. The fate of 

 Acteon his death under the fangs of his own hounds 

 represents how the generous spirit, coming into the 

 presence of that highest beauty, is ravished out of itself, 

 is converted into the very prey which it pursued : itself 

 is now the prey of its own thoughts, for it has con- 

 tracted divinity into itself, has no longer to seek it 

 outside of itself : as love converts into the thing loved. 1 

 His death means that he ends his life according to the 

 world of folly, of sense, of blindness and of fancy, only to 

 commence the new intellectual life, the life of the gods. 2 

 The first step, however, in the desire of the infinitely 

 The infinite beautiful is but the beginning of an endless series ; the 

 heart goes out on an endless quest, while the intellect 

 cannot but follow. For the intellect cannot rest in 

 any definite or finite idea or object, but is driven ever 

 forwards towards the source of all ideas, the ocean of 

 all truth and goodness. Whatever form may be pre- 

 sented to it and comprehended by it, it judges that 

 there must be a greater above and beyond that. Hence 

 it is in constant discourse and movement, for whatever 

 it possesses is seen to be a measured thing, and therefore 

 cannot be sufficient in itself, nor good in itself, nor 

 beautiful in itself. It is not the universe, not absolute 

 Being, but Being " contracted " to this or that nature, 

 species, form, represented to the intellect, and presented 

 to the mind (ammo}. Thus always from beauty com- 

 prehended, and therefore measured or limited, the 

 beautiful by participation, we progress towards that 

 which is truly beautiful, beautiful without any limit or 



i Lag. 651, 652. 2 6:53.6. 



