PLATO. 81 



with this point, the term essences seems to be applied to numbers, 

 and these intermediate materials to quantities. The notion, however, Matter in- 

 of some inherent power in matter of itself tending to confusion and Sbora and 

 inordinate, and only restrained and subjected to certain rules by a inordinate. 

 Supreme intelligence, and by a coercing and counteracting Providence, 

 was a fixed part of Plato's system, and is glanced at in his moral 

 writings, as well as insisted upon where physical subjects are more 

 directly the subject of his investigation. But wherever complete 

 order prevailed, and regularity was observed in the movement of any 

 body or system, it was inferred by Plato that that order must have 

 been produced by the infusion of some part of the divine mind ; and 

 by the continuing and predominant energy of such infused spirit, over- 

 ruling the untoward propensities of the material body or system 

 which it informed. Such infused spirits he supposed to regulate the 

 movements of the heavenly bodies, and he inferred them to be akin to 

 the soul of man, when the soul had attained its highest perfection, 

 and had reduced the appetites and passions of the body under its 

 absolute control. 1 



No trace is to be found in Plato of the existence of malignant 

 spirits. His doctrine of the resistance of matter may, perhaps, be 

 looked upon as an ingenious theory, adopted in an imperfect state 

 of knowledge, to solve the great problem of the existence of evil. In 

 the sense which we have explained, Plato taught the existence of 

 actuating spirits or divinities ; but the passages in which he seems to 

 adopt, in the number of these, the deities of the popular mythology, 

 are generally prefaced by words of reserve ; and may, perhaps, be 

 justly considered as instances of cautious, if not honourable, accommo- 

 dation to popular superstition. With the fate of Anaxagoras and 

 of Socrates but too strongly impressed on his memory, Plato may 

 perhaps be excused for not openly defying and exposing the vulgar 

 polytheism. 



The more gross and practically-mischievous effects of the' supersti- Reprobates 

 tion that prevailed among his countrymen, he reprobates on every supers 

 occasion. He incessantly ridicules that weakness which, instead of 

 the offering of a pure heart, would attempt to propitiate a perfect 

 being by gifts and sacrifices, and would make such bargains with an 

 all-just God as would be an insult if proposed to any of their fellow- 



* Tool w fg) fov XV^IUTKTOU ifao' vifjuv "^v%ii$ t'l^ous 'biix.voilffQKi ^{t rridt, u; 0.00, 

 aura ^a,ifjt.ova, iog tx/iffrca $&coxi, TOVTO o ^>j q>u,[x,iv olxitv pli wpuv \v O.K^U <ru 

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 lyyuov aXA.' ovooiviov, OO&OTKTX Xlyovr&s. \xu6iv ya.^ o6iv rt tfgurv <rris "^u^cis y'tviffif 

 'ifyu TO 6iiov <T7\v xityatXriv xott p't^av r,ftav tLvotKpif^Kvviiv oo0o7 waiv <ro ffufjt.ce, et postta 

 TU Ss <xii tpiXoftddiav xa,t vtot rag rtjf A.j^/aj Q^ovhfft^ ifffov^uxd-ri xcti Tu.vra, 

 (AaXiffra, ruv KVTOU yiyvfAVKo-fttvtv ty^onlv (t\v a,6a.vcx,rtx. xcti Silo,, oiv vrz/> aX^5/j <pa*- 

 T-nra.t Kara, wdyxvivrov, xot,$' offov ' a,u ^TKff^tHy avfytuvrivn (^vtrt; a.6a,va,(rla,s iv^t^trxiy 

 TOVTOU fjt,yjSiv [tlpo; a^raXs/ors/v, ci<r o\ <Lti titpxirivovra TO Qiiov 'i^ivTci T5 UVTOV iv (A&Xa 

 xixofff&iqf&svov TOV otzif&ova ^uvotxov Iv KIITM oiatpigovrta; tii$a,i[jt,ovcx, uvott. In Timaeo. 

 p. 90. These passages seem strongly illustrative of the nature of Socrates' dcemon, 

 at least as understood by Plato. 



|~G. E. P.] <* 



