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timaeu-第13部分
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flashing; and in this; the fire mingling with the ray of the moisture;
produces a colour like blood; to which we give the name of red。 A
bright hue mingled with red and white gives the colour called
auburn。 The law of proportion; however; according to which the several
colours are formed; even if a man knew he would be foolish in telling;
for he could not give any necessary reason; nor indeed any tolerable
or probable explanation of them。 Again; red; when mingled with black
and white; becomes purple; but it becomes umber when the colours are
burnt as well as mingled and the black is more thoroughly mixed with
them。 Flame colour is produced by a union of auburn and dun; and dun
by an admixture of black and white; pale yellow; by an admixture of
white and auburn。 White and bright meeting; and falling upon a full
black; become dark blue; and when dark blue mingles with white; a
light blue colour is formed; as flame…colour with black makes leek
green。 There will be no difficulty in seeing how and by what
mixtures the colours derived from these are made according to the
rules of probability。 He; however; who should attempt to verify all
this by experiment; would forget the difference of the human and
divine nature。 For God only has the knowledge and also the power which
are able to combine many things into one and again resolve the one
into many。 But no man either is or ever will be able to accomplish
either the one or the other operation。
These are the elements; thus of necessity then subsisting; which the
creator of the fairest and best of created things associated with
himself; when he made the self…sufficing and most perfect God; using
the necessary causes as his ministers in the accomplishment of his
work; but himself contriving the good in all his creations。
Wherefore we may distinguish two sorts of causes; the one divine and
the other necessary; and may seek for the divine in all things; as far
as our nature admits; with a view to the blessed life; but the
necessary kind only for the sake of the divine; considering that
without them and when isolated from them; these higher things for
which we look cannot be apprehended or received or in any way shared
by us。
Seeing; then; that we have now prepared for our use the various
classes of causes which are the material out of which the remainder of
our discourse must be woven; just as wood is the material of the
carpenter; let us revert in a few words to the point at which we
began; and then endeavour to add on a suitable ending to the beginning
of our tale。
As I said at first; when all things were in disorder God created
in each thing in relation to itself; and in all things in relation
to each other; all the measures and harmonies which they could
possibly receive。 For in those days nothing had any proportion
except by accident; nor did any of the things which now have names
deserve to be named at all…as; for example; fire; water; and the
rest of the elements。 All these the creator first set in order; and
out of them he constructed the universe; which was a single animal
comprehending in itself all other animals; mortal and immortal。 Now of
the divine; he himself was the creator; but the creation of the mortal
he committed to his offspring。 And they; imitating him; received
from him the immortal principle of the soul; and around this they
proceeded to fashion a mortal body; and。 made it to be the vehicle
of the so and constructed within the body a soul of another nature
which was mortal; subject to terrible and irresistible
affections…first of all; pleasure; the greatest incitement to evil;
then; pain; which deters from good; also rashness and fear; two
foolish counsellors; anger hard to be appeased; and hope easily led
astray…these they mingled with irrational sense and with all…daring
love according to necessary laws; and so framed man。 Wherefore;
fearing to pollute the divine any more than was absolutely
unavoidable; they gave to the mortal nature a separate habitation in
another part of the body; placing the neck between them to be the
isthmus and boundary; which they constructed between the head and
breast; to keep them apart。 And in the breast; and in what is termed
the thorax; they encased the mortal soul; and as the one part of
this was superior and the other inferior they divided the cavity of
the thorax into two parts; as the women's and men's apartments are
divided in houses; and placed the midriff to be a wall of partition
between them。 That part of the inferior soul which is endowed with
courage and passion and loves contention they settled nearer the head;
midway between the midriff and the neck; in order that it might be
under the rule of reason and might join with it in controlling and
restraining the desires when they are no longer willing of their own
accord to obey the word of command issuing from the citadel。
The heart; the knot of the veins and the fountain of the blood which
races through all the limbs was set in the place of guard; that when
the might of passion was roused by reason making proclamation of any
wrong assailing them from without or being perpetrated by the
desires within; quickly the whole power of feeling in the body;
perceiving these commands and threats; might obey and follow through
every turn and alley; and thus allow the principle of the best to have
the command in all of them。 But the gods; foreknowing that the
palpitation of the heart in the expectation of danger and the swelling
and excitement of passion was caused by fire; formed and implanted
as a supporter to the heart the lung; which was; in the first place;
soft and bloodless; and also had within hollows like the pores of a
sponge; in order that by receiving the breath and the drink; it
might give coolness and the power of respiration and alleviate the
heat。 Wherefore they cut the air…channels leading to the lung; and
placed the lung about the heart as a soft spring; that; when passion
was rife within; the heart; beating against a yielding body; might
be cooled and suffer less; and might thus become more ready to join
with passion in the service of reason。
The part of the soul which desires meats and drinks and the other
things of which it has need by reason of the bodily nature; they
placed between the midriff and the boundary of the navel; contriving
in all this region a sort of manger for the food of the body; and
there they bound it down like a wild animal which was chained up
with man; and must be nourished if man was to exist。 They appointed
this lower creation his place here in order that he might be always
feeding at the manger; and have his dwelling as far as might be from
the council…chamber; making as little noise and disturbance as
possible; and permitting the best part to advise quietly for the
good of the whole。 And knowing that this lower principle in man
would not comprehend reason; and even if attaining to some degree of
perception would never naturally care for rational notions; but that
it would be led away by phantoms and visions night and day…to be a
remedy for this; God combined with it the liver; and placed it in
the house of the lower nature; contriving that it should be solid
and smooth; and bright and sweet; and should also have a bitter
quality; in order that the power of thought; which proceeds from the
mind; might be reflected as in a mirror which receives likenesses of
objects and gives back images of them to the sight; and so might
strike terror into the desires; when; making use of the bitter part of
the liver; to which it is akin; it comes threatening and invading; and
diffusing this bitter element swiftly through the whole liver produces
colours like bile; and contracting every part makes it wrinkled and
rough; and twisting out of its right place and contorting the lobe and
closing and shutting up the vessels and gates; causes pain and
loathing。 And the converse happens when some gentle inspiration of the
understanding pictures images of an opposite character; and allays the
bile and bitterness by refusing to stir or touch the nature opposed to
itself; but by making use of the natural sweetness of the liver;
corrects all things and makes them to be right and smooth and free;
and renders the portion of the soul which resides about the liver
happy and joyful; enabling it to pass the night in peace; and to
practise divination in sleep; inasmuch as it has no share in mind
and reason。 For the authors of our being; remembering the command of
their father when he bade them create the human race as good as they
could; that they might correct our inferior parts and make them to
attain a measure of truth; placed in the liver the seat of divination。
And herein is a proof that God has given the art of divination not
to the wisdom; but to the foolishness of man。 No man; when in his
wits; attains prophetic truth and inspiration; but when he receives
the inspired word; either his intelligence is enthralled in sleep;
or he is demented by some distemper or possession。 And he who would
understand what he remembers to have been said; whether in a dream
or when he was awake; by the prophetic and inspired nature; or would
determine by reason the meaning of the apparitions which he has
seen; and what indications they afford to this man or that; of past;
present or future good and evil; must first recover his wits。 But;
while he continues demented; he cannot judge of the visions which he
sees or the words which he utters; the ancient saying is very true;
that 〃only a man who has his wits can act or judge about himself and
his own affairs。〃 And for this reason it is customary to appoint
interpreters to be judges of the true inspiration。 Some persons call
them prophets; they are quite unaware that they are only the
expositors of dark sayings and visions; and are not to be called
prophets at all; but only interpreters of prophecy。
Such is the nature of the liver; which is placed as we have
described in order that it may give prophetic intimations。 During
the life of each indivi
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