the six enneads-第11部分

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tual…Principle；　essentially　the　solitary？　　　　　2。　Let　us；　then；　go　back　to　the　source；　and　indicate　at　once　the　Principle　that　bestows　beauty　on　material　things。　　　　　Undoubtedly　this　Principle　exists；　it　is　something　that　is　perceived　at　the　first　glance；　something　which　the　soul　names　as　from　an　ancient　knowledge　and；　recognising；　welcomes　it；　enters　into　unison　with　it。　　　　　But　let　the　soul　fall　in　with　the　Ugly　and　at　once　it　shrinks　within　itself；　denies　the　thing；　turns　away　from　it；　not　accordant；　resenting　it。　　　　　Our　interpretation　is　that　the　soul…　by　the　very　truth　of　its　nature；　by　its　affiliation　to　the　noblest　Existents　in　the　hierarchy　of　Being…　when　it　sees　anything　of　that　kin；　or　any　trace　of　that　kinship；　thrills　with　an　immediate　delight；　takes　its　own　to　itself；　and　thus　stirs　anew　to　the　sense　of　its　nature　and　of　all　its　affinity。　　　　　But；　is　there　any　such　likeness　between　the　loveliness　of　this　world　and　the　splendours　in　the　Supreme？　Such　a　likeness　in　the　particulars　would　make　the　two　orders　alike：　but　what　is　there　in　common　between　beauty　here　and　beauty　There？　　　　　We　hold　that　all　the　loveliness　of　this　world　comes　by　communion　in　Ideal…Form。　　　　　All　shapelessness　whose　kind　admits　of　pattern　and　form；　as　long　as　it　remains　outside　of　Reason　and　Idea；　is　ugly　by　that　very　isolation　from　the　Divine…Thought。　And　this　is　the　Absolute　Ugly：　an　ugly　thing　is　something　that　has　not　been　entirely　mastered　by　pattern；　that　is　by　Reason；　the　Matter　not　yielding　at　all　points　and　in　all　respects　to　Ideal…Form。　　　　　But　where　the　Ideal…Form　has　entered；　it　has　grouped　and　coordinated　what　from　a　diversity　of　parts　was　to　become　a　unity：　it　has　rallied　confusion　into　co…operation：　it　has　made　the　sum　one　harmonious　coherence：　for　the　Idea　is　a　unity　and　what　it　moulds　must　come　to　unity　as　far　as　multiplicity　may。　　　　　And　on　what　has　thus　been　compacted　to　unity；　Beauty　enthrones　itself；　giving　itself　to　the　parts　as　to　the　sum：　when　it　lights　on　some　natural　unity；　a　thing　of　like　parts；　then　it　gives　itself　to　that　whole。　Thus；　for　an　illustration；　there　is　the　beauty；　conferred　by　craftsmanship；　of　all　a　house　with　all　its　parts；　and　the　beauty　which　some　natural　quality　may　give　to　a　single　stone。　　　　　This；　then；　is　how　the　material　thing　becomes　beautiful…　by　communicating　in　the　thought　that　flows　from　the　Divine。　　　　　3。　And　the　soul　includes　a　faculty　peculiarly　addressed　to　Beauty…　one　incomparably　sure　in　the　appreciation　of　its　own；　never　in　doubt　whenever　any　lovely　thing　presents　itself　for　judgement。　　　　　Or　perhaps　the　soul　itself　acts　immediately；　affirming　the　Beautiful　where　it　finds　something　accordant　with　the　Ideal…Form　within　itself；　using　this　Idea　as　a　canon　of　accuracy　in　its　decision。　　　　　But　what　accordance　is　there　between　the　material　and　that　which　antedates　all　Matter？　　　　　On　what　principle　does　the　architect；　when　he　finds　the　house　standing　before　him　correspondent　with　his　inner　ideal　of　a　house；　pronounce　it　beautiful？　Is　it　not　that　the　house　before　him；　the　stones　apart；　is　the　inner　idea　stamped　upon　the　mass　of　exterior　matter；　the　indivisible　exhibited　in　diversity？　　　　　So　with　the　perceptive　faculty：　discerning　in　certain　objects　the　Ideal…Form　which　has　bound　and　controlled　shapeless　matter；　opposed　in　nature　to　Idea；　seeing　further　stamped　upon　the　common　shapes　some　shape　excellent　above　the　common；　it　gathers　into　unity　what　still　remains　fragmentary；　catches　it　up　and　carries　it　within；　no　longer　a　thing　of　parts；　and　presents　it　to　the　Ideal…Principle　as　something　concordant　and　congenial；　a　natural　friend：　the　joy　here　is　like　that　of　a　good　man　who　discerns　in　a　youth　the　early　signs　of　a　virtue　consonant　with　the　achieved　perfection　within　his　own　soul。　　　　　The　beauty　of　colour　is　also　the　outcome　of　a　unification：　it　derives　from　shape；　from　the　conquest　of　the　darkness　inherent　in　Matter　by　the　pouring…in　of　light；　the　unembodied；　which　is　a　Rational…Principle　and　an　Ideal…Form。　　　　　Hence　it　is　that　Fire　itself　is　splendid　beyond　all　material　bodies；　holding　the　rank　of　Ideal…Principle　to　the　other　elements；　making　ever　upwards；　the　subtlest　and　sprightliest　of　all　bodies；　as　very　near　to　the　unembodied；　itself　alone　admitting　no　other；　all　the　others　penetrated　by　it：　for　they　take　warmth　but　this　is　never　cold；　it　has　colour　primally；　they　receive　the　Form　of　colour　from　it：　hence　the　splendour　of　its　light；　the　splendour　that　belongs　to　the　Idea。　And　all　that　has　resisted　and　is　but　uncertainly　held　by　its　light　remains　outside　of　beauty；　as　not　having　absorbed　the　plenitude　of　the　Form　of　colour。　　　　　And　harmonies　unheard　in　sound　create　the　harmonies　we　hear；　and　wake　the　soul　to　the　consciousness　of　beauty；　showing　it　the　one　essence　in　another　kind：　for　the　measures　of　our　sensible　music　are　not　arbitrary　but　are　determined　by　the　Principle　whose　labour　is　to　dominate　Matter　and　bring　pattern　into　being。　　　　　Thus　far　of　the　beauties　of　the　realm　of　sense；　images　and　shadow…pictures；　fugitives　that　have　entered　into　Matter…　to　adorn；　and　to　ravish；　where　they　are　seen。　　　　　4。　But　there　are　earlier　and　loftier　beauties　than　these。　In　the　sense…bound　life　we　are　no　longer　granted　to　know　them；　but　the　soul；　taking　no　help　from　the　organs；　sees　and　proclaims　them。　To　the　vision　of　these　we　must　mount；　leaving　sense　to　its　own　low　place。　　　　　As　it　is　not　for　those　to　speak　of　the　graceful　forms　of　the　material　world　who　have　never　seen　them　or　known　their　grace…　men　born　blind；　let　us　suppose…　in　the　same　way　those　must　be　silent　upon　the　beauty　of　noble　conduct　and　of　learning　and　all　that　order　who　have　never　cared　for　such　things；　nor　may　those　tell　of　the　splendour　of　virtue　who　have　never　known　the　face　of　Justice　and　of　Moral…Wisdom　beautiful　beyond　the　beauty　of　Evening　and　of　dawn。　　　　　Such　vision　is　for　those　only　who　see　with　the　Soul's　sight…　and　at　the　vision；　they　will　rejoice；　and　awe　will　fall　upon　them　and　a　trouble　deeper　than　all　the　rest　could　ever　stir；　for　now　they　are　moving　in　the　realm　of　Truth。　　　　　This　is　the　spirit　that　Beauty　must　ever　induce；　wonderment　and　a　delicious　trouble；　longing　and　love　and　a　trembling　that　is　all　delight。　For　the　unseen　all　this　may　be　felt　as　for　the　seen；　and　this　the　Souls　feel　for　it；　every　soul　in　some　degree；　but　those　the　more　deeply　that　are　the　more　truly　apt　to　this　higher　love…　just　as　all　take　delight　in　the　beauty　of　the　body　but　all　are　not　stung　as　sharply；　and　those　only　that　feel　the　keener　wound　are　known　as　Lovers。　　　　　5。　These　Lovers；　then；　lovers　of　the　beauty　outside　of　sense；　must　be　made　to　declare　themselves。　　　　　What　do　you　feel　in　presence　of　the　grace　you　discern　in　actions；　in　manners；　in　sound　morality；　in　all　the　works　and　fruits　of　virtue；　in　the　beauty　of　souls？　When　you　see　that　you　yourselves　are　beautiful　within；　what　do　you　feel？　What　is　this　Dionysiac　exultation　that　thrills　through　your　being；　this　straining　upwards　of　all　your　Soul；　this　longing　to　break　away　from　the　body　and　live　sunken　within　the　veritable　self？　　　　　These　are　no　other　than　the　emotions　of　Souls　under　the　spell　of　love。　　　　　But　what　is　it　that　awakens　all　this　passion？　No　shape；　no　colour；　no　grandeur　of　mass：　all　is　for　a　Soul；　something　whose　beauty　rests　upon　no　colour；　for　the　moral　wisdom　the　Soul　enshrines　and　all　the　other　hueless　splendour　of　the　virtues。　It　is　that　you　find　in　yourself；　or　admire　in　another；　loftiness　of　spirit；　righteousness　of　life；　disciplined　purity；　courage　of　the　majestic　face；　gravity；　modesty　that　goes　fearless　and　tranquil　and　passionless；　and；　shining　down　upon　all；　the　light　of　god…like　Intellection。　　　　　All　these　noble　qualities　are　to　be　reverenced　and　loved；　no　doubt；　but　what　entitles　them　to　be　called　beautiful？　　　　　They　exist：　they　manifest　themselves　to　us：　anyone　that　sees　them　must　admit　that　they　have　reality　of　Being；　and　is　not　Real…Being；　really　beautiful？　　　　　But　we　have　not　yet　shown　by　what　property　in　them　they　have　wrought　the　Soul　to　loveliness：　what　is　this　grace；　this　splendour　as　of　Light；　resting　upon　all　the　virtues？　　　　　Let　us　take　the　contrary；　the　ugliness　of　the　Soul；　and　set　that　against　its　beauty：　to　understand；　at　once；　what　this　ugliness　is　and　how　it　comes　to　appear　in　the　Soul　will　certainly　open　our　way　before　us。　　　　　Let　us　then　suppose　an　ugly　Soul；　dissolute；　unrighteous：　teeming　with　all　the　lusts；　torn　by　internal　discord；　beset　by　the　fears　of　its　cowardice　and　the　envies　of　its　pettiness；　thinking；　in　the　little　thought　it　has；　only　of　the　perish　able　and　the　base；　perverse　in　all　its　the　friend　of　unclean　pleasures；　living　the　life　of　abandonment　to　bodily　sensation　and　delighting　in　its　deformity。　　　　　What　must　we　think　but　that　all　this　shame　is　something　that　has　gathered　about　the　Soul；　some　foreign　bane　outraging　it；　soiling　it；　so　that；　encumbered　with　all　manner　of　turpitude；　it　has　no　longer　a　clean　activity　or　a　clean　sensation；　but　commands　only　a　life　smouldering　dully　under　the　crust　of　evil；　that；　sunk　in　manifold　death；　it　no　longer　sees　what　a　Soul　should　see；　may　no　longer　rest　in　its　own　being；　dragged　ever　as　it　is　towards　the　outer；　the　lower；　the　dark？　　　　　An　unclean　thing；　I　dare　to　say；　flickering　hither　and　thither　at　the　call　of　objects　of　sense；　deeply　infected　with　the　taint　of　body；　occupied　always　in　Matter；　and　absorbing　Matter　into　itself；　in　its　commerce　with　the　Ignoble　it　has　trafficked　away　for　an　alien　nature　its　own　essential　Idea。　　　　　If　a　man　has　been　immersed　in　filth　or　daubed　with　mud　his　native　comeliness　disappears　and　all　that　is　seen　is　the　foul　stuff　besmearing　him：　his　ugly　condition　is　due　to　alien　matter　that　has　encrusted　him；　and　if　he　is　to　win　back　his　grace　it　must　be　his　business　to　scour　and　purify　himself　and　make　himself　what　he　was。　　　　　So；　we　may　justly　say；　a　Soul　becomes　ugly…　by　something　foisted　upon　it；　by　sinking　itself　into　the　alien；　by　a　fall；　a　descent　into　body；　into　Matter。　The　dishonour　of　the　Soul　is　in　its　ceasing　to　be　clean　and　apart。　Gold　is　degraded　when　it　is　mixed　with　earthy　particles；　if　these　be　worked　out；　the　gold　is　left　and　is　beautiful；　isolated　from　all　that　is　foreign；　gold　with　gold　alone。　And　so　the　Soul；　let　it　be　but　cleared　of　the　desires　t