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He is about to commence his discourses on the Parmenides； that book
in which we generally now consider that Plato has been most untrue to
himself； and fallen from his usual inductive method to the ground of a
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mere e priori theoriserand yet of which Proclus is reported to have said；
and； I should conceive； said honestly； that if it； the Timaeus； and the
Orphic fragments were preserved； he did not care whether every other
book on earth were destroyed。 But how does he commence？
〃I pray to all the gods and goddesses to guide my reason in the
speculation which lies before me； and having kindled in me the pure light
of truth； to direct my mind upward to the very knowledge of the things
which are； and to open the doors of my soul to receive the divine guidance
of Plato； and； having directed my knowledge into the very brightness of
being； to withdraw me from the various forms of opinion； from the
apparent wisdom； from the wandering about things which do not exist； by
that purest intellectual exercise about the things which do exist； whereby
alone the eye of the soul is nourished and brightened； as Socrates says in
the Phaedrus； and that the Noetic Gods will give to me the perfect reason；
and the Noeric Gods the power which leads up to this； and that the rulers
of the Universe above the heaven will impart to me an energy unshaken by
material notions and emancipated from them； and those to whom the
world is given as their dominion a winged life； and the angelic choirs a
true manifestation of divine things； and the good daemons the fulness of
the inspiration which comes from the Gods； and the heroes a grand； and
venerable； and lofty fixedness of mind； and the whole divine race together
a perfect preparation for sharing in Plato's most mystical and far…seeing
speculations； which he declares to us himself in the Parmenides； with the
profundity befitting such topics； but which he （i。e。 his master Syrianus）
completed by his most pure and luminous apprehensions； who did most
truly share the Platonic feast； and was the medium for transmitting the
divine truth； the guide in our speculations； and the hierophant of these
divine words； who； as I think； came down as a type of philosophy； to do
good to the souls that are here； in place of idols； sacrifices； and the whole
mystery of purification； a leader of salvation to the men who are now and
who shall be hereafter。 And may the whole band of those who are above
us be propitious； and may the whole force which they supply be at hand；
kindling before us that light which； proceeding from them； may guide us
to them。〃
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Surely this is an interesting document。 The last Pagan Greek prayer；
I believe； which we have on record； the death…wail of the old worldnot
without a touch of melody。 One cannot altogether admire the style； it is
inflated； pedantic； written； I fear； with a considerable consciousness that
he was saying the right thing and in the very finest way： but still it is a
prayer。 A cry for lightby no means； certainly； like that noble one in
Tennyson's 〃In Memoriam：〃
So runs my dream。 But what am I？ An infant crying in the night；
An infant crying for the light； And with no language but a cry。
Yet he asks for light： perhaps he had settled already for himself
like too many more of uswhat sort of light he chose to have： but still
the eye is turned upward to the sun； not inward in conceited fancy that self
is its own illumination。 He askssurely not in vain。 There was light to
be had for asking。 That prayer certainly was not answered in the letter：
it may have been ere now in the spirit。 And yet it is a sad prayer enough。
Poor old man； and poor old philosophy！
This he and his teachers had gained by despising the simpler and yet
far profounder doctrine of the Christian schools； that the Logos； the Divine
Teacher in whom both Christians and Heathens believed； was the very
archetype of men； and that He had proved that fact by being made flesh；
and dwelling bodily among them； that they might behold His glory； full of
grace and truth； and see that it was at once the perfection of man and the
perfection of God： that that which was most divine was most human； and
that which was most human； most divine。 That was the outcome of their
metaphysic； that they had found the Absolute One； because One existed in
whom the apparent antagonism between that which is eternally and that
which becomes in time； between the ideal and the actual； between the
spiritual and the material； in a word； between God and man； was explained
and reconciled for ever。
And Proclus's prayer； on the other hand； was the outcome of the
Neoplatonists' metaphysic； the end of all their search after the One； the
Indivisible； the Absolute； this cry to all manner of innumerable phantoms；
ghosts of ideas； ghosts of traditions； neither things nor persons； but
thoughts； to give the philosopher each something or other； according to the
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nature of each。 Not that he very clearly defines what each is to give him；
but still he feels himself in want of all manner of things； and it is as well to
have as many friends at court as possible Noetic Gods； Noeric Gods；
rulers； angels； daemons； heroesto enable him to do what？ To
understand Plato's most mystical and far…seeing speculations。 The
Eternal Nous； the Intellectual Teacher has vanished further and further off；
further off still some dim vision of a supreme Goodness。 Infinite spaces
above that looms through the mist of the abyss a Primaeval One。 But
even that has a predicate； for it is one； it is not pure essence。 Must there
not be something beyond that again； which is not even one； but is
nameless； inconceivable； absolute？ What an abyss！ How shall the
human mind find anything whereon to rest； in the vast nowhere between it
and the object of its search？ The search after the One issues in a wail to
the innumerable； and kind gods； angels； and heroes； not human indeed； but
still conceivable enough to satisfy at least the imagination； step in to fill
the void； as they have done since； and may do again； and so； as Mr。
Carlyle has it； 〃the bottomless pit got roofed over；〃 as it may be again ere
long。
Are we then to say； that Neoplatonism was a failure？ That
Alexandria； during four centuries of profound and earnest thought； added
nothing？ Heaven forbid that we should say so of a philosophy which has
exercised on European thought； at the crisis of its noblest life and action；
an influence as great as did the Aristotelian system during the Middle Ages。
We must never forget； that during the two centuries which commence with
the fall of Constantinople； and end with our civil wars； not merely almost
all great thinkers； but courtiers； statesmen； warriors； poets； were more or
less Neoplatonists。 The Greek grammarians； who migrated into Italy；
brought with them the works of Plotinus； Iamblichus； and Proclus； and
their gorgeous reveries were welcomed eagerly by the European mind； just
revelling in the free thought of youthful manhood。 And yet the
Alexandrian impotence for any practical and social purposes was to be
manifested； as utterly as it was in Alexandria or in Athens of old。 Ficinus
and Picus of Mirandola worked no deliverance； either for Italian morals or
polity； at a time when such deliverance was needed bitterly enough。
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Neoplatonism was pet