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until； somehow； it stirs again and lifts its sight from the mud： and this is our 〃going down to Hades and slumbering there。〃 11。 It may be suggested that Vice is feebleness in the Soul。 We shall be reminded that the Vicious Soul is unstable； swept along from every ill to every other； quickly stirred by appetites； headlong to anger； as hasty to compromises； yielding at once to obscure imaginations； as weak； in fact； as the weakest thing made by man or nature； blown about by every breeze； burned away by every heat。 Still the question must be faced what constitutes this weakness in the Soul； whence it comes。 For weakness in the body is not like that in the Soul： the word weakness； which covers the incapacity for work and the lack of resistance in the body； is applied to the Soul merely by analogy… unless； indeed； in the one case as in the other； the cause of the weakness is Matter。 But we must go more thoroughly into the source of this weakness； as we call it； in the Soul； which is certainly not made weak as the result of any density or rarity； or by any thickening or thinning or anything like a disease； like a fever。 Now this weakness must be seated either in Souls utterly disengaged or in Souls bound to Matter or in both。 It cannot exist in those apart from Matter； for all these are pure and； as we read； winged and perfect and unimpeded in their task： there remains only that the weakness be in the fallen Souls； neither cleansed nor clean； and in them the weakness will be； not in any privation but in some hostile presence； like that of phlegm or bile in the organs of the body。 If we form an acute and accurate notion of the cause of the fall we shall understand the weakness that comes by it。 Matter exists； Soul exists； and they occupy； so to speak； one place。 There is not one place for Matter and another for Soul…Matter； for instance； kept to earth； Soul in the air： the soul's 〃separate place〃 is simply its not being in Matter； that is； its not being united with it； that is that there be no compound unit consisting of Soul and Matter； that is that Soul be not moulded in Matter as in a matrix； this is the Soul's apartness。 But the faculties of the Soul are many； and it has its beginning； its intermediate phases； its final fringe。 Matter appears； importunes； raises disorders； seeks to force its way within； but all the ground is holy； nothing there without part in Soul。 Matter therefore submits； and takes light： but the source of its illumination it cannot attain to； for the Soul cannot lift up this foreign thing close by； since the evil of it makes it invisible。 On the contrary the illumination； the light streaming from the Soul； is dulled； is weakened； as it mixes with Matter which offers Birth to the Soul； providing the means by which it enters into generation； impossible to it if no recipient were at hand。 This is the fall of the Soul； this entry into Matter： thence its weakness： not all the faculties of its being retain free play； for Matter hinders their manifestation； it encroaches upon the Soul's territory and； as it were； crushes the Soul back； and it turns to evil all that it has stolen； until the Soul finds strength to advance again。 Thus the cause； at once； of the weakness of Soul and of all its evil is Matter。 The evil of Matter precedes the weakness； the vice； it is Primal Evil。 Even though the Soul itself submits to Matter and engenders to it； if it becomes evil within itself by its commerce with Matter； the cause is still the presence of Matter： the Soul would never have approached Matter but that the presence of Matter is the occasion of its earth…life。 12。 If the existence of Matter be denied； the necessity of this Principle must be demonstrated from the treatises 〃On Matter〃 where the question is copiously treated。 To deny Evil a place among realities is necessarily to do away with the Good as well； and even to deny the existence of anything desirable； it is to deny desire； avoidance and all intellectual act； for desire has Good for its object； aversion looks to Evil； all intellectual act； all Wisdom； deals with Good and Bad； and is itself one of the things that are good。 There must then be The Good… good unmixed… and the Mingled Good and Bad； and the Rather Bad than Good； this last ending with the Utterly Bad we have been seeking； just as that in which Evil constitutes the lesser part tends； by that lessening； towards the Good。 What； then； must Evil be to the Soul？ What Soul could contain Evil unless by contact with the lower Kind？ There could be no desire； no sorrow； no rage； no fear： fear touches the compounded dreading its dissolution； pain and sorrow are the accompaniments of the dissolution； desires spring from something troubling the grouped being or are a provision against trouble threatened； all impression is the stroke of something unreasonable outside the Soul； accepted only because the Soul is not devoid of parts or phases； the Soul takes up false notions through having gone outside of its own truth by ceasing to be purely itself。 One desire or appetite there is which does not fall under this condemnation； it is the aspiration towards the Intellectual…Principle： this demands only that the Soul dwell alone enshrined within that place of its choice； never lapsing towards the lower。 Evil is not alone： by virtue of the nature of Good； the power of Good； it is not Evil only： it appears； necessarily； bound around with bonds of Beauty； like some captive bound in fetters of gold； and beneath these it is hidden so that； while it must exist； it may not be seen by the gods； and that men need not always have evil before their eyes； but that when it comes before them they may still be not destitute of Images of the Good and Beautiful for their Remembrance。 NINTH TRACTATE。
〃THE REASONED DISMISSAL〃。
〃You will not dismiss your Soul lest it go forth。。。〃 ＇taking something with it＇。 For wheresoever it go； it will be in some definite condition； and its going forth is to some new place。 The Soul will wait for the body to be completely severed from it； then it makes no departure； it simply finds itself free。 But how does the body come to be separated？ The separation takes place when nothing of Soul remains bound up with it： the harmony within the body； by virtue of which the Soul was retained； is broken and it can no longer hold its guest。 But when a man contrives the dissolution of the body； it is he that has used violence and torn himself away； not the body that has let the Soul slip from it。 And in loosing the bond he has not been without passion； there has been revolt or grief or anger； movements which it is unlawful to indulge。 But if a man feel himself to be losing his reason？ That is not likely in the Sage； but if it should occur； it must be classed with the inevitable； to be welcome at the bidding of the fact though not for its own sake。 To call upon drugs to the release of the Soul seems a strange way of assisting its purposes。 And if there be a period allotted to all by fate； to anticipate the hour could not be a happy act； unless； as we have indicated； under stern necessity。 If everyone is to hold in the other world a standing determined by the state in which he quitted this； there must be no withdrawal as long as there is any hope of progress。 THE SECOND ENNEAD。
FIRST TRACTATE。
ON THE KOSMOS OR ON THE HEAVENLY SYSTEM。
1。 We hold that the ordered universe； in its material mass； has existed for ever and will for ever endure： but simply to refer this perdurance to the Will of God； however true an explanation； is utterly inadequate。 The elements of this sphere change； the living beings of earth pass away； only the Ideal…form ＇the species＇ persists： possibly a similar process obtains in the All。 The Will of God is able to cope with the ceaseless flux and escape of body stuff by ceaselessly reintroducing the known forms in new substances； thus ensuring perpetuity not to the particular item but to the unity of idea： now； seeing that objects of this realm possess no more than duration of form； why should celestial objects； and the celestial system itself； be distinguished by duration of the particular entity？ Let us suppose this persistence to be the result of the all…inclusiveness of the celestial and universal… with its consequence； the absence of any outlying matter into which change could take place or which could break in and destroy。 This explanation would； no doubt； safeguard the integrity of the Whole； of the All； but our sun and the individual being of the other heavenly bodies would not on these terms be secured in perpetuity： they are parts； no one of them is in itself the whole； the all； it would still be probable that theirs is no more than that duration in form which belongs to fire and such entities。 This would apply even to the entire ordered universe itself。 For it is very possible that this too； though not in process of destruction from outside； might have only formal duration； its parts may be so wearing each other down as to keep it in a continuous decay wh