alexandria and her schools-第20章
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the original authorities。 This is all I know of him； saving these his raptures over Proclus； of which I have quoted only a small portion； and of which I can only say； in Mr。 Thomas Carlyle's words； 〃What things men will worship； in their extreme need！〃 Other moderns； however； have expressed their admiration of Proclus； and； no doubt； many neat sayings may be found in him （for after all he was a Greek）； which will be both pleasing and useful to those who consider philosophic method to consist in putting forth strings of brilliant apophthegms； careless about either their consistency or coherence： but of the method of Plato or Aristotle； any more than of that of Kant or Mill； you will find nothing in him。 He seems to my simplicity to be at once the most timid and servile of commentators； and the most cloudy of declaimers。 He can rave symbolism like Jacob Bohmen； but without an atom of his originality and earnestness。 He can develop an inverted pyramid of daemonology； like Father Newman himself； but without an atom of his art； his knowledge of human cravings。 He combines all schools； truly； Chaldee and Egyptian as well as Greek； but only scraps from their mummies； drops from their quintessences； which satisfy the heart and conscience as little as they do the logical faculties。 His Greek gods and heroes； even his Alcibiades and Socrates； are 〃ideas；〃 that is； symbols of certain notions or qualities： their flesh and bones； their heart and brain； have been distilled away； till nothing is left but a word； a notion； which may patch a hole in his huge heaven…and…earth… embracing system。 He； too； is a commentator and a deducer； all has been discovered； and he tries to discover nothing more。 Those who followed him seem to have commented on his comments。 With him Neoplatonism properly ends。 Is its last utterance a culmination or a fall？ Have the Titans sealed heaven； or died of old age； 〃exhibiting；〃 as Gibbon says of them； 〃a deplorable instance of the senility of the human mind？〃 Read Proclus； and judge for yourselves： but first contrive to finish everything else you have to do which can possibly be useful to any human being。 Life is short； and Artat least the art of obtaining practical guidance from the last of the Alexandriansvery long。
And yetif Proclus and his school became gradually unfaithful to the great root…idea of their philosophy； we must not imitate them。 We must not believe that the last of the Alexandrians was under no divine teaching； because he had be…systemed himself into confused notions of what that teaching was like。 Yes； there was good in poor old Proclus； and it too came from the only source whence all good comes。 Were there no good in him I could not laugh at him as I have done； I could only hate him。 There are moments when he rises above his theories； moments when he recurs in spirit； if not in the letter； to the faith of Homer； almost to the faith of Philo。 Whether these are the passages of his which his modern admirers prize most； I cannot tell。 I should fancy not： nevertheless I will read you one of them。
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 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。〃
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 himselflike 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 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；
