timaeu-第17章

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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　individual　these　intimations　are　plainer；　but　after

his　death　the　liver　becomes　blind；　and　delivers　oracles　too　obscure　to

be　intelligible。　The　neighbouring　organ　＇the　spleen＇　is　situated　on

the　left…hand　side；　and　is　constructed　with　a　view　of　keeping　the

liver　bright　and　pure…like　a　napkin；　always　ready　prepared　and　at　hand

to　clean　the　mirror。　And　hence；　when　any　impurities　arise　in　the

region　of　the　liver　by　reason　of　disorders　of　the　body；　the　loose

nature　of　the　spleen；　which　is　composed　of　a　hollow　and　bloodless

tissue；　receives　them　all　and　dears　them　away；　and　when　filled　with

the　unclean　matter；　swells　and　festers；　but；　again；　when　the　body　is

purged；　settles　down　into　the　same　place　as　before；　and　is　humbled。

　　Concerning　the　soul；　as　to　which　part　is　mortal　and　which　divine；

and　how　and　why　they　are　separated；　and　where　located；　if　God

acknowledges　that　we　have　spoken　the　truth；　then；　and　then　only；　can

we　be　confident；　still；　we　may　venture　to　assert　that　what　has　been

said　by　us　is　probable；　and　will　be　rendered　more　probable　by

investigation。　Let　us　assume　thus　much。

　　The　creation　of　the　rest　of　follows　next　in　order；　and　this　we　may

investigate　in　a　similar　manner。　And　it　appears　to　be　very　meet　that

the　body　should　be　framed　on　the　following　principles：…

　　The　authors　of　our　race　were　aware　that　we　should　be　intemperate

in　eating　and　drinking；　and　take　a　good　deal　more　than　was　necessary

or　proper；　by　reason　of　gluttony。　In　order　then　that　disease　might　not

quickly　destroy　us；　and　lest　our　mortal　race　should　perish　without

fulfilling　its　end…intending　to　provide　against　this；　the　gods　made

what　is　called　the　lower　belly；　to　be　a　receptacle　for　the　superfluous

meat　and　drink；　and　formed　the　convolution　of　the　bowels；　so　that

the　food　might　be　prevented　from　passing　quickly　through　and

compelling　the　body　to　require　more　food；　thus　producing　insatiable

gluttony；　and　making　the　whole　race　an　enemy　to　philosophy　and

music；　and　rebellious　against　the　divinest　element　within　us。

　　The　bones　and　flesh；　and　other　similar　parts　of　us；　were　made　as

follows。　The　first　principle　of　all　of　them　was　the　generation　of

the　marrow。　For　the　bonds　of　life　which　unite　the　soul　with　the　body

are　made　fast　there；　and　they　are　the　root　and　foundation　of　the　human

race。　The　marrow　itself　is　created　out　of　other　materials：　God　took

such　of　the　primary　triangles　as　were　straight　and　smooth；　and　were

adapted　by　their　perfection　to　produce　fire　and　water；　and　air　and

earth…these；　I　say；　he　separated　from　their　kinds；　and　mingling　them

in　due　proportions　with　one　another；　made　the　marrow　out　of　them　to　be

a　universal　seed　of　the　whole　race　of　mankind；　and　in　this　seed　he

then　planted　and　enclosed　the　souls；　and　in　the　original

distribution　gave　to　the　marrow　as　many　and　various　forms　as　the

different　kinds　of　souls　were　hereafter　to　receive。　That　which；　like　a

field；　was　to　receive　the　divine　seed；　he　made　round　every　way；　and

called　that　portion　of　the　marrow；　brain；　intending　that；　when　an

animal　was　perfected；　the　vessel　containing　this　substance　should　be

the　head；　but　that　which　was　intended　to　contain　the　remaining　and

mortal　part　of　the　soul　he　distributed　into　figures　at　once　around　and

elongated；　and　he　called　them　all　by　the　name　〃marrow〃；　and　to

these；　as　to　anchors；　fastening　the　bonds　of　the　whole　soul；　he

proceeded　to　fashion　around　them　the　entire　framework　of　our　body；

constructing　for　the　marrow；　first　of　all　a　complete　covering　of　bone。

　　Bone　was　composed　by　him　in　the　following　manner。　Having　sifted　pure

and　smooth　earth　he　kneaded　it　and　wetted　it　with　marrow；　and　after

that　he　put　it　into　fire　and　then　into　water；　and　once　more　into

fire　and　again　into　water…in　this　way　by　frequent　transfers　from　one

to　the　other　he　made　it　insoluble　by　either。　Out　of　this　he　fashioned；

as　in　a　lathe；　a　globe　made　of　bone；　which　he　placed　around　the　brain；

and　in　this　he　left　a　narrow　opening；　and　around　the　marrow　of　the

neck　and　back　he　formed　vertebrae　which　he　placed　under　one　another

like　pivots；　beginning　at　the　head　and　extending　through　the　whole

of　the　trunk。　Thus　wishing　to　preserve　the　entire　seed；　he　enclosed　it

in　a　stone…like　casing；　inserting　joints；　and　using　in　the　formation

of　them　the　power　of　the　other　or　diverse　as　an　intermediate　nature；

that　they　might　have　motion　and　flexure。　Then　again；　considering

that　the　bone　would　be　too　brittle　and　inflexible；　and　when　heated　and

again　cooled　would　soon　mortify　and　destroy　the　seed　within…having

this　in　view；　he　contrived　the　sinews　and　the　flesh；　that　so　binding

all　the　members　together　by　the　sinews；　which　admitted　of　being

stretched　and　relaxed　about　the　vertebrae；　he　might　thus　make　the　body

capable　of　flexion　and　extension；　while　the　flesh　would　serve　as　a

protection　against　the　summer　heat　and　against　the　winter　cold；　and

also　against　falls；　softly　and　easily　yielding　to　external　bodies；

like　articles　made　of　felt；　and　containing　in　itself　a　warm　moisture

which　in　summer　exudes　and　makes　the　surface　damp；　would　impart　a

nature　coolness　to　the　whole　body；　and　again　in　winter　by　the　help

of　this　internal　warmth　would　form　a　very　tolerable　defence　against

the　frost　which　surrounds　it　and　attacks　it　from　without。　He　who

modelled　us；　considering　these　things；　mixed　earth　with　fire　and　water

and　blended　them；　and　making　a　ferment　of　acid　and　salt；　he　mingled　it

with　them　and　formed　soft　and　succulent　flesh。　As　for　the　sinews；　he

made　them　of　a　mixture　of　bone　and　unfermented　flesh；　attempered　so　as

to　be　in　a　mean；　and　gave　them　a　yellow　colour；　wherefore　the　sinews

have　a　firmer　and　more　glutinous　nature　than　flesh；　but　a　softer　and

moister　nature　than　the　bones。　With　these　God　covered　the　bones　and

marrow；　binding　them　together　by　sinews；　and　then　enshrouded　them

all　in　an　upper　covering　of　flesh。　The　more　living　and　sensitive　of

the　bones　he　enclosed　in　the　thinnest　film　of　flesh；　and　those　which