Page:The Myths of Plato (Stewart, 1905).djvu/280

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THE TIMAEUS 261

Translation

Let the cause of the creation of this Universe be declared, to wit, that the Maker thereof was Good ; with the Good there is no grudging of aught at any time : wherefore, being altogether without grudging, God wished all things to be made as like unto Himself as might be.

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Now God, wishing that all things should be good so far as might be, and nothing evil, having received all that was Visible into His hands, and perceiving that it was not at rest but moved without measure and without order, took and brought it out of that disorder into order, thinking that this state was altogether better than that. For He Who is Best might not then—nor may He now—do aught save that which is most excellent. Wherefore He took thought and found out that, amongst those things which are by nature Visible, no work which is without Reason would ever, in the comparison, be fairer than that which hath Reason ; and again, that Reason could not, without Soul, come and abide with anything. For this cause He put Reason in the Soul, and Soul in Body, when he Fashioned the Universe ; to the end that the creature of his workmanship might be the fairest by nature and the most excellent.

Our discourse, then, following alway the way of likelihood, hath brought us thus far—that this Universe is a Living Creature, which hath in truth gotten Soul and Reason through the Providence of God.

Next must we tell in the likeness of what Living Creature the Maker made it. Unto none of those creatures which are by nature Parts of the Whole let us compare it ; for naught fair could ever come forth in the likeness of that which is imperfect ; but unto That whereof the living creatures, severally and according to their kinds, are parts must we deem it most like. Now That containeth in itself all Intelligible Creatures, even as this Universe containeth us and all his other nurslings which were created to be Visible : for unto That which is the

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