Page:The Myths of Plato (Stewart, 1905).djvu/282

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THE TIMAEUS 263

fairest of Things Intelligible and altogether perfect did God wish to liken it; wherefore made He it a living Creature, One, Visible, having in itself all the Living Creatures which are by nature kin unto it.

Have we rightly called the Heaven One? Or were it more right to say that there are Heavens many — nay, infinite in number ?

One Visible Heaven there must be, if it is to be fashioned according to the pattern of That which, inasmuch as it containeth all Intelligible Creatures which are, could never be a second with another; for if it were a second with another, then must there be another Creature including these two, whereof they would be parts ; and it would no longer be right to say that this Visible Universe was made after their likeness, but rather after the likeness of That which included them. Wherefore that this Universe might be One only, like unto the One only, All-perfect, Living Creature, the Maker made neither two Universes nor Universes infinite in number, but this One Only Begotten Heaven which was made, and is, and ever shall be.

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For this cause, and out of these elements, being of such sort and four in number, was the Body of the Universe brought forth at one with itself through the proportional disposition of elements. Whence also it got Love, so that it was knit together with bonds which cannot be loosed, save by Him Who did bind.

Now, the making of the Universe took up the whole of each of the four elements: for the Maker of the Universe made it of all the fire that was, and all the water, and all the air, and all the earth, and left not any part or virtue of any of these without ; to the end, first, that it might be a Living Creature, Whole, so far as might be, and Perfect, with the parts thereof perfect; and secondly, that it might be One Only, since naught was left over of which another like unto this could be made; and thirdly, that it might be without old age or disease; for He knew that if things hot and cold, and all such as have strong powers, encompass the composite

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