the six enneads-第15章

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thing　is　essentially　symmetrical；　patterned。　　　　　But　think　what　this　means。　　　　　Only　a　compound　can　be　beautiful；　never　anything　devoid　of　parts；　and　only　a　whole；　the　several　parts　will　have　beauty；　not　in　themselves；　but　only　as　working　together　to　give　a　comely　total。　Yet　beauty　in　an　aggregate　demands　beauty　in　details；　it　cannot　be　constructed　out　of　ugliness；　its　law　must　run　throughout。　　　　　All　the　loveliness　of　colour　and　even　the　light　of　the　sun；　being　devoid　of　parts　and　so　not　beautiful　by　symmetry；　must　be　ruled　out　of　the　realm　of　beauty。　And　how　comes　gold　to　be　a　beautiful　thing？　And　lightning　by　night；　and　the　stars；　why　are　these　so　fair？　　　　　In　sounds　also　the　simple　must　be　proscribed；　though　often　in　a　whole　noble　composition　each　several　tone　is　delicious　in　itself。　　　　　Again　since　the　one　face；　constant　in　symmetry；　appears　sometimes　fair　and　sometimes　not；　can　we　doubt　that　beauty　is　something　more　than　symmetry；　that　symmetry　itself　owes　its　beauty　to　a　remoter　principle？　　　　　Turn　to　what　is　attractive　in　methods　of　life　or　in　the　expression　of　thought；　are　we　to　call　in　symmetry　here？　What　symmetry　is　to　be　found　in　noble　conduct；　or　excellent　laws；　in　any　form　of　mental　pursuit？　　　　　What　symmetry　can　there　be　in　points　of　abstract　thought？　　　　　The　symmetry　of　being　accordant　with　each　other？　But　there　may　be　accordance　or　entire　identity　where　there　is　nothing　but　ugliness：　the　proposition　that　honesty　is　merely　a　generous　artlessness　chimes　in　the　most　perfect　harmony　with　the　proposition　that　morality　means　weakness　of　will；　the　accordance　is　complete。　　　　　Then　again；　all　the　virtues　are　a　beauty　of　the　soul；　a　beauty　authentic　beyond　any　of　these　others；　but　how　does　symmetry　enter　here？　The　soul；　it　is　true；　is　not　a　simple　unity；　but　still　its　virtue　cannot　have　the　symmetry　of　size　or　of　number：　what　standard　of　measurement　could　preside　over　the　compromise　or　the　coalescence　of　the　soul's　faculties　or　purposes？　　　　　Finally；　how　by　this　theory　would　there　be　beauty　in　the　Intellectual…Principle；　essentially　the　solitary？　　　　　2。　Let　us；　then；　go　back　to　the　source；　and　indicate　at　once　the　Principle　that　bestows　beauty　on　material　things。　　　　　Undoubtedly　this　Principle　exists；　it　is　something　that　is　perceived　at　the　first　glance；　something　which　the　soul　names　as　from　an　ancient　knowledge　and；　recognising；　welcomes　it；　enters　into　unison　with　it。　　　　　But　let　the　soul　fall　in　with　the　Ugly　and　at　once　it　shrinks　within　itself；　denies　the　thing；　turns　away　from　it；　not　accordant；　resenting　it。　　　　　Our　interpretation　is　that　the　soul…　by　the　very　truth　of　its　nature；　by　its　affiliation　to　the　noblest　Existents　in　the　hierarchy　of　Being…　when　it　sees　anything　of　that　kin；　or　any　trace　of　that　kinship；　thrills　with　an　immediate　delight；　takes　its　own　to　itself；　and　thus　stirs　anew　to　the　sense　of　its　nature　and　of　all　its　affinity。　　　　　But；　is　there　any　such　likeness　between　the　loveliness　of　this　world　and　the　splendours　in　the　Supreme？　Such　a　likeness　in　the　particulars　would　make　the　two　orders　alike：　but　what　is　there　in　common　between　beauty　here　and　beauty　There？　　　　　We　hold　that　all　the　loveliness　of　this　world　comes　by　communion　in　Ideal…Form。　　　　　All　shapelessness　whose　kind　admits　of　pattern　and　form；　as　long　as　it　remains　outside　of　Reason　and　Idea；　is　ugly　by　that　very　isolation　from　the　Divine…Thought。　And　this　is　the　Absolute　Ugly：　an　ugly　thing　is　something　that　has　not　been　entirely　mastered　by　pattern；　that　is　by　Reason；　the　Matter　not　yielding　at　all　points　and　in　all　respects　to　Ideal…Form。　　　　　But　where　the　Ideal…Form　has　entered；　it　has　grouped　and　coordinated　what　from　a　diversity　of　parts　was　to　become　a　unity：　it　has　rallied　confusion　into　co…operation：　it　has　made　the　sum　one　harmonious　coherence：　for　the　Idea　is　a　unity　and　what　it　moulds　must　come　to　unity　as　far　as　multiplicity　may。　　　　　And　on　what　has　thus　been　compacted　to　unity；　Beauty　enthrones　itself；　giving　itself　to　the　parts　as　to　the　sum：　when　it　lights　on　some　natural　unity；　a　thing　of　like　parts；　then　it　gives　itself　to　that　whole。　Thus；　for　an　illustration；　there　is　the　beauty；　conferred　by　craftsmanship；　of　all　a　house　with　all　its　parts；　and　the　beauty　which　some　natural　quality　may　give　to　a　single　stone。　　　　　This；　then；　is　how　the　material　thing　becomes　beautiful…　by　communicating　in　the　thought　that　flows　from　the　Divine。　　　　　3。　And　the　soul　includes　a　faculty　peculiarly　addressed　to　Beauty…　one　incomparably　sure　in　the　appreciation　of　its　own；　never　in　doubt　whenever　any　lovely　thing　presents　itself　for　judgement。　　　　　Or　perhaps　the　soul　itself　acts　immediately；　affirming　the　Beautiful　where　it　finds　something　accordant　with　the　Ideal…Form　within　itself；　using　this　Idea　as　a　canon　of　accuracy　in　its　decision。　　　　　But　what　accordance　is　there　between　the　material　and　that　which　antedates　all　Matter？　　　　　On　what　principle　does　the　architect；　when　he　finds　the　house　standing　before　him　correspondent　with　his　inner　ideal　of　a　house；　pronounce　it　beautiful？　Is　it　not　that　the　house　before　him；　the　stones　apart；　is　the　inner　idea　stamped　upon　the　mass　of　exterior　matter；　the　indivisible　exhibited　in　diversity？　　　　　So　with　the　perceptive　faculty：　discerning　in　certain　objects　the　Ideal…Form　which　has　bound　and　controlled　shapeless　matter；　opposed　in　nature　to　Idea；　seeing　further　stamped　upon　the　common　shapes　some　shape　excellent　above　the　common；　it　gathers　into　unity　what　still　remains　fragmentary；　catches　it　up　and　carries　it　within；　no　longer　a　thing　of　parts；　and　presents　it　to　the　Ideal…Principle　as　something　concordant　and　congenial；　a　natural　friend：　the　joy　here　is　like　that　of　a　good　man　who　discerns　in　a　youth　the　early　signs　of　a　virtue　consonant　with　the　achieved　perfection　within　his　own　soul。　　　　　The　beauty　of　colour　is　also　the　outcome　of　a　unification：　it　derives　from　shape；　from　the　conquest　of　the　darkness　inherent　in　Matter　by　the　pouring…in　of　light；　the　unembodied；　which　is　a　Rational…Principle　and　an　Ideal…Form。　　　　　Hence　it　is　that　Fire　itself　is　splendid　beyond　all　material　bodies；　holding　the　rank　of　Ideal…Principle　to　the　other　elements；　making　ever　upwards；　the　subtlest　and　sprightliest　of　all　bodies；　as　very　near　to　the　unembodied；　itself　alone　admitting　no　other；　all　the　others　penetrated　by　it：　for　they　take　warmth　but　this　is　never　cold；　it　has　colour　primally；　they　receive　the　Form　of　colour　from　it：　hence　the　splendour　of　its　light；　the　splendour　that　belongs　to　the　Idea。　And　all　that　has　resisted　and　is　but　uncertainly　held　by　its　light　remains　outside　of　beauty；　as　not　having　absorbed　the　plenitude　of　the　Form　of　colour。　　　　　And　harmonies　unheard　in　sound　create　the　harmonies　we　hear；　and　wake　the　soul　to　the　consciousness　of　beauty；　showing　it　the　one　essence　in　another　kind：　for　the　measures　of　our　sensible　music　are　not　arbitrary　but　are　determined　by　the　Principle　whose　labour　is　to　dominate　Matter　and　bring　pattern　into　being。　　　　　Thus　far　of　the　beauties　of　the　realm　of　sense；　images　and　shadow…pictures；　fugitives　that　have　entered　into　Matter…　to　adorn；　and　to　ravish；　where　they　are　seen。　　　　　4。　But　there　are　earlier　and　loftier　beauties　than　these。　In　the　sense…bound　lif