the six enneads-第17章

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　and　beautiful；　or　is　Good　and　Beauty：　and　hence　the　one　method　will　discover　to　us　the　Beauty…Good　and　the　Ugliness…Evil。　　　　　And　Beauty；　this　Beauty　which　is　also　The　Good；　must　be　posed　as　The　First：　directly　deriving　from　this　First　is　the　Intellectual…Principle　which　is　pre…eminently　the　manifestation　of　Beauty；　through　the　Intellectual…Principle　Soul　is　beautiful。　The　beauty　in　things　of　a　lower　order…actions　and　pursuits　for　instance…　comes　by　operation　of　the　shaping　Soul　which　is　also　the　author　of　the　beauty　found　in　the　world　of　sense。　For　the　Soul；　a　divine　thing；　a　fragment　as　it　were　of　the　Primal　Beauty；　makes　beautiful　to　the　fulness　of　their　capacity　all　things　whatsoever　that　it　grasps　and　moulds。　　　　　7。　Therefore　we　must　ascend　again　towards　the　Good；　the　desired　of　every　Soul。　Anyone　that　has　seen　This；　knows　what　I　intend　when　I　say　that　it　is　beautiful。　Even　the　desire　of　it　is　to　be　desired　as　a　Good。　To　attain　it　is　for　those　that　will　take　the　upward　path；　who　will　set　all　their　forces　towards　it；　who　will　divest　themselves　of　all　that　we　have　put　on　in　our　descent：…　so；　to　those　that　approach　the　Holy　Celebrations　of　the　Mysteries；　there　are　appointed　purifications　and　the　laying　aside　of　the　garments　worn　before；　and　the　entry　in　nakedness…　until；　passing；　on　the　upward　way；　all　that　is　other　than　the　God；　each　in　the　solitude　of　himself　shall　behold　that　solitary…dwelling　Existence；　the　Apart；　the　Unmingled；　the　Pure；　that　from　Which　all　things　depend；　for　Which　all　look　and　live　and　act　and　know；　the　Source　of　Life　and　of　Intellection　and　of　Being。　　　　　And　one　that　shall　know　this　vision…　with　what　passion　of　love　shall　he　not　be　seized；　with　what　pang　of　desire；　what　longing　to　be　molten　into　one　with　This；　what　wondering　delight！　If　he　that　has　never　seen　this　Being　must　hunger　for　It　as　for　all　his　welfare；　he　that　has　known　must　love　and　reverence　It　as　the　very　Beauty；　he　will　be　flooded　with　awe　and　gladness；　stricken　by　a　salutary　terror；　he　loves　with　a　veritable　love；　with　sharp　desire；　all　other　loves　than　this　he　must　despise；　and　disdain　all　that　once　seemed　fair。　　　　　This；　indeed；　is　the　mood　even　of　those　who；　having　witnessed　the　manifestation　of　Gods　or　Supernals；　can　never　again　feel　the　old　delight　in　the　comeliness　of　material　forms：　what　then　are　we　to　think　of　one　that　contemplates　Absolute　Beauty　in　Its　essential　integrity；　no　accumulation　of　flesh　and　matter；　no　dweller　on　earth　or　in　the　heavens…　so　perfect　Its　purity…　far　above　all　such　things　in　that　they　are　non…essential；　composite；　not　primal　but　descending　from　This？　　　　　Beholding　this　Being…　the　Choragos　of　all　Existence；　the　Self…Intent　that　ever　gives　forth　and　never　takes…　resting；　rapt；　in　the　vision　and　possession　of　so　lofty　a　loveliness；　growing　to　Its　likeness；　what　Beauty　can　the　soul　yet　lack？　For　This；　the　Beauty　supreme；　the　absolute；　and　the　primal；　fashions　Its　lovers　to　Beauty　and　makes　them　also　worthy　of　love。　　　　　And　for　This；　the　sternest　and　the　uttermost　combat　is　set　before　the　Souls；　all　our　labour　is　for　This；　lest　we　be　left　without　part　in　this　noblest　vision；　which　to　attain　is　to　be　blessed　in　the　blissful　sight；　which　to　fail　of　is　to　fail　utterly。　　　　　For　not　he　that　has　failed　of　the　joy　that　is　in　colour　or　in　visible　forms；　not　he　that　has　failed　of　power　or　of　honours　or　of　kingdom　has　failed；　but　only　he　that　has　failed　of　only　This；　for　Whose　winning　he　should　renounce　kingdoms　and　command　over　earth　and　ocean　and　sky；　if　only；　spurning　the　world　of　sense　from　beneath　his　feet；　and　straining　to　This；　he　may　see。　　　　　8。　But　what　must　we　do？　How　lies　the　path？　How　come　to　vision　of　the　inaccessible　Beauty；　dwelling　as　if　in　consecrated　precincts；　apart　from　the　common　ways　where　all　may　see；　even　the　profane？　　　　　He　that　has　the　strength；　let　him　arise　and　withdraw　into　himself；　foregoing　all　that　is　known　by　the　eyes；　turning　away　for　ever　from　the　material　beauty　that　once　made　his　joy。　When　he　perceives　those　shapes　of　grace　that　show　in　body；　let　him　not　pursue：　he　must　know　them　for　copies；　vestiges；　shadows；　and　hasten　away　towards　That　they　tell　of。　For　if　anyone　follow　what　is　like　a　beautiful　shape　playing　over　water…　is　there　not　a　myth　telling　in　symbol　of　such　a　dupe；　how　he　sank　into　the　depths　of　the　current　and　was　swept　away　to　nothingness？　So　too；　one　that　is　held　by　material　beauty　and　will　not　break　free　shall　be　precipitated；　not　in　body　but　in　Soul；　down　to　the　dark　depths　loathed　of　the　Intellective…Being；　where；　blind　even　in　the　Lower…World；　he　shall　have　commerce　only　with　shadows；　there　as　here。　　　　　〃Let　us　flee　then　to　the　beloved　Fatherland〃：　this　is　the　soundest　counsel。　But　what　is　this　flight？　How　are　we　to　gain　the　open　sea？　For　Odysseus　is　surely　a　parable　to　us　when　he　commands　the　flight　from　the　sorceries　of　Circe　or　Calypso…　not　content　to　linger　for　all　the　pleasure　offered　to　his　eyes　and　all　the　delight　of　sense　filling　his　days。　　　　　The　Fatherland　to　us　is　There　whence　we　have　come；　and　There　is　The　Father。　　　　　What　then　is　our　course；　what　the　manner　of　our　flight？　This　is　not　a　journey　for　the　feet；　the　feet　bring　us　only　from　land　to　land；　nor　need　you　think　of　coach　or　ship　to　carry　you　away；　all　this　order　of　things　you　must　set　aside　and　refuse　to　see：　you　must　close　the　eyes　and　call　instead　upon　another　vision　which　is　to　be　waked　within　you；　a　vision；　the　birth…right　of　all；　which　few　turn　to　use。　　　　　9。　And　this　inner　vision；　what　is　its　operation？　　　　　Newly　awakened　it　is　all　too　feeble　to　bear　the　ultimate　splendour。　Therefore　the　Soul　must　be　trained…　to　the　habit　of　remarking；　first；　all　noble　pursuits；　then　the　works　of　beauty　produced　not　by　the　labour　of　the　arts　but　by　the　virtue　of　men　known　for　their　goodness：　lastly；　you　must　search　the　souls　of　those　that　have　shaped　these　beautiful　forms。　　　　　But　how　are　you　to　see　into　a　virtuous　soul　and　know　its　loveliness？　　　　　Withdraw　into　yourself　and　look。　And　if　you　do　not　find　yourself　beautiful　yet；　act　as　does　the　creator　of　a　statue　that　is　to　be　made　beautiful：　he　cuts　away　here；　he　smoothes　there；　he　makes　this　line　lighter；　this　other　purer；　until　a　lovely　face　has　grown　upon　his　work。　So　do　you　also：　cut　away　all　that　is　excessive；　straighten　all　that　is　crooked；　bring　light　to　all　that　is　overcast；　labour　to　make　all　one　glow　of　beauty　and　never　cease　chiselling　your　statue；　until　there　shall　shine　out　on　you　from　it　the　godlike　splendour　of　virtue；　until　you　shall　see　the　perfect　goodness　surely　established　in　the　stainless　shrine。　　　　　When　you　know　that　you　have　become　this　perfect　work；　when　you　are　self…gathered　in　the　purity　of　your　being；　nothing　now　remaining　that　can　shatter　that　inner　unity；　nothing　from　without　clinging　to　the　authentic　man；　when　you　find　yourself　wholly　true　to　your　essential　nature；　wholly　that　only　veritable　Light　which　is　not　measured　by　space；　not　narrowed　to　any　circumscribed　form　nor　again　diffused　as　a　thing　void　of　term；　but　ever　unmeasurable　as　something　greater　than　all　measure　and　more　than　all　quantity…　when　you　perceive　that　you　have　grown　to　this；　you　are　now　become　very　vision：　now　call　up　all　your　confidence；　strike　forward　yet　a　st