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make colours； all they can do to impose upon their handicraft colours taken from elsewhere。 None the less there is a parallel which demands attention： in the case of workers in such arts there must be something locked within themselves； an efficacy not going out from them and yet guiding their hands in all their creation； and this observation should have indicated a similar phenomenon in Nature； it should be clear that this indwelling efficacy； which makes without hands； must exist in Nature； no less than in the craftsman… but； there； as a thing completely inbound。 Nature need possess no outgoing force as against that remaining within； the only moved thing is Matter； there can be no moved phase in this Nature…Principle； any such moved phase could not be the primal mover； this Nature…Principle is no such moved entity； it is the unmoved Principle operating in the Kosmos。 We may be answered that the Reason…Principle is； no doubt； unmoved； but that the Nature…Principle； another being； operates by motion。 But； if Nature entire is in question here； it is identical with the Reason…Principle； and any part of it that is unmoved is the Reason…Principle。 The Nature…Principle must be an Ideal…Form； not a compound of Form and Matter； there is no need for it to possess Matter； hot and cold： the Matter that underlies it； on which it exercises its creative act； brings all that with it； or； natively without quality； becomes hot and cold； and all the rest； when brought under Reason： Matter； to become fire； demands the approach not of fire but of a Reason…Principle。 This is no slight evidence that in the animal and vegetable realms the Reason…Principles are the makers and that Nature is a Reason…Principle producing a second Reason…Principle； its offspring； which； in turn； while itself； still； remaining intact； communicates something to the underlie； Matter。 The Reason…Principle presiding over visible Shape is the very ultimate of its order； a dead thing unable to produce further： that which produces in the created realm is the living Reason…Principle… brother no doubt； to that which gives mere shape； but having life…giving power。 3。 But if this Reason…Principle ＇Nature＇ is in act… and produces by the process indicated… how can it have any part in Contemplation？ To begin with； since in all its production it is stationary and intact； a Reason…Principle self…indwelling； it is in its own nature a Contemplative act。 All doing must be guided by an Idea； and will therefore be distinct from that Idea： the Reason…Principle then； as accompanying and guiding the work； will be distinct from the work； not being action but Reason…Principle it is； necessarily； Contemplation。 Taking the Reason…Principle； the Logos； in all its phases； the lowest and last springs from a mental act ＇in the higher Logos＇ and is itself a contemplation； though only in the sense of being contemplated； but above it stands the total Logos with its two distinguishable phases； first； that identified not as Nature but as All…Soul and； next； that operating in Nature and being itself the Nature…Principle。 And does this Reason…Principle； Nature； spring from a contemplation？ Wholly and solely？ From self…contemplation； then？ Or what are we to think？ It derives from a Contemplation and some contemplating Being； how are we to suppose it to have Contemplation itself？ The Contemplation springing from the reasoning faculty… that； I mean； of planning its own content； it does not possess。 But why not； since it is a phase of Life； a Reason…Principle and a creative Power？ Because to plan for a thing is to lack it： Nature does not lack； it creates because it possesses。 Its creative act is simply its possession of it own characteristic Essence； now its Essence； since it is a Reason…Principle； is to be at once an act of contemplation and an object of contemplation。 In other words； the； Nature…Principle produces by virtue of being an act of contemplation； an object of contemplation and a Reason…Principle； on this triple character depends its creative efficacy。 Thus the act of production is seen to be in Nature an act of contemplation； for creation is the outcome of a contemplation which never becomes anything else； which never does anything else； but creates by simply being a contemplation。 4。 And Nature； asked why it brings forth its works； might answer if it cared to listen and to speak：
〃It would have been more becoming to put no question but to learn in silence just as I myself am silent and make no habit of talking。 And what is your lesson？ This； that whatsoever comes into being is my is my vision； seen in my silence； the vision that belongs to my character who； sprung from vision； am vision…loving and create vision by the vision…seeing faculty within me。 The mathematicians from their vision draw their figures： but I draw nothing： I gaze and the figures of the material world take being as if they fell from my contemplation。 As with my Mother （the All…Soul＇ and the Beings that begot me so it is with me： they are born of a Contemplation and my birth is from them； not by their Act but by their Being； they are the loftier Reason…Principles； they contemplate themselves and I am born。〃
Now what does this tell us？ It tells： that what we know as Nature is a Soul； offspring of a yet earlier Soul of more powerful life； that it possesses； therefore； in its repose； a vision within itself； that it has no tendency upward nor even downward but is at peace； steadfast； in its own Essence； that； in this immutability accompanied by what may be called Self…Consciousness； it possesses… within the measure of its possibility… a knowledge of the realm of subsequent things perceived in virtue of that understanding and consciousness； and； achieving thus a resplendent and delicious spectacle； has no further aim。 Of course； while it may be convenient to speak of 〃understanding〃 or 〃perception〃 in the Nature…Principle； this is not in the full sense applicable to other beings； we are applying to sleep a word borrowed from the wake。 For the Vision on which Nature broods； inactive； is a self…intuition； a spectacle laid before it by virtue of its unaccompanied self…concentration and by the fact that in itself it belongs to the order of intuition。 It is a Vision silent but somewhat blurred； for there exists another a clearer of which Nature is the image： hence all that Nature produces is weak； the weaker act of intuition produces the weaker object。 In the same way； human beings； when weak on the side of contemplation； find in action their trace of vision and of reason： their spiritual feebleness unfits them for contemplation； they are left with a void； because they cannot adequately seize the vision； yet they long for it； they are hurried into action as their way to the vision which they cannot attain by intellection。 They act from the desire of seeing their action； and of making it visible and sensible to others when the result shall prove fairly well equal to the plan。 Everywhere； doing and making will be found to be either an attenuation or a complement of vision…attenuation if the doer was aiming only at the thing done； complement if he is to possess