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st by its power。 Another approach： The Intellectual…Principle is a Seeing； and a Seeing which itself sees； therefore it is a potentiality which has become effective。 This implies the distinction of Matter and Form in it… as there must be in all actual seeing… the Matter in this case being the Intelligibles which the Intellectual…Principle contains and sees。 All actual seeing implies duality； before the seeing takes place there is the pure unity ＇of the power of seeing＇。 That unity ＇of principle＇ acquires duality ＇in the act of seeing＇； and the duality is ＇always to be traced back to＇ a unity。 Now as our sight requires the world of sense for its satisfaction and realization； so the vision in the Intellectual…Principle demands； for its completion； The Good。 It cannot be； itself； The Good； since then it would not need to see or to perform any other Act； for The Good is the centre of all else； and it is by means of The Good that every thing has Act； while the Good is in need of nothing and therefore possesses nothing beyond itself。 Once you have uttered 〃The Good；〃 add no further thought： by any addition； and in proportion to that addition； you introduce a deficiency。 Do not even say that it has Intellection； you would be dividing it； it would become a duality； Intellect and the Good。 The Good has no need of the Intellectual…Principle which； on the contrary； needs it； and； attaining it； is shaped into Goodness and becomes perfect by it： the Form thus received； sprung from the Good； brings it to likeness with the Good。 Thus the traces of the Good discerned upon it must be taken as indication of the nature of that Archetype： we form a conception of its Authentic Being from its image playing upon the Intellectual…Principle。 This image of itself； it has communicated to the Intellect that contemplates it： thus all the striving is on the side of the Intellect； which is the eternal striver and eternally the attainer。 The Being beyond neither strives； since it feels no lack； nor attains； since it has no striving。 And this marks it off from the Intellectual…Principle； to which characteristically belongs the striving； the concentrated strain towards its Form。 Yet： The Intellectual…Principle； beautiful； the most beautiful of all； lying lapped in pure light and in clear radiance； circumscribing the Nature of the Authentic Existents； the original of which this beautiful world is a shadow and an image； tranquil in the fullness of glory since in it there is nothing devoid of intellect； nothing dark or out of rule； a living thing in a life of blessedness： this； too； must overwhelm with awe any that has seen it； and penetrated it； to become a unit of its Being。 But： As one that looks up to the heavens and sees the splendour of the stars thinks of the Maker and searches； so whoever has contemplated the Intellectual Universe and known it and wondered for it must search after its Maker too。 What Being has raised so noble a fabric？ And where？ And how？ Who has begotten such a child； this Intellectual…Principle； this lovely abundance so abundantly endowed？ The Source of all this cannot be an Intellect； nor can it be an abundant power： it must have been before Intellect and abundance were； these are later and things of lack； abundance had to be made abundant and Intellection needed to know。 These are very near to the un…needing； to that which has no need of Knowing； they have abundance and intellection authentically； as being the first to possess。 But； there is that before them which neither needs nor possesses anything； since； needing or possessing anything else； it would not be what it is… the Good。 NINTH TRACTATE。
DETACHED CONSIDERATIONS。
1。 〃The Intellectual…Principle〃 ＇= the Divine Mind＇… we read ＇in the Timaeus＇… 〃looks upon the Ideas indwelling in that Being which is the Essentially Living ＇= according to Plotinus； the Intellectual Realm＇； 〃and then〃… the text proceeds… 〃the Creator judged that all the content of that essentially living Being must find place in this lower universe also。〃 Are we meant to gather that the Ideas came into being before the Intellectual…Principle so that it 〃sees them〃 as previously existent？ The first step is to make sure whether the 〃Living Being〃 of the text is to be distinguished from the Intellectual…Principle as another thing than it。 It might be argued that the Intellectual…Principle is the Contemplator and therefore that the Living…Being contemplated is not the Intellectual…Principle but must be described as the Intellectual Object so that the Intellectual…Principle must possess the Ideal realm as something outside of itself。 But this would mean that it possesses images and not the realities； since the realities are in the Intellectual Realm which it contemplates： Reality… we read… is in the Authentic Existent which contains the essential form of particular things。 No： even though the Intellectual…Principle and the Intellectual Object are distinct； they are not apart except for just that distinction。 Nothing in the statement cited is inconsistent with the conception that these two constitute one substance… though； in a unity； admitting that distinction； of the intellectual act ＇as against passivity＇； without which there can be no question of an Intellectual…Principle and an Intellectual Object： what is meant is not that the contemplatory Being possesses its vision as in some other principle； but that it contains the Intellectual Realm within itself。 The Intelligible Object is the Intellectual…Principle itself in its repose； unity； immobility： the Intellectual…Principle； contemplator of that object… of the Intellectual…Principle thus in repose is an active manifestation of the same Being； an Act which contemplates its unmoved phase and； as thus contemplating； stands as Intellectual…Principle to that of which it has the intellection： it is Intellectual…Principle in virtue of having that intellection； and at the same time is Intellectual Object； by assimilation。 This； then； is the Being which planned to create in the lower Universe what it saw existing in the Supreme； the four orders of living beings。 No doubt the passage： ＇of the Timaeus＇ seems to imply tacitly that this planning Principle is distinct from the other two： but the three… the Essentially…Living； the Intellectual…Principle and this planning Principle will； to others； be manifestly one： the truth is that； by a common accident； a particular trend of thought has occasioned the discrimination。 We have dealt with the first two； but the third… this Principle which decides to work upon the objects ＇the Ideas＇ contemplated by the Intellectual…Principle within the Essentially…Living； to create them； to establish them in their partial existence… what is this third？ It is possible that in one aspect the Intellectual…Principle is the principle of partial existence； while in another aspect it is not。 The entities thus particularized from the unity are products of the Intellectual…Principle which thus would be； to that extent； the separating agent。 On the other hand it remains in itself； indivisible； division begins with