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and brain； have been distilled away； till nothing is left but a word； a notion；
which may patch a hole in his huge heaven…and…earth… embracing system。
He； too； is a commentator and a deducer； all has been discovered； and he
tries to discover nothing more。 Those who followed him seem to have
commented on his comments。 With him Neoplatonism properly ends。
Is its last utterance a culmination or a fall？ Have the Titans sealed
heaven； or died of old age； 〃exhibiting；〃 as Gibbon says of them； 〃a
deplorable instance of the senility of the human mind？〃 Read Proclus； and
judge for yourselves： but first contrive to finish everything else you have
to do which can possibly be useful to any human being。 Life is short；
and Artat least the art of obtaining practical guidance from the last of the
Alexandriansvery long。
And yetif Proclus and his school became gradually unfaithful to the
great root…idea of their philosophy； we must not imitate them。 We must
not believe that the last of the Alexandrians was under no divine teaching；
because he had be…systemed himself into confused notions of what that
teaching was like。 Yes； there was good in poor old Proclus； and it too
came from the only source whence all good comes。 Were there no good
in him I could not laugh at him as I have done； I could only hate him。
There are moments when he rises above his theories； moments when he
recurs in spirit； if not in the letter； to the faith of Homer； almost to the faith
of Philo。 Whether these are the passages of his which his modern
admirers prize most； I cannot tell。 I should fancy not： nevertheless I
will read you one of them。
He is about to commence his discourses on the Parmenides； that book
in which we generally now consider that Plato has been most untrue to
himself； and fallen from his usual inductive method to the ground of a
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mere e priori theoriserand yet of which Proclus is reported to have said；
and； I should conceive； said honestly； that if it； the Timaeus； and the
Orphic fragments were preserved； he did not care whether every other
book on earth were destroyed。 But how does he commence？
〃I pray to all the gods and goddesses to guide my reason in the
speculation which lies before me； and having kindled in me the pure light
of truth； to direct my mind upward to the very knowledge of the things
which are； and to open the doors of my soul to receive the divine guidance
of Plato； and； having directed my knowledge into the very brightness of
being； to withdraw me from the various forms of opinion； from the
apparent wisdom； from the wandering about things which do not exist； by
that purest intellectual exercise about the things which do exist； whereby
alone the eye of the soul is nourished and brightened； as Socrates says in
the Phaedrus； and that the Noetic Gods will give to me the perfect reason；
and the Noeric Gods the power which leads up to this； and that the rulers
of the Universe above the heaven will impart to me an energy unshaken by
material notions and emancipated from them； and those to whom the
world is given as their dominion a winged life； and the angelic choirs a
true manifestation of divine things； and the good daemons the fulness of
the inspiration which comes from the Gods； and the heroes a grand； and
venerable； and lofty fixedness of mind； and the whole divine race together
a perfect preparation for sharing in Plato's most mystical and far…seeing
speculations； which he declares to us himself in the Parmenides； with the
profundity befitting such topics； but which he （i。e。 his master Syrianus）
completed by his most pure and luminous apprehensions； who did most
truly share the Platonic feast； and was the medium for transmitting the
divine truth； the guide in our speculations； and the hierophant of these
divine words； who； as I think； came down as a type of philosophy； to do
good to the souls that are here； in place of idols； sacrifices； and the whole
mystery of purification； a leader of salvation to the men who are now and
who shall be hereafter。 And may the whole band of those who are above
us be propitious； and may the whole force which they supply be at hand；
kindling before us that light which； proceeding from them； may guide us
to them。〃
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Surely this is an interesting document。 The last Pagan Greek prayer；
I believe； which we have on record； the death…wail of the old worldnot
without a touch of melody。 One cannot altogether admire the style； it is
inflated； pedantic； written； I fear； with a considerable consciousness that
he was saying the right thing and in the very finest way： but still it is a
prayer。 A cry for lightby no means； certainly； like that noble one in
Tennyson's 〃In Memoriam：〃
So runs my dream。 But what am I？ An infant crying in the night；
An infant crying for the light； And with no language but a cry。
Yet he asks for light： perhaps he had settled already for himself
like too many more of uswhat sort of light he chose to have： but still
the eye is turned upward to the sun； not inward in conceited fancy that self
is its own illumination。 He askssurely not in vain。 There was light to
be had for asking。 That prayer certainly was not answered in the letter：
it may have been ere now in the spirit。 And yet it is a sad prayer enough。
Poor old man； and poor old philosophy！
This he and his teachers had gained by despising the simpler and yet
far profounder doctrine of the Christian schools； that the Logos； the Divine
Teacher in whom both Christians and Heathens believed； was the very
archetype of men； and that He had proved that fact by being made flesh；
and dwelling bodily among them； that they might behold His glory； full of
grace and truth； and see that it was at once the perfection of man and the
perfection of God： that that which was most divine was most human； and
that which was most human； most divine。