§46Quae cum ita dissignasset seseque, si quid postea fraudis aut vitii evenisset, extra omnem culpam causamque posuisset, alios in terram, alios in lunam, alios in reliquas mundi partes, quae sunt spatiorum temporis signa et notae constitutae, spargens quasi serebat.
When he had thus assigned these things, and had placed himself outside all blame and cause if any mischief or vice should happen afterward, scattering some onto the earth, some onto the moon, and others onto the remaining parts of the universe, which are the established signs and marks of the spaces of time, he sowed them as it were.
Post autem eam sationem dis, ut ita dicam, iunioribus permisit, ut corpora mortalia effingerent, quantumque esset reliquum ex humano animo, quod deberet accedere, id omne, et quae consequentia essent, perpolirent et absolverent; deinde ut huic animanti principes se ducesque praeberent vitamque eius quam pulcherrime regerent et gubernarent, quatenus non ipse bene factus sua culpa sibi aliquid miseriae quaereret.
But after this sowing, he permitted the younger gods, so to speak, to fashion mortal bodies, and to polish and complete all that remained of the human soul which ought to be added, and whatever was consequential; and then to present themselves as rulers and leaders to this living creature, and to govern and guide its life as beautifully as possible, so that it might not, though well made itself, seek any misery for itself by its own fault.
§47Atque is quidem, qui cuncta conposuit, constanter in suo manebat statu; qui autem erant ab eo creati, cum parentis ordinem cognovissent, hunc sequebantur.
And he indeed, who composed all things, remained constantly in his own state; but those who had been created by him, when they recognized the order of their parent, followed this.
Itaque cum accepissent inmortale principium mortalis animantis, imitantes genitorem et effectorem sui particulas ignis et terrae et aquae et animae a mundo, quas rursus redderent, mutuabantur easque inter se copulabant haud isdem vinclis, quibus ipsi erant conligati, sed talibus, quae cerni non possent propter parvitatem, crebris quasi cuneolis inliquefactis unum efficiebant ex omnibus corpus atque in eo influente atque effluente animi divini ambitus inligabant.
And so, when they had received the immortal principle of a mortal living creature, imitating their parent and creator, they borrowed particles of fire, earth, water, and breath from the universe, which they were to return again, and coupled them together, not with the same bonds by which they themselves were bound, but with such as could not be seen on account of their smallness, making one body out of all by means of numerous, as it were, melted small wedges, and in this body, flowing in and out, they bound the revolutions of the divine soul.
§48Itaque illi in flumen inmersi neque tenebant neque tenebantur, sed vi magna tum ferebant, tum ferebantur.
Therefore, those souls, immersed in a violent stream, neither held nor were held, but with great force were now carrying, now carried.
Ita totum animal movebatur illud quidem, sed inmoderate et fortuito, ut sex motibus veheretur.
Thus that whole living creature was indeed moved, but immoderately and by chance, so that it was carried by six motions.
Nam et ante et pone et ad laevam et ad dextram et sursum et deorsum, modo huc, modo illuc * * * §49Sed si in splendore consedit, tum vel eadem species vel interdum inmutata redditur, cum ignis oculorum cum eo igne, qui est ob os offusus, se confudit et contulit.
For both forward and backward, and to the left and to the right, and upward and downward, now here, now there But if it settles in brightness, then either the same appearance or sometimes a changed one is returned, when the fire of the eyes has mingled and united itself with that fire which is poured out before the face.
Dextra autem videntur, quae laeva sunt, quia contrariis partibus oculorum contrarias partes attingunt.
But those things which are on the left appear on the right, because they touch opposite parts of the eyes with opposite parts.
Respondent autem dextera dexteris, laeva laevis conversione luminum, cum ea inter se non cohaerescunt.
But right corresponds to right, and left to left, by the reversal of the lights, when they do not cohere with each other.
Id fit, cum speculorum levitas hinc illincque altitudinem adsumpsit et ita dextera detrusit in laevam partem oculorum laevaque in dexteram.
This happens when the smoothness of the mirrors has assumed a height on this side and that, and thus has thrust the right into the left part of the eyes, and the left into the right.
Supina etiam ora cernuntur depulsione luminum; quae convertens inferiora reddit, quae sunt superiora.
Faces are also seen upside down by the deflection of the lights, which, by turning, renders what is above to be below.
§50Atque haec omnia ex eo genere sunt, quae rerum adiuvant causas; quibus utitur ministeriis deus, cum optimi speciem, quoad fieri potest, efficit.
And all these things are of that class which assist the causes of things; which services God uses when he effects the appearance of the best, as far as can be done.
Sed existimant plerique non haec adiuvantia causarum, sed has ipsas esse omnium causas, quae vim habeant refrigerandi calfaciendi, concrescendi liquendi, careant autem omni intellegentia atque ratione, quae nisi in animo nulla alia in natura reperiantur.
But most people think that these are not the assistants of causes, but are themselves the causes of all things—things which have the power of cooling, heating, condensing, and liquefying, but lack all intelligence and reason, which are found nowhere else in nature except in the soul.
Animus autem sensum omnem effugit oculorum; at ignis, anima, aqua, terra corpora sunt, eaque cernuntur.
But the soul escapes all perception of the eyes; whereas fire, breath, water, and earth are bodies, and they are seen.
§51Illum autem, qui intellegentiae sapientiaeque se amatorem profitetur, necesse est intellegentis sapientisque naturae primas causas conquirere, dein secundas earum rerum, quae necessario movent alias, cum ipsae ab aliis moventur.
But he who professes himself a lover of intelligence and wisdom must of necessity search out the primary causes of an intelligent and wise nature, and secondly the causes of those things which of necessity move others while they themselves are moved by others.
Quocirca nobis sic cerno esse faciendum, ut de utroque nos quidem dicamus genere causarum, separatim autem de iis, quae cum intellegentia sunt efficientes pulcherrimarum rerum atque optumarum, et de iis, quae vacantes prudentia inconstantia perturbataque efficiunt.
Wherefore I perceive that we must do likewise, so that we indeed speak of both kinds of causes, but separately of those which, with intelligence, are the producers of the most beautiful and best things, and of those which, devoid of prudence, produce inconstant and turbulent changes.
§52Ac de oculorum quidem causis, ut haberent eam vim, quam nunc habent, satis ferme esse dictum puto.
And indeed, concerning the causes of the eyes, that they might have that power which they now possess, I think enough has been said.
Maxuma autem eorum utilitas donata hominum generi deorum munere deinceps explicetur.
But their greatest utility, granted to the race of men by the gift of the gods, shall next be explained.
Rerum enim optumarum cognitionem nobis oculi attulerunt.
For the eyes have brought to us the knowledge of the best things.
Nam haec, quae est habita de universitate oratio a nobis, haud umquam esset inventa, si neque sidera neque sol neque caelum sub oculorum aspectum cadere potuissent.
For this discourse which has been held by us concerning the universe would never have been invented if neither stars, nor sun, nor heaven could have fallen under the view of the eyes.
Nunc vero dies noctesque oculis cognitae, tum mensum annorumque conversiones et numerum machinatae sunt et spatium temporis dimensae et ad quaestionem totius naturae inpulerunt; quibus ex rebus philosophiam adepti sumus, quo bono nullum optabilius, nullum praestantius neque datum est mortalium generi deorum concessu atque munere neque dabitur * * *
But now, days and nights known by the eyes, and then the revolutions and number of months and years have been devised, and have measured the space of time and driven us to the investigation of the whole of nature; from which things we have attained philosophy, than which boon no more desirable, no more excellent thing has either been given to the mortal race by the concession and gift of the gods, nor ever will be given