按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
cannot wonder at the old Neoplatonists for attributing these strange
phenomena to spiritual influence； when we see some who ought to know
66
… Page 67…
ALEXANDRIA AND HER SCHOOLS
better doing the same thing now； and others； who more wisely believe
them to be strictly physical and nervous； so utterly unable to give reasons
for them； that they feel it expedient to ignore them for awhile； till they
know more about those physical phenomena which can be put under some
sort of classification； and attributed to some sort of inductive law。
But again。 These ecstasies； cures； and so forth； brought them rapidly
back to the old priestcrafts。 The Egyptian priests； the Babylonian and
Jewish sorcerers； had practised all this as a trade for ages； and reduced it to
an art。 It was by sleeping in the temples of the deities； after due
mesmeric manipulations； that cures were even then effected。 Surely the
old priests were the people to whom to go for information。 The old
philosophers of Greece were venerable。 How much more those of the
East； in comparison with whom the Greeks were children？ Besides； if
these daemons and deities were so near them； might it not be possible to
behold them？ They seemed to have given up caring much for the world
and its course …
Effugerant adytis templisque relictis Di quibus imperium steterat。
The old priests used to make them appearperhaps they might do it
again。 And if spirit could act directly and preternaturally on matter； in
spite of the laws of matter； perhaps matter might act on spirit。 After all；
were matter and spirit so absolutely different？ Was not spirit some sort
of pervading essence； some subtle ethereal fluid； differing from matter
principally in being less gross and dense？ This was the point to which
they went down rapidly enough； the point to which all philosophies； I
firmly believe； will descend； which do not keep in sight that the spiritual
means the moral。 In trying to make it mean exclusively the intellectual；
they will degrade it to mean the merely logical and abstract； and when that
is found to be a barren and lifeless phantom； a mere projection of the
human brain； attributing reality to mere conceptions and names； and
confusing the subject with the object； as logicians say truly the
Neoplatonists did； then in despair； the school will try to make the spiritual
something real； or； at least； something conceivable； by reinvesting it with
the properties of matter； and talking of it as if it were some manner of gas；
or heat； or electricity； or force； pervading time and space； conditioned by
67
… Page 68…
ALEXANDRIA AND HER SCHOOLS
the accidents of brute matter； and a part of that nature which is born to die。
The culmination of all this confusion we see in Proclus。 The
unfortunate Hypatia； who is the most important personage between him
and Iamblichus； has left no writings to our times； we can only judge of her
doctrine by that of her instructors and her pupils。 Proclus was taught by
the men who had heard her lecture； and the golden chain of the Platonic
succession descended from her to him。 His throne； however； was at
Athens； not at Alexandria。 After the murder of the maiden philosopher；
Neoplatonism prudently retired to Greece。 But Proclus is so essentially
the child of the Alexandrian school that we cannot pass him over。 Indeed；
according to M。 Cousin； as I am credibly informed； he is the Greek
philosopher； the flower and crown of all its schools； in whom； says the
learned Frenchman； 〃are combined； and from whom shine forth； in no
irregular or uncertain rays； Orpheus； Pythagoras； Plato； Aristotle； Zeno；
Plotinus； Porphyry； and Iamblichus；〃 and who 〃had so comprehended all
religions in his mind； and paid them such equal reverence； that he was； as
it were； the priest of the whole universe！〃
I have not the honour of knowing much of M。 Cousin's works。 I
never came across them but on one small matter of fact； and on that I
found him copying at second hand an anachronism which one would have
conceived palpable to any reader of the original authorities。 This is all I
know of him； saving these his raptures over Proclus； of which I have
quoted only a small portion； and of which I can only say； in Mr。 Thomas
Carlyle's words； 〃What things men will worship； in their extreme need！〃
Other moderns； however； have expressed their admiration of Proclus； and；
no doubt； many neat sayings may be found in him （for after all he was a
Greek）； which will be both pleasing and useful to those who consider
philosophic method to consist in putting forth strings of brilliant
apophthegms； careless about either their consistency or coherence： but
of the method of Plato or Aristotle； any more than of that of Kant or Mill；
you will find nothing in him。 He seems to my simplicity to be at once
the most timid and servile of commentators； and the most cloudy of
declaimers。 He can rave symbolism like Jacob Bohmen； but without an
atom of his originality and earnestness。 He can develop an inverted
68
… Page 69…
ALEXANDRIA AND HER SCHOOLS
pyramid of daemonology； like Father Newman himself； but without an
atom of his art； his knowledge of human cravings。 He combines all
schools； truly； Chaldee and Egyptian as well as Greek； but only scraps
from their mummies； drops from their quintessences； which satisfy the
heart and conscience as little as they do the logical faculties。 His Greek
gods and heroes； even his Alcibiades and Socrates； are 〃ideas；〃 that is；
symbols of certain notions or qualities： their flesh and bones； their heart
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 n