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ness of God。 In proportion as a man has them； he is partaker of a Divine nature。 He can rise no higher； and he needs no more。 Platonists had saidNo； that is only virtue； and virtue is the means； not the end。 We want proof of having something above that； something more than any man of the herd； any Christian slave； can perform； something above nature； portents and wonders。 So they set to work to perform wonders； and succeeded； I suppose； more or less。 For now one enters into a whole fairyland of those very phenomena which are puzzling us so nowadays ecstasy； clairvoyance； insensibility to pain； cures produced by the effect of what we now call mesmerism。 They are all there； these modern puzzles； in those old books of the long bygone seekers for wisdom。 It makes us love them； while it saddens us to see that their difficulties were the same as ours； and that there is nothing new under the sun。 Of course； a great deal of it all was 〃imagination。〃 But the question then； as now is； what is this wonder…working imagination？unless the word be used as a mere euphemism for lying； which really； in many cases； is hardly fair。 We cannot wonder at the old Neoplatonists for attributing these strange phenomena to spiritual influence； when we see some who ought to know 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 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 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