And thus much may fuffice for the life of the philofopher. It now remains for those who are willing to undertake the labour, to write concerning his difciples and friends. For it appears that many reforted to him from all parts; among which fome were only his auditors, but others firm adherents to his doctrine; and, on account of philofophy, his familiars. I could likewise wish that fome one, who is more laborious than myself, would give a particular account of his writings. For I have alone delivered thefe particulars of his life, that I might fatisfy my confcience, and might teftify that I religiously reverence the foul of Proclus, and his good dæmon. I fhall, therefore, add nothing concerning the philofopher's writings, except that I have always heard him prefer his commentaries on the Timæus of Plato beyond all his works. He likewise vehemently approved of his commentaries on the Theatetus. And he used frequently to say, that if he was endued with defpotic power, he would alone preserve, of all. the writings of the ancients, the Oracles and the Timæus. For, faid he, I would abolish all the rest, and remove them from the prefent age, because it happens that many are offended, who undertake to read them rafhly, and without proper inftitution.. VOL. I. F Concern Concerning the Published Writings of PROCLUS. M* ARINUS having neglected to give us an account of the writings of Proclus, I thought it would not be unacceptable to the reader, to prefent him with a catalogue of his works which are fill extant; and the most perfect relation I am able of fuch as are unfortunately loft. In the execution of this defign, I fhall follow, for the most part, the accurate Fabricius in the order, and critical account of his works; but fhall not hesitate to diffent from him in deciding. on their philofophical merit: for it is very rare that philology and philofophy are united in the fame perfon, and coalefce in amicable conjunction. 1. Four Hymns. In the preceding life we are informed, by Marinus, that Proclus compofed many hymns, in which the divinities, both of Greeks and Barbarians, were celebrated; but unfortunately there are only four preferved, the first of which is to the Sun, the second and third to Venus (which may be found in the Florilegium of Stobus, p. 249. edit. Grotii,) and the fourth to the Mufes. They are collected by Fabricius, in the eighth volume of his Eibliotheca Græca and are most happy fpecimens of philofophical poetry. Indeed, they bear most evident marks of a mind full of divine light, and agitated with the fury of the Mufes; and poffefs all that elegance of compofition for which the writings of Proclus are fo remarkable. So that it is very strange Gyraldus should ascribe them to a Hierophant of Laodicæa, of that name; fince, as Fabricius obferves, Suidas mentions other writings of this priest, but does not speak of him as the author of any hymns. And if he had, these hymns breathe too much of the spirit and manner of Proclus, to be the production of any other. 2. Two Books concerning the useful Parts of Learning, contained in Grammar. Three books on this fubject are mentioned by Suidas, and four by Photius; but there are alone extant fragments of two, in the Bibliotheca of Photius; which were published feparate by Andrew Schottus, at the end of the fyntax of Apollonius Alexandrinus, Francof. 1590. Hanov. 1615. quarto. It appears from thefe extracts, that Proclus, in this work, not only treats of every kind of verfe, but also of the more celebrated poets. And hence Fabricius conjectures, that the short life of Homer, which Leo Allatius published under the name of Proclus, was taken from the first book of this Chreftomathia. 3. Eighteen Arguments against the Chriftians. The learned Cave, was egregiously mistaken, in fuppofing that this work, as well as the answer to it by Philoponus, is loft; not confidering, probably, that these arguments in defence of the world's eternity are (as Fabricius well obferves) directly against one of the Chriftian dogmata, the creation of the world. Thefe arguments (except the firft, which is loft,) are preferved in the anfwer of Philoponus; the Greek edition of which was published at Venice, in 1535, folio; and in Latin from the verfion of Joh. Mahatius, at Lyons, 1557. folio. Simplicius, in his commentaries on the firft book of Ariftotle de Coelo, and elfewhere, oppofes this work of Philoponus; at the fame time, fuppreffing his name. The arguments are, in my opinion, extremely subtle, and unanswerable; and Philoponus, in his refutation, every where difco-vers, that he has by no means fathomed the depth of our philofopher. 4. A Commentary on the Timæus of Plato, in five Books. A moft admirable work, compofed in the flower of his age, when he was twenty-eight years old, according to Marinus. This invaluable treafure, may be faid to contain all the wisdom of the highest antiquity: for Proclus every where cites the most celebrated interpreters on the Timæus, fuch as Adraftus the Peripatetic; Elianus and Albinus, Platonifts; Ariftocles, Clearchus, Crantor, Dercyllides; and especially Jamblichus ; likewife Longinus, whom he often refutes; Numenius the Pythagorean, and Origen, (different from Adamantius,) together with Plotinus, Porphyry the Platonic, Ptolemy, Severus, and Theodorus Afinæus; but he always prefers the explications of his master Syrianus, before all the reft. Add too, that he every where conciliates the Orphic writings and the Chaldean oracles with the theology of Plato. And with refpect to. Orpheus in particular, we are indebted to these fublime commentaries for the greatest part of the fragments of that divine poet. He is perpetually on the wing, and rifes gradually F 2 in. in elevated conceptions, until his mind, like Homer's difcord, reaches 'the heavens. His ftyle is at the fame time nervous and diffuse, accurate and elegant. We are astonished with the magnificence of his metaphors, delighted with the copious variety of his matter, and filled with a divine light, by the sacred truths he unfolds. This great work, however, unfortunately, fcarcely explains a third part of the Timæus; from whence it is probable, as Fabricius well obferves, that feveral books have been loft through the injury of time. It was published in Greek, at Bafil, in the year 1556; and is full of mistakes, as is generally the cafe with the Bafil editions of books, fo that a more correct edition is greatly to be defired, though at prefent not much to be expected. On concluding my account of this ineftimable work, I find my indignation roused by the following words of Dr. Cudworth, in his Intellectual Syftem, p. 306. " Proclus (fays he) had fome peculiar fancies and whims of his own, and was indeed a confounder of the Platonic theology, and a mingler of much unintelligible stuff with it." I must confefs, (and I am neither afraid, nor ashamed of the declaration,) that I never found any thing in Proclus, but what by patient thought, accompanied with a fincere and vehement thirst after truth, I have been able to fathom. Had Dr. Cudworth been endued with these requifites, he would doubtlefs have had equal fuccefs; but without them, the fublimeft truths will certainly appear to be unintelligible fuff. Befides this confideration is not to be omitted, that a modern priest makes a bad philofopher. 5. On Plato's Republic. These commentaries, or rather fragments of commentaries, are extant in Greek, at the end of Proclus on the Timæus. Suidas mentions four books of Proclus on Plato's politics; and fome of Proclus's differtations on these books, were found (according to Fabricius) in the library of Lucas Holftenius. The chief defign of this work feems to be the unveiling the theological myfteries concealed under the fables of Homer, and other divine poets; which Proclus has accomplished (in my opinion) in a most wonderful manner. That Homer, indeed, every where abounds with Egyptian learning, is obvious to every one; but few are acquainted with the profound wisdom which his fables conceal. The latent meaning of most of these is unfolded in the prefent invaluable, though imperfect work; work; and he whofe mind is fufficiently enlightened by the ancient philofophy, to comprehend the beauty of these illuftrations, will receive an additional delight from the ftudy of Homer, which it is impoffible to exprefs. An epitome of this work was published in Latin, by the learned Gefner, 1542. 8vo. under the following title: Apologia quædam pro Homero, et Arte Poetica, Fabularumque aliquot Enarrationes ex commentariis Procli Lycii Diadochi philofophi Platonici in libros Platonis de Rep. in quibus plurimæ de Diis Fabulæ non juxta grammaticorum vulgus historicè, phyficè aut ethicè tractantur, fed Theologicis, ut Gentiles loquntur, ex prima Philofophia rationibus explanantur. 6. On the first Alcibiades of Plato. Ficinus tranflated parts of this work into Latin, and published them under the title of Procli de Anima ac dæmone, de Sacrificio et Magia, Venice 1497. and 1516. fol. by Aldus; and in a more fimple form at Lyons. Fabricius informs us, that the manufcript commentary of Proclus in Greek, but fcarcely explaining the half part of the Alcibiades, is to be found in various libraries of France, England, and Italy. Alfo at Lyons, among the books of Ifaac Voffius; and at Hamburgh in the Johannean library. From the specimen given of this work by Ficinus, it appears, like all Proclus's philofophical writings, to be an invaluable treasury of wifdom; and nothing certainly, reflects greater difgrace on a nation than fuffering fuch monuments of ancient learning and wisdom to lic concealed in colleges, covered with duft, and never confulted. 7. Six Books on Plato's Theology. A most divine work, in which the philofopher collects into a fyftem the theology difpersed in the writings of Plato, and establishes it by invincible demonftrations. He deduces, in a beautiful and connected feries, all the divine orders, from the retreats of ineffable unity; every where connects them by proper mediums, and, after leading us through the long gradation of principles, brings us back again to the original from whence they flowed, and to which they conftantly tend. The whole is uncommonly profound and abftrufe; and it was not before the third reading, that I could fathom the depth it contains. Fabricius obferves, "that it is a fubtle and learned work, but from which, you will fooner learn the opinion of Syrianus and Proclus, concerning the deity and divine 3 con |