f　a　nature　to　be　the　ultimate　of　existents。　It　was　the　First　and　it　held　great　power；　all　there　is　of　power；　this　means　that　it　is　productive　without　seeking　to　produce；　for　if　effort　and　search　were　incumbent　upon　it；　the　Act　would　not　be　its　own；　would　not　spring　from　its　essential　nature；　it　would　be；　like　a　craftsman；　producing　by　a　power　not　inherent　but　acquired；　mastered　by　dint　of　study。　　　　　The　Intellectual　Principle；　then；　in　its　unperturbed　serenity　has　brought　the　universe　into　being；　by　communicating　from　its　own　store　to　Matter：　and　this　gift　is　the　Reason…Form　flowing　from　it。　For　the　Emanation　of　the　Intellectual　Principle　is　Reason；　an　emanation　unfailing　as　long　as　the　Intellectual　Principle　continues　to　have　place　among　beings。　　　　　The　Reason…Principle　within　a　seed　contains　all　the　parts　and　qualities　concentrated　in　identity；　there　is　no　distinction；　no　jarring；　no　internal　hindering；　then　there　comes　a　pushing　out　into　bulk；　part　rises　in　distinction　with　part；　and　at　once　the　members　of　the　organism　stand　in　each　other's　way　and　begin　to　wear　each　other　down。　　　　　So　from　this；　the　One　Intellectual　Principle；　and　the　Reason…Form　emanating　from　it；　our　Universe　rises　and　develops　part；　and　inevitably　are　formed　groups　concordant　and　helpful　in　contrast　with　groups　discordant　and　combative；　sometimes　of　choice　and　sometimes　incidentally；　the　parts　maltreat　each　other；　engendering　proceeds　by　destruction。　　　　　Yet：　Amid　all　that　they　effect　and　accept；　the　divine　Realm　imposes　the　one　harmonious　act；　each　utters　its　own　voice；　but　all　is　brought　into　accord；　into　an　ordered　system；　for　the　universal　purpose；　by　the　ruling　Reason…Principle。　This　Universe　is　not　Intelligence　and　Reason；　like　the　Supernal；　but　participant　in　Intelligence　and　Reason：　it　stands　in　need　of　the　harmonizing　because　it　is　the　meeting　ground　of　Necessity　and　divine　Reason…Necessity　pulling　towards　the　lower；　towards　the　unreason　which　is　its　own　characteristic；　while　yet　the　Intellectual　Principle　remains　sovereign　over　it。　　　　　The　Intellectual　Sphere　＇the　Divine＇　alone　is　Reason；　and　there　can　never　be　another　Sphere　that　is　Reason　and　nothing　else；　so　that；　given　some　other　system；　it　cannot　be　as　noble　as　that　first；　it　cannot　be　Reason：　yet　since　such　a　system　cannot　be　merely　Matter；　which　is　the　utterly　unordered；　it　must　be　a　mixed　thing。　Its　two　extremes　are　Matter　and　the　Divine　Reason；　its　governing　principle　is　Soul；　presiding　over　the　conjunction　of　the　two；　and　to　be　thought　of　not　as　labouring　in　the　task　but　as　administering　serenely　by　little　more　than　an　act　of　presence。　　　　　3。　Nor　would　it　be　sound　to　condemn　this　Kosmos　as　less　than　beautiful；　as　less　than　the　noblest　possible　in　the　corporeal；　and　neither　can　any　charge　be　laid　against　its　source。　　　　　The　world；　we　must　reflect；　is　a　product　of　Necessity；　not　of　deliberate　purpose：　it　is　due　to　a　higher　Kind　engendering　in　its　own　likeness　by　a　natural　process。　And　none　the　less；　a　second　consideration；　if　a　considered　plan　brought　it　into　being　it　would　still　be　no　disgrace　to　its　maker…　for　it　stands　a　stately　whole；　complete　within　itself；　serving　at　once　its　own　purpose　and　that　of　all　its　parts　which；　leading　and　lesser　alike；　are　of　such　a　nature　as　to　further　the　interests　of　the　total。　It　is；　therefore；　impossible　to　condemn　the　whole　on　the　merits　of　the　parts　which；　besides；　must　be　judged　only　as　they　enter　harmoniously　or　not　into　the　whole；　the　main　consideration；　quite　overpassing　the　members　which　thus　cease　to　have　importance。　To　linger　about　the　parts　is　to　condemn　not　the　Kosmos　but　some　isolated　appendage　of　it；　in　the　entire　living　Being　we　fasten　our　eyes　on　a　hair　or　a　toe　neglecting　the　marvellous　spectacle　of　the　complete　Man；　we　ignore　all　the　tribes　and　kinds　of　animals　except　for　the　meanest；　we　pass　over　an　entire　race；　humanity；　and　bring　forward…　Thersites。　　　　　No：　this　thing　that　has　come　into　Being　is　the　Kosmos　complete：　do　but　survey　it；　and　surely　this　is　the　pleading　you　will　hear：
  I　am　made　by　a　God：　from　that　God　I　came　perfect　above　all　forms　of　life；　adequate　to　my　function；　self…sufficing；　lacking　nothing：　for　I　am　the　container　of　all；　that　is；　of　every　plant　and　every　animal；　of　all　the　Kinds　of　created　things；　and　many　Gods　and　nations　of　Spirit…Beings　and　lofty　souls　and　men　happy　in　their　goodness。　　　　　And　do　not　think　that；　while　earth　is　ornate　with　all　its　growths　and　with　living　things　of　every　race；　and　while　the　very　sea　has　answered　to　the　power　of　Soul；　do　not　think　that　the　great　air　and　the　ether　and　the　far…spread　heavens　remain　void　of　it：　there　it　is　that　all　good　Souls　dwell；　infusing　life　into　the　stars　and　into　that　orderly　eternal　circuit　of　the　heavens　which　in　its　conscious　movement　ever　about　the　one　Centre；　seeking　nothing　beyond；　is　a　faithful　copy　of　the　divine　Mind。　And　all　that　is　within　me　strives　towards　the　Good；　and　each；　to　the　measure　of　its　faculty；　attains。　For　from　that　Good　all　the　heavens　depend；　with　all　my　own　Soul　and　the　Gods　that　dwell　in　my　every　part；　and　all　that　lives　and　grows；　and　even　all　in　me　that　you　may　judge　inanimate。
  But　there　are　degrees　of　participation：　here　no　more　than　Existence；　elsewhere　Life；　and；　in　Life；　sometimes　mainly　that　of　Sensation；　higher　again　that　of　Reason；　finally　Life　in　all　its　fullness。　We　have　no　right　to　demand　equal　powers　in　the　unequal：　the　finger　is　not　to　be　asked　to　see；　there　is　the　eye　for　that；　a　finger　has　its　own　business…　to　be　finger　and　have　finger　power。　　　　　4。　That　water　extinguishes　fire　and　fire　consumes　other　things　should　not　astonish　us。　The　thing　destroyed　derived　its　being　from　outside　itself：　this　is　no　case　of　a　self…originating　substance　being　annihilated　by　an　external；　it　rose　on　the　ruin　of　something　else；　and　thus　in　its　own　ruin　it　suffers　nothing　strange；　and　for　every　fire　quenched；　another　is　kindled。　　　　　In　the　immaterial　heaven　every　member　is　unchangeably　itself　for　ever；　in　the　heavens　of　our　universe；　while　the　whole　has　life　eternally　and　so　too　all　the　nobler　and　lordlier　components；　the　Souls　pass　from　body　to　body　entering　into　varied　forms…　and；　when　it　may；　a　Soul　will　rise　outside　of　the　realm　of　birth　and　dwell　with　the　one　Soul　of　all。　For　the　embodied　lives　by　virtue　of　a　Form　or　Idea：　individual　or　partial　things　exist　by　virtue　of　Universals；　from　these　priors　they　derive　their　life　and　maintenance；　for　life　here　is　a　thing　of　change；　only　in　that　prior　realm　is　it　unmoving。　From　that　unchangingness；　change　had　to　emerge；　and　from　that　self…cloistered　Life　its　derivative；　this　which　breathes　and　stirs；　the　respiration　of　the　still　life　of　the　divine。　　　　　The　conflict　and　destruction　that　reign　among　living　beings　are　inevitable；　since　things　here　are　derived；　brought　into　existence　because　the　Divine　Reason　which　contains　all　of　them　in　the　upper　Heavens…　how　could　they　come　here　unless　they　were　There？…　must　outflow　over　the　whole　extent　of　Matter。　　　　　Similarly；　the　very　wronging　of　man　by　man　may　be　derived　from　an　effort　towards　the　Good；　foiled；　in　their　weakness；　of　their　true　desire；　they　turn　against　each　other：　still；　when　they　do　wrong；　they　pay　the　penalty…　that　of　having　hurt　their　Souls　by　their　evil　conduct　and　of　degradation　to　a　lower　place…　for　nothing　can　ever　escape　what　stands　decreed　in　the　law　of　the　Universe。　　　　　This　is　not　to　accept　the　idea；　sometimes　urged；　that　order　is　an　outcome　of　disorder　and　law　of　lawlessness；　as　if　evil　were　a　necessary　preliminary　to　their　existence　or　their　manifestation：　on　the　contrary　order　is　the　original　and　enters　this　sphere　as　imposed　from　without：　it　is　because　order；　law　and　reason　exist　that　there　can　be　disorder；　breach　of　law　and　unreason　exist　because　Reason　exists…　not　that　these　better　things　are　directly　the　causes　of　the　bad　but　simply　that　what　ought　to　absorb　the　Best　is　prevented　by　its　own　nature；　or　by　some　accident；　or　by　foreign　interference。　An　entity　which　must　look　outside　itself　for　a　law；　may　be　foiled　of　its　purpose　by　either　an　internal　or　an　external　cause；　there　will　be　some　flaw　in　its　own　nature；　or　it　will　be　hurt　by　some　alien　influence；　for　often　harm　follows；　unintended；　upon　the　action　of　others　in　the　pursuit　of　quite　unrelated　aims。　Such　living　beings；　on　the　other　hand；　as　have　freedom　of　motion　under　their　own　will　sometimes　take　the　right　turn；　sometimes　the　wrong。　　　　　Why　the　wrong　course　is　followed　is　scarcely　worth　enquiring：　a　slight　deviation　at　the　beginning　develops　with　every　advance　into　a　continuously　wider　and　graver　error…　especially　since　there　is　the　attached　body　with　its　inevitable　concomitant　of　desire…　and　the　first　step；　the　hasty　movement　not　previously　considered　and　not　immediately　corrected；　ends　by　establishing　a　set　habit　where　there　was　at　first　only　a　fall。　　　　　Punishment　naturally　follows：　there　is　no　injustice　in　a　man　suffering　what　belongs　to　the　condition　in　which　he　is；　nor　can　we　ask　to　be　happy　when　our　actions　have　not　earned　us　happiness；　the　good；　only；　are　happy；　divine　beings　are　happy　only　because　they　are　good。　　　　　5。　Now；　once　Happiness　is　possible　at　all　to　Souls　in　this　Universe；　if　some　fail　of　it；　the　blame　must　fall　not　upon　the　place　but　upo