OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

and mould with a plastic hand the rude andindependent chaos. The vain hope of extri-cating himself from these difficulties, whichmust ever oppress the feeble powers of the hu-man mind, might induce Plato to consider thedivine nature under the threefold modification;of the first cause, the reason or logos, and thesoul or spirit of the universe. His poetical ima-gination sometimes fixed and animated thesemetaphysical abstractions; the three archicalor original principles were represented in theplatonic system as three gods, united with eachother by a mysterious and ineffable generation;and the logos was particularly considered un-der the more accessible character of the son ofan eternal father, and the creator and governorof the world. Such appear to have been thesecret doctrines which were cautiously whisper-ed in the gardens of the academy; and which,according to the more recent disciples of Plato ,could not be perfectly understood, till after anassiduous study of thirty years. 1 "

The arms of the Macedonians diffused overAsia and Egypt the language and learning ofGreece; and the theological system of Plato wastaught with less reserve, and perhaps with someimprovements, in the celebrated school of Alex-

m The modern guides who lead me to the knowledge of the platonicsystem are, Cudworth (Intellectual System, p. 508-620) ; Basnage(Hist, des Juifs , 1. iv, c. iv, p, 63-86); Le Clerc. (Epist. crit, vii, p.194-209) ; and Brucker (Hist. Philosoph . tom. i, p. 675-706). As thelearning of these writers was equal, and their intention different, aninquisitive observer may derive instruction from their disputes, amicertainly from their agreement.

313

CHAP.

XXI.

The logo*

taught inthe schoolof Alex-andria.BeforeChrist 300