e is entirely present, and
is not separated from me by any distraction of my thoughts, nor does she
become darkened to me through any want of attention, for there is no
thought that can divert me from that light nor any necessity of nature
which forces me to a less constant attention; "talis mihi semper" on her
side, because she is invariable in substance, in virtue, in beauty, and
in effect, towards those things that are constant and invariable towards
her. She says further, "ut astro," because in respect of the sun, the
illuminator of her, she is ever equally luminous, seeing that she is
ever turned equally towards him, and he at the same time diffuses his
rays equally. As, physically, this moon that we see with the eyes,
although towards the earth she appears now dark, now shining, now more,
now less illuminated and illuminating, yet is she ever equally
irradiated by the sun, because she always reflects his rays over at
least the whole of her hemisphere. So also is the hemisphere of this
earth ever equally irradiated, although from the watery surfaces she
from time to time sends her splendours unequally to the moon,--which
like innumerable other stars we consider as another earth--in the same
manner, she also sends hers to the earth, on account of the periodical
changes which both experience in finding themselves now the one, now the
other, nearer to the sun.

CIC. How can this intelligence be signified by the moon which lights up
the hemisphere?

TANS. All the intelligences are signified by the moon, in so far as they
are sharers in act and in power, in so far as they have the light
materially and by participation, receiving it from another; I say that,
as not being lights of themselves, nor by their own nature, but by
reflection from the sun, which is the first intelligence, which is pure
and absolute light, as it is also pure and absolute action.

CIC. All those things, then, that are dependent, and are not the first
act and cause, are they composed of light and shade, of matter and
form, of power and action?

TANS. It is so. Furthermore this soul of ours, in all its substance, is
signified by the moon which shines through the hemisphere of the
superior powers, by which it is turned towards the light of the
intelligible world, and is dark through the inferior powers, by which it
is occupied with material things.

IX.

CIC. It seems to me that what has just been said has some connection and
analogy with t