ssess, enough has been said. I will therefore now
proceed to speak of the higher use and purpose for which God has given
them to us. The sight in my opinion is the source of the greatest
benefit to us, for had we never seen the stars, and the sun, and the
heaven, none of the words which we have spoken about the universe would
ever have been uttered. But now the sight of day and night, and the
months and the revolutions of the years, have created number, and have
given us a conception of time, and the power of enquiring about the
nature of the universe; and from this source we have derived philosophy,
than which no greater good ever was or will be given by the gods to
mortal man. This is the greatest boon of sight: and of the lesser
benefits why should I speak? even the ordinary man if he were deprived
of them would bewail his loss, but in vain. Thus much let me say
however: God invented and gave us sight to the end that we might behold
the courses of intelligence in the heaven, and apply them to the courses
of our own intelligence which are akin to them, the unperturbed to the
perturbed; and that we, learning them and partaking of the natural truth
of reason, might imitate the absolutely unerring courses of God and
regulate our own vagaries. The same may be affirmed of speech and
hearing: they have been given by the gods to the same end and for a
like reason. For this is the principal end of speech, whereto it most
contributes. Moreover, so much of music as is adapted to the sound of
the voice and to the sense of hearing is granted to us for the sake of
harmony; and harmony, which has motions akin to the revolutions of our
souls, is not regarded by the intelligent votary of the Muses as given
by them with a view to irrational pleasure, which is deemed to be the
purpose of it in our day, but as meant to correct any discord which may
have arisen in the courses of the soul, and to be our ally in bringing
her into harmony and agreement with herself; and rhythm too was given by
them for the same reason, on account of the irregular and graceless ways
which prevail among mankind generally, and to help us against them.

Thus far in what we have been saying, with small exception, the works of
intelligence have been set forth; and now we must place by the side
of them in our discourse the things which come into being through
necessity--for the creation is mixed, being made up of necessity and
mind. Mind, the ruling power, persuade