s alone to be called by the name 'this' or 'that'; but that
which is of a certain nature, hot or white, or anything which admits of
opposite qualities, and all things that are compounded of them, ought
not to be so denominated. Let me make another attempt to explain my
meaning more clearly. Suppose a person to make all kinds of figures of
gold and to be always transmuting one form into all the rest;--somebody
points to one of them and asks what it is. By far the safest and truest
answer is, That is gold; and not to call the triangle or any other
figures which are formed in the gold 'these,' as though they had
existence, since they are in process of change while he is making
the assertion; but if the questioner be willing to take the safe and
indefinite expression, 'such,' we should be satisfied. And the same
argument applies to the universal nature which receives all bodies--that
must be always called the same; for, while receiving all things, she
never departs at all from her own nature, and never in any way, or at
any time, assumes a form like that of any of the things which enter into
her; she is the natural recipient of all impressions, and is stirred and
informed by them, and appears different from time to time by reason
of them. But the forms which enter into and go out of her are the
likenesses of real existences modelled after their patterns in a
wonderful and inexplicable manner, which we will hereafter investigate.
For the present we have only to conceive of three natures: first,
that which is in process of generation; secondly, that in which the
generation takes place; and thirdly, that of which the thing generated
is a resemblance. And we may liken the receiving principle to a mother,
and the source or spring to a father, and the intermediate nature to
a child; and may remark further, that if the model is to take every
variety of form, then the matter in which the model is fashioned will
not be duly prepared, unless it is formless, and free from the impress
of any of those shapes which it is hereafter to receive from without.
For if the matter were like any of the supervening forms, then whenever
any opposite or entirely different nature was stamped upon its surface,
it would take the impression badly, because it would intrude its own
shape. Wherefore, that which is to receive all forms should have
no form; as in making perfumes they first contrive that the liquid
substance which is to receive the scent shall