f them, if remaining
inactive, becomes very weak; if exercised, very strong. Wherefore we
should duly train and exercise all three kinds.

The divine soul God lodged in the head, to raise us, like plants which
are not of earthly origin, to our kindred; for the head is nearest
to heaven. He who is intent upon the gratification of his desires and
cherishes the mortal soul, has all his ideas mortal, and is himself
mortal in the truest sense. But he who seeks after knowledge and
exercises the divine part of himself in godly and immortal thoughts,
attains to truth and immortality, as far as is possible to man, and also
to happiness, while he is training up within him the divine principle
and indwelling power of order. There is only one way in which one person
can benefit another; and that is by assigning to him his proper nurture
and motion. To the motions of the soul answer the motions of the
universe, and by the study of these the individual is restored to his
original nature.

Thus we have finished the discussion of the universe, which, according
to our original intention, has now been brought down to the creation of
man. Completeness seems to require that something should be briefly said
about other animals: first of women, who are probably degenerate and
cowardly men. And when they degenerated, the gods implanted in men the
desire of union with them, creating in man one animate substance and
in woman another in the following manner:--The outlet for liquids they
connected with the living principle of the spinal marrow, which the man
has the desire to emit into the fruitful womb of the woman; this is like
a fertile field in which the seed is quickened and matured, and at
last brought to light. When this desire is unsatisfied the man is
over-mastered by the power of the generative organs, and the woman
is subjected to disorders from the obstruction of the passages of the
breath, until the two meet and pluck the fruit of the tree.

The race of birds was created out of innocent, light-minded men,
who thought to pursue the study of the heavens by sight; these were
transformed into birds, and grew feathers instead of hair. The race
of wild animals were men who had no philosophy, and never looked up to
heaven or used the courses of the head, but followed only the influences
of passion. Naturally they turned to their kindred earth, and put their
forelegs to the ground, and their heads were crushed into strange
oblong forms. S