in the ten of your reckoning there cannot be a decad without a unitary basis； it is you that make the ten by your counting； by fixing that tenness down to quantity； in choir and army there is something more than that； something not of your placing。 But how do you come to have a number to place？ The Number inherent apart from any enumeration has its own manner of being； but the other； that resulting upon the appearance of an external to be appraised by the Number within yourself； is either an Act of these inherent numbers or an Act in accordance with them； in counting we produce number and so bring quantity into being just as in walking we bring a certain movement into being。 But what of that 〃Number within us having its own manner of being〃？ It is the Number of our essence。 〃Our essence〃 we read 〃partakes of Number and harmony and； also； is Number and harmony。〃 〃Neither body nor magnitude；〃 someone says： soul； then； is Number since it is essence。 The number belonging to body is an essence of the order of body； the number belonging to soul constitutes the essences of souls。 In the Intellectuals； all； if the Absolute Living…Form； there is a multiple… a triad； let us say… that Triad of the Living…Form is of the nature of essence： and the Triad prior to any living thing； Triad in the realm of Being； is a principle of essence。 When you enumerate two things… say； animal and beauty… each of these remains one thing； the number is your production； it lay within yourself； it is you that elaborate quantity； here the dyad。 But when you declare virtue to be a Tetrad； you are affirming a Tetrad which does actually exist； the parts； so to speak； make one thing； you are taking as the object of your act a Unity… Tetrad to which you accommodate the Tetrad within yourself。 17。 But what of the Infinite Number we hear of； does not all this reasoning set it under limit？ And rightly so if the thing is to be a number； limitlessness and number are in contradiction。 How； then； do we come to use the term？ Is it that we think of Number as we think of an infinite line； not with the idea that any such lire exists but that even the very greatest… that of the ＇path of the＇ universe； for example… may be thought of as still greater？ So it might be with number； let it be fixed； yet we still are free to think of its double； though not of course to produce the doubled quantity since it is impossible to join to the actual what is no more than a conception； a phantasm； private to ourselves。 It is our view that there does exist an infinite line； among the Intellectual Beings： for There a line would not be quantitative and being without quantity could be numerically infinite。 This however would be in another mode than that of limitless extension。 In what mode then？ In that the conception of the Absolute Line does not include the conception of limit。 But what sort of thing is the Line in the Intellectual and what place does it hold？ It is later than Number since unity is observed in it； it rises at one point and traverses one course and simply lacks the quantity that would be the measure of the distance。 But where does this thing lie？ Is it existent only in the defining thought； so to speak？ No； it is also a thing； though a thing of the Intellectual。 All that belongs to that order is at once an Intellectual and in some degree the concrete thing。 There is a position； as well as a manner of being； for all configurations； for surface； for solid。 And certainly the configurations are not of our devising； for example； the configurations of the universe are obviously antecedent to ourselves； so it must be with all the configurations of the things of nature； before the bodily reproductions all must exist There； without configuration； primal configurations。 For these primals are not shapes in something； self…belonging； they are perfect without extension； only the extended needs the external。 In the sphere of Real…Being the configuration is always a unity； it becomes discrete either in the Living…Form or immediately before： I say 〃becomes discrete〃 not in the sense that it takes magnitude There but that it is broken apart for the purpose of the Living…Form and is allotted to the bodies within that Form… for instance； to Fire There； the Intellectual Pyramid。 And because the Ideal…Form is There； the fire of this sphere seeks to produce that configuration against the check of Matter： and so of all the rest as we read in the account of the realm of sense。 But does the Life…Form contain the configurations by the mere fact of its life？ They are in the Intellectual…Principle previously but they also exist in the Living…Form； if this be considered as including the Intellectual…Principle； then they are primally in the Life…Form； but if that Principle comes first then they are previously in that。 And if the Life…Form entire contains also souls； it must certainly be subsequent to the Intellectual…Principle。 No doubt there is the passage 〃Whatever Intellect sees in the entire Life…Form〃； thus seeing； must not the Intellectual…Principle be the later？ No； the seeing may imply merely that the reality comes into being by the fact of that seeing； the Intellectual…Principle is not external to the Life…Form； all is one； the Act of the Intellectual…Principle possesses itself of bare sphere； while the Life…Form holds the sphere as sphere of a living total。 18。 It appears then that Number in that realm is definite； it is we that can conceive the 〃More than is present〃； the infinity lies in our counting： in the Real is no conceiving more than has been conceived； all stands entire； no number has been or could be omitted to make addition possible。 It might be described as infinite in the sense that it has not been measured… who is there to measure it？… but it is solely its own； a concentrated unit； entire； not ringed round by any boundary； its manner of being is settled for it by itself alone。 None of the Real…Beings is under limit； what is limited； measured； is what needs measure to prevent it running away into the unbounded。 There every being is Measure； and therefore it is that all is beautiful。 Because that is a living thing it is beautiful； holding the highest life； the complete； a life not tainted towards death； nothing mortal there； nothing dying。 Nor is the life of that Absolute Living…Form some feeble flickering； it is primal； the brightest； holding all that life has of radiance； it is that first light which the souls There draw upon for their life and bring with them when they come here。 It knows for what purpose it lives； towards What it lives； from Whence it lives； for the Whence of its life is the Whither。。。 and close above it stands the wisdom of all； the collective Intellectual…Principle； knit into it； one with it； colouring it to a higher goodness； by kneading wisdom into it； making its beauty still more august。 Even here the august and veritably beautiful life is the life in wisdom； here dimly seen； There purely。 For There wisdom gives sight to the seer and power for the fuller living and in that tenser life both to see and to become what is seen。 Here attention is set for the most part upon the unliving and； in the living； upon what is lifeless in them； the inner life is taken only with alloy： There； all are Living Beings； living wholly； unalloyed； however you may choose to study one of them apart from its life； in a moment that life is flashed out upon you： once you have known the Essence that pervades them； conferring that unchangeable life upon them； once you perceive the judgement and wisdom and knowledge that are theirs； you can but smile at all the lower nature with its pretention to Reality。 In virtue of this Essence it is that life endures； that the Intellectual…Principle endures； that the Beings stand in their eternity； nothing alters it； turns it； moves it； nothing； indeed； is in being besides it to touch it； anything that is must be its product； anything opposed to it could not affect it。 Being itself could not make such an opposite into Being； that would require a prior to both and that prior would then be Being； so that Parmenides was right when he taught the identity of Being and Unity。 Being is thus beyond contact not because it stands alone but because it is Being。 For Being alone has Being in its own right。 How then can we deny to it either Being or anything at all that may exist effectively； anything that may derive from it？ As long as it exists it produces： but it exists for ever； so； therefore； do its products。 And so great is it in power and beauty that it remains the allurer； all things of the universe depending from it and rejoicing to hold their trace of it and through that to seek their good。 To us； existence is before the good； all this world desires life and wisdom in order to Being； every soul and every intellect seeks to be its Being； but Being is sufficient to itself。 SEVENTH TRACTATE。
HOW THE MULTIPLICITY OF THE IDEAL…FORMS CAME INTO BEING： AND UPON THE GOOD。
1。 God； or some one of the gods； in sending the souls to their birth； placed eyes in the face to catch the light and allotted to each sense the appropria