f a nature to be the ultimate of existents。 It was the First and it held great power； all there is of power； this means that it is productive without seeking to produce； for if effort and search were incumbent upon it； the Act would not be its own； would not spring from its essential nature； it would be； like a craftsman； producing by a power not inherent but acquired； mastered by dint of study。 The Intellectual Principle； then； in its unperturbed serenity has brought the universe into being； by communicating from its own store to Matter： and this gift is the Reason…Form flowing from it。 For the Emanation of the Intellectual Principle is Reason； an emanation unfailing as long as the Intellectual Principle continues to have place among beings。 The Reason…Principle within a seed contains all the parts and qualities concentrated in identity； there is no distinction； no jarring； no internal hindering； then there comes a pushing out into bulk； part rises in distinction with part； and at once the members of the organism stand in each other's way and begin to wear each other down。 So from this； the One Intellectual Principle； and the Reason…Form emanating from it； our Universe rises and develops part； and inevitably are formed groups concordant and helpful in contrast with groups discordant and combative； sometimes of choice and sometimes incidentally； the parts maltreat each other； engendering proceeds by destruction。 Yet： Amid all that they effect and accept； the divine Realm imposes the one harmonious act； each utters its own voice； but all is brought into accord； into an ordered system； for the universal purpose； by the ruling Reason…Principle。 This Universe is not Intelligence and Reason； like the Supernal； but participant in Intelligence and Reason： it stands in need of the harmonizing because it is the meeting ground of Necessity and divine Reason…Necessity pulling towards the lower； towards the unreason which is its own characteristic； while yet the Intellectual Principle remains sovereign over it。 The Intellectual Sphere ＇the Divine＇ alone is Reason； and there can never be another Sphere that is Reason and nothing else； so that； given some other system； it cannot be as noble as that first； it cannot be Reason： yet since such a system cannot be merely Matter； which is the utterly unordered； it must be a mixed thing。 Its two extremes are Matter and the Divine Reason； its governing principle is Soul； presiding over the conjunction of the two； and to be thought of not as labouring in the task but as administering serenely by little more than an act of presence。 3。 Nor would it be sound to condemn this Kosmos as less than beautiful； as less than the noblest possible in the corporeal； and neither can any charge be laid against its source。 The world； we must reflect； is a product of Necessity； not of deliberate purpose： it is due to a higher Kind engendering in its own likeness by a natural process。 And none the less； a second consideration； if a considered plan brought it into being it would still be no disgrace to its maker… for it stands a stately whole； complete within itself； serving at once its own purpose and that of all its parts which； leading and lesser alike； are of such a nature as to further the interests of the total。 It is； therefore； impossible to condemn the whole on the merits of the parts which； besides； must be judged only as they enter harmoniously or not into the whole； the main consideration； quite overpassing the members which thus cease to have importance。 To linger about the parts is to condemn not the Kosmos but some isolated appendage of it； in the entire living Being we fasten our eyes on a hair or a toe neglecting the marvellous spectacle of the complete Man； we ignore all the tribes and kinds of animals except for the meanest； we pass over an entire race； humanity； and bring forward… Thersites。 No： this thing that has come into Being is the Kosmos complete： do but survey it； and surely this is the pleading you will hear：
I am made by a God： from that God I came perfect above all forms of life； adequate to my function； self…sufficing； lacking nothing： for I am the container of all； that is； of every plant and every animal； of all the Kinds of created things； and many Gods and nations of Spirit…Beings and lofty souls and men happy in their goodness。 And do not think that； while earth is ornate with all its growths and with living things of every race； and while the very sea has answered to the power of Soul； do not think that the great air and the ether and the far…spread heavens remain void of it： there it is that all good Souls dwell； infusing life into the stars and into that orderly eternal circuit of the heavens which in its conscious movement ever about the one Centre； seeking nothing beyond； is a faithful copy of the divine Mind。 And all that is within me strives towards the Good； and each； to the measure of its faculty； attains。 For from that Good all the heavens depend； with all my own Soul and the Gods that dwell in my every part； and all that lives and grows； and even all in me that you may judge inanimate。
But there are degrees of participation： here no more than Existence； elsewhere Life； and； in Life； sometimes mainly that of Sensation； higher again that of Reason； finally Life in all its fullness。 We have no right to demand equal powers in the unequal： the finger is not to be asked to see； there is the eye for that； a finger has its own business… to be finger and have finger power。 4。 That water extinguishes fire and fire consumes other things should not astonish us。 The thing destroyed derived its being from outside itself： this is no case of a self…originating substance being annihilated by an external； it rose on the ruin of something else； and thus in its own ruin it suffers nothing strange； and for every fire quenched； another is kindled。 In the immaterial heaven every member is unchangeably itself for ever； in the heavens of our universe； while the whole has life eternally and so too all the nobler and lordlier components； the Souls pass from body to body entering into varied forms… and； when it may； a Soul will rise outside of the realm of birth and dwell with the one Soul of all。 For the embodied lives by virtue of a Form or Idea： individual or partial things exist by virtue of Universals； from these priors they derive their life and maintenance； for life here is a thing of change； only in that prior realm is it unmoving。 From that unchangingness； change had to emerge； and from that self…cloistered Life its derivative； this which breathes and stirs； the respiration of the still life of the divine。 The conflict and destruction that reign among living beings are inevitable； since things here are derived； brought into existence because the Divine Reason which contains all of them in the upper Heavens… how could they come here unless they were There？… must outflow over the whole extent of Matter。 Similarly； the very wronging of man by man may be derived from an effort towards the Good； foiled； in their weakness； of their true desire； they turn against each other： still； when they do wrong； they pay the penalty… that of having hurt their Souls by their evil conduct and of degradation to a lower place… for nothing can ever escape what stands decreed in the law of the Universe。 This is not to accept the idea； sometimes urged； that order is an outcome of disorder and law of lawlessness； as if evil were a necessary preliminary to their existence or their manifestation： on the contrary order is the original and enters this sphere as imposed from without： it is because order； law and reason exist that there can be disorder； breach of law and unreason exist because Reason exists… not that these better things are directly the causes of the bad but simply that what ought to absorb the Best is prevented by its own nature； or by some accident； or by foreign interference。 An entity which must look outside itself for a law； may be foiled of its purpose by either an internal or an external cause； there will be some flaw in its own nature； or it will be hurt by some alien influence； for often harm follows； unintended； upon the action of others in the pursuit of quite unrelated aims。 Such living beings； on the other hand； as have freedom of motion under their own will sometimes take the right turn； sometimes the wrong。 Why the wrong course is followed is scarcely worth enquiring： a slight deviation at the beginning develops with every advance into a continuously wider and graver error… especially since there is the attached body with its inevitable concomitant of desire… and the first step； the hasty movement not previously considered and not immediately corrected； ends by establishing a set habit where there was at first only a fall。 Punishment naturally follows： there is no injustice in a man suffering what belongs to the condition in which he is； nor can we ask to be happy when our actions have not earned us happiness； the good； only； are happy； divine beings are happy only because they are good。 5。 Now； once Happiness is possible at all to Souls in this Universe； if some fail of it； the blame must fall not upon the place but upo