the six enneads- 第46部分

have　allowed　themselves　to　fall　like　fat…loaded　sheep；　a　prey　to　the　wolves。　　　　　But　the　evil…doers　also　have　their　punishment：　first　they　pay　in　that　very　wolfishness；　in　the　disaster　to　their　human　quality：　and　next　there　is　laid　up　for　them　the　due　of　their　Kind：　living　ill　here；　they　will　not　get　off　by　death；　on　every　precedent　through　all　the　line　there　waits　its　sequent；　reasonable　and　natural…　worse　to　the　bad；　better　to　the　good。　　　　　This　at　once　brings　us　outside　the　gymnasium　with　its　fun　for　boys；　they　must　grow　up；　both　kinds；　amid　their　childishness　and　both　one　day　stand　girt　and　armed。　Then　there　is　a　finer　spectacle　than　is　ever　seen　by　those　that　train　in　the　ring。　But　at　this　stage　some　have　not　armed　themselves…　and　the　duly　armed　win　the　day。　　　　　Not　even　a　God　would　have　the　right　to　deal　a　blow　for　the　unwarlike：　the　law　decrees　that　to　come　safe　out　of　battle　is　for　fighting　men；　not　for　those　that　pray。　The　harvest　comes　home　not　for　praying　but　for　tilling；　healthy　days　are　not　for　those　that　neglect　their　health：　we　have　no　right　to　complain　of　the　ignoble　getting　the　richer　harvest　if　they　are　the　only　workers　in　the　fields；　or　the　best。　　　　　Again：　it　is　childish；　while　we　carry　on　all　the　affairs　of　our　life　to　our　own　taste　and　not　as　the　Gods　would　have　us；　to　expect　them　to　keep　all　well　for　us　in　spite　of　a　life　that　is　lived　without　regard　to　the　conditions　which　the　Gods　have　prescribed　for　our　well…being。　Yet　death　would　be　better　for　us　than　to　go　on　living　lives　condemned　by　the　laws　of　the　Universe。　If　things　took　the　contrary　course；　if　all　the　modes　of　folly　and　wickedness　brought　no　trouble　in　life…　then　indeed　we　might　complain　of　the　indifference　of　a　Providence　leaving　the　victory　to　evil。　　　　　Bad　men　rule　by　the　feebleness　of　the　ruled：　and　this　is　just；　the　triumph　of　weaklings　would　not　be　just。　　　　　9。　It　would　not　be　just；　because　Providence　cannot　be　a　something　reducing　us　to　nothingness：　to　think　of　Providence　as　everything；　with　no　other　thing　in　existence；　is　to　annihilate　the　Universe；　such　a　providence　could　have　no　field　of　action；　nothing　would　exist　except　the　Divine。　As　things　are；　the　Divine；　of　course；　exists；　but　has　reached　forth　to　something　other…　not　to　reduce　that　to　nothingness　but　to　preside　over　it；　thus　in　the　case　of　Man；　for　instance；　the　Divine　presides　as　the　Providence；　preserving　the　character　of　human　nature；　that　is　the　character　of　a　being　under　the　providential　law；　which；　again；　implies　subjection　to　what　that　law　may　enjoin。　　　　　And　that　law　enjoins　that　those　who　have　made　themselves　good　shall　know　the　best　of　life；　here　and　later；　the　bad　the　reverse。　But　the　law　does　not　warrant　the　wicked　in　expecting　that　their　prayers　should　bring　others　to　sacrifice　themselves　for　their　sakes；　or　that　the　gods　should　lay　aside　the　divine　life　in　order　to　direct　their　daily　concerns；　or　that　good　men；　who　have　chosen　a　path　nobler　than　all　earthly　rule；　should　become　their　rulers。　The　perverse　have　never　made　a　single　effort　to　bring　the　good　into　authority；　nor　do　they　take　any　steps　to　improve　themselves；　they　are　all　spite　against　anyone　that　becomes　good　of　his　own　motion；　though　if　good　men　were　placed　in　authority　the　total　of　goodness　would　be　increased。　　　　　In　sum：　Man　has　come　into　existence；　a　living　being　but　not　a　member　of　the　noblest　order；　he　occupies　by　choice　an　intermediate　rank；　still；　in　that　place　in　which　he　exists；　Providence　does　not　allow　him　to　be　reduced　to　nothing；　on　the　contrary　he　is　ever　being　led　upwards　by　all　those　varied　devices　which　the　Divine　employs　in　its　labour　to　increase　the　dominance　of　moral　value。　The　human　race；　therefore；　is　not　deprived　by　Providence　of　its　rational　being；　it　retains　its　share；　though　necessarily　limited；　in　wisdom；　intelligence；　executive　power　and　right　doing；　the　right　doing；　at　least；　of　individuals　to　each　other…　and　even　in　wronging　others　people　think　they　are　doing　right　and　only　paying　what　is　due。　　　　　Man　is；　therefore；　a　noble　creation；　as　perfect　as　the　scheme　allows；　a　part；　no　doubt；　in　the　fabric　of　the　All；　he　yet　holds　a　lot　higher　than　that　of　all　the　other　living　things　of　earth。　　　　　Now；　no　one　of　any　intelligence　complains　of　these　others；　man's　inferiors；　which　serve　to　the　adornment　of　the　world；　it　would　be　feeble　indeed　to　complain　of　animals　biting　man；　as　if　we　were　to　pass　our　days　asleep。　No：　the　animal；　too；　exists　of　necessity；　and　is　serviceable　in　many　ways；　some　obvious　and　many　progressively　discovered…　so　that　not　one　lives　without　profit　to　itself　and　even　to　humanity。　It　is　ridiculous；　also；　to　complain　that　many　of　them　are　dangerous…　there　are　dangerous　men　abroad　as　well…　and　if　they　distrust　us；　and　in　their　distrust　attack；　is　that　anything　to　wonder　at？　　　　　10。　But：　if　the　evil　in　men　is　involuntary；　if　their　own　will　has　not　made　them　what　they　are；　how　can　we　either　blame　wrong…doers　or　even　reproach　their　victims　with　suffering　through　their　own　fault？　　　　　If　there　is　a　Necessity；　bringing　about　human　wickedness　either　by　force　of　the　celestial　movement　or　by　a　rigorous　sequence　set　up　by　the　First　Cause；　is　not　the　evil　a　thin　rooted　in　Nature？　And　if　thus　the　Reason…Principle　of　the　universe　is　the　creator　of　evil；　surely　all　is　injustice？　　　　　No：　Men　are　no　doubt　involuntary　sinners　in　the　sense　that　they　do　not　actually　desire　to　sin；　but　this　does　not　alter　the　fact　that　wrongdoers；　of　their　own　choice；　are；　themselves；　the　agents；　it　is　because　they　themselves　act　that　the　sin　is　in　their　own；　if　they　were　not　agents　they　could　not　sin。　　　　　The　Necessity　＇held　to　underlie　human　wickedness＇　is　not　an　outer　force　＇actually　compelling　the　individual＇；　but　exists　only　in　the　sense　of　a　universal　relationship。　　　　　Nor　is　the　force　of　the　celestial　Movement　such　as　to　leave　us　powerless：　if　the　universe　were　something　outside　and　apart　from　us　it　would　stand　as　its　makers　willed　so　that；　once　the　gods　had　done　their　part；　no　man；　however　impious；　could　introduce　anything　contrary　to　their　intention。　But；　as　things　are；　efficient　act　does　come　from　men：　given　the　starting　Principle；　the　secondary　line；　no　doubt；　is　inevitably　completed；　but　each　and　every　principle　contributes　towards　the　sequence。　Now　Men　are　Principles；　or；　at　least；　they　are　moved　by　their　characteristic　nature　towards　all　that　is　good；　and　that　nature　is　a　Principle；　a　freely　acting　cause。　　　　　11。　Are　we；　then；　to　conclude　that　particular　things　are　determined　by　Necessities　rooted　in　Nature　and　by　the　sequence　of　causes；　and　that　everything　is　as　good　as　anything　can　be？　　　　　No：　the　Reason…Principle　is　the　sovereign；　making　all：　it　wills　things　as　they　are　and；　in　its　reasonable　act；　it　produces　even　what　we　know　as　evil：　it　cannot　desire　all　to　be　good：　an　artist　would　not　make　an　animal　all　eyes；　and　in　the　same　way；　the　Reason…Principle　would　not　make　all　divine；　it　makes　Gods　but　also　celestial　spirits；　the　intermediate　order；　then　men；　then　the　animals；　all　is　graded　succession；　and　this　in　no　spirit　of　grudging　but　in　the　expression　of　a　Reason　teeming　with　intellectual　variety。　　　　　We　are　like　people　ignorant　of　painting　who　complain　that　the　colours　are　not　beautiful　everywhere　in　the　picture：　but　the　Artist　has　laid　on　the　appropriate　tint　to　every　spot。　Or　we　are　censuring　a　drama　because　the　persons　are　not　all　heroes　but　include　a　servant　and　a　rustic　and　some　scurrilous　clown；　yet　take　away　the　low　characters　and　the　power　of　the　drama　is　gone；　these　are　part　and　parcel　of　it。　　　　　12。　Suppose　this　Universe　were　the　direct　creation　of　the　Reason…Principle　applying　itself；　quite　unchanged；　to　Matter；　retaining；　that　is；　the　hostility　to　partition　which　it　derives　from　its　Prior；　the　Intellectual　Principle…　then；　this　its　product；　so　produced；　would　be　of　supreme　and　unparalleled　excellence。　But　the　Reason…Principle　could　not　be　a　thing　of　entire　identity　or　even　of　closely　compact　diversity；　and　the　mode　in　which　it　is　here　manifested　is　no　matter　of　censure　since　its　function　is　to　be　all　things；　each　single　thing　in　some　distinctive　way。　　　　　But　has　it　not；　besides　itself　entering　Matter；　brought　other　beings　down？　Has　it　not　for　example　brought　Souls　into　Matter　and；　in　adapting　them　to　its　creation；　twisted　them　against　their　own　nature　and　been　the　ruin　of　many　of　them？　And　can　this　be　right？　　　　　The　answer　is　that　the　Souls　are；　in　a　fair　sense；　members　of　this　Reason…Principle　and　that　it　has　not　adapted　them　to　the　creation　by　perverting　them；　but　has　set　them　in　the　place　here　to　which　their　quality　entitles　them。　　　　　13。　And　we　must　not　despise　the　familiar　observation　that　there　is　something　more　to　be　considered　than　the　present。　There　are　the　periods　of　the　past　and；　again；　those　in　the　future；　and　these　have　everything　to　do　with　fixing　worth　of　place。　　　　　Thus　a　man；　once　a　ruler；　will　be　made　a　slave　because　he　abused　his　power　and　because　the　fall　is　to　his　future　good。　Those　that　have　money　will　be　made　poor…　and　to　the　good　poverty　is　no　hindrance。　Those　that　have　unjustly　killed；　are　killed　in　turn；　unjustly　as　regards　the　murderer　but　justly　as　regards　the　victim；　and　those　that　are　to　suffer　are　thrown　into　the　path　of　those　that　administer　the　merite