for a certain time, beyond which no man can prolong his life. And
this holds also of the constitution of diseases; if any one
regardless of the appointed time tries to subdue them by
medicine, he only aggravates and multiplies them. Wherefore we
ought always to manage them by regimen, as far as a man can spare
the time, and not provoke a disagreeable enemy by medicines.
Enough of the composite animal, and of the body which is a part
of him, and of the manner in which a man may train and be trained
by himself so as to live most according to reason: and we must
above and before all provide that the element which is to train
him shall be the fairest and best adapted to that purpose. A
minute discussion of this subject would be a serious task; but
if, as before, I am to give only an outline, the subject may not
unfitly be summed up as follows.
I have often remarked that there are three kinds of soul located
within us, having each of them motions, and I must now repeat in
the fewest words possible, that one part, if remaining inactive
and ceasing from its natural motion, must necessarily become very
weak, but that which is trained and exercised, very strong.
Wherefore we should take care that the movements of the different
parts of the soul should be in due proportion.
And we should consider that God gave the sovereign part of the
human soul to be the divinity of each one, being that part which,
as we say, dwells at the top of the body, and inasmuch as we are
a plant not of an earthly but of a heavenly growth, raises us
from earth to our kindred who are in heaven. And in this we say
truly; for the divine power suspended the head and root of us
from that place where the generation of the soul first began, and
thus made the whole body upright. When a man is always occupied
with the cravings of desire and ambition, and is eagerly striving
to satisfy them, all his thoughts must be mortal, and, as far as
it is possible altogether to become such, he must be mortal every
whit, because he has cherished his mortal part. But he who has
been earnest in the love of knowledge and of true wisdom, and has
exercised his intellect more than any other part of him, must
have thoughts immortal and divine, if he attain truth, and in so
far as human nature is capable of sharing in immortality, he must
altogether be immortal; and since he is ever cherishing the
divine power, and has the divinity within him in perfect order,
he will be perfectly happy. Now there is only one way of taking
care of things, and this is to give to each the food and motion
which are natural to it. And the motions which are naturally akin
to the divine principle within us are the thoughts and
revolutions of the universe.