Note 3 — BOOK III.

The nature of place has been a subject of much curious and deep speculation to the Peripatetic and Platonic philosophers, as may be seen in the very valuable Commentaries of Simplicius on Aristotle’s Physics; so that Proclus does not affirm without reason, that place is more obscure than the natures it contains. But as the opinion of our philosopher, concerning place, is so admirably profound, subtle, and remarkable, I persuade myself the following translation from the fourth book of Simplicius on the Physics, containing his sentiments at large on this subject, will not be unacceptable to the liberal English reader. “Proclus (says Simplicius) having proved from the arguments of Aristotle, that place is neither matter nor form, concludes, that it is a certain interval:” after which, he reasons as follows. “This interval then, is either, nothing or something; and if nothing, local motion will consist in a transition from nothing to nothing; but all motion subsists according to something. But if it ought to be called something, it is either corporeal or incorporeal; and if incorporeal, an absurdity will ensue; for it is necessary that place should be equal to the thing placed. But how can body, and that which is incorporeal be equal? For equal is found in quantities, and especially in those of a similar kind, as lines are equal to lines, superficies to superficies, and bodies to bodies: place, therefore, is body, if it be a certain interval; but if body, it is either moveable or immoveable; and if moveable, in whatever manner it may be moved, it must necessarily be moved according to place, so that place again will require another place, which is impossible, as was also evident to Aristotle and Theophrastus; for Aristotle says, that a vessel is a moveable place, but place an immoveable vessel, because place is naturally immoveable. But if it be immoveable, it is either indivisible, which cannot be divided by the bodies entering its receptacle, since one body cannot penetrate another; or it is divisible, as air and water are divided by the bodies entering into their yielding natures; but if it be divisible, the whole being dissected or divided, the divided parts will be moved on each side, and place will be the first mutable, since its parts are moved; but we have demonstrated that it is immoveable. Again, the parts being separated, we ask where that which is divided betakes itself; for there must be again given or investigated another interval, intervening between the divided parts, which may receive and be placed together with that which is divided; and this will be the case, in infinitum. Place, therefore, is an indivisible body; and if an indivisible body, either material, or destitute of matter: but if material it will not be indivisible, for it is requisite that all material bodies, when permeated by other material bodies, should be divided by them, as is the case with our bodies when they fall into water. But immaterials alone resist all division and this from a necessity of nature; for every body destitute of matter is void of passion; but every thing which is divided likewise suffers. Since division is a certain affection of bodies, which extirpates and destroys their unity and connection; for that which is continuous, so far as continuous suffers no other affection or molestation than section, which destroys and takes away its continuity. That we may therefore collect together what we have separately demonstrated, place is an immoveable indivisible body, destitute of matter. And if this be admitted, it is evident that it is a body by far less material than the rest, and indeed less than the matter contained in things which are moved. Hence, if light is the most simple of these (for fire is more incorporeal than the other elements, and fire is lucid) it will be manifest, that since light is the purest among the rest, light will be place. Conceive, therefore, two spheres, of which one is composed from many bodies, and the other of light alone, and let both be of equal bulk; then, by establishing the sphere of light, together with the centre, and giving the composite sphere a revolution in the circumscribing sphere of light, you will perceive the world moved in immoveable light, and according to its whole extension, immoveable, similar to place, but moved according to its parts, because these are less than place.” Now, from this demonstration of Proclus, it follows by a necessary consequence, since contraries are contained under the same genus that darkness, if it be any thing positive, is the most material of all bodies; and hence, the most material natures will participate the most of darkness, as indeed, is evident in the elements of earth and water. It likewise follows that whatever exists in perfect darkness, exists out of corporeal place, which, however paradoxical, is perhaps, no less true than wonderful to conceive.