takes away the science of numbers. But to some of those, who have looked to the arts, the race of man would appear sufficiently[1] for the sake of some small matters to have no need of number. And yet is it a thing of moment. And if any one looks to what is divine and mortal in generation, in which piety towards the gods and true number are known, [2]he could not mention the person, who[2] knows the whole of number, and of what power it is, when present, the cause; since it is evident that what relates to all music, requires numbered motion and sound; and, what is the greatest, that it (number) is the cause of all good things, but of nothing evil, this must be known well, [3]which would perhaps take place by another road; for[3] the movement, which is without reason, and order, and shape, and rhythm, and harmony, and all such things as partake of any evil, is deficient in nearly all number. And this it is meet for him to conceive in this way, who is about to end his days happily; and no one,[4] except him, who knows the just, the good, the beautiful, and all such things, and has laid hold of a true opinion respecting them, [5]will through number know how with regard to any thing[5] to persuade himself and others at all.
[4.] Let us then proceed to consider this very thing, how we learnt to number. Say, from whence did it arise that we have understood one and two? [6]Do persons possess from the
- ↑ Instead of ἱκανῶς, which is unintelligible here, Ficinus has "forte," from which Cornarius elicited ἵσως, adopted by Ast. The author wrote, I suspect, οὐ κενῶς— See at Hipp. Maj p. 258, n. 6; Epist. 7, p. 515, n. 4
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Greek is in some MSS. οὐκ ἃν ἕτι πᾶς ἅν τις— in others πᾶς μάντις— similar to "inveniet nullum vatem" in Ficinus. But then πᾶς ought to be omitted, or τις introduced. I have translated, as if the Greek were οὐκ ἃν ἕτ’ εἵποι τιν’, ὂς—
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Greek is at present, ὂ καὶ τάχα γένοιτ’ ἃν. ἀλλ’ ἡ σχεδὸν,— all of which Ficinus, followed by Taylor, omits. I have therefore adopted, what Stephens suggested, γένοιτ’ ἃν ἅλλη ὄτι σχεδὸν— Ast indeed asserts that ἀλλὰ means "enimvero," but that it never does, nor could do.
- ↑ I have translated, as if the Greek were οὐδείς ποτε, πλὴν ὁ γιγνώσκων, not οὐδεὶς ποτε μὴ γιγνώσκων—
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Greek is διριθμήσεται, which Ficinus translates "numen rationisque vi uti potent," as if his MS. read διριθμήσεται καὶ διαλογίσεται, the origin of διαλογίζηταιas a var. lect. in one MS. I have translated, as if the Greek were originally δἰ ἀριθμοῦ γνώσεται πρός τι— not πρὸς τὸ— which I cannot understand.
- ↑ I have translated, as if the Greek were φύσιν τοιαύτην ἵσχουσιν ἐκ
