ThegeniusofPlato，informedbyhisownmeditation，orbythetraditionalknowledgeofthepriestsofEgypt，^11hadventuredtoexplorethemysteriousnatureoftheDeity。Whenhehadelevatedhismindtothesublimecontemplationofthefirstself—existent，necessarycauseoftheuniverse，theAtheniansagewasincapableofconceivinghowthesimpleunityofhisessencecouldadmittheinfinitevarietyofdistinctandsuccessiveideaswhichcomposethemodeloftheintellectualworld；howaBeingpurelyincorporealcouldexecutethatperfectmodel，andmouldwithaplastichandtherudeandindependentchaos。Thevainhopeofextricatinghimselffromthesedifficulties，whichmusteveroppressthefeeblepowersofthehumanmind，mightinducePlatotoconsiderthedivinenatureunderthethreefoldmodification—ofthefirstcause，thereason，orLogos，andthesoulorspiritoftheuniverse。Hispoeticalimaginationsometimesfixedandanimatedthesemetaphysicalabstractions；thethreearchicalonoriginalprincipleswererepresentedinthePlatonicsystemasthreeGods，unitedwitheachotherbyamysteriousandineffablegeneration；andtheLogoswasparticularlyconsideredunderthemoreaccessiblecharacteroftheSonofanEternalFather，andtheCreatorandGovernoroftheworld。Suchappeartohavebeenthesecretdoctrineswhichwerecautiouslywhisperedinthegardensoftheacademy；andwhich，accordingtothemorerecentdisciplesofPlato，couldnotbeperfectlyunderstood，tillafteranassiduousstudyofthirtyyears。^12
[Footnote11:PlatoAegyptumperagravitutasacerdotibusBarbarisnumerosetcoelestiaacciperet。CicerodeFinibus，v。
25。TheEgyptiansmightstillpreservethetraditionalcreedofthePatriarchs。JosephushaspersuadedmanyoftheChristianfathers，thatPlatoderivedapartofhisknowledgefromtheJews；butthisvainopinioncannotbereconciledwiththeobscurestateandunsocialmannersoftheJewishpeople，whosescriptureswerenotaccessibletoGreekcuriositytillmorethanonehundredyearsafterthedeathofPlato。SeeMarshamCanon。Chron。p。144
LeClerc，Epistol。Critic。vii。p。177—194。]
[Footnote*:ThisexpositionofthedoctrineofPlatoappearstomecontrarytothetruesenseofthatphilosopher\'swritings。