Chap. lvii. That the soul of the world, and the Celestiall souls are

Rationall, and partake of Divine understanding.

That the above named souls have reason, is apparent hence; For whereas the universall works of the foresaid

souls do with a certain perpetuall order conspire amongst themselves, it is necessary that they be governed

not by chance but by reason; by which reason they do direct, & bring all their operations to a certainty. For it

is necessary that the earth should have the reason of terrene things, and water of watery things; and so in the

rest; by which reason each in their time, place, and order are generated, and being hurt are repaired.

Therefore Philosophers do not think the soul of the earth to be at it were the soul of some contemptible body,

but to be rationall and also intelligent, yea and to be a diety. Besides it would be absurd, seeing we have

reasons of our works, that Celestiall souls, and the soul of the universe should not have reasons of theirs. But

if (as saith Plato) the world be made by very goodness it self, as well as it could be made, it is certainly

endowed with not only life, sense, and reason, but also understanding. For the perfection of a body is its soul,

and that body is more perfect which hath a more perfect soul; It is necessary therefore, seeing Celestiall

bodies are more perfect, that they have also most perfect minds. They partake therefore of an intellect and a

minde; which the Platonists also prove by the perseverance of their order, and tenor, because motion is of its

nature free, it may easily swarve, and wander now one way, now another, unless it were ruled by an intellect

and a mind, and that also by a perfect mind foreseeing from the beginning the best way, and chief end.

Which perfect mind indeed, becaue it is most powerfull in the soul, as is the soul, and as are the souls of

Celestiall bodies, and of Elements, without all doubt doth most orderly, and perfectly govern the work

allotted to it. For bodies do not resist a most powerfull soul, and a perfect mind doth not change its counsel.

The soul of the world therefore is a certain only thing, filling all things, bestowing all things, binding, and

knitting together all things, that it might make one frame of the world, and that it might be as it were one

instrument making of many strings, but one sound, sounding from three kinds of creatures, intellectall,

Celestiall, and incorruptible, with one only breath and life.

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa: Occult Philosophy. Book II. (Part 4, excerpts)

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