We must, therefore, acknowledge the existence first of Good,
unmixed, and then the nature mingled of good and evil; but what most
participates in evil thereby trends towards absolute Evil; and what
participates in it to a less degree thereby trends towards good. For
what is evil to soul? It is being in contact with inferior nature;
otherwise the soul would not have any appetite, pain, or fear. Indeed
fear is felt by us only for the composite (of soul and body), fearing
its dissolution, which thus is the cause of our pains and sufferings.
The end of every appetite is to put aside what troubles it, or to
forestall what might do so. As to sense-representations (fancy[197]),
it is the impression made by an exterior object on the irrational part
of the soul, a part which can receive this impression only because it
is not indivisible. False opinion rises within the soul because it is
no longer within truth, and this occurs because the soul is no longer
pure. On the contrary, the desire of the intelligible leads the soul
to unite intimately with intelligence, as she should, and there remain
solidly entrenched, without declining towards anything inferior. It is
only because of the nature and power of the Good that evil does not
remain pure Evil. (Matter, which is synonymous with evil) is like a
captive which beauty covers with golden chains, so that the divinities
might not see its nakedness, and that men might not be intruded on by
it; or that men, if they must see it, shall be reminded of beauty on
observing an even weakened image thereof.