35. R. Such are those who are well instructed in the liberal arts; since they by learning disinter them, buried in oblivion, doubtless, within themselves, and, in a manner, dig them out afresh: nor yet are they content, nor refrain themselves until the whole aspect of Truth, of which, in those arts, a certain effulgence already gleams forth upon them, is by them most widely and most clearly beheld. But from this certain false colors and forms pour themselves as it were upon the mirror of thought, and mislead inquirers often, and deceive those who think that to be the whole which they know or which they inquire. Those imaginations themselves are to be avoided with great carefulness; which are detected as fallacious, by their varying with the varied mirror of thought, whereas that face of Truth abides one and immutable. For then thought portrays to itself, for instance, a square of this or that or the other magnitude, and, as it were, brings it before the eyes; but the inner mind which wishes to see the truth, applies itself rather to that general conception, if it can, according to which it judges all these to be squares. A. What if some one should say to us that the mind judges according to what it is accustomed to see with the eyes? R. Why then does it judge, that is, if it is well trained, that a true sphere of any conceivable size is touched by a true plane at a point? How has eye ever seen, or how can eye ever see such a thing, when anything of this kind cannot be bodied forth in the pure imagination of thought? Or do we not prove this, when we describe even the smallest imaginary circle in our mind, and from it draw lines to the centre? For when we have drawn two, between which there is scarce room for a needle’s point, we are no longer able, even in imagination, to draw others between, so that they shall arrive at the centre without any commixture; whereas reason exclaims that innumerable lines can be drawn, without being able to touch each other except in the centre, so that in every interval between them even a circle could be described. Since that Phantasy cannot accomplish this, and is more deficient than the eyes themselves, since it is through them that it is inflicted on the mind, it is manifest that it differs much from Truth, and that that, when this is seen, is not seen.

35. R. Tales sunt qui bene disciplinis liberalibus eruditi; siquidem illas sine dubio in se oblivione obrutas eruunt discendo, et quodammodo refodiunt : nec tamen contenti sunt, nec se tenent donec totam faciem veritatis, cujus quidam in illis artibus splendor 0903 jam subrutilat, latissime atque plenissime intueantur. Sed ex his quidam falsi colores atque formae, velut in speculum cogitationis se fundunt, falluntque inquirentes saepe, ac decipiunt putantes illud totum esse quod norunt vel quod inquirunt. Ipsae sunt illae imaginationes magna cautione vitandae; quae deprehenduntur fallaces, cum cogitationis variato quasi speculo variantur, cum illa facies veritatis una et immutabilis maneat. Tum enim alterius atque alterius magnitudinis quadratum sibi cogitatio depingit, et quasi ante oculos praefert; sed mens interior quae vult verum videre, ad illud se potius convertat, si potest, secundum quod judicat illa omnia esse quadrata. A. Quid, si nobis quispiam dicat secundum id eam judicare, quod videre oculis solet? R. Quare ergo judicat, si tamen bene erudita est, quantamvis pilam veram vera planitie puncto tangi? Quid tale unquam oculus vidit, aut videre potest, cum ipsa imaginatione cogitationis fingi quidquam hujusmodi non potest? Annon hoc probamus, cum etiam minimum circulum imaginando animo describimus, et ab eo lineas ad centrum ducimus? Nam cum duas duxerimus, inter quas quasi acu vix pungi possit, alias jam in medio non possumus ipsa cogitatione imaginaria ducere, ut ad centrum sine 0904 ulla commixtione perveniant; cum clamet ratio innumerabiles posse duci, nec sese in illis incredibilibus angustiis nisi centro posse contingere, ita ut in omni earum intervallo scribi etiam circulus possit. Hoc cum illa phantasia implere non possit, magisque quam ipsi oculi, deficiat, siquidem per ipsos est animo inflicta, manifestum est et multum eam differre a veritate, et illam, dum haec videtur, non videri.