9. When I had arrived in
Africa, where I was, as you are aware, military tribune of the
fourth legion under the consul Manilius, there was nothing of which
I was more earnestly desirous than to see King Massinissa, who, for
very just reasons, had been always the especial friend of our
family. When I was introduced to him, the old man embraced me, shed
tears, and then, looking up to heaven, exclaimed I thank thee, O
supreme Sun, and you also, you other celestial beings, that before I
departed from this life I behold in my kingdom, and in my palace,
Publius Cornelius Scipio, by whose mere name I seem to be
reanimated; so complete and indelibly is the recollection of that
best and most invincible of men, Africanus, imprinted in my mind.
After this, I inquired of him
concerning the affairs of his kingdom. He, on the other hand,
questioned me about the condition of our commonwealth, and in this
mutual interchange of conversation we passed the whole of that day.
10. In the evening, we were
entertained in a manner worthy the magnificence of a king, and
carried on our discourse for a considerable part of the night. And
during all this time the old man spoke of nothing but Africanus, all
whose actions, and even remarkable sayings, he remembered
distinctly. At last, when we retired to bed, I fell in a more
profound sleep than usual, both because I was fatigued with my
journey, and because I had sat up the greatest part of the night.
Here I had the following
dream, occasioned, as I verily believe, by our preceding
conversation---for it frequently happens that the thoughts and
discourses which have employed us in the daytime, produce in our
sleep an effect somewhat similar to that which Ennius writes
happened to him about Homer, of whom, in his waking hours, he used
frequently to think and speak.
Africanus, I thought, appeared
to me in that shape, with which I was better acquainted from his
picture, than from any personal knowledge of him. When I perceived
it was he, I confess I trembled with consternation; but he addressed
me, saying, Take courage, my Scipio, be not afraid, and carefully
remember what I am saying to you.
11. Do you see that city
Carthage, which, though brought under the Roman yoke by me, is now
renewing former wars, and cannot live in peace? (and he pointed to
Carthage from a lofty spot, full of stars, and brilliant and
glittering;) to attack which city you are this day arrived in a
station not much superior to that of a private soldier. Before two
years, however, are elapsed, you shall be consul, and complete its
overthrow; and you shall obtain, by your own merit, the surname of
Africanus, which, as yet, belongs to you no otherwise than as
derived from me. And when you have destroyed Carthage, and received
the honor of a triumph, and been made censor, and, in quality of
ambassador, visited Egypt, Syria, Asia, and Greece, you shall be
elected a second time consul in your absence, and by utterly
destroying Numantia, put an end to a most dangerous war.
But when you have entered the
Capitol in your triumphal car, you shall find the Roman commonwealth
all in a ferment, through the intrigues of my grandson Tiberius
Gracchus.
12. It is on this occasion, my
dear Africanus, that you show your country the greatness of your
understanding, capacity and prudence. But I see that the destiny,
however, of that time is, as it were, uncertain; for when your age
shall have accomplished seven times eight revolutions of the sun,
and your fatal hours shall be marked out by the natural product of
these two numbers, each of which is esteemed a perfect one, but for
different reasons,---then shall the whole city have recourse to you
alone, and place its hopes in your auspicious name. On you the
senate, all good citizens, the allies, the people of Latium, shall
cast their eyes; on you the preservation of the state shall entirely
depend. In a word, if you escape the impious machinations of your
relatives, you will, in the quality of dictator, establish order and
tranquility in the commonwealth.
When on this Laelius made an
exclamation, and the rest of the company groaned loudly, Scipio,
with a gentle smile, said---I entreat you,do not wake me out of my
dream, but have patience, and hear the rest.
13. Now, in order to encourage
you, my dear Africanus, continued the shade of my ancestor, to
defend the
res publica with the greater cheerfulness, be assured that for
all those who have in any way conduced to the preservation, defense,
and enlargement of their native country, there is a certain place in
heaven
[the sky],
where they shall enjoy an eternity of happiness. For nothing
on earth is more agreeable to god, the
princeps
who governs
the universe,
than the assemblies and societies of men united together by laws,
which are called
civitates.
It is from
the sky
their
rectores
and
conservatores
came, and
there they return.
14. Though at these words I
was extremely troubled, not so much at the fear of death, as at the
perfidy of my own relations; yet I recollected myself enough to
inquire, whether he himself, my father Paulus, and others whom we
look upon as dead, were really living. Yes, truly, replied he, they
all enjoy life who have escaped from the chains of the body as from
a prison. But as to what you call life on earth, that is no more
than one form of death. But see, here comes your father Paulus
towards you! And as soon as I observed him, my eyes burst out into a
flood of tears; but he took me in his arms, and bade me not weep.
15. When my first transports
subsided, and I regained the liberty of speech, I addressed my
father thus: You best and most venerable of parents, since this, as
I am informed by Africanus, is the only substantial life, why do I
linger on earth, and not rather hasten to come hither where you are?
That, replied he, is impossible; unless that God, whose temples is
all that vast expanse you behold, shall free you from the fetters of
the body, you can have no admission into this place. Mankind have
received their being on this very condition, that they should labor
for the preservation of that globe, which is situated, as you see,
in the midst of this temple, and is called earth.
Men are likewise endowed with
a soul, which is a portion of the eternal fires, which you call
stars and constellations; and which, being round, spherical bodies,
animated by divine intelligence, perform their cycles and
revolutions with amazing rapidity. It is your duty, there fore, my
Publius, and that of all who have any veneration for the gods, to
preserve this wonderful union of soul and body; nor without the
express command of him who gave you a soul, should the least thought
be entertained of quitting human life, lest you seem to desert the
post assigned to you by God himself.
But rather follow the example
of your grandfather here, and of me, your father, in paying a strict
regard to justice and piety; which is due in a great degree to
parents and relations, but most of all to our country. Such a life
as this is the true way to heaven, and to the company of those, who,
after having lived on earth and escaped from the body, inhabit the
place which you now behold.
16. This was the shining
circle, or zone, whose remarkable brightness distinguishes it among
the constellations, and which, after the Greeks, you call the Milky
Way. From thence, as I took a view of the universe, everything
appeared beautiful and admirable; for there, those stars are to be
seen that are never visible from our globe, and everything appears
of such magnitude as we could not have imagined. The least of all
the stars, was that removed furthest from heaven, and situated next
to earth; I mean our moon, which shines with a borrowed light. Now
the globes of the stars far surpass the magnitude of our earth,
which at that distance appeared so exceedingly small, that I could
not but he sensibly affected on seeing our whole empire no larger
than if we touched the earth with a point.
17. And as long as I continued
to observe the earth with great attention, How long, I pray you,
said Africanus, will your mind be fixed on that object; why don't
you rather take a view of the magnificent temples among which you
have arrived? The universe is composed of nine circles, or rather
spheres, one of which is the heavenly one, and is exterior to all
the rest, which it embraces; being itself the Supreme God, and
bounding and containing the whole. In it are fixed those stars which
revolve with never-varying courses. Below this are seven other
spheres, which revolve in a contrary direction to that of the
heavens. One of these is occupied by the globe which on earth they
call Saturn. Next to that is the star of Jupiter, so benign and
salutary to mankind. The third in order, is that fiery and terrible
planet called Mars. Below this again, almost in the middle region,
is the Sun---the leader, governor, the prince of the other
luminaries; the soul of the world, which it regulates and illumines,
being of such vast size that it pervades and gives light to all
places. Then follow Venus and Mercury, which attend, as it were, on
the Sun. Lastly, the Moon, which shines only in the reflected beams
of the Sun, moves in the lowest sphere of all. Below this, if we
except that gift of the gods, the soul, which has been given by the
liberality of the gods to the human race, every thing is mortal, and
tends to dissolution, but above the moon all is eternal. For the
Earth, which is in the ninth globe, and occupies the center, is
immoveable, and being the lowest, all others gravitate towards it.
18. When I had recovered
myself from the astonishment occasioned by such a wonderful
prospect, I thus addressed Africanus Pray what is this sound that
strikes my ears in so loud and agreeable a manner? To which he
replied It is that which is called the music of the spheres, being
produced by their motion and impulse; and being formed by unequal
intervals, but such as are divided according to the most just
proportion, it produces, by duly tempering acute with grave sounds,
various concerts of harmony. For it is impossible that motions so
great should be performed without any noise; and it is agreeable to
nature that the extremes on one side should produce sharp, and on
the other flat sounds. For which reason the sphere of the fixed
stars, being the highest, and being carried with a more rapid
velocity, moves with a shrill and acute sound; whereas that of the
moon, being the lowest, moves with a very flat one. As to the Earth,
which makes the ninth sphere, it remains immovably fixed in the
middle or lowest part of the universe. But those eight revolving
circles, in which both Mercury and Venus are moved with the same
celerity, give out sounds that are divided by seven distinct
intervals, which is generally the regulating number of all things.
This celestial harmony has
been imitated by learned musicians, both on stringed instruments and
with the voice, whereby they have opened to themselves a way to
return to the celestial regions, as have likewise many others who
have employed their sublime genius while on earth in cultivating the
divine sciences.
By the amazing noise of this
sound, the ears of mankind have been in some degree deafened, and
indeed, hearing is the dullest of all the human senses. Thus, the
people who dwell near the cataracts of the Nile, which are called
Catadupa, are, by the excessive roar which that river makes in
precipitating itself from those lofty mountains, entirely deprived
of the sense of hearing. And so inconceivably great is this sound
which is produced by the rapid motion of the whole universe, that
the human ear is no more capable of receiving it, than the eye is
able to look steadfastly and directly on the sun, whose beams easily
dazzle the strongest sight.
While I was busied in admiring
the scene of wonders, I could not help casting my eyes every now and
then on the earth.
19. On which Africanus said, I
perceive that you are still employed in contemplating the seat and
residence of mankind. But if it appears to you so small, as in fact
it really is, despise its vanities, and fix your attention for ever
on these heavenly objects. Is it possible that you should attain any
human applause or glory that is worth the contending for? The earth,
you see, is peopled but in a very few places, and those too of small
extent; and they appear like so many little spots of green scattered
through vast uncultivated deserts. And those who inhabit the earth
are not only so remote from each other as to be cut off from all
mutual correspondence, but their situation being in oblique or
contrary parts of the globe, or perhaps in those diametrically
opposite to yours, all expectation of universal fame must fall to
the ground.
20. You may likewise observe
that the same globe of the earth is girt and surrounded with certain
zones, whereof those two that are most remote from each other, and
lie under the opposite poles of heaven, are congealed with frost;
but that one in the middle, which is far the largest, is scorched
with the intense heat of the sun. The other two are habitable, one
towards the south---the inhabitants of which are your Antipodes,
with whom you have no connection---the other, towards the north, is
that which you inhabit, whereof a very small part, as you may see,
falls to your share. For the whole extent of what you see, is as it
were but a little island, narrow at both ends and wide in the
middle, which is surrounded by the sea which on earth you call the
great Atlantic ocean, and which, notwithstanding this magnificent
name, you see is very insignificant. And even in these cultivated
and well-known countries, has yours, or any of our names, ever
passed the heights of the Caucasus, or the currents of the Ganges?
In what other parts to the north or the south, or where the sun
rises and sets, will your names ever be heard? And if we leave these
out of the question, how small a space is there left for your glory
to spread itself abroad? and how long will it remain in the memory
of those whose minds are now full of it?
21. Besides all this, if the
progeny of any future generation should wish to transmit to their
posterity the praises of any one of us which they have heard from
their forefathers, yet the deluges and combustions of the earth
which must necessarily happen at their destined periods will prevent
our obtaining, not only an eternal, but even a durable glory. And
after all, what does it signify, whether those who shall hereafter
be born talk of you, when those who have lived before you, whose
number was perhaps not less, and whose merit certainly greater, were
not so much as acquainted with your name?
22. Especially since not one
of those who shall hear of us is able to retain in his memory the
transactions of a single year. The bulk of mankind, indeed, measure
their year by the return of the sun, which is only one star. But,
when all the stars shall have returned to the place whence they set
out, and after long periods shall again exhibit the same aspect of
the whole heavens, that is what ought properly to be called the
revolution of a year, though I scarcely dare attempt to enumerate
the vast multitude of ages contained in it. For as the sun in old
time was eclipsed, and seemed to be extinguished, at the time when
the soul of Romulus penetrated into these eternal mansions, so, when
all the constellations and stars shall revert to their primary
position, and the sun shall at the same point and time be again
eclipsed, then you may consider that the grand year is completed. Be
assured, however, that the twentieth part of it is not yet elapsed.
23. Why, if you have no hopes
of returning to this place, where great and good men enjoy all that
their souls can wish for, of what value, pray, is all that human
glory, which can hardly endure for a small portion of one year?
If, then, you wish to elevate
your views to the contemplation of this eternal seat of splendor,
you will not be satisfied with the praises of your fellow-mortals,
nor with any human rewards that your exploits can obtain; but Virtue
herself must point out to you the true and only object worthy of
your pursuit. Leave to others to speak of you as they may, for speak
they will. Their discourses will be confined to the narrow limits of
the countries you see, nor will their duration be very extensive,
for they will perish like those who utter them, and will be no more
remembered by their posterity.
24. When he had ceased to
speak in this manner, I said Oh, Africanus, if indeed the door of
heaven is open to those who have deserved well of their country,
although, indeed, from my childhood, I have always followed yours
and my father's steps, and have not neglected to imitate your glory,
still I will from henceforth strive to follow them more closely.
Follow them, then, said he,
and consider your body only, not yourself, as mortal. For it is not
your outward form which constitutes your being, but your mind; not
that substance which is palpable to the senses, but your spiritual
nature. Know, then, that you are a god---for a god it must be which
flourishes, and feels, and recollects, and foresees, and governs,
regulates and moves the body over which it is set, as the Supreme
Ruler does the world which is subject to him. For as that Eternal
Being moves whatever is mortal in this world, so the immortal mind
of man moves the frail body with which it is connected.
25. For whatever is always
moving must be eternal, but that which derives its motion from a
power which is foreign to itself, when that motion ceases must
itself lose its animation. That alone, then, which moves itself can
never cease to be moved, because it can never desert itself.
Moreover, it must be the source, and origin, and principle of motion
in all the rest. There can be nothing prior to a principle, for all
things must originate from it, and it cannot itself derive its
existence from any other source, for if it did it would no longer be
a principle. And if it had no beginning it can have no end, for a
beginning that is put an end to will neither be renewed by any other
cause, nor will it produce anything else of itself. All things,
therefore, must originate from one source. Thus it follows, that
motion must have its source in something which is moved by itself,
and which can neither have a beginning nor an end. Otherwise all the
heavens and all nature must perish, for it is impossible that they
can of themselves acquire any power of producing motion in
themselves.
26. As, therefore, it is plain
that what is moved by itself must be eternal, who will deny that
this is the general condition and nature of minds? For, as
everything is inanimate which is moved by an impulse exterior to
itself, so what is animated is moved by an interior impulse of its
own; for this is the peculiar nature and power of mind. And if that
alone has the power of self-motion it can neither have had a
beginning, nor can it have an end.
Do you, therefore, exercise
this mind of yours in the best pursuits. And the best pursuits are
those which consist in promoting the good of your country. Such
employments will speed the flight of your mind to this its proper
abode; and its flight will be still more rapid, if, even while it is
enclosed in the body, it will look abroad, and disengage itself as
much as possible from its bodily dwelling, by the contemplation of
things which are external to itself.
This it should do to the
utmost of its power. For the minds of those who have given
themselves up to the pleasures of the body, paying as it were a
servile obedience to their lustful impulses, have violated the laws
of God and man; and therefore, when they are separated from their
bodies, flutter continually round the earth on which they lived, and
are not allowed to return to this celestial region, till they have
been purified by the revolution of many ages.
Thus saying he vanished, and I
awoke from my dream.