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Norton & Company, Inc All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America Publication Data Library of Congress Cataloging ‘Perspectives from the past: primary soures in Western civilizations / James M. Brophy— [eta] 3rd ed. poem Includes bibliographical references. Contents, 1. From the ancient Near East through the age of absolutism—v. 2, From the early moder era through contemporary times. ISBN 0-393-92569-2 (vol 1 : pbk.)—ISBN 0-393-92570-6 (vol. 2: pbk) 1, Givilization, Western—History—Sources. I. Brophy, James M. (8245.45 2005 909109821 dc22 2004061730 |W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 500 Filth Avenue, New York, N. 10110 vrww.wnorton.com W.W. Norton & Company Lud, Castle House, 75(76 Wells Steet, London WIT 30 1234567890Perspectives from the Past PRIMARY SOURCES IN WESTERN CIVILIZATIONS 3rd Edition VOLUME 1 _ From the Ancient Near East through . _ the Age of AbsolutismGIOVANNI Pic ANNT FICO DELLA M SE MIRAN DO me RANDOM rrom “Oration on the Dignity of M an” 553 Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463 Renaissance humanism. W scholars past and present. and studied the scholastic Arabic philosophy. F published his 900 theses, inviti iain 'the th amine the theses, some of at lasted several ye From Reflecio questioned as to what on this stage of the as it were could be seen most worthy of Wonder, replied: “There is nothing to be se Ba wonderful than man” In greement with is opinion is the say if Her mes Trismegistus: A great miracle, A ae But when I thed the reason for these maxims, the many Bounds for the excellence of hum: ae aa nature re ere en fale to: saty me that ie og between creatures, the in icuteness of his sens Dy edi his teason, and by th mohegan z of the lower bei of i ne light of his intelligence Mispieter of nature, the interval between ity and fleeting sy) leeting time, and (as the Per oe bond, nay, rather, the marriage SoMB aon David's testimony but litle lower Be a Mime great though these » they are not the principal grounds, ag result of his early death, the breadth of h dition of conception of the « on the Di 4 singular figure in th 4 ingulr fur inthe history of hs published works remained small as vor him the admisation of in Greek and Middle A idle Ages as well as Jewish \ges as well as Jewish and ssical education ng phi In 1486, Pico lic debate in January 1487, sion to ttempt to def ally claim for them- chose which may right vilege of the highest admiration. For why should we not admire more the angels them: selves and the blessed choirs of heaven? At last it seems to me I have come to understand why man. is the most fortunate of creatures and conse ently worthy of all admiration and what pre- ich is his lot in the universal cisely is that rank whi Being--a rank to be envied not only by chain of Bi trates but even by the stars and by minds beyond this world Iti a matter past faith and a wondrous ane Why should it-not bet HOR i Gaiam vnan is rightly called and judged @ reat miracle and a wonder CTSEAtS indeed. ut hear, Fathers, exactly what this; rank is Mt ifiendly auditors, conformably £9, YO recount that and kindness, do me this favor God the Father, the supreme Architect, had ‘already built this cosmic : sacred temple of His behold, the most s the laws of His mysterious wisdom. Tove the heavens He had adorned home we godhead, by The region atCHAPTER 12. THE CIVILIZATION OF THE with Intelligences, the heavenly spheres He had quickened with eternal souls, and the excremen and fil had filled with a multitude of animals of every kind. But, when the work was finished, the Craftsman ng that there were someone to po! oe tary yy parts of the lower world He reat a work, to love its beauty, to wonder at its vastness, Therefore, when eve thi was done (as Moses and Timaeus bear ness), He finally took thought concerning the creation of man, But there was not among His archetypes that from which He could fashion a new offspring, nor was there in His treasur houses anything which He might bestow on His new son as an inheritance, nor was n th seats of all the world a place where the latter might sit to contemplate the universe $ 10% plete; all things had bee h the middle, and the lowest orders. But in its final creation it was not the r ail as though exhau t His wisdom to wave e poverty of co s kindly love that he w generosity in regard tc led At last the best ns : creature to whom He had bee proper to himself should have id been p creature of indetermi him a place in the 1 world, address. him thus: “Neith le nor a form that is thine alone nor any function peculiar to t ha given thee, Adam, e end that cording to thy longing and according to thy jud ment thou mayest have and possess what abode, what form, and desire. The functions thou t nature of all o and constrained with yself shal er beings is limited the bou Ws pre- scribed by Us. Thou, constrained by no limits, accordance with thine own free will hand We have placed ie, shalt ordain for thyself the limits of thy nature, We have set thee at the world’s center that thou mayest from thence mor z, ¢. 1350-1550 RENAISSANC easily observe whatever is in the world. \ d neither of heaven nor : made thee ne mortal nor imm so that choice and with honor, " molder of thyself, th a . whatever shape thou s f ‘ the power to degenerate into the fc fe, which are br hou shalt h: out of thy soul’s ju igher forms, which are divir ) supreme ger i highest and mos | I t 1 oe oe ings, shall s pa ; who Asclepius of Sac arfocinn rains eT was symbolized b ee those metamorphoses renov as ws and the Pythagore