Taylor - Theoretic Arithmetic.pdf - Platonic Philosophy

the image of the never-failing and intelligible duad, is called
indefinite. While this proceeds to all things, it is not deserted
in its course by the monad, but that which proceeds from the
monad continually distinguishes and forms boundless quantity,
gives a specific distinction to all its orderly progressions, and
incessantly adorns them with forms. And as in mundane
natures, there is neither any thing formless, nor any vacuum
among the species of things, so likewise in mathematical number,
neither is any quantity left innumerable, for thus the forming
power of the monad would be vanquished by the indefinite
duad, nor does any medium intervene between the consequent
numbers, and the well-disposed energy of the monad.
Neither, therefore, does the pentad consist of substance and
accident, as a white man; nor of genus and difference, as man
of animal and biped; nor of five monads mutually touching
each other, like a bundle of wood; nor of things mingled, like
a drink made from wine and honey; nor of things sustaining
position, as stones by their position complete the house; nor
lastly, as things numerable, for these are nothing else than particulars.
But it does not follow that numbers themselves,
because they consist of indivisible monads, have nothing else
besides monads; (for the multitude of points in continued
quantity is an indivisible multitude, yet it is not on this account
that there is a completion of something else from the points
themselves) but this takes place because there is something in
them which corresponds to matter, and something which corresponds
to form. Lastly, when we unite the triad with the
tetrad, we say that we make seven. The assertion, however, is
not true: for monads conjoined with monads, produce indeed
the subject of the number 7, but nothing more. Who
then imparts the heptadic form to these monads? Who is it
also that gives the form of a bed to a certain number of pieces
of wood Shall we not say that the soul of the carpenter,