Taylor - Theoretic Arithmetic.pdf - Platonic Philosophy

ADDITIONAL NOTES
P. 3. The motion of the stars likewise is celebrated as being
accompanied with harmonic modtl1ations.-"The Pythagorean~,"
says Simplicius, in his Commentary on the 2nd book of
Aristotle's treatise On the Heavens, "said, that an harmonic
sound was produced from the motion of the celestial bodies,
and they scientifically collected this from the analogy of their
intervals; since not only the ratios of the sun and moon, of
Venus and Mercury, but also of the other stars, were discovered
by them." Simplicius adds, "Perhaps the objection of Aristotle
to this assertion of the Pythagoreans, may be solved according
to the philosophy of those men, as follows: All things are not
commensurate with each other, nor is every thing sensible to
every thing, even in the sublunary region. This is evident from
dogs who scent animals at a great distance, and which are not
smelt by men. How much more, therefore, in things which
are separated by so great an interval as those which are incorruptible
from the corruptible, and celestial from terrestrial natures,
is it true to say, that the sound of divine bodies is not
audible by terrestrial ears? But if any one like Pythagoras,
who is reported to have heard this harmony, should have his
terrestrial body exempt from him, and his luminous and celestial
vehicle,' and the senses which it contains purified, either
* The soul has three vehicles, one etherial, another aerial, and the third this
terrestrial body. The first which is luminous and celestial is connate with the
essence of the soul, and in which alone it resides in a state of bliss in the stars.
In the second it suffers the punishment of its sins after death. And from the third
it becomes an inhabitant of earth.