How much this confirms Pythagoras the author, and his scholars but disposers of the verses (who, as it appears, forgot these two), is evident enough. The main argument they insist upon, who labour to prove the contrary, is derived from these words,
[Nature's eternal fountain I attest,
Who did the soul with fourfold power invest]
Where Marcilius expounds παραδόντα τετρακήν[2] illum a quo scientiam τετρακτύος, acceperant, is autem doctor eorum Pythagoras, as if it were
Him who the Tetrad to our souls exprest,
(Nature's eternal fountain) I attest;
And then takes pains to show that his scholars used to swear by him. But παραδιδόναι ψυχῇ μαθητῶν for διδάσκειν is not without a little violence to ἁμετέρᾳ ψυχᾷ (which makes Iamblic[h]us read ἁμετέρας σοφίας) Marcilius in this being the less excusable for confessing immediately, Animae vero nostrae dixerunt Pythagorei quoniam quaternarius animae numerus est, an explanation inconsistent with the other, but (as I conceive) truer; Macrobius expressly agreeth with it; Iuro tibi per eum qui dat animae nostrae quaternarium numerum; or, as others,
Per qui nostrae animae numerum dedit ipse quaternum.
By him who gave us life—God. In which sense, παγὰν ἀεννάου φύσεως, much more easily will follow παραδόντα than τετρακήν. The four powers of the soul are, mens, scientia, opinio, sensus, which Aristotle calls the four instruments of judgement, Hierocles, κριτικὰς δυνάμεις. The mind is compared to a unit, in that of many singulars it makes one. Science to the number two (which amongst the Pythagoreans is numerus infinitatis), because it proceeds from things certain and granted to uncertain and infinite. Opinion to three, a number of indefinite variety. Sense to four, as furnishing the other three. In this exposition I am the more easily persuaded to dissent from Plutarch, Hierocles, Iamblichus, and other interpreters, since they differ no less amongst themselves.
[Within is a continual hidden fight]