Marsilio Ficino’s Platonic Theology, Volume I

26But the mover that immediately precedes bodies moved by another is not wholly immovable. For these two stand far apart: what is moved by another and what is altogether stable. Between them lies what is mutable through itself. Third, if each thing is moved the better the nearer it is to its mover, and if the best motion must be reached, there must somewhere be something in which the essence of what is moved and of what moves is the same. Fourth, if anything is to be moved, either the mover must turn toward the movable thing, or the movable toward the mover, or each toward the other. Suppose, then, that in nature there are only angels and God, and bodies. The former will not approach the latter, since they are immutable; nor will bodies approach them, since by their own nature bodies are inert. There will therefore be no motion at all in things. There must, then, be a certain nature mutable of its own accord, which approaches inert bodies through itself and awakens them, while ever watchful it first exercises its powers within itself before bringing them forth in body, so that just as corporeal substance is made from spiritual substance, corporeal motion may be made from spiritual motion. I believe Plato understood this in the Laws, where he says: ‘If all things now stand still and a little later something must be moved, what will be moved first? Clearly that which is of itself active toward motion, as being nearer to the power of moving; the other things subject to motion will follow its motion.’ In the Phaedrus he calls this the fountain and principle of motion: fountain because it has motion from itself, principle because it pours motion into other things.

27But here a difficulty arises. If God and angel move something, and soul is subject to them, then soul is surely moved by them. How, then, is it moved by itself? Let us answer in this way. When Apelles looked upon a meadow, he attempted to paint it in colors on a panel. The whole meadow disclosed itself to him at once and at once kindled Apelles’ desire.