The Dabistan

144

into existence, that they may correspond to nine
prophets. From the tenth class of intelligences
came forth the matter of the elements, and bodies,
and the spirits of elemental existence. The philoso-
phers said, that ten kinds of intelligences are enu-
merated, not because there may not exist any more,
but because these are required; and likewise we
want the number of nine heavens, without its being
prohibited to add any other. The Eastern philo-
sophers however declare themselves against num-
bering the kinds of intelligences, because, with
them every kind of thing has its god., whom they
call " the god of the species/' in Persian Ddra, the
angel of rains, the angel of rivers,, to which the fol-
lowing sentence relates:

" Each thing has its angel to whom it is confided, and an angel de-
'* scends with every drop."

The Oriental philosophers hold the bodies to be
shadows of the uncompounded lights.

** Seest thou not that God has spread his shadow over me?"

According to the sages, the kinds of intelligences
and spirits of heaven are the heavenly angels, who
have no body nor any thing corporeal, neither fea-
thers nor wings. When an effulgence of the lumi-
nous attributes of the self-existing Being falls upon
them, it is by the mediating power of this ray, that

was my light. — (See upon this subject Heiddberger JahrMcher der
Literatur. 1823. Erste Htilfte, pp. 313, etc.)