Problems Concerning First Principles

If we seek any need for it, this is the most necessary need of all: that all things proceed from thence, as if from an inner sanctuary adyton innermost sanctuary, from the ineffable and in an ineffable manner. For it does not bring forth the many as one, nor the things distinguished as unified, but as ineffable, in an ineffable way, all things alike. But if, speaking these things about it—that it is ineffable, that it is none of all things, that it is boundless—we turn ourselves about in reason, we must know that these are names and verbs 5 of our own throes, which dare to busy themselves with that which stands at the vestibules of the sanctuary 6, and announce nothing of its own, but signify their own sufferings regarding it, and their own puzzlement and failure 7; and not clearly, but through indications; and this to those who can understand them.

5) Monacensis: "thoughts" noemata, but a line is drawn under it and "verbs" rhemata is written above.
6) Monacensis: "of the impossible" tou adynatou.
7) For "failure" ateuxias, Monacensis wrongly has "disorder" ataxias.

The One and the Unified, with the Many and the Diverse that arise from them, effect the sum of sums. The One, although it contains as many as the many are, is nonetheless one; indeed, it is the more so, because the many exist after it, not in it. And the Unified, although it is as many as the things that are discrete, is nevertheless especially unified, because it consists from the context of discrete things before the distinction arrives. Therefore, whether you look at the continuation of each (of the One and the Unified) or at their power and nature, it carries all things in its bosom as you please. But "All" cannot obtain the place of the First or the principle. For if you posit them together as a principle, since the final and lowest things are adapted to them, the matter will fall out badly; if you take the One as solitary from them, you will stick in the same way, because the One, as much as is in itself, simultaneously equates all things (we have not yet found the One which transcends all things) and because the One acts as the author of these in the apex of the many. "Things here" ta tede are called the "Citeriora" (nearer things), which, whether they are sensible things or notions, move in common sense. "Things there" ta epekeina (the Beyond, Transcendental things) are opposed to "things here" tois tede or "things on this side" tois epi tade (it is written everywhere epitade). Regarding "If this... has escaped all our suspicions... is nothing." Both books, Monacensis and Hamburg, have this figure in the margin:

A diagram depicts a diamond shape with the labels: "better" at the top, "worse" at the bottom, "into the ineffable" at the left, and "into that which in no way exists" at the right.

The Hamburg manuscript additionally has these in red pigment in the margin at the beginning of this chapter: "All: One by nature; Many: All: Unified by coordination; Distinguishable."