Memory；　II：xviii。Note）。　Q。E。D。
  Prop。　XXII。　Nevertheless　in　God　there　is　necessarily　an　idea；
  which　expresses　the　essence　of　this　or　that　human　body　under
  the　form　of　eternity。
  Proof。…　God　is　the　cause；　not　only　of　the　existence　of　this　or　that　human
  body；　but　also　of　its　essence　（I：xxv。）。　This　essence；　therefore；　must
  necessarily　be　conceived　through　the　very　essence　of　God　（I：Ax。iv。）；　and　be
  thus　conceived　by　a　certain　eternal　necessity　（I：xvi。）；　and　this　conception。
  must　necessarily　exist　in　God　（II：iii。）。　Q。E。D。
  Prop。　XXIII。　The　human　mind　cannot　be　absolutely
  destroyed　with　the　body；　but　there　remains　of　it
  something　which　is　eternal。
  Proof。…　There　is　necessarily　in　God　a　concept　or　idea；　which　expresses　the
  essence　of　the　human　body　（last　Prop。）；　which；　therefore；　is　necessarily
  something　appertaining　to　the　essence　of　the　human　mind　（II：xiii。）。　But　we
  have　not　assigned　to　the　human　mind　any；　duration；　definable　by　time；　except
  in　so　far　as　it　expresses　the　actual　existence　of　the　body；　which　is
  explained　through　duration；　and　may　be　defined　by　time　…　that　is
  （II：viii。Coroll。）；　we　do　not　assign　to　it　duration；　except　while　the　body
  endures。　Yet；　as　there　is　something；　notwithstanding；　which　is　conceived　by
  a　certain　eternal　necessity　through　the　very　essence　of　God　（last　Prop。）；
  this　something；　which　appertains　to　the　essence　of　the　mind；　will
  necessarily　be　eternal。　Q。E。D。
  Note。…　This　idea；　which　expresses　the　essence　of　the　body　under　the　form　of
  eternity；　is；　as　we　have　said；　a　certain　mode　of　thinking；　which　belongs　to
  the　essence　of　the　mind；　and　is　necessarily　eternal。　Yet　it　is　not　possible
  that　we　should　remember　that　we　existed　before　our　body；　for　our　body　can
  bear　no　trace　of　such　existence；　neither　can　eternity　be　defined　in　terms　of
  time；　or　have　any　relation　to　time。　But；　notwithstanding；　we　feel　and　know
  that　we　are　eternal。　For　the　mind　feels　those　things　that　it　conceives　by
  understanding；　no　less　than　those　things　that　it　remembers。　For　the　eyes　of
  the　mind；　whereby　it　sees　and　observes　things；　are　none　other　than　proofs。
  Thus；　although　we　do　not　remember　that　we　existed　before　the　body；　yet　we
  feel　that　our　mind；　in　so　far　as　it　involves　the　essence　of　the　body；　under
  the　form　of　eternity；　is　eternal；　and　that　thus　its　existence　cannot　be
  defined　in　terms　of　time；　or　explained　through　duration。　Thus　our　mind　can
  only　be　said　to　endure；　and　its　existence　can　only　be　defined　by　a　fixed
  time；　in　so　far　as　it　involves　the　actual　existence　of　the　body。　Thus　far
  only　has　it　the　power　of　determining　the　existence　of　things　by　time；　and
  conceiving　them　under　the　category　of　duration。
  Prop。　XXIV。　The　more　we　understand　particular
  things；　the　more　do　we　understand　God。
  Proof。…　This　is　evident　from　I：xxv。Coroll。
  Prop。　XXV。　The　highest　endeavour　of　the　mind；
  and　the　highest　virtue　is　to　understand　things
  by　the　third　kind　of　knowledge。
  Proof。…　The　third　kind　of　knowledge　proceeds　from　an　adequate　idea　of
  certain　attributes　of　God　to　an　adequate　knowledge　of　the　essence　of　things
  （see　its　definition　III：xl。Note。ii。）；　and；　in　proportion　as　we　understand
  things　more　in　this　way；　we　better　understand　God　（by　the　last　Prop。）；
  therefore　（IV：xxviii。）　the　highest　virtue　of　the　mind；　that　is　IV：Def。viii。）
  the　power；　or　nature；　or　（III：vii。）　highest　endeavour　of　the　mind；　is　to
  understand　things　by　the　third　kind　of　knowledge。　Q。E。D。
  Prop。　XXVI。　In　proportion　as　the　mind　is
  more　capable　of　understanding　things　by
  the　third　kind　of　knowledge；　it　desires
  more　to　understand　things　by　that　kind。
  Proof。…　This　is　evident。　For；　in　so　far　as　we　conceive　the　mind　to　be
  capable　of　conceiving　things　by　this　kind　of　knowledge；　we；　to　that　extent；
  conceive　it　as　determined　thus　to　conceive　things；　and　consequently　（Def。　of
  the　Emotions：i。）；　the　mind　desires　so　to　do；　in　proportion　as　it　is　more
  capable　thereof。　Q。E。D。
  Prop。　XXVII。　From　this　third　kind　of
  knowledge　arises　the　highest　possible
  mental　acquiescence。
  Proof。…　The　highest　virtue　of　the　mind　is　to　know　God　（IV：xxviii。）；　or　to
  understand　things　by　the　third　kind　of　knowledge　（V：xxv。）；　and　this　virtue
  is　greater　in　proportion　as　the　mind　knows　things　more　by　the　said　kind　of
  knowledge　（V：xxiv。）：　consequently；　he　who　knows　things　by　this　kind　of
  knowledge　passes　to　the　summit　of　human　perfection；　and　is　therefore
  （Def。　of　the　Emotions：ii。）　affected　by　the　highest　pleasure；　such　pleasure
  being　accompanied　by　the　idea　of　himself　and　his　own　virtue；　thus　（Def。　of
  the　Emotions：xxv。）；　from　this　kind　of　knowledge　arises　the　highest　possible
  acquiescence。　Q。E。D。
  Prop。　XXVIII。　The　endeavour　or　desire　to
  know　things　by　the　third　kind　of　knowledge
  cannot　arise　from　the　first；　but　from　the
  second　kind　of　knowledge。
  Proof。…　This　proposition　is　self…evident。　For　whatsoever　we　understand
  clearly　and　distinct　we　understand　either　through　itself；　or　through　that
  which　is　conceived　through　itself；　that　is；　ideas　which　are　clear　and
  distinct　in　us；　or　which　are　referred　to　the　third　kind　of　knowledge
  （II：xl。Note。ii。）　cannot　follow　from　ideas　that　are　fragmentary；　and
  confused；　and　are　referred　to　knowledge　of　the　first　kind；　but　must　follow
  from　adequate　ideas；　or　ideas　of　the　second　and　third　kind　of　knowledge；
  therefore　（Def。　of　the　Emotions：i。）；　the　desire　of　knowing　things　by　the
  third　kind　of　knowledge　cannot　arise　from　the　first；　but　from　the　second
  kind。　Q。E。D。
  Prop。　XXIX。　Whatsoever　the　mind　understands
  under　the　form　of　eternity；　it　does　not
  understand　by　virtue　of　conceiving　the
  present　actual　existence　of　the　body；
  but　by　virtue　of　conceiving　the　essence　of
  the　body　under　the　form　of　eternity。
  Proof。…　In　so　far　as　the　mind　conceives　the　present　existence　of　its　body；
  it　to　that　extent　conceives　duration　which　can　be　determined　by　time；　and　to
  that　extent　only；　has　it　the　power　of　conceiving　things　in　relation　to　time
  （V：xxi。；　II：xxvi。）。　But　eternity　cannot　be　explained　in　terms　of　duration
  （I：Def。viii。　and　explanation）。　Therefore　to　this　extent　the　mind　has　not　the
  power　of　conceiving　things　under　the　form　of　eternity；　but　it　possesses　such
  power；　because　it　is　of　the　nature　of　reason　to　conceive　things　under　the
  form　of　eternity　（II：xliv。Coroll。ii。）；　and　also　because　it　is　of　the　nature
  of　the　mind　to　conceive　the　essence　of　the　body　under　the　form　of　eternity
  （V：xxiii。）；　for　besides　these　two　there　is　nothing　which　belongs　to　the
  essence　of　mind　（II：xiii。）。　Therefore　this　power　of　conceiving　things　under
  the　form　of　eternity　only　belongs　to　the　mind　in　virtue　of　the　mind's
  conceiving　the　essence　of　the　body　under　the　form　of　eternity。　Q。E。D。
  Note。…　Things　are　conceived　by　us　as　actual　in　two　ways；　either　as　existing
  in　relation　to　a　given　time　and　place；　or　as　contained　in　God　and　following
  from　the　necessity　of　the　divine　nature。　Whatsoever　we　conceive　in　this
  second　way　as　true　or　real；　we　conceive　under　the　form　of　eternity；　and
  their　ideas　involve　the　eternal　and　infinite　essence　of　God；　as　we　showed
  in　II：xlv。&Note；　which　see。
  Prop。　XXX。　Our　mind；　in　so　far　as　it　knows　itself　and　the　body
  under　the　form　of　eternity；　has　to　that　extent　necessarily　a
  knowledge　of　God；　and　knows　that　it　is　in　God；　and　is　conceived
  through　God。
  Proof。…　Eternity　is　the　very　essence　of　God；　in　so　far　as　this　involves
  necessary　existence　（I：Def。viii。）。　Therefore　to　conceive　things　under　the
  form　of　eternity；　is　to　conceive　things　in　so　far　as　they　are　conceived
  through　thp　essence　of　God　as　real　entities；　or　in　so　far　as　they　involve
  existence　through　the　essence　of　God；　wherefore　our　mind；　in　so　far　as　it
  conceives　itself　and　the　body　under　the　form　of　eternity；　has　to　that　extent
  necessarily　a　knowledge　of　God；　and　knows；　&c。　Q。E。D。
  Prop。　XXXI。　The　third　kind　of　knowledge
  depends　on　the　mind；　as　its　formal　cause；
  in　so　far　as　the　mind　itself　is　eternal。
  Proof。…　The　mind　does　not　conceive　anything　under　the　form　of　eternity；
  except　in　so　far　as　it　conceives　its　own　body　under　the　form　of　eternity
  （V：xxix。）；　that　is；　except　in　so　far　as　it　is　eternal　（V：xxi。；　V：xxiii。）；
  therefore　（by　the　last　Prop。）；　in　so　far　as　it　is　eternal；　it　possesses　the
  knowledge　of　God；　which　knowledge　is　necessarily　adequate
  （II：xlvi。）；　hence　the　mind；　in　so　far　as　it　is　eternal；　is　capable　of
  knowing　everything　which　can　follow　from　this　given　knowledge　of　God
  （II：xl。）；　in　other　words；　of　knowing　things　by　the　third　kind　of　knowledge
  （see　Def。　in　II：xl。Note。ii。）；　whereof　accordingly　the