eral acts are requisite for
the contemplative life.

_On the contrary,_ Life signifies here the operation on which a man
is chiefly intent. Wherefore if there are several operations of the
contemplative life, there will be, not one, but several contemplative
lives.

_I answer that,_ We are now speaking of the contemplative life as
applicable to man. Now according to Dionysius (Div. Nom. vii) between
man and angel there is this difference, that an angel perceives the
truth by simple apprehension, whereas man arrives at the perception
of a simple truth by a process from several premises. Accordingly,
then, the contemplative life has one act wherein it is finally
completed, namely the contemplation of truth, and from this act it
derives its unity. Yet it has many acts whereby it arrives at this
final act. Some of these pertain to the reception of principles, from
which it proceeds to the contemplation of truth; others are concerned
with deducing from the principles, the truth, the knowledge of which
is sought; and the last and crowning act is the contemplation itself
of the truth.

Reply Obj. 1: According to Richard of St. Victor "cogitation" would
seem to regard the consideration of the many things from which a
person intends to gather one simple truth. Hence cogitation may
comprise not only the perceptions of the senses in taking cognizance
of certain effects, but also the imaginations. And again the reason's
discussion of the various signs or of anything that conduces to the
truth in view: although, according to Augustine (De Trin. xiv, 7),
cogitation may signify any actual operation of the intellect.
"Meditation" would seem to be the process of reason from certain
principles that lead to the contemplation of some truth: and
"consideration" has the same meaning, according to Bernard (De
Consid. ii, 2), although, according to the Philosopher (De Anima ii,
1), every operation of the intellect may be called "consideration."
But "contemplation" regards the simple act of gazing on the truth;
wherefore Richard says again (De Grat. Contempl. i, 4) that
"contemplation is the soul's clear and free dwelling upon the object
of its gaze; meditation is the survey of the mind while occupied in
searching for the truth: and cogitation is the mind's glance which is
prone to wander."

Reply Obj. 2: According to a gloss [*Cf. De Trin. xv, 8] of Augustine
on this passage, "beholding" (_speculatio_) denotes "seeing in a
mirror (_spec