nature enjoins the latter to be subservient and obey, the former to rule and exercise dominion. And in this way, which of the two appears to you to be like the divine, and which the mortal? Does it not appear to you to be natural that the divine should rule and command, but the mortal obey and be subservient?

6 Since, then, that which is immortal is also incorruptible, can the soul, since it is immortal, be any thing else than imperishable? When, therefore, death approaches a man, the mortal part of him, as it appears, dies; but the immortal departs safe and uncorrupted, having withdrawn itself from death. The soul, therefore, is most certainly immortal and

really exist in the World of the Departed.

2 Can the soul, then, which is invisible, and which goes to another place like itself, excellent, pure, and invisible, and therefore truly called imperishable, and our souls will the invisible world, even to the presence of a good and wise God, (whither, if God will, my soul also must 7 Wherefore, it necessarily follows shortly go,) can this soul of ours, I from all this, that some such opinion ask, being such and of such a nature, as this should be entertained by when separated from the body genuine lovers of Wisdom, so that be immediately dispersed and de- they should speak among themselves stroyed, as most men assert? Far as follows: A by-path, as it were, from it. seems to lead us on in our researches 3 This is an ancient saying, which undertaken by reason; because as we now call to mind, that souls long as we are encumbered with departing hence exist there, and the body, and our soul is contamireturn hither again, and are produced from the dead. And if this is so, that the living are produced again from the dead, can there be any other consequence than that our

souls are there?

nated with such an evil, we can never fully attain to what we desire; and this, we say, is truth. For the body subjects us to innumerable hindrances on account of its necessary support; and, moreover, if any dis4 For, indeed, I should not won- eases befall us, they impede us in der if Euripides speaks the truth our search after that which is; and when he says: Who knows whether it fills us with longings, desires, to live is not death, and to die, life? fears, all kinds of fancies, and a 5 Consider it also thus: that, multitude of absurdities, so that, as when soul and body are together, it is said in real truth, by reason

of the body it is never possible for Wisdom, seem to have left all others us to make any advance. in ignorance, that they aim at nothing else than to die and to be dead.

8 But does not purification consist in this in separating as much as possible the soul from the body, and in accustoming it to gather and collect itself by itself on all sides apart from the body; and to dwell, as far as it can, both now and hereafter, delivered, as it were, from the shackles of the body?

13 Does not the soul, then, when in this state, depart to that which resembles itself, the invisible, the divine, immortal, and wise? and on its arrival there, is it not its lot to be happy, free from error, ignorance, fears, wild passions, and all the other evils to which human nature is subject? and, as is said of the initiated, does it not in truth pass the rest of its time with the Immortals ?

9 This, then, is called death, this deliverance and separation of the soul from the body. But, as we affirmed, those who pursue Wisdom rightly are especially and 14 But, I think, if the soul dealone desirous of this very deliv- parts from the body polluted and erance, and this is the very study impure, as having constantly held of the lovers of Wisdom, the deliv- communion with the body, and haverance and separation of the soul ing served and loved it, and been befrom the body. witched by it, through desires and pleasures, so as to think that there

10 Then would it not be ridiculous for a man who has endeavored is nothing real except what is corpothroughout his life to live as near as real, what one can touch and see, possible to death, when death arrives, and drink and eat, and employ for to grieve? would not this be ridicu- sensual purposes; but as to what is lous? obscure and invisible to the eyes, II In reality, then, those who pur-(what is intellectual and apprehendsue Wisdom rightly study to die; ed by reason,) having been accusand to them, of all men, death is tomed to hate, fear, and shun this: least formidable. Judge from this. Do you think that a soul thus affectSince they altogether hate the body ed can depart from the body free and desire to keep the soul by itself, and uncontaminated? would it not be irrational if, when this comes to pass, they should be afraid and grieve, and not be glad to go to that place where, on their arrival, they may hope to obtain that which they longed for throughout life?

15 Then, are not they the most happy, and do they not go to the best place, who have practised that social and civilized virtue, which they call temperance and justice, and which is produced from habit and exercise?

12 But they longed for wisdom, 16 But it is not lawful for any one, and to be freed from association who has not studied Wisdom and with that which they hated. For as departed this life perfectly pure, to many as rightly apply themselves to pass into the rank of Immortals: but

only for the true lover of Wisdom. except by becoming as good and And on this account, those who are wise as possible. truly wise abstain from all bodily desires; persevere in so doing, and will not yield to them. Neither do they fear the loss of property, and poverty, as do the generality of men and the lovers of wealth; nor, again, do they dread disgrace and ignominy, and run from them, as do those who are lovers of power and honor.

something awaits those who die, and that, as was said long since, it will be far better for the good than the evil. 23 But for the sake of these things which we have described, we should use every endeavor, so as to acquire virtue and wisdom in this life; for the reward is noble, and the hope great.

SELECTION III.

Fragments gathered from the writings of Plato, in which are presented the beliefs of Socrates, that the Deity inspires all true teachers of men to reveal that Wisdom that consists in sincerity, justice, love, and holiness; and in revealing it requires and enables them to suffer ridicule, reproach, and persecution.

BUT the most important thing in

my art is, that it is able to test in every possible way whether the mind of a young man is bringing forth an image and a cheat, or what is genuine and true.

24 To affirm positively, indeed, that these things are exactly as I have described them, does not become a man of sense; that however either this, or something of the kind, takes place with respect to our souls and their habitations-since our soul is certainly immortal-this appears to me most fitting to be believed, and worthy the hazard of one who trusts in its reality; for the hazard because I have no wisdom, they reis noble, and it is right to allure our-proach me truly. But the cause of selves with such things, as with en- this is as follows: the Deity compels chantments. me to act, as it were, the part of a midwife, but forbids me to bring forth myself.

25 I therefore am persuaded by these accounts; and consider how I may exhibit my soul before the judge in the most healthy condition. Wherefore, disregarding the honors that most men value, and looking to the truth, I shall endeavor in reality to live as virtuously as I can, and when I die, to die so. And I invite all other men, to the utmost of my power; and you too I, in turn, invite to this life and this contest, which I affirm surpasses all contests here.

26 Let us use as our guide, then, the reasoning that has now been made clear to us, which teaches us that this is the best mode of life-to live and to die in the exercise of justice and the other virtues. This, then, let us follow, and invite others to do the same.

2 I myself am barren of wisdom, and as to what many have reproached me with, that I question others but give no answer myself on any subject,

3 I am not, therefore, myself at all wise, and I have no such discovery as is the offspring of my own. mind. But those who associate with me at first appear, some of them, exceedingly ignorant, but all, as our intimacy continues, to whom the Deity grants that privilege, make a wonderful proficiency, as is evident both to themselves and others. And this is clear, that they make this proficiency without ever learning any thing from me, but from their own resources finding and becoming possessed of many beautiful things.

4 But I am afraid that, from my love of mankind, I appear to them to tell every man too freely whatever I know; not only teaching without pay,

but even gladly offering myself, if ruling and leading principles, which any one is willing to listen to me. we follow wherever they lead: one 5 But to be laughed at is perhaps being an innate desire of pleasures; of no consequence, for the Atheni- the other an acquired opinion, which ans, as it appears to me, do not care aims at what is most excellent. very much whether they think a man These sometimes agree in us, and is wise, so long as he does not com- sometimes are at variance; and somemunicate his wisdom; but when times one gets the upper hand, at they think a man makes others wise, other times the other. they are angry, either through envy or from some other cause.

9 When opinion therefore with the aid of reason leads to that which is best, and gets the upper hand, we give the name of temperance to this power; but when desire drags us irrationally to pleasures, and rules within us, this ruling power takes the name of excess.

6 For call to mind what has already been said, that to a sick man what he eats appears and is bitter; but to a man in health it is and appears the contrary. And in order to cause it to appear otherwise, there is no need to make either of them wiser IO But excess has many names; than the other; nor must we allege for it has many limbs and many that the sick man is ignorant, be- forms. And of these principles, the cause he is of a different opinion, one that happens to get the preand that he who is in health is wise, dominance gives its own name to because he thinks differently; but the person who possesses it: and that we must endeavor to make the sick neither honorable nor worth acman change over to the other side, quiring. for the condition of health is better. II For instance, with respect to 7 In like manner, in instruction, food, desire that gets the better we should endeavor to make a man of the highest reason, and of the change from one habit to a better. other desires, will be called glutNo one ever makes one who enter- tony; and will cause the person tains false opinions afterward en- who possesses it to be called by tertain true ones; for it is not pos- the same name. Again, with respect sible for a man to have opinions to drinking, when it has usurped other than those by which he is, dominion, by leading its possessor by his own character, affected; and in this direction, it is clear what these, to him, are always the true designation it will acquire. And And I think that a man who, with respect to other things akin from a depraved habit of soul, forms to these, and the names of kindred opinions corresponding to it, if he desires, it is manifest how they be changed to a good habit, it will ought to be called, according as cause him to form different opinions each for the time being happens of the same character. to be dominant.

ones.

8 Here it is necessary to observe, that in each of us there are two

12 Listen to me now in silence. For in truth the place appears to