who　would　escape　the　censure　of　the　world。　Now　love　ought　to　be　for
  the　advantage　of　both　parties；　and　for　the　injury　of　neither。
  〃I　believe　that　I　have　said　enough；　but　if　there　is　anything　more
  which　you　desire　or　which　in　your　opinion　needs　to　be　supplied；　ask
  and　I　will　answer。〃
  Now；　Socrates；　what　do　you　think？　Is　not　the　discourse　excellent；
  more　especially　in　the　matter　of　the　language？
  Soc。　Yes；　quite　admirable；　the　effect　on　me　was　ravishing。　And
  this　I　owe　to　you；　Phaedrus；　for　I　observed　you　while　reading　to　be　in
  an　ecstasy；　and　thinking　that　you　are　more　experienced　in　these
  matters　than　I　am；　I　followed　your　example；　and；　like　you；　my　divine
  darling；　I　became　inspired　with　a　phrenzy。
  Phaedr。　Indeed；　you　are　pleased　to　be　merry。
  Soc。　Do　you　mean　that　I　am　not　in　earnest？
  Phaedr。　Now　don't　talk　in　that　way；　Socrates；　but　let　me　have　your
  real　opinion；　I　adjure　you；　by　Zeus；　the　god　of　friendship；　to　tell　me
  whether　you　think　that　any　Hellene　could　have　said　more　or　spoken
  better　on　the　same　subject。
  Soc。　Well；　but　are　you　and　I　expected　to　praise　the　sentiments　of
  the　author；　or　only　the　clearness；　and　roundness；　and　finish；　and
  tournure　of　the　language？　As　to　the　first　I　willingly　submit　to　your
  better　judgment；　for　I　am　not　worthy　to　form　an　opinion；　having　only
  attended　to　the　rhetorical　manner；　and　I　was　doubting　whether　this
  could　have　been　defended　even　by　Lysias　himself；　I　thought；　though　I
  speak　under　correction；　that　he　repeated　himself　two　or　three　times；
  either　from　want　of　words　or　from　want　of　pains；　and　also；　he　appeared
  to　me　ostentatiously　to　exult　in　showing　how　well　he　could　say　the
  same　thing　in　two　or　three　ways。
  Phaedr。　Nonsense；　Socrates；　what　you　call　repetition　was　the
  especial　merit　of　the　speech；　for　he　omitted　no　topic　of　which　the
  subject　rightly　allowed；　and　I　do　not　think　that　any　one　could　have
  spoken　better　or　more　exhaustively。
  Soc。　There　I　cannot　go　along　with　you。　Ancient　sages；　men　and　women；
  who　have　spoken　and　written　of　these　things；　would　rise　up　in　judgment
  against　me；　if　out　of　complaisance　I　assented　to　you。
  Phaedr。　Who　are　they；　and　where　did　you　hear　anything　better　than
  this？
  Soc。　I　am　sure　that　I　must　have　heard；　but　at　this　moment　I　do　not
  remember　from　whom；　perhaps　from　Sappho　the　fair；　or　Anacreon　the
  wise；　or；　possibly；　from　a　prose　writer。　Why　do　I　say　so？　Why；　because
  I　perceive　that　my　bosom　is　full；　and　that　I　could　make　another　speech
  as　good　as　that　of　Lysias；　and　different。　Now　I　am　certain　that　this
  is　not　an　invention　of　my　own；　who　am　well　aware　that　I　know
  nothing；　and　therefore　I　can　only　infer　that　I　have　been　filled
  through　the　cars；　like　a　pitcher；　from　the　waters　of　another；　though　I
  have　actually　forgotten　in　my　stupidity　who　was　my　informant。
  Phaedr。　That　is　grand：…but　never　mind　where　you　beard　the
  discourse　or　from　whom；　let　that　be　a　mystery　not　to　be　divulged
  even　at　my　earnest　desire。　Only；　as　you　say；　promise　to　make　another
  and　better　oration；　equal　in　length　and　entirely　new；　on　the　same
  subject；　and　I；　like　the　nine　Archons；　will　promise　to　set　up　a　golden
  image　at　Delphi；　not　only　of　myself；　but　of　you；　and　as　large　as　life。
  Soc。　You　are　a　dear　golden　ass　if　you　suppose　me　to　mean　that　Lysias
  has　altogether　missed　the　mark；　and　that　I　can　make　a　speech　from
  which　all　his　arguments　are　to　be　excluded。　The　worst　of　authors
  will　say　something　which　is　to　the　point。　Who；　for　example；　could
  speak　on　this　thesis　of　yours　without　praising　the　discretion　of　the
  non…lover　and　blaming　the　indiscretion　of　the　lover？　These　are　the
  commonplaces　of　the　subject　which　must　come　in　（for　what　else　is　there
  to　be　said？）　and　must　be　allowed　and　excused；　the　only　merit　is　in　the
  arrangement　of　them；　for　there　can　be　none　in　the　invention；　but
  when　you　leave　the　commonplaces；　then　there　may　be　some　originality。
  Phaedr。　I　admit　that　there　is　reason　in　what　you　say；　and　I　too　will
  be　reasonable；　and　will　allow　you　to　start　with　the　premiss　that　the
  lover　is　more　disordered　in　his　wits　than　the　non…lover；　if　in　what
  remains　you　make　a　longer　and　better　speech　than　Lysias；　and　use　other
  arguments；　then　I　say　again；　that　a　statue　you　shall　have　of　beaten
  gold；　and　take　your　place　by　the　colossal　offerings　of　the　Cypselids
  at　Olympia。
  Soc。　How　profoundly　in　earnest　is　the　lover；　because　to　tease　him
  I　lay　a　finger　upon　his　love！　And　so；　Phaedrus；　you　really　imagine
  that　I　am　going　to　improve　upon　the　ingenuity　of　Lysias？
  Phaedr。　There　I　have　you　as　you　had　me；　and　you　must　just　speak
  〃as　you　best　can。〃　Do　not　let　us　exchange　〃tu　quoque〃　as　in　a　farce；
  or　compel　me　to　say　to　you　as　you　said　to　me；　〃I　know　Socrates　as　well
  as　I　know　myself；　and　he　was　wanting　to；　speak；　but　he　gave　himself
  airs。〃　Rather　I　would　have　you　consider　that　from　this　place　we　stir
  not　until　you　have　unbosomed　yourself　of　the　speech；　for　here　are　we
  all　alone；　and　I　am　stronger；　remember；　and　younger　than　you…Wherefore
  perpend；　and　do　not　compel　me　to　use　violence。
  Soc。　But；　my　sweet　Phaedrus；　how　ridiculous　it　would　be　of　me　to
  compete　with　Lysias　in　an　extempore　speech！　He　is　a　master　in　his
  art　and　I　am　an　untaught　man。
  Phaedr。　You　see　how　matters　stand；　and　therefore　let　there　be　no
  more　pretences；　for；　indeed；　I　know　the　word　that　is　irresistible。
  Soc。　Then　don't　say　it。
  Phaedr。　Yes；　but　I　will；　and　my　word　shall　be　an　oath。　〃I　say；　or
  rather　swear〃…but　what　god　will　be　witness　of　my　oath？…〃By　this
  plane…tree　I　swear；　that　unless　you　repeat　the　discourse　here　in　the
  face　of　this　very　plane…tree；　I　will　never　tell　you　another；　never　let
  you　have　word　of　another！〃
  Soc。　Villain　I　am　conquered；　the　poor　lover　of　discourse　has　no　more
  to　say。
  Phaedr。　Then　why　are　you　still　at　your　tricks？
  Soc。　I　am　not　going　to　play　tricks　now　that　you　have　taken　the　oath；
  for　I　cannot　allow　myself　to　be　starved。
  Phaedr。　Proceed。
  Soc。　Shall　I　tell　you　what　I　will　do？
  Phaedr。　What？
  Soc。　I　will　veil　my　face　and　gallop　through　the　discourse　as　fast　as
  I　can；　for　if　I　see　you　I　shall　feel　ashamed　and　not　know　what　to　say。
  Phaedr。　Only　go　on　and　you　may　do　anything　else　which　you　please。
  Soc。　Come；　O　ye　Muses；　melodious；　as　ye　are　called；　whether　you　have
  received　this　name　from　the　character　of　your　strains；　or　because
  the　Melians　are　a　musical　race；　help；　O　help　me　in　the　tale　which　my
  good　friend　here　desires　me　to　rehearse；　in　order　that　his　friend　whom
  he　always　deemed　wise　may　seem　to　him　to　be　wiser　than　ever。
  Once　upon　a　time　there　was　a　fair　boy；　or；　more　properly　speaking；　a
  youth；　he　was　very　fair　and　had　a　great　many　lovers；　and　there　was　one
  special　cunning　one；　who　had　persuaded　the　youth　that　he　did　not
  love　him；　but　he　really　loved　him　all　the　same；　and　one　day　when　he
  was　paying　his　addresses　to　him；　he　used　this　very　argument…that　he
  ought　to　accept　the　non…lover　rather　than　the　lover；　his　words　were　as
  follows：…
  〃All　good　counsel　begins　in　the　same　way；　a　man　should　know　what
  he　is　advising　about；　or　his　counsel　will　all　come　to　nought。　But
  people　imagine　that　they　know　about　the　nature　of　things；　when　they
  don't　know　about　them；　and；　not　having　come　to　an　understanding　at
  first　because　they　think　that　they　know；　they　end；　as　might　be
  expected；　in　contradicting　one　another　and　themselves。　Now　you　and　I
  must　not　be　guilty　of　this　fundamental　error　which　we　condemn　in
  others；　but　as　our　question　is　whether　the　lover　or　non…lover　is　to　be
  preferred；　let　us　first　of　all　agree　in　defining　the　nature　and
  power　of　love；　and　then；　keeping　our　eyes　upon　the　definition　and　to
  this　appealing；　let　us　further　enquire　whether　love　brings　advantage
  or　disadvantage。
  〃Every　one　sees　that　love　is　a　desire；　and　we　know　also　that
  non…lovers　desire　the　beautiful　and　good。　Now　in　what　way　is　the　lover
  to　be　distinguished　from　the　non…lover？　Let　us　note　that　in　every
  one　of　us　there　are　two　guiding　and　ruling　principles　which　lead　us
  whither　they　will；　one　is　the　natural　desire　of　pleasure；　the　other　is
  an　acquired　opinion　which　aspires　after　the　best；　and　these　two　are
  sometimes　in　harmony　and　then　again　at　war；　and　sometimes　the　one；
  sometimes　the　other　conquers。　When　opinion　by　the　help　of　reason　leads
  us　to　the　best；　the　conquering　principle　is　called　temperance；　but
  when　desire；　which　is　devoid　of　reason；　rules　in　us　and　drags