there　is　confusion　and　perspiration　and　the　extremity　of　effort；　and
  many　of　them　are　lamed　or　have　their　wings　broken　through　the
  ill…driving　of　the　charioteers；　and　all　of　them　after　a　fruitless
  toil；　not　having　attained　to　the　mysteries　of　true　being；　go　away；　and
  feed　upon　opinion。　The　reason　why　the　souls　exhibit　this　exceeding
  eagerness　to　behold　the　plain　of　truth　is　that　pasturage　is　found
  there；　which　is　suited　to　the　highest　part　of　the　soul；　and　the　wing
  on　which　the　soul　soars　is　nourished　with　this。　And　there　is　a　law
  of　Destiny；　that　the　soul　which　attains　any　vision　of　truth　in　company
  with　a　god　is　preserved　from　harm　until　the　next　period；　and　if
  attaining　always　is　always　unharmed。　But　when　she　is　unable　to　follow；
  and　fails　to　behold　the　truth；　and　through　some　ill…hap　sinks
  beneath　the　double　load　of　forgetfulness　and　vice；　and　her　wings
  fall　from　her　and　she　drops　to　the　ground；　then　the　law　ordains　that
  this　soul　shall　at　her　first　birth　pass；　not　into　any　other　animal；
  but　only　into　man；　and　the　soul　which　has　seen　most　of　truth　shall
  come　to　the　birth　as　a　philosopher；　or　artist；　or　some　musical　and
  loving　nature；　that　which　has　seen　truth　in　the　second　degree　shall　be
  some　righteous　king　or　warrior　chief；　the　soul　which　is　of　the　third
  class　shall　be　a　politician；　or　economist；　or　trader；　the　fourth　shall
  be　lover　of　gymnastic　toils；　or　a　physician；　the　fifth　shall　lead
  the　life　of　a　prophet　or　hierophant；　to　the　sixth　the　character　of
  poet　or　some　other　imitative　artist　will　be　assigned；　to　the　seventh
  the　life　of　an　artisan　or　husbandman；　to　the　eighth　that　of　a
  sophist　or　demagogue；　to　the　ninth　that　of　a　tyrant…all　these　are
  states　of　probation；　in　which　he　who　does　righteously　improves；　and　he
  who　does　unrighteously；　improves；　and　he　who　does　unrighteously；
  deteriorates　his　lot。
  Ten　thousand　years　must　elapse　before　the　soul　of　each　one　can
  return　to　the　place　from　whence　she　came；　for　she　cannot　grow　her
  wings　in　less；　only　the　soul　of　a　philosopher；　guileless　and　true；
  or　the　soul　of　a　lover；　who　is　not　devoid　of　philosophy；　may　acquire
  wings　in　the　third　of　the　recurring　periods　of　a　thousand　years；　he　is
  distinguished　from　the　ordinary　good　man　who　gains　wings　in　three
  thousand　years：…and　they　who　choose　this　life　three　times　in
  succession　have　wings　given　them；　and　go　away　at　the　end　of　three
  thousand　years。　But　the　others　receive　judgment　when　they　have
  completed　their　first　life；　and　after　the　judgment　they　go；　some　of
  them　to　the　houses　of　correction　which　are　under　the　earth；　and　are
  punished；　others　to　some　place　in　heaven　whither　they　are　lightly
  borne　by　justice；　and　there　they　live　in　a　manner　worthy　of　the　life
  which　they　led　here　when　in　the　form　of　men。　And　at　the　end　of　the
  first　thousand　years　the　good　souls　and　also　the　evil　souls　both
  come　to　draw　lots　and　choose　their　second　life；　and　they　may　take
  any　which　they　please。　The　soul　of　a　man　may　pass　into　the　life　of　a
  beast；　or　from　the　beast　return　again　into　the　man。　But　the　soul　which
  has　never　seen　the　truth　will　not　pass　into　the　human　form。　For　a
  man　must　have　intelligence　of　universals；　and　be　able　to　proceed
  from　the　many　particulars　of　sense　to　one　conception　of　reason；…this
  is　the　recollection　of　those　things　which　our　soul　once　saw　while
  following　God…when　regardless　of　that　which　we　now　call　being　she
  raised　her　head　up　towards　the　true　being。　And　therefore　the　mind　of
  the　philosopher　alone　has　wings；　and　this　is　just；　for　he　is　always；
  according　to　the　measure　of　his　abilities；　clinging　in　recollection　to
  those　things　in　which　God　abides；　and　in　beholding　which　He　is　what　He
  is。　And　he　who　employs　aright　these　memories　is　ever　being　initiated
  into　perfect　mysteries　and　alone　becomes　truly　perfect。　But；　as　he
  forgets　earthly　interests　and　is　rapt　in　the　divine；　the　vulgar　deem
  him　mad；　and　rebuke　him；　they　do　not　see　that　he　is　inspired。
  Thus　far　I　have　been　speaking　of　the　fourth　and　last　kind　of
  madness；　which　is　imputed　to　him　who；　when　he　sees　the　beauty　of
  earth；　is　transported　with　the　recollection　of　the　true　beauty；　he
  would　like　to　fly　away；　but　he　cannot；　he　is　like　a　bird　fluttering
  and　looking　upward　and　careless　of　the　world　below；　and　he　is
  therefore　thought　to　be　mad。　And　I　have　shown　this　of　all　inspirations
  to　be　the　noblest　and　highest　and　the　offspring　of　the　highest　to
  him　who　has　or　shares　in　it；　and　that　he　who　loves　the　beautiful　is
  called　a　lover　because　he　partakes　of　it。　For；　as　has　been　already
  said；　every　soul　of　man　has　in　the　way　of　nature　beheld　true　being；
  this　was　the　condition　of　her　passing　into　the　form　of　man。　But　all
  souls　do　not　easily　recall　the　things　of　the　other　world；　they　may
  have　seen　them　for　a　short　time　only；　or　they　may　have　been
  unfortunate　in　their　earthly　lot；　and；　having　had　their　hearts
  turned　to　unrighteousness　through　some　corrupting　influence；　they
  may　have　lost　the　memory　of　the　holy　things　which　once　they　saw。　Few
  only　retain　an　adequate　remembrance　of　them；　and　they；　when　they
  behold　here　any　image　of　that　other　world；　are　rapt　in　amazement；
  but　they　are　ignorant　of　what　this　rapture　means；　because　they　do
  not　clearly　perceive。　For　there　is　no　light　of　justice　or　temperance
  or　any　of　the　higher　ideas　which　are　precious　to　souls　in　the
  earthly　copies　of　them：　they　are　seen　through　a　glass　dimly；　and　there
  are　few　who；　going　to　the　images；　behold　in　them　the　realities；　and
  these　only　with　difficulty。　There　was　a　time　when　with　the　rest　of　the
  happy　band　they　saw　beauty　shining　in　brightness…we　philosophers
  following　in　the　train　of　Zeus；　others　in　company　with　other　gods；　and
  then　we　beheld　the　beatific　vision　and　were　initiated　into　a　mystery
  which　may　be　truly　called　most　blessed；　celebrated　by　us　in　our
  state　of　innocence；　before　we　had　any　experience　of　evils　to　come；
  when　we　were　admitted　to　the　sight　of　apparitions　innocent　and
  simple　and　calm　and　happy；　which　we　beheld　shining　impure　light；
  pure　ourselves　and　not　yet　enshrined　in　that　living　tomb　which　we
  carry　about；　now　that　we　are　imprisoned　in　the　body；　like　an　oyster　in
  his　shell。　Let　me　linger　over　the　memory　of　scenes　which　have　passed
  away。
  But　of　beauty；　I　repeat　again　that　we　saw　her　there　shining　in
  company　with　the　celestial　forms；　and　coming　to　earth　we　find　her　here
  too；　shining　in　clearness　through　the　clearest　aperture　of　sense。
  For　sight　is　the　most　piercing　of　our　bodily　senses；　though　not　by
  that　is　wisdom　seen；　her　loveliness　would　have　been　transporting　if
  there　had　been　a　visible　image　of　her；　and　the　other　ideas；　if　they
  had　visible　counterparts；　would　be　equally　lovely。　But　this　is　the
  privilege　of　beauty；　that　being　the　loveliest　she　is　also　the　most
  palpable　to　sight。　Now　he　who　is　not　newly　initiated　or　who　has　become
  corrupted；　does　not　easily　rise　out　of　this　world　to　the　sight　of　true
  beauty　in　the　other；　he　looks　only　at　her　earthly　namesake；　and
  instead　of　being　awed　at　the　sight　of　her；　he　is　given　over　to
  pleasure；　and　like　a　brutish　beast　he　rushes　on　to　enjoy　and　beget；　he
  consorts　with　wantonness；　and　is　not　afraid　or　ashamed　of　pursuing
  pleasure　in　violation　of　nature。　But　he　whose　initiation　is　recent；
  and　who　has　been　the　spectator　of　many　glories　in　the　other　world；
  is　amazed　when　he　sees　any　one　having　a　godlike　face　or　form；　which　is
  the　expression　of　divine　beauty；　and　at　first　a　shudder　runs　through
  him；　and　again　the　old　awe　steals　over　him；　then　looking　upon　the　face
  of　his　beloved　as　of　a　god　he　reverences　him；　and　if　he　were　not
  afraid　of　being　thought　a　downright　madman；　he　would　sacrifice　to
  his　beloved　as　to　the　image　of　a　god；　then　while　he　gazes　on　him　there
  is　a　sort　of　reaction；　and　the　shudder　passes　into　an　unusual　heat　and
  perspiration；　for；　as　he　receives　the　effluence　of　beauty　through
  the　eyes；　the　wing　moistens　and　he　warms。　And　as　he　warms；　the　parts
  out　of　which　the　wing　grew；　and　which　had　been　hitherto　closed　and
  rigid；　and　had　prevented　the　wing　from　shooting　forth；　are　melted；　and
  as　nourishment　streams　upon　him；　the　lower　end　of　the　wings　begins
  to　swell　and　grow　from　the　root　upwards；　and　the　growth　extends
  under　the　whole　soul…for　once　the　whole　was　winged。
  During　this　process　the　whole　soul　is　all　in　a　state　of　ebullition
  and　effervescence；…which　may　be　compared　to　the　irritation　and
  uneasiness　in　the　gums　at　the　time　of　cutting　teeth；…bubbles　up；　and
  has　a