ody；　or　mortal　anything；　partakes　of　immortality；　but　the　immortal　in　another　way。　Marvel　not　then　at　the　love　which　all　men　have　of　their　offspring；　for　that　universal　love　and　interest　is　for　the　sake　of　immortality。〃　　　I　was　astonished　at　her　words；　and　said：　〃Is　this　really　true；　O　thou　wise　Diotima？〃　And　she　answered　with　all　the　authority　of　an　accomplished　sophist：　〃Of　that；　Socrates；　you　may　be　assured；…think　only　of　the　ambition　of　men；　and　you　will　wonder　at　the　senselessness　of　their　ways；　unless　you　consider　how　they　are　stirred　by　the　love　of　an　immortality　of　fame。　They　are　ready　to　run　all　risks　greater　far　than　they　would　have　for　their　children；　and　to　spend　money　and　undergo　any　sort　of　toil；　and　even　to　die；　for　the　sake　of　leaving　behind　them　a　name　which　shall　be　eternal。　Do　you　imagine　that　Alcestis　would　have　died　to　save　Admetus；　or　Achilles　to　avenge　Patroclus；　or　your　own　Codrus　in　order　to　preserve　the　kingdom　for　his　sons；　if　they　had　not　imagined　that　the　memory　of　their　virtues；　which　still　survives　among　us；　would　be　immortal？　Nay；〃　she　said；　〃I　am　persuaded　that　all　men　do　all　things；　and　the　better　they　are　the　more　they　do　them；　in　hope　of　the　glorious　fame　of　immortal　virtue；　for　they　desire　the　immortal。　　　〃Those　who　are　pregnant　in　the　body　only；　betake　themselves　to　women　and　beget　children…this　is　the　character　of　their　love；　their　offspring；　as　they　hope；　will　preserve　their　memory　and　giving　them　the　blessedness　and　immortality　which　they　desire　in　the　future。　But　souls　which　are　pregnant…for　there　certainly　are　men　who　are　more　creative　in　their　souls　than　in　their　bodies　conceive　that　which　is　proper　for　the　soul　to　conceive　or　contain。　And　what　are　these　conceptions？…wisdom　and　virtue　in　general。　And　such　creators　are　poets　and　all　artists　who　are　deserving　of　the　name　inventor。　But　the　greatest　and　fairest　sort　of　wisdom　by　far　is　that　which　is　concerned　with　the　ordering　of　states　and　families；　and　which　is　called　temperance　and　justice。　And　he　who　in　youth　has　the　seed　of　these　implanted　in　him　and　is　himself　inspired；　when　he　comes　to　maturity　desires　to　beget　and　generate。　He　wanders　about　seeking　beauty　that　he　may　beget　offspring…for　in　deformity　he　will　beget　nothing…and　naturally　embraces　the　beautiful　rather　than　the　deformed　body；　above　all　when　he　finds　fair　and　noble　and　well…nurtured　soul；　he　embraces　the　two　in　one　person；　and　to　such　an　one　he　is　full　of　speech　about　virtue　and　the　nature　and　pursuits　of　a　good　man；　and　he　tries　to　educate　him；　and　at　the　touch　of　the　beautiful　which　is　ever　present　to　his　memory；　even　when　absent；　he　brings　forth　that　which　he　had　conceived　long　before；　and　in　company　with　him　tends　that　which　he　brings　forth；　and　they　are　married　by　a　far　nearer　tie　and　have　a　closer　friendship　than　those　who　beget　mortal　children；　for　the　children　who　are　their　common　offspring　are　fairer　and　more　immortal。　Who；　when　he　thinks　of　Homer　and　Hesiod　and　other　great　poets；　would　not　rather　have　their　children　than　ordinary　human　ones？　Who　would　not　emulate　them　in　the　creation　of　children　such　as　theirs；　which　have　preserved　their　memory　and　given　them　everlasting　glory？　Or　who　would　not　have　such　children　as　Lycurgus　left　behind　him　to　be　the　saviours；　not　only　of　Lacedaemon；　but　of　Hellas；　as　one　may　say？　There　is　Solon；　too；　who　is　the　revered　father　of　Athenian　laws；　and　many　others　there　are　in　many　other　places；　both　among　hellenes　and　barbarians；　who　have　given　to　the　world　many　noble　works；　and　have　been　the　parents　of　virtue　of　every　kind；　and　many　temples　have　been　raised　in　their　honour　for　the　sake　of　children　such　as　theirs；　which　were　never　raised　in　honour　of　any　one；　for　the　sake　of　his　mortal　children。　　　〃These　are　the　lesser　mysteries　of　love；　into　which　even　you；　Socrates；　may　enter；　to　the　greater　and　more　hidden　ones　which　are　the　crown　of　these；　and　to　which；　if　you　pursue　them　in　a　right　spirit；　they　will　lead；　I　know　not　whether　you　will　be　able　to　attain。　But　I　will　do　my　utmost　to　inform　you；　and　do　you　follow　if　you　can。　For　he　who　would　proceed　aright　in　this　matter　should　begin　in　youth　to　visit　beautiful　forms；　and　first；　if　he　be　guided　by　his　instructor　aright；　to　love　one　such　form　only…out　of　that　he　should　create　fair　thoughts；　and　soon　he　will　of　himself　perceive　that　the　beauty　of　one　form　is　akin　to　the　beauty　of　another；　and　then　if　beauty　of　form　in　general　is　his　pursuit；　how　foolish　would　he　be　not　to　recognize　that　the　beauty　in　every　form　is　and　the　same！　And　when　he　perceives　this　he　will　abate　his　violent　love　of　the　one；　which　he　will　despise　and　deem　a　small　thing；　and　will　become　a　lover　of　all　beautiful　forms；　in　the　next　stage　he　will　consider　that　the　beauty　of　the　mind　is　more　honourable　than　the　beauty　of　the　outward　form。　So　that　if　a　virtuous　soul　have　but　a　little　comeliness；　he　will　be　content　to　love　and　tend　him；　and　will　search　out　and　bring　to　the　birth　thoughts　which　may　improve　the　young；　until　he　is　compelled　to　contemplate　and　see　the　beauty　of　institutions　and　laws；　and　to　understand　that　the　beauty　of　them　all　is　of　one　family；　and　that　personal　beauty　is　a　trifle；　and　after　laws　and　institutions　he　will　go　on　to　the　sciences；　that　he　may　see　their　beauty；　being　not　like　a　servant　in　love　with　the　beauty　of　one　youth　or　man　or　institution；　himself　a　slave　mean　and　narrow…minded；　but　drawing　towards　and　contemplating　the　vast　sea　of　beauty；　he　will　create　many　fair　and　noble　thoughts　and　notions　in　boundless　love　of　wisdom；　until　on　that　shore　he　grows　and　waxes　strong；　and　at　last　the　vision　is　revealed　to　him　of　a　single　science；　which　is　the　science　of　beauty　everywhere。　To　this　I　will　proceed；　please　to　give　me　your　very　best　attention：　　　〃He　who　has　been　instructed　thus　far　in　the　things　of　love；　and　who　has　learned　to　see　the　beautiful　in　due　order　and　succession；　when　he　comes　toward　the　end　will　suddenly　perceive　a　nature　of　wondrous　beauty　（and　this；　Socrates；　is　the　final　cause　of　all　our　former　toils）…a　nature　which　in　the　first　place　is　everlasting；　not　growing　and　decaying；　or　waxing　and　waning；　secondly；　not　fair　in　one　point　of　view　and　foul　in　another；　or　at　one　time　or　in　one　relation　or　at　one　place　fair；　at　another　time　or　in　another　relation　or　at　another　place　foul；　as　if　fair　to　some　and…foul　to　others；　or　in　the　likeness　of　a　face　or　hands　or　any　other　part　of　the　bodily　frame；　or　in　any　form　of　speech　or　knowledge；　or　existing　in　any　other　being；　as　for　example；　in　an　animal；　or　in　heaven　or　in　earth；　or　in　any　other　place；　but　beauty　absolute；　separate；　simple；　and　everlasting；　which　without　diminution　and　without　increase；　or　any　change；　is　imparted　to　the　ever…growing　and　perishing　beauties　of　all　other　things。　He　who　from　these　ascending　under　the　influence　of　true　love；　begins　to　perceive　that　beauty；　is　not　far　from　the　end。　And　the　true　order　of　going；　or　being　led　by　another；　to　the　things　of　love；　is　to　begin　from　the　beauties　of　earth　and　mount　upwards　for　the　sake　of　that　other　beauty；　using　these　as　steps　only；　and　from　one　going　on　to　two；　and　from　two　to　all　fair　forms；　and　from　fair　forms　to　fair　practices；　and　from　fair　practices　to　fair　notions；　until　from　fair　notions　he　arrives　at　the　notion　of　absolute　beauty；　and　at　last　knows　what　the　essence　of　beauty　is。　This；　my　dear　Socrates；〃　said　the　stranger　of　Mantineia；　〃is　that　life　above　all　others　which　man　should　live；　in　the　contemplation　of　beauty　absolute；　a　beauty　which　if　you　once　beheld；　you　would　see　not　to　be　after　the　measure　of　gold；　and　garments；　and　fair　boys　and　youths；　whose　presence　now　entrances　you；　and　you　and　many　a　one　would　be　content　to　live　seeing　them　only　and　conversing　with　them　without　meat　or　drink；　if　that　were　possible…you　only　want　to　look　at　them　and　to　be　with　them。　But　what　if　man　had　eyes　to　see　the　true　beauty…the　divine　beauty；　I　mean；　pure　and　dear　and　unalloyed；　not　clogged　with　the　pollutions　of　mortality　and　all　the　colours　and　vanities　of　human　life…thither　looking；　and　holding　converse　with　the　true　beauty　simple　and　divine？　Remember　how　in　that　communion　only；　beholding　beauty　with　the　eye　of　the　mind；　he　will　be　enabled　to　bring　forth；　not　images　of　beauty；　but　realities　（for　he　has　hold　not　of　an　image　but　of　a　reality）；　and　bringing　forth　and　nourishing　true　virtue　to　become　the　friend　of　God　and　be　immortal；　if　mortal　man　may。　Would　that　be　an　ignoble　life？〃　　　Such；　Phaedrus…and　I　speak　not　only　to　you；　but　to　all　of　you…were　the　words　of　Diotima；　and　I　am　persuaded　of　their　truth。　And　being　persuaded　of　them；　I　try　to　persuade　others；　that　in　the　attainment　of　this　end　human　nature　will　not　easily　find　a　helper　better　than　love：　And　therefore；　also；　I　say　that　every　man　ought　to　honour　him　as　I　myself　honour　him；　and　walk　in　his　ways；　and　exhort　others　to　do　the　same；　and　praise　the　power　and　spirit　of　love　according　to　the　measure　of　my　ability　now　and　ever。　　　The　words　which　I　have　spoken；　you；　Phaedrus；　may　call　an　encomium　of　love；　or　anything　else　which　you　please。　　　When　Socrates　had　done　speaking；　the　company　applauded；　and　Aristophanes　was　beginning　to　say　something　in　answer　to　the　allusion　which　Socrates　had　made　to　his　own　speech；　when　suddenly　the