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theirs。　And　there　is　no　difficulty；　he　said；　in　assigning　to　all　of



them　places　answering　to　their　several　natures　and　propensities？



　　There　is　not；　he　said。



　　Even　among　them　some　are　happier　than　others；　and　the　happiest



both　in　themselves　and　their　place　of　abode　are　those　who　have



practised　the　civil　and　social　virtues　which　are　called　temperance　and



justice；　and　are　acquired　by　habit　and　attention　without　philosophy



and　mind。



　　Why　are　they　the　happiest？



　　Because　they　may　be　expected　to　pass　into　some　gentle；　social　nature



which　is　like　their　own；　such　as　that　of　bees　or　ants；　or　even　back



again　into　the　form　of　man；　and　just　and　moderate　men　spring　from



them。



　　That　is　not　impossible。



　　But　he　who　is　a　philosopher　or　lover　of　learning；　and　is　entirely



pure　at　departing；　is　alone　permitted　to　reach　the　gods。　And　this　is



the　reason；　Simmias　and　Cebes；　why　the　true　votaries　of　philosophy



abstain　from　all　fleshly　lusts；　and　endure　and　refuse　to　give



themselves　up　to　them…not　because　they　fear　poverty　or　the　ruin　of



their　families；　like　the　lovers　of　money；　and　the　world　in　general；



nor　like　the　lovers　of　power　and　honor；　because　they　dread　the



dishonor　or　disgrace　of　evil　deeds。



　　No；　Socrates；　that　would　not　become　them；　said　Cebes。



　　No；　indeed；　he　replied；　and　therefore　they　who　have　a　care　of



their　souls；　and　do　not　merely　live　in　the　fashions　of　the　body；　say



farewell　to　all　this；　they　will　not　walk　in　the　ways　of　the　blind：　and



when　philosophy　offers　them　purification　and　release　from　evil；　they



feel　that　they　ought　not　to　resist　her　influence；　and　to　her　they



incline；　and　whither　she　leads　they　follow　her。



　　What　do　you　mean；　Socrates？



　　I　will　tell　you；　he　said。　The　lovers　of　knowledge　are　conscious　that



their　souls；　when　philosophy　receives　them；　are　simply　fastened　and



glued　to　their　bodies：　the　soul　is　only　able　to　view　existence　through



the　bars　of　a　prison；　and　not　in　her　own　nature；　she　is　wallowing　in



the　mire　of　all　ignorance；　and　philosophy；　seeing　the　terrible



nature　of　her　confinement；　and　that　the　captive　through　desire　is



led　to　conspire　in　her　own　captivity　（for　the　lovers　of　knowledge



are　aware　that　this　was　the　original　state　of　the　soul；　and　that



when　she　was　in　this　state　philosophy　received　and　gently　counseled



her；　and　wanted　to　release　her；　pointing　out　to　her　that　the　eye　is



full　of　deceit；　and　also　the　ear　and　other　senses；　and　persuading



her　to　retire　from　them　in　all　but　the　necessary　use　of　them　and　to　be



gathered　up　and　collected　into　herself；　and　to　trust　only　to　herself



and　her　own　intuitions　of　absolute　existence；　and　mistrust　that



which　comes　to　her　through　others　and　is　subject　to



vicissitude）…philosophy　shows　her　that　this　is　visible　and　tangible；



but　that　what　she　sees　in　her　own　nature　is　intellectual　and



invisible。　And　the　soul　of　the　true　philosopher　thinks　that　she



ought　not　to　resist　this　deliverance；　and　therefore　abstains　from



pleasures　and　desires　and　pains　and　fears；　as　far　as　she　is　able；



reflecting　that　when　a　man　has　great　joys　or　sorrows　or　fears　or



desires　he　suffers　from　them；　not　the　sort　of　evil　which　might　be



anticipated…as；　for　example；　the　loss　of　his　health　or　property；　which



he　has　sacrificed　to　his　lusts…but　he　has　suffered　an　evil　greater



far；　which　is　the　greatest　and　worst　of　all　evils；　and　one　of　which　he



never　thinks。



　　And　what　is　that；　Socrates？　said　Cebes。



　　Why；　this：　When　the　feeling　of　pleasure　or　pain　in　the　soul　is



most　intense；　all　of　us　naturally　suppose　that　the　object　of　this



intense　feeling　is　then　plainest　and　truest：　but　this　is　not　the　case。



　　Very　true。



　　And　this　is　the　state　in　which　the　soul　is　most　enthralled　by　the



body。



　　How　is　that？



　　Why；　because　each　pleasure　and　pain　is　a　sort　of　nail　which　nails



and　rivets　the　soul　to　the　body；　and　engrosses　her　and　makes　her



believe　that　to　be　true　which　the　body　affirms　to　be　true；　and　from



agreeing　with　the　body　and　having　the　same　delights　she　is　obliged



to　have　the　same　habits　and　ways；　and　is　not　likely　ever　to　be　pure　at



her　departure　to　the　world　below；　but　is　always　saturated　with　the



body；　so　that　she　soon　sinks　into　another　body　and　there　germinates



and　grows；　and　has　therefore　no　part　in　the　communion　of　the　divine



and　pure　and　simple。



　　That　is　most　true；　Socrates；　answered　Cebes。



　　And　this；　Cebes；　is　the　reason　why　the　true　lovers　of　knowledge



are　temperate　and　brave；　and　not　for　the　reason　which　the　world　gives。



　　Certainly　not。



　　Certainly　not！　For　not　in　that　way　does　the　soul　of　a　philosopher



reason；　she　will　not　ask　philosophy　to　release　her　in　order　that



when　released　she　may　deliver　herself　up　again　to　the　thraldom　of



pleasures　and　pains；　doing　a　work　only　to　be　undone　again；　weaving



instead　of　unweaving　her　Penelope's　web。　But　she　will　make　herself　a



calm　of　passion　and　follow　Reason；　and　dwell　in　her；　beholding　the



true　and　divine　（which　is　not　matter　of　opinion）；　and　thence　derive



nourishment。　Thus　she　seeks　to　live　while　she　lives；　and　after　death



she　hopes　to　go　to　her　own　kindred　and　to　be　freed　from　human　ills。



Never　fear；　Simmias　and　Cebes；　that　a　soul　which　has　been　thus



nurtured　and　has　had　these　pursuits；　will　at　her　departure　from　the



body　be　scattered　and　blown　away　by　the　winds　and　be　nowhere　and



nothing。



　　When　Socrates　had　done　speaking；　for　a　considerable　time　there　was



silence；　he　himself　and　most　of　us　appeared　to　be　meditating　on　what



had　been　said；　only　Cebes　and　Simmias　spoke　a　few　words　to　one



another。　And　Socrates　observing　this　asked　them　what　they　thought　of



the　argument；　and　whether　there　was　anything　wanting？　For；　said　he；



much　is　still　open　to　suspicion　and　attack；　if　anyone　were　disposed　to



sift　the　matter　thoroughly。　If　you　are　talking　of　something　else　I



would　rather　not　interrupt　you；　but　if　you　are　still　doubtful　about



the　argument　do　not　hesitate　to　say　exactly　what　you　think；　and　let　us



have　anything　better　which　you　can　suggest；　and　if　I　am　likely　to　be



of　any　use；　allow　me　to　help　you。



　　Simmias　said：　I　must　confess；　Socrates；　that　doubts　did　arise　in　our



minds；　and　each　of　us　was　urging　and　inciting　the　other　to　put　the



question　which　he　wanted　to　have　answered　and　which　neither　of　us



liked　to　ask；　fearing　that　our　importunity　might　be　troublesome



under　present　circumstances。



　　Socrates　smiled　and　said：　O　Simmias；　how　strange　that　is；　I　am　not



very　likely　to　persuade　other　men　that　I　do　not　regard　my　present



situation　as　a　misfortune；　if　I　am　unable　to　persuade　you；　and　you



will　keep　fancying　that　I　am　at　all　more　troubled　now　than　at　any



other　time。　Will　you　not　allow　that　I　have　as　much　of　the　spirit　of



prophecy　in　me　as　the　swans？　For　they；　when　they　perceive　that　they



must　die；　having　sung　all　their　life　long；　do　then　sing　more　than



ever；　rejoicing　in　the　thought　that　they　are　about　to　go　away　to　the



god　whose　ministers　they　are。　But　men；　because　they　are　themselves



afraid　of　death；　slanderously　affirm　of　the　swans　that　they　sing　a



lament　at　the　last；　not　considering　that　no　bird　sings　when　cold；　or



hungry；　or　in　pain；　not　even　the　nightingale；　nor　the　swallow；　nor　yet



the　hoopoe；　which　are　said　indeed　to　tune　a　lay　of　sorrow；　although



I　do　not　believe　this　to　be　true　of　them　any　more　than　of　the　swans。



But　because　they　are　sacred　to　Apollo　and　have　the　gift　of　prophecy



and　anticipate　the　good　things　of　another　world；　therefore　they　sing



and　rejoice　in　that　day　more　than　they　ever　did　before。　And　I；　too；



believing　myself　to　be　the　consecrated　servant　of　the　same　God；　and



the　fellow　servant　of　the　swans；　and　thinking　that　I　have　received



from　my　master　gifts　of　prophecy　which　are　not　inferior　to　theirs；



would　not　go　out　of　life　less　merrily　than　the　swans。　Cease　to　mind



then　about　this；　but　speak　and　ask　anything　which　you　like；　while



the　eleven　magistrates　of　Athens　allow。



　　Well；　Socrates；　said　Simmias；　then　I　will　tell　you　my　difficulty；



and　Cebes　will　tell　you　his。　For　I　dare　say　that　you；　Socrates；



feel；　as　I　do；　how　very　hard　or　almost　impossible　is　the　attainment　of



any　certainty　about　questions　such　as　these　in　the　present　life。　And



yet　I　should　deem　him　a　coward　who　did　not　prove　what　is　said　about



them　to　the　uttermost；　or　whose　heart　failed　him　before　he　had



examined　them　on　every　side。　For　he　should　persevere　until　he　has



attained　one　of　two　things：　either　he　should　discover　or　learn　the



truth　about　them；　or；　if　this　is　impossible；　I　would　have　him　take　the



best　and　most　irrefragable　of　human　notions；　and　let　this　be　the



raft　upon　which　he　sails　through　life…not　without　risk；　as　I　admit；　if



he　cannot　find　some　word　of　God　which　will　more　sur