phaedrus   

charioteer oppose him with the arguments of shame and reason.

After this their happiness depends upon their self-control; if the

better elements of the mind which lead to order and philosophy

prevail, then they pass their life here in happiness and

harmony-masters of themselves and orderly-enslaving the vicious and

emancipating the virtuous elements of the soul; and when the end

comes, they are light and winged for flight, having conquered in one

of the three heavenly or truly Olympian victories; nor can human

discipline or divine inspiration confer any greater blessing on man

than this. If, on the other hand, they leave philosophy and lead the

lower life of ambition, then probably, after wine or in some other

careless hour, the two wanton animals take the two souls when off

their guard and bring them together, and they accomplish that desire

of their hearts which to the many is bliss; and this having once

enjoyed they continue to enjoy, yet rarely because they have not the

approval of the whole soul. They too are dear, but not so dear to

one another as the others, either at the time of their love or

afterwards. They consider that they have given and taken from each

other the most sacred pledges, and they may not break them and fall

into enmity. At last they pass out of the body, unwinged, but eager to

soar, and thus obtain no mean reward of love and madness. For those

who have once begun the heavenward pilgrimage may not go down again to

darkness and the journey beneath the earth, but they live in light

always; happy companions in their pilgrimage, and when the time

comes at which they receive their wings they have the same plumage

because of their love.

Thus great are the heavenly blessings which the friendship of a

lover will confer upon you, my youth. Whereas the attachment of the

non-lover, which is alloyed with a worldly prudence and has worldly

and niggardly ways of doling out benefits, will breed in your soul

those vulgar qualities which the populace applaud, will send you

bowling round the earth during a period of nine thousand years, and