philebus   

fancies that he has found a treasure of wisdom; in the first

enthusiasm of his joy he leaves no stone, or rather no thought

unturned, now rolling up the many into the one, and kneading them

together, now unfolding and dividing them; he puzzles himself first

and above all, and then he proceeds to puzzle his neighbours,

whether they are older or younger, or of his own age-that makes no

difference; neither father nor mother does he spare; no human being

who has ears is safe from him, hardly even his dog, and a barbarian

would have no chance of escaping him, if an interpreter could only

be found.

Pro. Considering, Socrates, how many we are, and that all of us

are young men, is there not a danger that we and Philebus may all

set upon you, if you abuse us? We understand what you mean; but is

there no charm by which we may dispel all this confusion, no more

excellent way of arriving at the truth? If there is, we hope that

you will guide us into that way, and we will do our best to follow,

for the enquiry in which we are engaged, Socrates, is not unimportant.

Soc. The reverse of unimportant, my boys, as Philebus calls you, and

there neither is nor ever will be a better than my own favourite

way, which has nevertheless already often deserted me and left me

helpless in the hour of need.

Pro. Tell us what that is.

Soc. One which may be easily pointed out, but is by no means easy of

application; it is the parent of all the discoveries in the arts.

Pro. Tell us what it is.

Soc. A gift of heaven, which, as I conceive, the gods tossed among

men by the hands of a new Prometheus, and therewith a blaze of

light; and the ancients, who were our betters and nearer the gods than

we are, handed down the tradition, that whatever things are said to be

are composed of one and many, and have the finite, and infinite

implanted in them: seeing, then, that such is the order of the

world, we too ought in every enquiry to begin by laying down one