SOCRATES: Very true, my good friend; and I hope their passion ceases, but to the non-lovers who that you will excuse me when you hear the rea-are free and not under any compulsion, no time son, which is, that I am a lover of knowledge, of repentance ever comes; for they confer their and the men who dwell in the city are my teach-benefits according to the measure of their abil-ers, and not the trees or the country. Though I ity, in the way which is most conducive to their do indeed believe that you have found a spell own interest. Then again, lovers consider how with which to draw me out of the city into the by reason of their love they have neglected their country, like a hungry cow before whom a bough own concerns and rendered service to others: and or a bunch of fruit is waved. For only hold up when to these benefits conferred they add on before me in like manner a book, and you may the troubles which they have endured, they think lead me all round Attica, and over the wide world.
that they have long ago made to the beloved a And now having arrived, I intend to lie down, very ample return. But the non-lover has no such and do you choose any posture in which you can tormenting recollections; he has never neglected read best. Begin.
his affairs or quarrelled with his relations; he has no troubles to add up or excuses to invent; PHAEDRUS: Listen. You know how matters stand and being well rid of all these evils, why should with me; and how, as I conceive, this affair may he not freely do what will gratify the beloved? If be arranged for the advantage of both of us. And you say that the lover is more to be esteemed, I maintain that I ought not to fail in my suit, because his love is thought to be greater; for he because I am not your lover: for lovers repent of is willing to say and do what is hateful to other the kindnesses which they have shown when men, in order to please his beloved;—that, if true, 53
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is only a proof that he will prefer any future love as emulous of him as he is of them, will boast to to his present, and will injure his old love at the some one of his successes, and make a show of pleasure of the new. And how, in a matter of such them openly in the pride of his heart;—he wants infinite importance, can a man be right in trust-others to know that his labour has not been lost; ing himself to one who is afflicted with a malady but the non-lover is more his own master, and is which no experienced person would attempt to desirous of solid good, and not of the opinion of cure, for the patient himself admits that he is mankind. Again, the lover may be generally not in his right mind, and acknowledges that he noted or seen following the beloved (this is his is wrong in his mind, but says that he is unable regular occupation), and whenever they are ob-to control himself? And if he came to his right served to exchange two words they are supposed mind, would he ever imagine that the desires to meet about some affair of love either past or were good which he conceived when in his wrong in contemplation; but when non-lovers meet, no mind? Once more, there are many more non-lov-one asks the reason why, because people know ers than lovers; and if you choose the best of the that talking to another is natural, whether friend-lovers, you will not have many to choose from; ship or mere pleasure be the motive. Once more, but if from the non-lovers, the choice will be if you fear the fickleness of friendship, consider larger, and you will be far more likely to find that in any other case a quarrel might be a mu-among them a person who is worthy of your tual calamity; but now, when you have given up friendship. If public opinion be your dread, and what is most precious to you, you will be the you would avoid reproach, in all probability the greater loser, and therefore, you will have more lover, who is always thinking that other men are reason in being afraid of the lover, for his vexa-54
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tions are many, and he is always fancying that ers too have loved the person of a youth before every one is leagued against him. Wherefore also they knew his character or his belongings; so he debars his beloved from society; he will not that when their passion has passed away, there have you intimate with the wealthy, lest they is no knowing whether they will continue to be should exceed him in wealth, or with men of his friends; whereas, in the case of non-lovers education, lest they should be his superiors in who were always friends, the friendship is not understanding; and he is equally afraid of lessened by the favours granted; but the recol-anybody’s influence who has any other advan-lection of these remains with them, and is an tage over himself. If he can persuade you to break earnest of good things to come.
with them, you are left without a friend in the Further, I say that you are likely to be improved world; or if, out of a regard to your own interest, by me, whereas the lover will spoil you. For they you have more sense than to comply with his praise your words and actions in a wrong way; desire, you will have to quarrel with him. But partly, because they are afraid of offending you, those who are non-lovers, and whose success in and also, their judgment is weakened by passion.
love is the reward of their merit, will not be jeal-Such are the feats which love exhibits; he makes ous of the companions of their beloved, and will things painful to the disappointed which give no rather hate those who refuse to be his associ-pain to others; he compels the successful lover ates, thinking that their favourite is slighted by to praise what ought not to give him pleasure, the latter and benefited by the former; for more and therefore the beloved is to be pitied rather love than hatred may be expected to come to than envied. But if you listen to me, in the first him out of his friendship with others. Many lov-place, I, in my intercourse with you, shall not 55
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merely regard present enjoyment, but also fu-empty soul; for they will love you, and attend ture advantage, being not mastered by love, but you, and come about your doors, and will be the my own master; nor for small causes taking vio-best pleased, and the most grateful, and will inlent dislikes, but even when the cause is great, voke many a blessing on your head. Yet surely slowly laying up little wrath—unintentional of-you ought not to be granting favours to those fences I shall forgive, and intentional ones I shall who besiege you with prayer, but to those who try to prevent; and these are the marks of a are best able to reward you; nor to the lover only, friendship which will last.
but to those who are worthy of love; nor to those Do you think that a lover only can be a firm who will enjoy the bloom of your youth, but to friend? reflect:—if this were true, we should set those who will share their possessions with you small value on sons, or fathers, or mothers; nor in age; nor to those who, having succeeded, will should we ever have loyal friends, for our love of glory in their success to others, but to those who them arises not from passion, but from other will be modest and tell no tales; nor to those who associations. Further, if we ought to shower care about you for a moment only, but to those favours on those who are the most eager suit-who will continue your friends through life; nor ors,—on that principle, we ought always to do to those who, when their passion is over, will good, not to the most virtuous, but to the most pick a quarrel with you, but rather to those who, needy; for they are the persons who will be most when the charm of youth has left you, will show relieved, and will therefore be the most grate-their own virtue. Remember what I have said; ful; and when you make a feast you should in-and consider yet this further point: friends ad-vite not your friend, but the beggar and the monish the lover under the idea that his way of 56
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life is bad, but no one of his kindred ever yet me was ravishing. And this I owe to you, censured the non-lover, or thought that he was Phaedrus, for I observed you while reading to be ill-advised about his own interests.
in an ecstasy, and thinking that you are more
‘Perhaps you will ask me whether I propose experienced in these matters than I am, I fol-that you should indulge every non-lover. To which lowed your example, and, like you, my divine I reply that not even the lover would advise you darling, I became inspired with a phrenzy.
to indulge all lovers, for the indiscriminate favour is less esteemed by the rational recipient, and PHAEDRUS: Indeed, you are pleased to be merry.
less easily hidden by him who would escape the censure of the world. Now love ought to be for SOCRATES: Do you mean that I am not in ear-the advantage of both parties, and for the injury nest?
of neither.
‘I believe that I have said enough; but if there PHAEDRUS: Now don’t talk in that way, is anything more which you desire or which in Socrates, but let me have your real opinion; I your opinion needs to be supplied, ask and I will adjure you, by Zeus, the god of friendship, to answer. ’
tell me whether you think that any Hellene could Now, Socrates, what do you think? Is not the have said more or spoken better on the same discourse excellent, more especially in the mat-subject.
ter of the language?
SOCRATES: Well, but are you and I expected to SOCRATES: Yes, quite admirable; the effect on praise the sentiments of the author, or only the 57
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clearness, and roundness, and finish, and ken and written of these things, would rise up tournure of the language? As to the first I willin judgment against me, if out of complaisance I ingly submit to your better judgment, for I am assented to you.
not worthy to form an opinion, having only attended to the rhetorical manner; and I was doubt-PHAEDRUS: Who are they, and where did you ing whether this could have been defended even hear anything better than this?
by Lysias himself; I thought, though I speak under correction, that he repeated himself two or SOCRATES: I am sure that I must have heard; three times, either from want of words or from but at this moment I do not remember from want of pains; and also, he appeared to me os-whom; perhaps from Sappho the fair, or Anacreon tentatiously to exult in showing how well he the wise; or, possibly, from a prose writer. Why could say the same thing in two or three ways.
do I say so? Why, because I perceive that my bosom is full, and that I could make another PHAEDRUS: Nonsense, Socrates; what you call speech as good as that of Lysias, and different.
repetition was the especial merit of the speech; Now I am certain that this is not an invention of for he omitted no topic of which the subject my own, who am well aware that I know noth-rightly allowed, and I do not think that any one ing, and therefore I can only infer that I have could have spoken better or more exhaustively.
been filled through the ears, like a pitcher, from the waters of another, though I have actually for-SOCRATES: There I cannot go along with you.
gotten in my stupidity who was my informant.
Ancient sages, men and women, who have spo-58
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PHAEDRUS: That is grand:—but never mind excused; the only merit is in the arrangement of where you heard the discourse or from whom; them, for there can be none in the invention; let that be a mystery not to be divulged even at but when you leave the commonplaces, then my earnest desire. Only, as you say, promise to there may be some originality.
make another and better oration, equal in length and entirely new, on the same subject; and I, like PHAEDRUS: I admit that there is reason in what the nine Archons, will promise to set up a golden you say, and I too will be reasonable, and will image at Delphi, not only of myself, but of you, allow you to start with the premiss that the lover and as large as life.
is more disordered in his wits than the non-lover; if in what remains you make a longer and better SOCRATES: You are a dear golden ass if you sup-speech than Lysias, and use other arguments, pose me to mean that Lysias has altogether then I say again, that a statue you shall have of missed the mark, and that I can make a speech beaten gold, and take your place by the colossal from which all his arguments are to be excluded.
offerings of the Cypselids at Olympia.
The worst of authors will say something which is to the point. Who, for example, could speak on SOCRATES: How profoundly in earnest is the this thesis of yours without praising the discre-lover, because to tease him I lay a finger upon tion of the non-lover and blaming the indiscre-his love! And so, Phaedrus, you really imagine tion of the lover? These are the commonplaces that I am going to improve upon the ingenuity of the subject which must come in (for what else of Lysias?
is there to be said?) and must be allowed and 59
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PHAEDRUS: There I have you as you had me, SOCRATES: Then don’t say it.
and you must just speak ‘as you best can.’ Do not let us exchange ‘tu quoque’ as in a farce, PHAEDRUS: Yes, but I will; and my word shall or compel me to say to you as you said to me, ‘I be an oath. ‘I say, or rather swear’—but what know Socrates as well as I know myself, and he god will be witness of my oath?—’By this plane-was wanting to speak, but he gave himself airs.’
tree I swear, that unless you repeat the discourse Rather I would have you consider that from this here in the face of this very plane-tree, I will place we stir not until you have unbosomed your-never tell you another; never let you have word self of the speech; for here are we all alone, and of another!’
I am stronger, remember, and younger than you:—
Wherefore perpend, and do not compel me to SOCRATES: Villain! I am conquered; the poor use violence.
lover of discourse has no more to say.
SOCRATES: But, my sweet Phaedrus, how ridicu-PHAEDRUS: Then why are you still at your lous it would be of me to compete with Lysias in tricks?
an extempore speech! He is a master in his art and I am an untaught man.
SOCRATES: I am not going to play tricks now that you have taken the oath, for I cannot allow PHAEDRUS: You see how matters stand; and myself to be starved.
therefore let there be no more pretences; for, indeed, I know the word that is irresistible.
PHAEDRUS: Proceed.