1 examine what things were just or unjust; | fully to death: since, if injustice is shameful, and have as steadily persisted in practising so likewise every act of it: but no disgrace the one and refraining from the other; and this I take to be the best way of preparing for my trial."--" But know you not," replied Hermogenes," that here, in Athens, the judges ofttimes condemn those to death who have no way deserved it, only because their manner of speaking was displeasing; while, on the other hand, they not less frequently acquit the guilty?" "I do know it," answered Socrates; "and be assured, my Hermogenes, that I did not neglect to take the matter of my defence under consideration, but the Genius opposed me." Hermogenes replying, that he talked marvellously; "But why," said he, "should it be marvellous that God should think this the very best time for me to die? Know you not that hitherto I have granted to no man that he hath lived either better, or even more pleasurably, than I; if, as I think it is, to be alone solicitous after the attainment of virtue be living well; and the consciousness of making some proficiency therein pleasant and that I did make some proficiency therein I well perceived, by comparing myself with others, and from the testimony of my own conscience; my friends also saying the same concerning me. Not for that they love me: since, if so, every friend would think the same of him whom he was a friend to; but because, as it seemed to them, they themselves became better men from having much conversed with me. But if my life should be still prolonged, it can hardly be but the infirmities of old age will likewise come upon me: my sight will fail, my hearing grow heavy, and my understanding much impaired; so that I shall find it more difficult to learn, as less easy to retain what I have learnt already; deprived too of the power of performing many of those things which heretofore I have excelled in. And if, after all, I should become insensible to these decays, still life would not be life, but a wearisome burthen. And if otherwise, if I indeed find and feel them, how unpleasant, how afflicting, must a state like this prove! If I die wrongfully, the shame must be theirs who put me wrong will it bring on me, that others have not seen that I was innocent. The examples drawn from former ages sufficiently show us, that those who commit wrong, and they who suffer it, stand not alike in the remembrance of men: and I am persuaded, that if I now die, I shall be held in far higher estimation by those who come after me than any of my judges; since posterity will not fail to testify concerning me, that I neither wronged, nor yet, by my discourses, corrupted any man; but, contrariwise, strove throughout life, to the utmost of my power, to make all those who conversed with me happy." In this manner did Socrates continue to discourse with Hermogenes and others: nor are there any among those who knew him, if lovers of virtue, who do not daily regret the loss of his conversation; convinced how much they might have been advantaged thereby. As to myself, knowing him of a truth to be such a man as I have described; so pious towards the gods, as never to undertake any thing without having first consulted them: so just towards men, as never to do an injury, even the very slightest, to any one; whilst many and great were the benefits he conferred on all with whom he had any dealings: so temperate and chaste, as not to indulge any appetite, or inclination, at the expense of whatever was modest or becoming: so prudent, as never to err in judging of good and evil; nor wanting the assistance of others to discriminate rightly concerning them: so able to discourse upon, and define with the greatest accuracy, not only those points of which we have been speaking, but likewise of every other; and looking as it were into the minds of men, discover the very moment for reprehending vice, or stimulating to the love of virtue. Experiencing, as I have done, all these excellencies in Socrates, I can never cease considering him as the most virtuous and the most happy of all mankind. But if there is any one who is disposed to think otherwise, let him go and compare Socrates with any other, and afterwards let him determine. "You know what things are good, what evil, Euthedemus ?" 66 Minos, was detained by him in Crete: at once torn from his country, and deprived of his freedom: and when afterwards attempting to es Certainly," replied Euthedemus; "for otherwise I should know less than the very low-cape with his son, he was the cause of the loss est of our slaves." of the miserable youth. Neither was he able "Show me then, I pray you, what you think to secure himself; but being seized by the good; what evil." "Most willingly," answered Euthedemus; " and truly, I think, the task will not be difficult. First, then, I count sound health good; and sickness evil; and whatever conduces to the one, or the other, are to be estimated accordingly; so that the food and exercise which keeps us in health, we may call good; and that which brings on us sickness and disease, evil." "But might it not be as well to say, Euthedemus, that health and sickness are both of them good, when they are the cause of good; and evil, when they are the cause of evil?" "But when do we see," replied Euthedemus, "that health is the cause of evil; or sickness of good?" : It is certainly the case," answered Sowhen levies are raising for some uncrates, successful expedition; or embarkations made, which afterwards suffer shipwreck for the healthy and the strong being selected on these occasions, they are unhappily involved in the same common misfortune; while the feeble and the infirm remain in safety." "That is true," replied Euthedemus: "but then, on the other hand, you must own, my Socrates, that the healthful and strong have their share, and that to their no small advantage, in more fortunate undertakings; while the sickly and infirm are entirely excluded." "These things being so, as indeed they are, sometimes profitable, and sometimes hurtful, we should not do amiss to set them down," said Socrates, "as being in themselves not more good than evil." "So indeed it appears," said Euthedemus, "from this way of reasoning: but knowledge, my Socrates, must ever remain an indubitable good; since he who hath knowledge, whatever the business, may certainly execute it with far greater advantage than he who wants it." "Have you not heard then," said Socrates, "how it fared with the wretched Daedalus, on the account of his excelling in so many different arts ? This man falling into the hands of 1 He was the most ingenious artist in the world; and hence the proverb Dædali opera, when we would com. Barbarians, was compelled to return, again to endure all the evil of slavery." I have heard this," replied Euthedemus. "You know too," continued Socrates, "the unhappy fate of Palamedes, whose praises all men celebrated: he fell a sacrifice to the envy of Ulysses; and miserably perished, through the insidious artifices of his rival: and how many are now languishing in perpetual bondage, whom the king of Persia caused to be carried away, and still keeps near him, merely on the account of their superior talents ?" "But granting this to be as you say; yet certainly," replied Euthedemus, "we may esteem happiness an undoubted good?" "We may," answered Socrates, "provided this happiness ariseth from such things as are undoubtedly good." "But how can those things which produce happiness, be otherwise than good?" "They cannot," said Socrates," if you admit not of the number, health, strength, beauty, riches, fame, and such like." "But we certainly do admit such things into the number," replied Euthedemus; "for how are we to be happy without them ?" "Rather, how are we to be happy with them," returned Socrates, "seeing they are the source of so many evils? For how often hath a beautiful form been the cause of defilement ! How often, from a persuasion of their strength, have men been induced to engage in hazardous undertakings which overwhelm them in ruin! How many have sunk into luxury by means of their riches, or fallen into the snares that were insidiously laid for them, by the people whose mend the curiousness of the workmanship. He invented the saw, the axe, the plummet, the auger, glue, cement, sails, and sail-yards; and made statues, with a device to make the eyes move as if living. 2 Falamedes invented four Greek letters, and added them to the other sixteen already invented by Cadmus. He was skilful in astrology, and the first who found out the cause of an eclipse; and brought the year to the course of the sun, and the month to the course of the moon: he was skilful in ordering an army, and introduced the use of the watch-word; both which he took the hint of, as was said, from the conduct and the flying of cranes. to examine what things were just or unjust; | fully to death: since, if injustice is shameful, and have as steadily persisted in practising so likewise every act of it: but no disgrace the one and refraining from the other; and this I take to be the best way of preparing for my trial."--"But know you not," replied Hermogenes," that here, in Athens, the judges ofttimes condemn those to death who have no way deserved it, only because their manner of speaking was displeasing; while, on the other hand, they not less frequently acquit the guilty?" "I do know it," answered Socrates; "and be assured, my Hermogenes, that I did not neglect to take the matter of my defence under consideration, but the Genius opposed me." Hermogenes replying, that he talked marvellously; "But why," said he, "should it be marvellous that God should think this the very best time for me to die? Know you not that hitherto I have granted to no man that he hath lived either better, or even more pleasurably, than I; if, as I think it is, to be alone solicitous after the attainment of virtue be living well; and the consciousness of making some proficiency therein pleasant and that I did make some proficiency therein I well perceived, by comparing myself with others, and from the testimony of my own conscience; my friends also saying the same concerning me. Not for that they love me: since, if so, every friend would think the same of him whom he was a friend to; but because, as it seemed to them, they themselves became better men from having much conversed with me. But if my life should be still prolonged, it can hardly be but the infirmities of old age will likewise come upon me: my sight will fail, my hearing grow heavy, and my understanding much impaired; so that I shall find it more difficult to learn, as less easy to retain what I have learnt already; deprived too of the power of performing many of those things which heretofore I have excelled in. And if, after all, I should become insensible to these decays, still life would not be life, but a wearisome burthen. And if otherwise, if I indeed find and feel them, how unpleasant, how afflicting, must a state like this prove! If I die wrongfully, the shame must be theirs who put me wrong will it bring on me, that others have not seen that I was innocent. The examples drawn from former ages sufficiently show us, that those who commit wrong, and they who suffer it, stand not alike in the remembrance of men: and I am persuaded, that if I now die, I shall be held in far higher estimation by those who come after me than any of my judges: since posterity will not fail to testify concerning me, that I neither wronged, nor yet, by my discourses, corrupted any man; but, contrariwise, strove throughout life, to the utmost of my power, to make all those who conversed with me happy." In this manner did Socrates continue to discourse with Hermogenes and others: nor are there any among those who knew him, if lovers of virtue, who do not daily regret the loss of his conversation; convinced how much they might have been advantaged thereby. As to myself, knowing him of a truth to be such a man as I have described; so pious towards the gods, as never to undertake any thing without having first consulted them: so just towards men, as never to do an injury, even the very slightest, to any one; whilst many and great were the benefits he conferred on all with whom he had any dealings : So temperate and chaste, as not to indulge any appetite, or inclination, at the expense of whatever was modest or becoming: so prudent, as never to err in judging of good and evil; nor wanting the assistance of others to discriminate rightly concerning them: so able to discourse upon, and define with the greatest accuracy, not only those points of which we have been speaking, but likewise of every other; and looking as it were into the minds of men, discover the very moment for reprehending vice, or stimulating to the love of virtue. Experiencing, as I have done, all these excellencies in Socrates, I can never cease considering him as the most virtuous and the most happy of all mankind. But if there is any one who is disposed to think otherwise, let him go and compare Socrates with any other, and afterwards let him determine. |