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    ) pa false opinion , muBt have been led to it by some sort of resemblance , verisimilitude or likeness to the truth , ) it is clear , that a man cannot ring round another by little and little , through a chain of resemblances , com the truth to its contrary , or avoid being himself dealt with in the ime manner , unless he knows the real natures of things ; and the man Iho does not know the truth , but hunts after mere opinion , haa got a [ diculous and very unart-like art of speaking / Pheedrus could not seny this ; and Socrates proposed that they should look again at the i&course of Lysias , and see whether it contained evidence of art or no , 'haedrus assented , saying , that as yet they were somewhat bare , not aving a sufficiency of examples . It is perhaps lucky , rejoined

    Sorates , that these discourses have been spoken , since they afford an Kample , how he who knows the truth may , in mere sport , mislead hia udience by a speech . Phsedrus now , according to agreement , begins to read the discourse f Lysias from the commencement . Before he has completed the second entence , Socrates stops him , in order to point out already a proof of rant of art .

    'Is it not clear that about some tliing 3 we are all of one mind , about thers we differ V I think I understand you , but nevertheless explain ourself more clearly . ' When we use the words silver , or iron , we all f us mean the same thing by them . But when we speak of what is ist , or of what is good , we all go off in different directions , and are at ariance both with each other and in ourselves . ' Pheedrus assented .

    In which of these two kinds of things are we most easily deceived , nd in which is the power of oratory the greatest V * In those in which re wander without fixed principles . ' c He , then , who seeks to acquire n art of oratory , should first be able properly to distinguish and characterize these two kinds of things , those in which the multitude must f necessity wander , and those in which they need not . ' ' This would e an admirable discovery . ' ' And next , he must be able to distinguish nd clearly perceive , without mistake , whether that of which he is about 3 speak , belongs to the one class or to the other . ' * Granted . ' 'Now , should love be considered to be one of these disputable things ?' Undoubtedly : how else could you have made * as vou did , two loner

    peeches , one to show that love is injurious both to the lover and the wed , the other , that it is the greatest of blessings V ' You say truth ; ut now tell me ( for I , on account of the state of inspiration in which I r do not recollect , ) whether I began by defining love V ' You did , lost accurately . * How much more skilled , then , in the oratorical rt , must be the Nymphs and Pan , by whom I was inspired , than your riend Lysias ! for he obliged us to begin by supposing , and not inquir-% what love is , and then grounded his entire discourse on a mere opposition . ' Does not , too , the discourse appear to you to be thrown together

    wte at random ? Can it be said that what is placed second , for ex-Mple , or in any other position , is placed there from any peculiar ecmity ? To me , who know nothing , he seemed to say , most unauntedl y , whatever came into his head : but can you point out any ratorical necessity which compelled him to arrange his thoughts into J * t particular order V * You « re very good , to suppose that I am capable » « o accurately judging what such a man as Lysias composes/— 'But

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    Plafo 9 Dialogues j ( he Phtedru ^ 636

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1834, page 635, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2637/page/31/