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into　herself　（for　such　abstraction　has　been　the　study　of　her　life）。



And　what　does　this　mean　but　that　she　has　been　a　true　disciple　of



philosophy　and　has　practised　how　to　die　easily？　And　is　not



philosophy　the　practice　of　death？



　　Certainly。



　　That　soul；　I　say；　herself　invisible；　departs　to　the　invisible



worldto　the　divine　and　immortal　and　rational：　thither　arriving；　she



lives　in　bliss　and　is　released　from　the　error　and　folly　of　men；



their　fears　and　wild　passions　and　all　other　human　ills；　and　forever



dwells；　as　they　say　of　the　initiated；　in　company　with　the　gods。　Is　not



this　true；　Cebes？



　　Yes；　said　Cebes；　beyond　a　doubt。



　　But　the　soul　which　has　been　polluted；　and　is　impure　at　the　time　of



her　departure；　and　is　the　companion　and　servant　of　the　body　always；



and　is　in　love　with　and　fascinated　by　the　body　and　by　the　desires



and　pleasures　of　the　body；　until　she　is　led　to　believe　that　the



truth　only　exists　in　a　bodily　form；　which　a　man　may　touch　and　see



and　taste　and　use　for　the　purposes　of　his　lusts…the　soul；　I　mean；



accustomed　to　hate　and　fear　and　avoid　the　intellectual　principle；



which　to　the　bodily　eye　is　dark　and　invisible；　and　can　be　attained



only　by　philosophy…do　you　suppose　that　such　a　soul　as　this　will　depart



pure　and　unalloyed？



　　That　is　impossible；　he　replied。



　　She　is　engrossed　by　the　corporeal；　which　the　continual　association



and　constant　care　of　the　body　have　made　natural　to　her。



　　Very　true。



　　And　this；　my　friend；　may　be　conceived　to　be　that　heavy；　weighty；



earthy　element　of　sight　by　which　such　a　soul　is　depressed　and



dragged　down　again　into　the　visible　world；　because　she　is　afraid　of



the　invisible　and　of　the　world　below…prowling　about　tombs　and



sepulchres；　in　the　neighborhood　of　which；　as　they　tell　us；　are　seen



certain　ghostly　apparitions　of　souls　which　have　not　departed　pure；　but



are　cloyed　with　sight　and　therefore　visible。



　　That　is　very　likely；　Socrates。



　　Yes；　that　is　very　likely；　Cebes；　and　these　must　be　the　souls；　not　of



the　good；　but　of　the　evil；　who　are　compelled　to　wander　about　such



places　in　payment　of　the　penalty　of　their　former　evil　way　of　life；　and



they　continue　to　wander　until　the　desire　which　haunts　them　is



satisfied　and　they　are　imprisoned　in　another　body。　And　they　may　be



supposed　to　be　fixed　in　the　same　natures　which　they　had　in　their



former　life。



　　What　natures　do　you　mean；　Socrates？



　　I　mean　to　say　that　men　who　have　followed　after　gluttony；　and



wantonness；　and　drunkenness；　and　have　had　no　thought　of　avoiding　them；



would　pass　into　asses　and　animals　of　that　sort。　What　do　you　think？



　　I　think　that　exceedingly　probable。



　　And　those　who　have　chosen　the　portion　of　injustice；　and　tyranny；　and



violence；　will　pass　into　wolves；　or　into　hawks　and　kites；　whither　else



can　we　suppose　them　to　go？



　　Yes；　said　Cebes；　that　is　doubtless　the　place　of　natures　such　as



theirs。　And　there　is　no　difficulty；　he　said；　in　assigning　to　all　of



them　places　answering　to　their　several　natures　and　propensities？



　　There　is　not；　he　said。



　　Even　among　them　some　are　happier　than　others；　and　the　happiest



both　in　themselves　and　their　place　of　abode　are　those　who　have



practised　the　civil　and　social　virtues　which　are　called　temperance　and



justice；　and　are　acquired　by　habit　and　attention　without　philosophy



and　mind。



　　Why　are　they　the　happiest？



　　Because　they　may　be　expected　to　pass　into　some　gentle；　social　nature



which　is　like　their　own；　such　as　that　of　bees　or　ants；　or　even　back



again　into　the　form　of　man；　and　just　and　moderate　men　spring　from



them。



　　That　is　not　impossible。



　　But　he　who　is　a　philosopher　or　lover　of　learning；　and　is　entirely



pure　at　departing；　is　alone　permitted　to　reach　the　gods。　And　this　is



the　reason；　Simmias　and　Cebes；　why　the　true　votaries　of　philosophy



abstain　from　all　fleshly　lusts；　and　endure　and　refuse　to　give



themselves　up　to　them…not　because　they　fear　poverty　or　the　ruin　of



their　families；　like　the　lovers　of　money；　and　the　world　in　general；



nor　like　the　lovers　of　power　and　honor；　because　they　dread　the



dishonor　or　disgrace　of　evil　deeds。



　　No；　Socrates；　that　would　not　become　them；　said　Cebes。



　　No；　indeed；　he　replied；　and　therefore　they　who　have　a　care　of



their　souls；　and　do　not　merely　live　in　the　fashions　of　the　body；　say



farewell　to　all　this；　they　will　not　walk　in　the　ways　of　the　blind：　and



when　philosophy　offers　them　purification　and　release　from　evil；　they



feel　that　they　ought　not　to　resist　her　influence；　and　to　her　they



incline；　and　whither　she　leads　they　follow　her。



　　What　do　you　mean；　Socrates？



　　I　will　tell　you；　he　said。　The　lovers　of　knowledge　are　conscious　that



their　souls；　when　philosophy　receives　them；　are　simply　fastened　and



glued　to　their　bodies：　the　soul　is　only　able　to　view　existence　through



the　bars　of　a　prison；　and　not　in　her　own　nature；　she　is　wallowing　in



the　mire　of　all　ignorance；　and　philosophy；　seeing　the　terrible



nature　of　her　confinement；　and　that　the　captive　through　desire　is



led　to　conspire　in　her　own　captivity　（for　the　lovers　of　knowledge



are　aware　that　this　was　the　original　state　of　the　soul；　and　that



when　she　was　in　this　state　philosophy　received　and　gently　counseled



her；　and　wanted　to　release　her；　pointing　out　to　her　that　the　eye　is



full　of　deceit；　and　also　the　ear　and　other　senses；　and　persuading



her　to　retire　from　them　in　all　but　the　necessary　use　of　them　and　to　be



gathered　up　and　collected　into　herself；　and　to　trust　only　to　herself



and　her　own　intuitions　of　absolute　existence；　and　mistrust　that



which　comes　to　her　through　others　and　is　subject　to



vicissitude）…philosophy　shows　her　that　this　is　visible　and　tangible；



but　that　what　she　sees　in　her　own　nature　is　intellectual　and



invisible。　And　the　soul　of　the　true　philosopher　thinks　that　she



ought　not　to　resist　this　deliverance；　and　therefore　abstains　from



pleasures　and　desires　and　pains　and　fears；　as　far　as　she　is　able；



reflecting　that　when　a　man　has　great　joys　or　sorrows　or　fears　or



desires　he　suffers　from　them；　not　the　sort　of　evil　which　might　be



anticipated…as；　for　example；　the　loss　of　his　health　or　property；　which



he　has　sacrificed　to　his　lusts…but　he　has　suffered　an　evil　greater



far；　which　is　the　greatest　and　worst　of　all　evils；　and　one　of　which　he



never　thinks。



　　And　what　is　that；　Socrates？　said　Cebes。



　　Why；　this：　When　the　feeling　of　pleasure　or　pain　in　the　soul　is



most　intense；　all　of　us　naturally　suppose　that　the　object　of　this



intense　feeling　is　then　plainest　and　truest：　but　this　is　not　the　case。



　　Very　true。



　　And　this　is　the　state　in　which　the　soul　is　most　enthralled　by　the



body。



　　How　is　that？



　　Why；　because　each　pleasure　and　pain　is　a　sort　of　nail　which　nails



and　rivets　the　soul　to　the　body；　and　engrosses　her　and　makes　her



believe　that　to　be　true　which　the　body　affirms　to　be　true；　and　from



agreeing　with　the　body　and　having　the　same　delights　she　is　obliged



to　have　the　same　habits　and　ways；　and　is　not　likely　ever　to　be　pure　at



her　departure　to　the　world　below；　but　is　always　saturated　with　the



body；　so　that　she　soon　sinks　into　another　body　and　there　germinates



and　grows；　and　has　therefore　no　part　in　the　communion　of　the　divine



and　pure　and　simple。



　　That　is　most　true；　Socrates；　answered　Cebes。



　　And　this；　Cebes；　is　the　reason　why　the　true　lovers　of　knowledge



are　temperate　and　brave；　and　not　for　the　reason　which　the　world　gives。



　　Certainly　not。



　　Certainly　not！　For　not　in　that　way　does　the　soul　of　a　philosopher



reason；　she　will　not　ask　philosophy　to　release　her　in　order　that



when　released　she　may　deliver　herself　up　again　to　the　thraldom　of



pleasures　and　pains；　doing　a　work　only　to　be　undone　again；　weaving



instead　of　unweaving　her　Penelope's　web。　But　she　will　make　herself　a



calm　of　passion　and　follow　Reason；　and　dwell　in　her；　beholding　the



true　and　divine　（which　is　not　matter　of　opinion）；　and　thence　derive



nourishment。　Thus　she　seeks　to　live　while　she　lives；　and　after　death



she　hopes　to　go　to　her　own　kindred　and　to　be　freed　from　human　ills。



Never　fear；　Simmias　and　Cebes；　that　a　soul　which　has　been　thus



nurtured　and　has　had　these　pursuits；　will　at　her　departure　from　the



body　be　scattered　and　blown　away　by　the　winds　and　be　nowhere　and



nothing。



　　When　Socrates　had　done　speaking；　for　a　considerable　time　there　was



silence；　he　himself　and　most　of　us　appeared　to　be　meditating　on　what



had　been　said；　only　Cebes　and　Simmias　spoke　a　few　words　to　one



another。　And　Socrates　observing　this　asked　them　what　they　thought　of



the　argument；　and　whether　there　was　anything　wanting？　For；　said　he；



much　is　still　open　to　suspicion　and　attack；　if　anyone　were　disposed　to



sift　the　matter　thoroughly。　If　you　are　talking　of　something　else　I



would　rather　not　interrupt　you；　but　if　you　are　still　doubtful　about



the　argument　do　not　hesitate　to　say　exactly　what　you　think；　and　let　us



have　anything　better　which　you　can　suggest；　and　if　I　am　likely　to　be



of　any　use；　allow　me　to　help　you。



　　Simmias　said：　I　must　confess；　Socrates；　that　doubts　did　arise　in　our



minds；　and　each　of　us　was　urging　and　inciting　the　other　to　put　the



question　which　he　wanted　to　have　answered　and　which　neither　of　us



liked　to　ask；　fearing　that　our　importunity　might　be　troublesome



under　present　circumstances。



　　Socrates　smiled　and　said：　O　Simmias；　how　strange　that　is；　I　am　not



very　likely　to　persuade　other　men　that　I　do　not　regard　my　present



situation　as　a　misfortune；　if　I　am　unable　to　persuade　you；　and　you



will　keep　fancying　that　I　am　at　all　more　troubled　now　than　at　any



other　time。　Will　you　not　allow　that　I　have　as　much　of　the　spirit　of



prophecy　in　me　as　the　swans？　For　they；　when　they　perceive　that　they



must　die；　h