Page:The Dialogues of Plato v. 1.djvu/590

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Tke heavenly and the earthly love. 551 therefore I must try to distinguish the characters of the two Sym- Loves. Now actions vary according to the manner of their ponum. performance. Take, for example, that which we are now p^usanias. doing, drinking, singing and talking — these actions are not in themselves either good or evil, but they turn out in this or that way according to the mode of performing them ; and when well done they are good, and when wrongly done they are evil ; and in like manner not every love, but only that which has a noble purpose, is noble and worthy of praise. The Love who is the offspring of the common Aphrodite is essentially common, and has no discrimination, being such as the meaner sort of men feel, and is apt to be of women as well as of youths, and is of the body rather than of the soul ^the most foolish beings are the objects of this love which desires only to gain an end, but never thinks of accom- plishing the end nobly, and therefore does good and evil quite indiscriminately. The goddess who is his mother is far younger than the other, and she was born of the union of the male and female, and partakes of both. But the oflF- The higher spring of the heavenly Aphrodite is derived from a mother in °^^ "* ° whose birth the female has no part, — she is from the male which may only: this is that love which is of youths, and the goddess beadivme ^•^, , . inspiration, being older, there is nothing of wantonness in her. Those and which who are inspired by this love turn to the male, and delight in ™^y ^^'^^ 1 • , • 1 1 • 1 • 1 , • bo grossly him who IS the more valiant and mtelligent nature ; any one abused, may recognise the pure enthusiasts in the very character of their attachments. For they love not boys, but intelligent beings whose reason is beginning to be developed, much about the time at which their beards begin to grow. And in choosing young men to be their companions, they mean to be faithful to them, and pass their whole life in company with them, not to take them in their inexperience, and deceive them, and play the fool with them, or run away from one to another of them. But the love of young boys should be forbidden by law, because their future is uncertain ; they may turn out good or bad, either in body or soul, and much noble enthusiasm may be thrown away upon them ; in this matter the good are a law to themselves, and the coarser sort of lovers ought to be restrained by force, as we restrain or 182 attempt to restrain them from fixing their affections on