Page:The Dialogues of Plato v. 1.djvu/606

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Love the universal artist and creator. 567 light of fame ? — he whom Love touches not walks in darkness. Sym- The arts of medicine and archery and divination were dis- P"^"""- covered by Apollo, under the guidance of love and desire ; agathon, so that he too is a disciple of Love. Also the melody of the Muses, the metallurgy of Hephaestus, the weaving of Athene, the empire of Zeus over gods and fnen, are all due to Love, who was the inventor of them. And so Love set in order the empire of the gods — the love of beauty, as is evident, for with deformity Love has no concern. In the days of old, as I began by saying, dreadful deeds were done among the gods, for they were ruled by Necessity; but now since the birth of Love, and from the Love of the beautiful, has sprung every good in heaven and earth. Therefore, Phaedrus, I say of Love that he is the fairest and best in himself, and the cause of what is fairest and best in all other things. And there a peace- comes into my mind a line of poetry in which he is said to be ™^<= ■ the god who ' Gives peace on earth and calms the stormy deep, Who stills the winds and bids the sufferer sleep.' This is he who empties men of disaffection and fills them with aflFection, who makes them to meet together at banquets such as these : in sacrifices, feasts, dances, he is our lord — who sends courtesy and sends away discourtesy, who gives kind- ness ever and never gives unkindness ; the friend of the good, the wonder of the wise, the amazement of the gods ; desired by those who have no part in him, and precious to those who have the better part in him ; parent of delicacy, luxury, desire, fondness, softness, grace; regardful of the good, regardless of the evil : in every word, work, wish, a saviour ; fear — saviour, pilot, comrade, helper; glory of gods and men, leader best and brightest : in whose footsteps let every man best and follow, sweetly singing in his honour and joining in that ti"gh'est. sweet strain with which love charms the souls of gods and men. Such is the speech, Phaedrus, half-playful, yet having a certain measure of seriousness, which, according to my ability, I dedicate to the god.

When Agathon had done speaking, Aristodemus said that there was a general cheer; the young man was thought to have spoken in a manner worthy of himself, and of the god. And Socrates, looking at Eryximachus, said : Tell me, son of