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576 The great mystery of love. Sym- posium. Socrates. Love is birth, is creation ; is the divine power of conception or parturi- tion ; and the masters of arts are all poets or makers.' ' Very true.' 'Still,' she said, 'you know that they arc not called poets, but have other names ; only that portion of the art which is separated off from the rest, and is concerned with music and metre, is termed poetry, and they who possess poetry in this sense of the word are called poets.' 'Very true,' I said. 'And the same holds of love. For you may say generally that all desire of good and happiness is only the great and subtle power of love ; but they who are drawn towards him by any other path, whether the path of money-making or gymnastics or philosophy, are not called lovers — the name of the whole is appropriated to those whose affection takes one form only — they alone are said to love, or to be lovers.' 'I dare say,' 1 replied, 'that you are right.' 'Yes,' she added, 'and you hear people say that lovers are seeking for their other half; but I say that they are seeking neither for the half of themselves, nor for the whole, unless the half or the whole be also a good. And they will cut off their own hands and feet and cast them away, if they are evil ; for they love not what is their own, unless perchance there be some one who calls what belongs to him the good, and what belongs to another the evil. For there is nothing which men love but the good. Is there anything?' 'Certainly, I should say, that there is nothing.' 'Then,' she said, 'the simple truth is, that men love the good.' ' Yes,' I said. ' To which must be added that they love the possession of the good ? ' ' Yes, that must be added.' ' And not only the possession, but the everlasting possession of the good ? ' ' That must be added too.' 'Then love,' she said, 'may be described generally as the love of the everlasting possession of the good ? ' ' That is most true.' ' Then if this be the nature of love, can you tell me further,' she said, 'what is the manner of the pursuit? what are they doing who show all this eagerness and heat which is called love ? and what is the object which they have in view ? An- swer me.' ' Nay, Diotima,' I replied, ' if I had known, I should not have wondered at your wisdom, neither should I have come to learn from you about this very matter.' ' Well,' she said, ' I will teach you : — The object which they have in view