Page:The works of Plato, A new and literal version, (vol 6) (Burges, 1854).djvu/41

c. 10.] in reality be ignorant of himself, if he were annoyed at a person able to learn, and did not rejoice without a feeling of envy at a person becoming good through a god. Now there is a reason great and good (for supposing) that, when men had their first notions about the gods, how they existed, and of what kind they were, and what actions they took in hand, ideas were then broached, not to the mind of the moderate, nor agreeable to them, nor even of those, who were next after them; amongst whom what relates to fire and water and the other bodies, was said to be the most ancient; but posterior to them the wonderful soul; and that the movement, which the body has obtained by lot, is better and of more value for carrying on both itself (and soul) by the aid of heat and cold, and all things of that kind; but that the soul could not (do so) to body and itself. But now, when we say that soul (exists), if it exists in body, it would be not at all wonderful for it to move and carry about both the body and itself; nor would, according to any reason, soul be believed to be unable to carry about a weight. Since then soul is the cause of the universe, and of all good things being such, and on the other hand of evil things being such, it is not at all wonderful that soul should be the cause of every bearing on and movement; but that the bearing on and movement towards the good belongs to the best soul, but the bearing on and movement towards the contrary, to a contrary (soul); and that it is necessary for the good to have vanquished, and to vanquish still, what are not of this kind. Hence let these