ThenheheardsomeonereadingoutofabookofAnaxagoras, : Ifmindisthecauseofallthings, ‘orderofthebest’ ! Forhefoundthathisnewfriendwasanythingbutconsistentinhisuseofmindasacause, andthathesoonintroducedwinds, waters, andothereccentricnotions.(.) ItwasasifapersonhadsaidthatSocratesissittingherebecauseheismadeupofbonesandmuscles, insteadoftellingthetruereason—thatheisherebecausetheAthenianshavethoughtgoodtosentencehimtodeath, , ‘best’isstillundiscovered; andinenquiringafterthecause, wecanonlyhopetoattainthesecondbest.

Nowthereisadangerinthecontemplationofthenatureofthings, asthereisadangerinlookingatthesunduringaneclipse, unlesstheprecautionistakenoflookingonlyattheimagereflectedinthewater, orinaglass.(CompareLaws; Republic.) ‘Iwasafraid,’saysSocrates, ‘, anymorethanhewhocontemplatesactualeffects.’

Iftheexistenceofideasisgrantedtohim, :—thatbeautyisthecauseofthebeautiful, greatnessthecauseofthegreat, smallnessofthesmall, , whichescapesthecontradictionsofgreaterandless (greaterbyreasonofthatwhichissmaller!), ofadditionandsubtraction, ; hepreferstotestideasbytheconsistencyoftheirconsequences, and, ifaskedtogiveanaccountofthem, goesbacktosomehigherideaorhypothesiswhichappearstohimtobethebest, untilatlasthearrivesataresting-place.(Republic; Phil.)