when　desire；　which　is　devoid　of　reason；　rules　in　us　and　drags　us　to
  pleasure；　that　power　of　misrule　is　called　excess。　Now　excess　has
  many　names；　and　many　members；　and　many　forms；　and　any　of　these　forms
  when　very　marked　gives　a　name；　neither　honourable　nor　creditable；　to
  the　bearer　of　the　name。　The　desire　of　eating；　for　example；　which
  gets　the　better　of　the　higher　reason　and　the　other　desires；　is
  called　gluttony；　and　he　who　is　possessed　by　it　is　called　a　glutton…I
  the　tyrannical　desire　of　drink；　which　inclines　the　possessor　of　the
  desire　to　drink；　has　a　name　which　is　only　too　obvious；　and　there　can
  be　as　little　doubt　by　what　name　any　other　appetite　of　the　same
  family　would　be　called；…it　will　be　the　name　of　that　which　happens　to
  be　eluminant。　And　now　I　think　that　you　will　perceive　the　drift　of　my
  discourse；　but　as　every　spoken　word　is　in　a　manner　plainer　than　the
  unspoken；　I　had　better　say　further　that　the　irrational　desire　which
  overcomes　the　tendency　of　opinion　towards　right；　and　is　led　away　to
  the　enjoyment　of　beauty；　and　especially　of　personal　beauty；　by　the
  desires　which　are　her　own　kindred…that　supreme　desire；　I　say；　which　by
  leading　conquers　and　by　the　force　of　passion　is　reinforced；　from
  this　very　force；　receiving　a　name；　is　called　love。〃
  And　now；　dear　Phaedrus；　I　shall　pause　for　an　instant　to　ask
  whether　you　do　not　think　me；　as　I　appear　to　myself；　inspired？
  Phaedr。　Yes；　Socrates；　you　seem　to　have　a　very　unusual　flow　of
  words。
  Soc。　Listen　to　me；　then；　in　silence；　for　surely　the　place　is　holy；
  so　that　you　must　not　wonder；　if；　as　I　proceed；　I　appear　to　be　in　a
  divine　fury；　for　already　I　am　getting　into　dithyrambics。
  Phaedr。　Nothing　can　be　truer。
  Soc。　The　responsibility　rests　with　you。　But　hear　what　follows；　and
  Perhaps　the　fit　may　be　averted；　all　is　in　their　hands　above。　I　will　go
  on　talking　to　my　youth。　Listen：
  Thus；　my　friend；　we　have　declared　and　defined　the　nature　of　the
  subject。　Keeping　the　definition　in　view；　let　us　now　enquire　what
  advantage　or　disadvantage　is　likely　to　ensue　from　the　lover　or　the
  non…lover　to　him　who　accepts　their　advances。
  He　who　is　the　victim　of　his　passions　and　the　slave　of　pleasure
  will　of　course　desire　to　make　his　beloved　as　agreeable　to　himself　as
  possible。　Now　to　him　who　has　a　mind　discased　anything　is　agreeable
  which　is　not　opposed　to　him；　but　that　which　is　equal　or　superior　is
  hateful　to　him；　and　therefore　the　lover　Will　not　brook　any　superiority
  or　equality　on　the　part　of　his　beloved；　he　is　always　employed　in
  reducing　him　to　inferiority。　And　the　ignorant　is　the　inferior　of　the
  wise；　the　coward　of　the　brave；　the　slow　of　speech　of　the　speaker；
  the　dull　of　the　clever。　These；　and　not　these　only；　are　the　mental
  defects　of　the　beloved；…defects　which；　when　implanted　by　nature；　are
  necessarily　a　delight　to　the　lover；　and　when　not　implanted；　he　must
  contrive　to　implant　them　in　him；　if　he　would　not　be　deprived　of　his
  fleeting　joy。　And　therefore　he　cannot　help　being　jealous；　and　will
  debar　his　beloved　from　the　advantages　of　society　which　would　make　a
  man　of　him；　and　especially　from　that　society　which　would　have　given
  him　wisdom；　and　thereby　he　cannot　fail　to　do　him　great　harm。　That　is
  to　say；　in　his　excessive　fear　lest　he　should　come　to　be　despised　in
  his　eyes　he　will　be　compelled　to　banish　from　him　divine　philosophy；
  and　there　is　no　greater　injury　which　he　can　inflict　upon　him　than
  this。　He　will　contrive　that　his　beloved　shall　be　wholly　ignorant；
  and　in　everything　shall　look　to　him；　he　is　to　be　the　delight　of　the
  lover's　heart；　and　a　curse　to　himself。　Verily；　a　lover　is　a　profitable
  guardian　and　associate　for　him　in　all　that　relates　to　his　mind。
  Let　us　next　see　how　his　master；　whose　law　of　life　is　pleasure　and
  not　good；　will　keep　and　train　the　body　of　his　servant。　Will　he　not
  choose　a　beloved　who　is　delicate　rather　than　sturdy　and　strong？　One
  brought　up　in　shady　bowers　and　not　in　the　bright　sun；　a　stranger　to
  manly　exercises　and　the　sweat　of　toil；　accustomed　only　to　a　soft　and
  luxurious　diet；　instead　of　the　hues　of　health　having　the　colours　of
  paint　and　ornament；　and　the　rest　of　a　piece？…such　a　life　as　any　one
  can　imagine　and　which　I　need　not　detail　at　length。　But　I　may　sum　up
  all　that　I　have　to　say　in　a　word；　and　pass　on。　Such　a　person　in　war；
  or　in　any　of　the　great　crises　of　life；　will　be　the　anxiety　of　his
  friends　and　also　of　his　lover；　and　certainly　not　the　terror　of　his
  enemies；　which　nobody　can　deny。
  And　now　let　us　tell　what　advantage　or　disadvantage　the　beloved
  will　receive　from　the　guardianship　and　society　of　his　lover　in　the
  matter　of　his　property；　this　is　the　next　point　to　be　considered。　The
  lover　will　be　the　first　to　see　what；　indeed；　will　be　sufficiently
  evident　to　all　men；　that　he　desires　above　all　things　to　deprive　his
  beloved　of　his　dearest　and　best　and　holiest　possessions；　father；
  mother；　kindred；　friends；　of　all　whom　he　thinks　may　be　hinderers　or
  reprovers　of　their　most　sweet　converse；　he　will　even　cast　a　jealous
  eye　upon　his　gold　and　silver　or　other　property；　because　these　make　him
  a　less　easy　prey；　and　when　caught　less　manageable；　hence　he　is　of
  necessity　displeased　at　his　possession　of　them　and　rejoices　at　their
  loss；　and　he　would　like　him　to　be　wifeless；　childless；　homeless；　as
  well；　and　the　longer　the　better；　for　the　longer　he　is　all　this；　the
  longer　he　will　enjoy　him。
  There　are　some　soft　of　animals；　such　as　flatterers；　who　are
  dangerous　and；　mischievous　enough；　and　yet　nature　has　mingled　a
  temporary　pleasure　and　grace　in　their　composition。　You　may　say　that
  a　courtesan　is　hurtful；　and　disapprove　of　such　creatures　and　their
  practices；　and　yet　for　the　time　they　are　very　pleasant。　But　the
  lover　is　not　only　hurtful　to　his　love；　he　is　also　an　extremely
  disagreeable　companion。　The　old　proverb　says　that　〃birds　of　a
  feather　flock　together〃；　I　suppose　that　equality　of　years　inclines
  them　to　the　same　pleasures；　and　similarity　begets　friendship；　yet
  you　may　have　more　than　enough　even　of　this；　and　verily　constraint　is
  always　said　to　be　grievous。　Now　the　lover　is　not　only　unlike　his
  beloved；　but　he　forces　himself　upon　him。　For　he　is　old　and　his　love　is
  young；　and　neither　day　nor　night　will　he　leave　him　if　he　can　help；
  necessity　and　the　sting　of　desire　drive　him　on；　and　allure　him　with
  the　pleasure　which　he　receives　from　seeing；　hearing；　touching；
  perceiving　him　in　every　way。　And　therefore　he　is　delighted　to　fasten
  upon　him　and　to　minister　to　him。　But　what　pleasure　or　consolation
  can　the　beloved　be　receiving　all　this　time？　Must　he　not　feel　the
  extremity　of　disgust　when　he　looks　at　an　old　shrivelled　face　and　the
  remainder　to　match；　which　even　in　a　description　is　disagreeable；　and
  quite　detestable　when　he　is　forced　into　daily　contact　with　his
  lover；　moreover　he　is　jealously　watched　and　guarded　against　everything
  and　everybody；　and　has　to　hear　misplaced　and　exaggerated　praises　of
  himself；　and　censures　equally　inappropriate；　which　are　intolerable
  when　the　man　is　sober；　and；　besides　being　intolerable；　are　published
  all　over　the　world　in　all　their　indelicacy　and　wearisomeness　when　he
  is　drunk。
  And　not　only　while　his　love　continues　is　he　mischievous　and
  unpleasant；　but　when　his　love　ceases　he　becomes　a　perfidious　enemy
  of　him　on　whom　he　showered　his　oaths　and　prayers　and　promises；　and　yet
  could　hardly　prevail　upon　him　to　tolerate　the　tedium　of　his　company
  even　from　motives　of　interest。　The　hour　of　payment　arrives；　and　now　he
  is　the　servant　of　another　master；　instead　of　love　and　infatuation；
  wisdom　and　temperance　are　his　bosom's　lords；　but　the　beloved　has　not
  discovered　the　change　which　has　taken　place　in　him；　when　he　asks　for　a
  return　and　recalls　to　his　recollection　former　sayings　and　doings；　he
  believes　himself　to　be　speaking　to　the　same　person；　and　the　other；　not
  having　the　courage　to　confess　the　truth；　and　not　knowing　how　to　fulfil
  the　oaths　and　promises　which　he　made　when　under　the　dominion　of　folly；
  and　having　now　grown　wise　and　temperate；　does　not　want　to　do　as　he　did
  or　to　be　as　he　was　before。　And　so　he　runs　away　and　is　constrained　to
  be　a　defaulter；　the　oyster…shell　has　fallen　with　the　other　side
  uppermost…he　changes　pursuit　into　flight；　while　the　other　is　compelled
  to　follow　him　with　passion　and　imprecation　not　knowing　that　he　ought
  never　from　the　first　to　have　accepted　a　demented　lover　instead　of　a
  sensible　non…lover；　and　that　in　making　such　a　choice　he　was　giving
  himself　up　to　a　faithl