No More Learning

Thus Socrates and Platodisputed about every thing,
whiletheyhadonlyOpinionsjbutwhentheseO-
pinions after serious researches and long labour, were become Science by the Divine Light ? , then
theyaffirm'dwhattheyknew. Tillthenall. was doubtfulanduncertainto'em. ButtheleDoubts weremore wifeandsafethantheArroganceofthole
positive
? ? i?
A DiscourseonPlato^
positive Philosophers, that rashly affirm,d every thing, and always took Opinion for Science.
TheThirdObjectionagainstSocrates; That he onlyknewthatheknewnothing, isnomoresolid t h a n t h e f o r m e r -, a n d i s t o b e a n s w e r ' d b y t h e f a m e Principle: andifIam notmistaken, we shallfind in this Ignorance a maivellousFundofKnowledg.
There are two forts of Ignorance, the one Natu ral, which is good or evil, according to th6 good o r ill u s e t h a t is m a d e o f it, a n d t h e o t h e r A c q u i r e d , and always good : For this latter is the Ignorance ofthosewho aftertheyhavelearnedallthatMen can know, are convinc'd that they know nothing. This was Socrates his Ignorance, it was * a learned. Ignorancethatknozasitself. Hehadrunthrough Astronomy, Geometry, Physicks, Metaphysicks, Poetry, Polite Learning, &c. and saw the vanity of'em. Heevenundertakestoprovethatallthese Sciences are either useless or dangerous, and that nothingbuttheknowledgofGodcanmakeushap py, that where this Divine Science is not, there can be no Good, and consequently that there is a-
fort of Ignorance more useful than the Sciences ; for this ignorance seeks not for knowledg in it self,' well knowing ithasnone, but only inGod who is pleas'dtofillitsVacuum. Itwasforthisreason, Socrates always began his Instructions with an Affir mationthatheknewnothing. Bythishe-signified
that our Souls have no true knowledg of any thing, anyfartherthantheyareenlightnedbyGod. That they should always look on that piercing Light, in which alone they can fee Light ; and that w h e n they turn their Looks another way they necessarily fall back into Obscurity, and produce nothing but
theWorksofDarkness. LettheProudWifeMen oftheWorldappear, and. comparethemselveswith, this Ignorant Man.
* Tjs an Expression of Socratts, which states two forts of Ignorance, one that is ignorant of itself, and t'other that knows it self.
So
? ? A ViscourseonPtitdl ij
So much for one of the uses that may be made
of Plato'sWritings, which ought to be look'd up
on as so many Titles belonging to Christianity,
found long ago among the Pagans, and are so
much the more venerable, in that Ib much as is
found in 'em is faithfully copied from those which t h e P r o p h e t s h a v e l e f t u s ? , a n d i n t h a t w h i c h w e
findalteredandcorrupted, wemayhoweverdis cover the Vestiges of those Truths which these ir reproachable Witnesses publisli'd.
The second use that may be made of 'em, and which is no less considerable than the former, is that by this means we may be confirm'd in the knowledg of a greatmany Christian Truths which are prov'd in 'em with such a Strength and Evi dence, as no reasonable M a n can resist.
Religiononlyproposesthem ; foritbelongsnot to the Majesty of a God to prove the Necessity, Justice,andTruthofallhecommands. Hemakes Men lovewhatherequires,andthatismorethan toproveittobereasonable. ButaPhilosopher, who hasnoAuthorityoverusanyfartherthanhe PerswadesusbyhisReasons, isobligedtogive
r o o f s o f e v e r y t h i n g h e a d v a n c e s ? , a n d t h u s P l a t o
does, and his Proofs can't chuse but be very agree able to them that believe, and very useful to Un believers, if they are but willing to attend a little
to 'em for their Instruction. SomeLearnedandZealousPerson,whoiswell
r e a d i n E c c l e s i a s t i c a l H i s t o r y ^ w i l l p e r h a p s f a y ? , i f
Platobesouseful, whencecomethosethundering
Censures, which some of the Fathers of the Church,
and above all, St. Chrysostom have let fly against
him >ItwouldbeasufficientAnswertothis,mould
Ionlyoppose toitthosegreatPraises, which other
Fathershavegivenhim, especiallySt. Augufiin: Butisittobeimagined, thatthatthefamePrin
ciples that charm'd St. Augusts were displeasing toSt. Chrysostom? No certainly: The Spirit of God is not divided, and Truth always appears to
those
? ? i4
A. DiscourseonPlato;
thosewhomGodispleasedtoilluminate. I'll therefore endeavour to shew from whence this di? ference of their Sentiments proceeded.
ThePhilosophyofPlatowaslook'dontwodif ferent ways, which have given occasion to two ve ry opposite Opinions concerning it.
Christian Philosophers look'd upon it as a Doc- trine, which by it's Principles naturally led to the ChristianReligion.
A n d P a g a n P h i l o s o p h e r s c o n s i d e r e d it a s a D o c trine, which containd Morals as perfect as thole of Christianity, and which might even take place of this holy Religion.
In the firstrespect itwas worthy of allthe En comiums that have been given it by the greatest Doctors of the Church, who came out of his School.
And on the second Account it deserved the great estAnathema. The defectsof thisPhilosophycould notbetoomuch aggravated,norcouldthosehaugh ty Philosophersthatvaluedthemselves somuch up onit,betoomuchabased;fortheWisdomofthe
Wise, and the Knowledg cf the Learned are no betterthanFolly, iftheyleadusnottotheknow ledgofJesusChrist. PlatohimselfbyhisPrin ciples,wouldfurnishuswithArms, toopposethole ofhisAdmirers, thatshouldbe16senseless,asto takeupwithhisOpinions, andshuttheirEyesa- gaintt the bright Truths of Religion.
But this Difference isnow ceased: There are nownoneofthoseignorantPersons. NoBodyis so blind to prefer, or even compare Plato and So crates, IwillnotsaytotheEvangelistsorApostles, buttothemeanestChristian. Sothatthereisno danger in setting a value on those Truths which are found inPlato, and in rendering them all the Fh> nourtheydeserve. Theyarenotthelessworthy of our respect,because they proceed from the mouth ofaHeathen. DidnotGodtakeBalaamfroma- mong the Gentiles, to communicate his Spirit to
him
? ? A DiscourseonPlated 1^
him? WhenWerenderhomagetotheTruthsfore toldby thatcovetousandcorruptProphet, wedon't honourtheProphet,butHimbywhomhewasin- spir'd. ForasSt. Ambroselays,*'Ttsnotthede
sert of him who prophesies, but the Oracle of him who calls, and which the Grace of God reveals. The greatertheDarknesswas that benighted those Times, the more esteem we ought to have for PlatoandSocrates,whomGodseemstohavecho s e n t o b e t h e first H e r a u l d s o f t h o s e g r e a t T r u t h s , a n d if I may venter to fay it, the fore-runners of St. Paul, in the most superstitious, and idolatrous CityintheWorld. 'TwastheDoctrineofthese
Philosophers that had produced and cherished those Sparks of knowledg, which thisgreatApostle found in the Hearts of some of the Athenians, concern ingtheResurrectionoftheDead, andtheImmor tality of the Soul.
What respectwe have for thisDoctrine willturn to the Glory of the Christian Religion : For if the Conformity of a part of Plato's Opinions, with what is revealed to us in the Gospel, hassoraised thisPhilosopher'sName, thatheiscalledthedi vinePhilosopher:What EsteemandVenerationdo they deserve, whose Minds and Hearts are fill'd with all the Truths of Christianity, and who are fed with the Celestial Doctrine, which our Lord Jesus Christ learned of God the Father, and came himself toteachus>
This Conformity of Plato, with the Doctrines of the Gospel, lastYear engag'd a Learned and Pi ous Ecclefiastique, to give a small Extract of it, which was very well received by the Publick. This Extract, which was made in the Pallace, and under the Eye of one of the best and most learned Arch-Bishops G o d has given his Church, is a great Elogium on the Doctrine of this Philosopher. What greater Appprobation can it have than that
* Non confitetitismeritum, fed vocantisoraculumest reve- lanwDeiGratia. S. Amtr,Lib. 6. F-ftst. 37-
of
? ? \6
A DiscourseonPlato?
1
of aPrelate, who sostronglyadherestotheword ? of Truth, and is so diligent in instructing the
People in it himself, as well as in causing others to instruct 'em.
Another great Advantage to be gained out of Plato'sWritings, isthai:a Man may form hisJudg mentby 'em^ andacquirethatJustness ofMind, and accuracy of reasoning, which are necessary in all conditionsiof Life, in order to discern Truth from Error, that he may taketherightfideinall Affairsthatoccur. ForthePhilosophyofSocrates is the source of good Sense, as * tierace himself ackn6wledges.
There is no Book in the World thatteaches, so well as this, the Art of confuting Sophists, who by their poysonous Maxims, labour to corrupt the Minds of Men, and to destroy Truth and good Sense. AstherewillalwaysbesuchImpostorsto befound, thisArtwillalwaysbeofverygreatuse, andthere'snoManteachesitlikePlato. Thereis nothing more compleat than his Logick, which in fallibly gains its Point in every thing it undertakes ; and'tisimpossibleforaMan todefendhimselffrom theforceofit. Itmaybecompar'dtotheSun, which when it rises, scarce makes us feel its Heat, butgraduallyencreasesit, sothatatlengthitbe
comes to hot to be endur"d.
Ishallnotspeak oftheCharms ofhisDialogues?
which are unexpressible: There are no Satyrs or Comedies that come near 'em. W 6 can no wherefindsuchsharpnessofWit, somanyGraces, anddecentturnsofThought, norsomuchvariety eitherofConceptions orExpressions: Norwere Ironies'ever sofinelymanag'd;sothat 'tisnot so much an Entertainment of Reading as an Inchant-
ment. IntheLifeof"PlatoIhavesufficientlyex posed to view the advantages of Dialogue above
allotherwaysof treatingaSubject. I shall here only add that that which contributes most torendefc
* In Arcc Pcetic. V. gro
it
? ? A 'DiscourseonPlatoi ty
it ib agreeable and useful, isthatTruth comes gradu a l l y o u t o f t h e B o w e l s o f t h e D i s p u t e ? , J u s t a s w h e n
Pictures are unrolled we fee the Persons'represented rise up by degrees,- tillat lastthey appear in their full Proportion : and there is nothing more agree abletotheMindthanthespringingupofTruthaf ter this manner, the insensible progress of which even l e a v e s t h e S o u l t i m e t o b e b e f o r e h a n d w i t h it, a n d t d foresee its appearance. N o w a Truth which our Minds have as it were divined, pleases us much more than that which has been formally prov'd to us,
which most commonly only irritates and makes us uneasy.
These Dialogues have been the admiration of all Ages : In the Reign of Trajan they were still so much esteemedatRom, thattheyoccafion'dthein troducing of a Custom which was received with great applause ; they us'dto chuse the finest of these Dialogues, and make their Children learn them by Heart, that so they might at their Feasts recite 'em at Table, with those different Tones and Gestures that were suitable to theManners and Characters of
the different Persons w h o m Plato brings in speaking. 'TistruethisCustom lastednotlong-, butthat whichputanendtoitwasnolesshonourablethan thatwhichintroduc'dit; ForthePhilosophersthat cOndemn'd and abolished it,did so only because they
accounted Plato too sublime to be so used, and be cause they could not endure that Dialogues so seri ous and*solid should serve for a Divertissement at Table, and be heard amidst the Merriment, Noise andTumultofaFeast. AndthisSentimentoftheirs was supported by the Authority ofPlato,himself* who inhisBanquet, beingto speakoftheEnd of Man, oftheSovereignGoodandotherTheological Matters, does not push on his Demonstrations very f a r ? , h e d o e s n o t , a c c o r d i n g t o h i s o r d i n a r y C u s t o m , imitate a vigorous Wrestler, w h o never lets go' his Hold, andwholockshisAdversarysocloselythat hecan'tescapehim; but. hesoftenshisProofsand
C makes'
? ? 18
A DiscourseonPlatoi
makes 'em pleasant, and attracts his Auditors by the
insinuation of Fables arid Examples, which seem to be contrived not so much to convince as to divert
'. em. FornoQuestionsoughttobestartedatTable but such as may move the Soul after an agreeable andusefulmanner, andsuchaseveryonemayeasily understand,andthoseoughttobebanish'd (touse theWords otDemocritus)thatarethorny,and out of which'tisdifficulttoextricateone'sself. TheDis course at Table ought to be for every one, like the Wine, and such as propose there abstracted and difficult Questions, exile thence, this kind of C o m munity, and renew the Feast of the Fox and the Crane.
IfI had only consider'd the Eloquence, the Strength andHarmonyoftheseWritings, IconfessIshould never have had the courage to translate 'em ; in doing which, eitherthroughmy own deiect,orthatofthe LanguageinwhichIwrite, Ihavehadthe'uneasi nessof findingmy selfunable topreserveamulti tude of Beauties and Elegancies that render these
DialoguesMaster-pieces,nottobeequall'd. ButI consider'd, that seeing they contain'd Matters of so greatImportanceandNecessity, itwouldbeagreat piece of Folly, to be so superstitious about Terms, as to deprive Mankind of so great an Advantage. And by good hap, that which is the most useful can'tbe hurtby my Translation. Itpreserves the Art of Logick, and all the Truth which Socrates provesbythatmeans,andthat'senough. Those Beauties which consist only in Expression are not so necessary, and we may easily forego 'em, provided weenjoyothers; andnotdolikeacertainWriter ofthelastAge,whoafterhehadmadeverygood
Reflectionson Socrates, and had acknowledged him to be an admirable pattern in all great Qualities, amuses and perplexes himself with Trouble, that a Soul so lovely had met with a Body so deform'd, and disagreeable to its Beauty. Which is as if a Souldier in reading the great Actions of Cesar or
Alexander
? ? rA Discourse on Plato, 19
Alexander instead of making advantage of His read ing, and learning the Art of War, should distress and afflict: his Mind, because one was bald, and t'other inclin'd hisHeadononeside.
But itmay be I have less reason to fear how it will go with rhy Translation, than how Socrates himself willescape. Our Age so much resembles thatwhereinthisPhilosopherliv'd,thatinall ap- jpearance,ifthiswifeMan now findssomeintelli gent Judges who will do Him Justice, he'll find a greater number of Persons extreamly prejudic'd; Who will be sure to condemn him. In an Age wherein nothing is esteem'd but Riches ; wherein
that Slavery, which leads to Wealth, is prefefd
to Liberty, and M e n chuse rather to nourish the . Vi-
tes of others by their Flatteries, than to augment
their own Vertues by their Labour. The Tempe
rance, Frugality, Fortitude, Justice and Liberty of Socrates will be laugh'd at ? and this will be hue the
accomplishmentofwhathepredicted. *IfmyFel low-Citizens (says he) have not been able to endufe my Alaxims, much less will they be tolerable to Strangers.
The greatest part will not give themselves so muchtroubleastoreadhim. tTheywillmuch lboner read the Milesian Tables, as St. Jerome fays, that is such Pieces as corrupt the Heart and Mind,
than Dialogues which inspire nothing but Wisdom; And among those that will read him, many will do it only out of Curiosity, for in our Time we maymakethesameComplaintthatwasmadehere
tofore by Taunts the Philosopher, anancientCom mentator on Plato. One asks for Plato's Dialogue oftheBanquet,tohavethepleasure ofseeing,the ExceileS'ofAlcibiades. Another. forhisPhoedrm, because 'tis a Treatise of Criticism, and the Ora tion of Tysas is examin'd in it; and others desire
* Apology 69. f Mulcoq; pars major est Milesias fabulis revolventium, quam Platonis Libros; St. Jerome in the Priface <<) UsXll Book on Isaiah.
C 2 those
? ? io
A Discourse on Plato^
thoseDialogueswhichhave the greatestReputation, and are accounted the best Pen'd,only for a frivolous Pleasure ; and not one of all these thinks of e m bellishing his Mind by reading of these Books, so
as to become more Modest, Temperate, Just, Pa tient, and Pious.
But those who will prove the least favourable to Socrates, area sortof Men who highly valuethem selves upon their refin'd Wit ; and a great many of thosewhoaretakenwiththePompandGayappear ances of the World.
The former not having Eyes piercing enough to discover the secret Light of those hidden Beauties that adorn these Dialogues, will count Socrates a Dull and Languid Author, because he has no Witti cisms,norGentileTurns. AnobscurePersonwho never did any thing worthy to be read, shall call in question the Reputation of Socrates, a Person who has been an honour to Humane Nature by theEx cellency of his Understanding ; and shall prefer him self to him, trampling under his Feet * the Tejii- tnonies which allthe learned Men of Antiquity, and allGreecehaverendred him,thatforgoodSense, Wit, 'Pleasantness, Subtilty, Strtngth, Variety and. Abundance, heexcelledallthateverhadappearedin theWorld. AManmusthaveagreatStockof good Opinion of himself, to appeal from so solemn aJudgment, andtomake hisappealtohimselftoo.
The latterarecommonly corruptedby reading fri volous Books, which are wholly Compos'd for Ostentation, and as Montagne fays, can't perceive Riches unless they make a pompous Show, and Ib h a v e a d i s g u s t f o r e v e r y t h i n g t h a t is P l a i n a n d S i m p l e -, b e i n g p e r s u a d e d t h a t w h a t i s N a t u r a l a n d E a s y , is a Kin to Dulness and Stupidity. These will think itbelow'emtoattendtoaPhilosopherwho enter- tains'em only with such Discourses as they countVul- garand Trivial,whoisscarceevertobefound outof Shops-, who talks only of Husband-men, Smiths,.
Z Cictrtinhis3dBooliof Oratory.
Masons,
? ? A Discourse on Plato. '
2 v
Masons, Carpenrers, Shoemakers, and Taylors and is eternally hammering on the fame Subjects and representing the same Images. '
9 There are not wanting good Reasons to prove to
em, thatasaMan sometimesisthoughtplump and in good Cafe, when he is only swelPd and bloated- 10 that which is frequently taken for Accuracy of Judgment, is the Effect of some Distemper/and notatallthemark ofaniceandfineRelish. The highestandmostsublime Conceptionsareoftenhid
underaformthatappearsVileand Contemptible, Are not the most Celestial Truths propos'd to vk m the Gospel under Popular Images and Modes of Ex
pression, like those us'd by Socrates? That which creeps on the Earth, is no less capable than that whichisraisdtotheHeavens, ofservingforaRe presentation to let the greatest Secrets,both o f N a t u r e andGraceintoourUnderstanding. Nay,manytimes tnemolt bimpleand Common Ideas arethemost
propertoimpressTruthontheMinds ofMen,forbe sidesthatthesearemoreproportionate tous, theydo
not Transport usout of our selves asthemost Mag nificentIdeasda Ifnonebutgreatanddaziing Imagescouldstrikeus, Godwouldnothavefaii'dto have constantly employ'd 'em, and since'tisno more difficult for him to change Men than to illuminate
em, he would have been so far from making his spirit stoop to the Manners and Customs of those whom he inspired; that on the contrary he would have transform'dtheirMannersandCustoms,tosub.
ject e m in some sort to his Spirit, and yes he did not dp thus. When he inspires Daniel, he leaves himtospeaklikeaManEducatedinaRoyalCourt h e u s e s o n l y G r e a t a n d M a g n i f i c e n t I d e a s -, a n d w h e n he inspires a Shepherd, such a one as Amos, he leaveshim toexplainhimselfbysuchTermsaswere moltfamiliartohim hbuttheTruthiseverywhere equally sublime, and as it receives no accession to its Lustre by the Majesty of Figures, so neither does it lose, any thing of its Glory by their Simpli-
C? city
? ? %I
A DiscourseonPlato.
city. Socraieswassowellpersuaded, thatthisSim plicity was alone capable to move and correct the Minds of Men, that when Critiaf, the'most Cruel of theThirty Tyrants, commanded him to let all
the Artificers alone, and talk no more of 'em, he answer'd ; * I muji then let all those Consequences a* lonetoo,whichIdrawfrom*em,and mustspeakno mere, either of Holiness or Justice, or any otherDu ties that become a Good Man. ? '
But perhaps our Censors will have less deference forthe Authority of Reasons, that for that of Ex amples : Tis therefore necessary to give them an Account of what pais'd in the Time of Socrates himself; and to (new 'em the Characters, both of his Friends and Enemies.
Ontheonesidewerethemost stupidandmost
corruptamongthePeople,someofwhom,through
ignorance, laugh'd at his Morality, and the manner
pf his Behaviour : Others through the Corruption ? of theirHearts, couldnotendure his Generous Li
berty.
On theotherside,Persons ofthe greatest Ho
nour, and of chief Note in the Commonwealth ; Pericles, Niciaf, Xenophon, Apollodorus, Criton, Critobulus, Eschinoe, Antifthenes, &c. These found infiniteCharmsinhisConversation. Whoisitthat isignorantof Alcibiades? No Man had more Wit, pratruergustofthings? ,hewasoneofthebest made, Bravest, most Gallant, most Magnificent, most Ambitious, and Nicest Men in the World -,
he was at the Head of the Athenians, he comman ded their Armies, he had won severalBattles,he had glitter'd in the Courts of Kings, and had not been rudely treated by Queens. According to the M a x i m s of the World, there's nothing more Bright and Il lustriousthansuchaManasthis. Yetthisfame Alcibiadesamidstall-thisGloryandPomp, issofar* frombeingoffendedatSocrateshisway andman ner of Deportment, which-were so opposite to his own, that,henosoonerbecameacquaintedwithhim,
* Xtntph. intheistBookoftheMemorableThingsofSoeratts* ''. ',':? /? '? . '. '? :">'? ,',:. -'-j"v\ i. i. '? >>V i:';. ,. ,. ,; ",but
? ? clistifiic. 30. 18.
A DiscourseonPlato^ 15
but he was struck with such a sense of his Merit, and the solid Gracefulness of his Conversation, that he knew not how to leave him ? ,he was enchanted
with his Discourses, which he preferd tothe most e x c e l l e n t M u f i c k ? , * h e c o n f e s s e s , t h a t a M a n c o u l d
neitherhear him speak, nor even hear others repeat
whathehadsaid,withoutbeingtransported. The
Force and Truth of his Words drew Tears from
him, and made him even leap for Joy. He com-
par'dhim to certain Statues of Satyrs and Silenes,
which were made to open and shut; to look on the o u t - s i d e o f ' e m , n o t h i n g w a s m o r e u g l y ? , b u t w h e n
they were open'd, allthe Deities were found in'em together. Hehardlylov'dorrespectedanyonebe sideshim,andhenevermet. withhim,buthetook off from his own Head the Crown, which he, ac cordingtotheCustom,woreondaysofCeremony,
andputitontheHead ofSocrates. Thereforethereisnomedium,wemustjudgeof?
Socrates either as the worst and meanest of the Athe niansdid, orlikePeric/esandAJcibiades-ywe may take our Choice.
All these Contradictions which I have foreseen, and which indeed may make these Dialogues be come tothegreatestpartofReaderstlikethose exquisite Dainties that were formerlyset on Tombs, have not diseourag'd me, but only convinc'd me
that a. bare Translation, though never so exact and faithful, would not make a iufficient impression on theMindsofsome Men, ifitwerenotsupported by something, that might prevent all these Iqcon- veniencies, or at least a good part of 'em-, and I could think but of two ways to succeed inthis,
Thefirstwas,toplaceanArgumentattheHead of everyDialogue,toexplaintheSubjectofit,to unfoldtheArtandMethod ofit,andtotakepar ticular notice ofevery thinginitof the greatest im-
* IntheDialogueoftheBanquet.
t O^uafiappositionesEpularum circumposu^ Sepulchro, Ec-
C 4 portance.
? ? ^4
A DiscourseonPlato^
portance. TheArgumentsofMarsiliusYicinus6,9
not go to the Matter of Fact ; besides, they are tod
abstracted, and are abundantly more difficult to be'
understood than -the Dialogues themselves. And
those of IV Serres are too wide and indefinite, they
never well fix the State of the Question, or the Quality of the Proofs ? , nor do they eVer explain ei
therPlato'sDesign,orhisAddress.
Now anArgu ment ought to be a faithful Guide always to attend the Reader, to conduct him where-ever he goes,and alwaystosethim intotherightPath.
The secondway was tomake Remarks toelucidate the principal Difficulties^ render the hidden Beau ties discernable, to explain the Train of Reasoning,, and the Solidity of the Principles and 'Proofs, and tohelptodiscoverwhat isfalse,from that which istrue.
Marsilius Yicinus did not so much as think of this*
Be Serres on thisAccount ismOreusefulthanhej
forbyhisMarginal Notesheatleasthinders'you
from losing the Thread of Plato's Reasoning, and
makes you comprehend the Train and Progress of his
Proofs : But yet he abandons you in the greatest dif ficulties. ? '. . -? -
In the Time of Maximus Tyrius, that is in the secondAge, itwasvery earnestlydesired,thatsome one would undertake to elucidate those obscure and knotty Pasiages of Plato-, above all in what respects his Opinions in Theology, and many Philosophers l a b o u r ' d i n t h i s W o r k , a s m a y b e s e e n i n h i s L i f e -y butwithsolittle success,thatinsteadofresolving the Difficulties, they have increased 'em. They, have scarce assisted m e once or twice in the Ten Dia logues which I have Translated ^ and they would have very often led me into Mistakes if I would havefollowed'em. -: >''? ? -. :. ? ? ? :
Thecauseof theirErrors was, that they did not draw from the true Fountain, and had a mind, to ex plain Plato by Arifiotle's Principles, which are very
different from those of Plato, The latterisrnost *>. ? -. <; i,? . ? ;;. . . -. ? . . . . commonly
? ? A discourseonPlato. xj
commonly conformable to sound Theology, or may be very easily reduc'd to it by his own Principles well explain'd:But'tisotherwisewithhisDisciple, and where Plato may be once corrected by Aristotle, Aristotlemay be correcteda hundred times by P/ato.
Idon'tpresumesomuchonmy own Ability,as
to think I have filled up all the Devoirs of a good
Interpreter; without doubt some Difficulties will
yet be found in that which I have Translated, but
perhaps all of 'em ought not to be imputed to me.
ObscuritiesordinarilyarisefromthreeCauses, from
the Sublimity of the Subject, from the Igonrance
of the Interpreter, and from the Incapacity or Un-
attentionoftheReader. Itwillbereasonablefor the Reader to accuse me of some pf 'em ? ,but let
him also sometimes accuse,either the Subject or him
self: If this Conduct be observed, I may venture
to hope for the Diminution of these Difficulties. ? At the end of the first Volume the Reader will
find an Abridgment of Three Dialogues, which are alsoentirelyTranslatedin-thesame Volume. That which has given occasion to this Repetition, is as follows^ I had a very great desire to publish Plato inFrench, but I made this Reflection-, that Philo sophy, as Plato himself somewhere says, requires FreeMenwho areMasters:oftheirTime^andwho, provided they findthe Truth, don'tenquire whether the Discourses that lead to it, are long or short : But nothing inour Time ismore rarelyfound, than theseFreeMen. Some aresooppress'dwithCare and Business, that they are scarce ever at their own disposal i and others are so continually agitated and shuffled by a Thousand passions, that they are always in Action, without doing,any thing, and resemble so many fugitive Slaves.
Therefore to Accomodate Plato to the Occupa tionsof theformer,andtherestlessHumourofthe latter, I thought such Abridgments might be made, as would be of very great Use ; and I made some, in which I preserved, the best I could, the Spirit of
! ;. . Socrates
? ? 1$
A piscourseonPlato^
4
Socrates and his Method, so that none of his Prin cipalStrokesmightbelost. FromhenceIluppos'd two considerable Advantages might be drawn. First, ThatbythismeansPlatomightbereadinaWeeks time, and then, that the Truths he teaches, would be more deeply fix'd in the Mind; because the Proofsbeingmorecontracted,wouldmakeamore livelyImpression. Iwasfartherconfirm'dinthis Thought by observing the effect these Abridgments producedonallthat heard'emread; everyonewas mov'd by 'em, and could not chuie but feel the force of 'em.
But it must be confess'd to the Glory of Plato^ andperhapssomewhattomyShametoo,thatwhen Iwason thepointofcommitting'em tothePress, and was willing to review 'em by the Original, I was my selfdisgusted with my Work, and found in the Original so many Elegancies which I had not been able to preserve ; that I was afraid I should make it sustain too great a loss in not publishing it entire, for nothing can be taken from it, that is not worthytobeadmired. Andtothinkthereareany VacuitiesanduselesspartsinhisWritings, isbutta deceiveonesself. Thereisagreatdealofdiffe rence between a Man's quitting his Subject, and soundingittothebottom. Plutoalwaysgoesback
to firstPrinciples, and examines every Subject on all its different sides; he maintains that this is the only way to make sure Demonstrations ; and he is every where such an Enemy to long Discourses, that is, iiich as are useless, that he looks upon 'em as the Rock on which Truth is split, and as the Cha racter, not of a Philosopher, but of a Sophist. This obliged m e to alter m y Resolution : However, in Obedience to some Persons of very great Merit, who desired these Abridgments of me, I have pub lishedthree, thatthePublick may draw some pro fitfrom 'em, or at least may make a Judgment of 'em.
? ? J DiscourseonPlatoJ %%
I might here have a fair occasion to answer the . Invectivesthathavebeen madeagainstPlato inour Time:Butsincetheycome onlyfromsuchPersons
asneverreadsomuchasoneofhisDialogues;per haps they'll change their Sentiments when once theyhavereadhim. Besides,'tiswaftingofones Time todefend Platohfor he sufficientlydefends himself-, and that may be said of him with yet more Justice, which thegreatestof the Latin Histo- rianssaidofGz/0,equallyridiculingthe PraisesCi cerohadgivenhim,andtheSatyrsCesarhadmade on him. * None could ever augment the Glory ofthisGreatMan byhisPraises^nordiminishitby
his Satyrs.
* CujusGloria? nequcprofuitquisquamIaudando,neevit<<pe<< randoquisquamnocuic. TitMIwjfw.
THE
? ? iS
THE
LIFE of PLATO,
WITH
An AccountofthePrincipalof
his Opinions in Philosophy.
G O D waspleas'dtoendowthefirstMan with true Wisdom ^ but the Passions sooncommunicated tohim theirMortal
Poyson, and precipitated him into a
stateofRebellion against hisMaker, and
so made him lose all the advantages of his Origin. Tk'*jsy/Tis from thisFountain hisPosterity have deriv'd all
mt Seas their Errors. Being unhappily taught what Good es Philofo-they had lost, by the Evils they suffer'd, they made fkrs. theirbestEfrprtstorepairtheirloss. ButsinceMan
in a state of Perfection had not strength enough to keep that Happiness he enjoy'd ; h o w should he be able when in a state of Corruption, to put himself in possession (if that true Good, of which Sin had d e p r i v e d h i m ? N o , 'tis n o t t o b e e x p e c t e d f r o m h i m , that he should conduct us back to our former Feli city. , This is the work of God and not of Man.
All the wife Pagans may in this respect be com- par'dtodrunkenMen,whowhiletheyhaveamind to return Home, knock at every Door, and take eve ryHousefortheirown. SomeremainsofReason still gave 'em a discovery of what they ought to seek ; and an inexhaustible Source of Blindness and Corruption, still hinder'd 'em from finding it, or if theyfounditfromembracingit. Socrateswasthe first of 'em, who was eminently distinguish'd from othersbyaclearerandpurerLight (whichperhaps
? '-* was
? ? 7he Life os Plated
i p
WastheRewardofhisModestyandHumility)and acquir'd a more sublime and certainknowledg ofthe DutiesofMan, oftheNatureofGod, oftheLaw ofNature,andofJustice. ThereforeP/atolaysof him, thatheaddedFiretoFire,therebysignifying, that by amassing together those degrees of Light,
which he found scatter'dup and down ; and giving 'em a new Lustre by his luminous and fruitful Mind, he spread Light far and near,and rais'dagreat Flame outofthat,which beforehistime,wasbutanum ber of little Sparks almost buried under the Ashes : But this sublime knowledg of his, was not without amixture of many Errors;sothattogainadvantage by his Doctrine, which has been preferv'd and im- prov'd by P/ato, care must be taken to separate the
T r u t h s w h i c h it p l e a s ' d G o d t o d i s c o v e r t o h i m , f r o m the Falshoods and Illusions, in which he himself in- volv'd'em. Thiswemay mostcertainlydo, since we have thetruemeasure ofTruth. inourHands, whichistheWordofGod. Allhefays,thatis conformable to this, is undoubtedly true; and m a y moreover serve to prove the Truths of the Christian Religion ;and whatever isopposite to it, isthe fruit ofFalshoodandError. AndtheDoctrineofPlato itselfhasthisadvantage, thatsuchanExamenas w e plead for is one of his principal Rules, and his firstPrinciple;forhemaintains, thatnothingought ever to be received in any Science, but what agrees
with *EternalTruth,andwiththeOraclesofGod. Plato founded the Old Academy on the Opinions of Pythagoras, those of Heraclitus, and those of Socrates, and by adding to the discoveries of these
greatMenthatLightwhichhehadacquir'dinhis Tiavels, and had deriv'd from the fame Springs, he
establishedaSect ofPhilosophersmuch more perfect than rhose that had appeared in the World before
him. However, Ishallnotlookbacksofarasthose
* By this Eternal Truth Plata means an ancient Tradition, whichhepretendsthefirstMeqreceivedfromGod, andtransmit ted to (heir Posterity.
Philqfo-
? ? 36
The Life of Plato; '
PhilosophersIhavemention'd, whoseOpinionsmay beseeninDiogenesLaertius. IllsaybutaWord ofthembytheway,andconfiningmyself*onlyto whatrelatestoP/ata. IshallfirstgiveanAccount o f h i s L i f e ? , a f t e r t h i s I s h a l l e x p l a i n h i s D o c t r i n e , and examin it with respect to Morality, Religion, Policy,PhysicksandLogick. Ishallasmuchas in m e lies, discover the Source, both of the Truths
and Errors he teaches : I shall speak of his way of treating the Subjects on which he insists: Frorri
thence I shall proceed to make a Judgment of his Stile ? , I shall speak of his Principal Interpreters,
aridinfineshallgiveaTranslationof someof his Dialogues ; the Method and- Subjects of which I shall explain j and here I shall remark whatever I thinkmaybestillofusetous. 'Tiswithsucha disposition of Mind as this, that we should read theWorksoftheHeathens;forthosewhoaretoo much enamour'd of 'em, and take up with them, never find enough Truth in 'em to give 'em Satis faction and Righteousness enough to fortifie 'em a- gainst Vice, but continue to want the true Food of Souls,andremainindigentofsolidVertue. This Method I speak of, is taught us by a * Learned
Father of the Church, and was followed by him self, as he informs us in the t Letter he wrote to Pope Damafus -, in which, after he had applied to thispurpose, the t Law God gave his People, con cerning a strange Woman, when taken Captive in War, who was not to be married to an Israelite, tillhehadcaus'dhertochangeherClothes, tobe purified, and to have her Nails and her Hair cut ; headds. |"WedothefamewhenwereadtheHea- " then Philosophers (who to us are thatstrange Wo-
* St. Jtromi. f Letter 145. t D ^ >> c*><</>. ar.
I Itaque & nos facere solemus quando Philosophos Icgimiw,' quando inmanus nostras iibri vcniunt sapientiae saecularis ; siquid i n c i s u t i l e r e p e r i m u s , a d n o s t r u m d o g m a c o n v c r t i m u s , si q u i d v c - ro superfluum, de Idolis, de amore, de cura saxularium rerun),' rixcradimus,hisCalviciumiaducimus,hxcinunguiummorem fen o acutissimo refecamcs.
& man)
? ? The Use of Plato. ^r C( m a n ) a n d w h e n t h e B o o k s o f t h e W i s d o m o f t h i s
"Worldfallintoourhands. Ifwefindany thing
" in V/# that isprofitable, we make use of it by re- w ferring it to our own Principles ; and when we
"findanythinguselessandsuperfluous, aswhenthey . " treat of Hols, of Love, and of the Care ofEarth- " ly andPeriflnible things, this we pare away. These " are the Clothes zvhich we take from this strange
"Woman;thesearctheAailsandHairwecutoff " with ajharp Injirument.
By this means we restore to the good Philosophy
and sound Theology of the Ancient Hebrews, what
the Greeks have itollen from 'em, for they are en richedonly with theirSpoils.
Plato descended from a Brother of Solon, and consequently was of the Family of Codrus King of Athens, and thus his Genealogy may be Trac'd to Neptune by Neleus King of Pylos, from whom Codrw descended in the Fifth Generation : So that in respect of his Birth, his Nobility was as great as any the Pride of any Man can flatter themselves withal. Arifion having efpous'd his Cousin Ger man Periffione, * 'tispretendedthat Apolloappear'd to him in a Dream, and forbad him to approach hisWife, becauseshewaswithChildbyHim. Ari
fionobey'd; and now look'd upon PeriUione no more as his Wife, but as a Goddess, till she was deliver'dofPlato,o\\the Day of Apollo's f Nativity, astheDeliansaffirm. Plutarchmakesa Reflection upon this, which deserves not tobe forgot. He fays, Those thathavemade Apollo Plato'sFather, have donethatGod nodishonourinattributingtohimthe ProductionofaMan, whoisthePhysicianofSouls; and labours to cure 'em of the most violent Passions, and most dangerous Distempers. And St. Jerome
* These Suppositions were usual in chose Timei, for instance, there was soon after this, a W o m a n of the Kingdom of Pontus, who persuaded a multitude ot People that (fee was with Child by ApUo,andwasbroughttoBedofaSon,whowasnam'dSilems, , whomLyftndtrwaswillingtomakeuseoftocarry on theDesign hehadlaidtomakehimselfKingofSpartt. fThe7thofFeb.
some-
? ? 7k LifeofPlato:
somewhere observes, That those Philosophers who firstgave out this Fable, did not believe that he w h o m they look'd upon as the Prince of Wisdom, could be born of any other than a Virgin.
P / a t o w a s b o r n t h e first Y e a r o f t h e E i g h t y e i g h t h Olympiade, thatis426 Years beforethe Nativityof JesusChrifl. HewasatfirstcalFdArijiocles,af tertheName ofhisGrand-Farher:His Wrestling- Master calFd him Plato, from his broad square Shoulders ; and he continued ever after to bear this Name. InhisInfancyashewasoneDaysleeping under a Myrtle Tree, 'tis said a Swarm of Bees settledupon hisLips, which was taken asan Omen tosignifiethathisStyle wouldbeextreamlysweet. H e began his Studies under a Grammarian call'd Dio nysus, made his Exercises under Arison of Argos, learn'd Musick of Draco the Athenian j and under
Metellus of Agrigentum, he apply'd himself to
Painting and Poesy ; he even made some Tragedies
which he burnt when he was 20 Years of Age, after
hehadheardSocrates. TothisPhilosopherheen tirely adher'd ? , and having a marvellous Inclina
tion to Vertue, made so good a Proficiency by the DiscoursesofthisRighteousMan, thatat25Years of Age he gave such proofs of his extraordinary Wisdom, asmade itappearthathewasalreadyca pable of Governing a State.
The Lacedemonians had then made themselves Masters of Athens, and Lysander established there' theGovernmentof30, who atfirstRul'dwithsome
kind ofMildness, butsoonaftermade use ofa Ty rannicalPower. AtthisJuncturePlatogaveavery considerable Instance of the freedom of his Soul, and ihew'dhecouldnottruckletomake hisCourttoa
Tyrant. Lysander,whomadeallstooptohim,and had render'd himself formidable by his Cruelties, kept somePoetsabouthim,whomadeittheirbusi ness to celebrate his Glory, and flatter his Vanity. Antimachus and Niceratm were of this Number j. theymadeVersesinPraiseofLysander,bywayof
Emubf-'
? ? TheLifeofPhtol 33
lation-, he being, made Judge of their Perfor mance, gave the Prize to Nice-ratits. Antimacbus overborn with this Disgrace, suppressed his Poem. Plato who lov'dhim for hisfinePoetry, endeavour'd to encourage him, and without fearing Lysander's Resentment, told him, that he was not so much to
beblam'dashis Judge-,for(saidhe)Ignoranceis as bad a Distemper in the Eyes of the Mind, as blindness in those of the Body.
PlatosMerit which now began to be much taken noticeof, induc'dtheMinistersofTyrannytomake the greatest efforts they could to draw him to their Party, and to engage him to concern himself in the Government. Nothingwaspropos'dtohimbut
what was suitable to his Age, and agreeable to his Maxims. Indeed allhis Ambitionlayinadesire
of making the Knowledge he had acquir'd, servicea- bletohisCountrey? ,andhewas sofarpersuaded
bythePromisesofthoseThirtyTyrants, thathedid not deipair of inducing 'em at length to abandon t h e i r A r b i t r a r y M e t h o d s ? , a n d G o v e r n t h e C i t y w i t h
alltheWisdom andModerationofgoodMagistrates.
While he employ'd his Thoughts to this purpose
NightandDay, andwasinsearchofthemost pro
per means to make this Design successful, he care
fullyobserve alltheirSteps:Butsoonperceiv'd thattheMischiefgrewworseand worse? ,andthat
the Spirit of Tyranny was too deeply rooted, to leave him any hope of being able to destroy it. * These Thirty Tyrants filled the whole City with
Murders and Proscriptions-, and while he had a share in the Publick Affairs, itcame to this Point, that he must either be a Confederate in their Crimes, oraVictimtotheirFury. Thepressure-ofthisMis fortune, whichnonebutGodhimselfcouldredress; gaveachecktohisAmbition,andmadehim willing to wait for more favourable Times.
Fortunesoonappear'dwillingtosecond hisgood Intentions ; for the Thirty Tyrants were expell'd,
*SeeXenophon'sHistoryofGreece, Lib. a.
D and
? ? 54
The Life of Plato. '
and the Form of the Government quite changed.
Tnis gave a little Revival to Plata's Hopes, when
almostextiiiguiiiied. Butitwasnotlongbeforehe
perceiv'd thatthis new form ofGovernment was no
better chan the former ; and that the State everyday
receivdnew Wounds. NaySocrateshimselfwas
sacrificed upon this Revolution. The Laws were
trampled under foot, Order and Discipline were no
more regarded, and all Authority was in the Hands
ofthePeople, who were alwaysmore formidable
than any Tyrants could be. It was impossible to
rectify this Disorder, for a M a n that should under t a k e i t h a d n e e d o f g o o d f r i e n d s ? , a n d i n f o g r e a t a
Confusion, the Fidelity ot' old Friends becomes as suspectedasthatofnew onesisdangerous.
Plato knew not what to determine under these Circumstances. Hehadnoexpectationofhelpfrom the ne i-ibouring Cities, where Confusion reigned noleisthanitdidatAthens. In anAge wherein Philosophy was advane'd to its highest perfection, Injusticewzscarriedtothelastextremity, whichis theordinaryeffectofthatContempt ofTruthwhich Men sometimes manifest, when it shines upon 'em withthegreatestevidence. TiiisInundationofIn justice and Violence augmented the love which Plato boreroPhilosophy5HecasthimselfintoitsArms as into a safe Port, fully convine'd that the Welfare of Cities and of particular Persons depend on it ; and thatitisimpossibletobehappywithoutit. Atthis time he heard the Discourses of Cratylus w h o taught thePhilosophyosHeraclitm, andHermogeneswho taughtthatofParmenides. Heafterwardwentto
Megara to see Euclid who founded the Megarick
Sect. FromMegarahepals'dtoCyrenetoperfect
himselfintheMathematicksunderTheodoras, who
wasthegreatestMathematicianofhisTime. He then visited Egypt, and conversed a long time with
theEgyptianPriests, whotaughthimagreatpart of their Traditions, and made him acquainted with the Books of Moses, and those of the Prophets.
While
? ? IbeLtfeof Plato. ? ><
While he was at Memphis there arriv'd a Lacede monian whowassentbyAgesilamtodesirethePriest Connuphts to explain a certain Inscription which was fdtindonaCopperPlatein. theTombofAlcmene. This Priest after he had spent three days in looking
over all forts of Figures and Characters, aniwer'd, that the Letters of this Plate were such as were used in Egypt, inthetimeofP/"<? /v? <<s, that Herculej1. had carried them into Gteece, and that they con tainsanAdmonitionwhichGod gavetheGreeksto live in Peace ; by instituting Sports in honour of rhe
Muses, by the study of Philosophy, and other parts of Learning, and by disputing one against another With Reasons, and Words of justice, with a design onlytoknowtheTruthandtofollowtheDictates ofit. TisprobablethisPriestwasnotabletoread theInscription,butwiselymade useofsofavourable
an occasiontoappeasetheGrecian Wars, whichwas infinitely better than if he had read it-
This Stratagem of Connuphis was soon serviceable toPlatoforalikedesign^forwhenhewasupon his return with Simmia*, and on the Coast of Caria, he met some Men that came from Delos; who en treated him to explain a very terrible Prediction which they had received from the Oracle of Apollo. The Purport of it was, that the Miseries under which the Greeks labour'd should not cease, till they had doubled the Cubical Altar which was in hisTemple. Theytoldhimtheyhadattemptedto put this Order in execution, but that when they had doubled each side of the Altar, instead of making it
double as they hop'd to have done,' and as the G o d requir'd, theymade iteightfold;whichmade 'em fear the continuation of their Calamities. Plato calling to mind what the Egyptian Priest had done, told 'em, that God did but mock the Greeks for their Contempt of Sciences ? , and by reproaching 'em of their Ignorance and Stupidity, exhorted 'em seriously to apply themselves to the study of Geo
metry, which alone would make 'em able to find D2 two
? ? j6
The Life of Plato:
two proportional Lines to double a Cubical Body by equallyaugmentingallitsDimensions. Andadded, that ifthey had a mind to correct: their Work, it was but to address themselves to Eudoxus or heli con;butthatGodhadnodesignatalltohave his Altar doubled, and that the only thing he requir'd by the Oracle was, that they should lay down their Arms to converse with the Muses, and moderate their Passionsby the Study of Letters, and Sciences; in rendering mutual Love and Service, instead of
hatinganddestroyingoneanother. Hewentafter this into Italy, where he heard Philolaus and Eury- tus, who were Pythagorean Philosophers. 'From thence he pais'd into Sicily to fee the Wonders of that Island : By this time he had arrived to forty
. 'YearsofAge.
This Voyage, which was purely the effectof his
Curiosity, laid the first foundations of the Liberty ' of Syracuse, and made way for those great things that were put in Execution by Dion, * the Brother-in-Law and Favourite ofDoinyJius the Elder. Therewasatthattime aYoung Man who was
Su Plu-naturally Couragious and Magnanimous;butha- tarchintheving had a Servile Education under a Tyrant, and lift */ Di- being accustom'd to the Submissions and Slavery of a
Cringing and Timerous Courtier, and which is yet more pernicious, brought up in Luxury, Opulence, and Laziness, would have suffer'd those precious Seeds cf Vertue to die in his Soul, had not Plato reviv'dthembyhisDiscourses. Hehadnosooner heard the Precepts of this Philosopher, but his Mind was so infiam'd with the loveof Vertue, that he desir'd nothing so much as to embrace and fol low it. And perceiving with what facility Plato had chang'd his Mind, he believd he might pro duce the fame effect upon that of Dionyjius too, and couldnotresttillhehadengag'dthisPrinceto haveaConferencewithhim. Dionyjius,whothen
* For he was the Son of Hissaims, whose Daughter Dimjfiu had married.
enjoy'd
? ? The Lifeos Plato. \l
enjoy'da great deal of Leisures-consented to this En- terview. Their Discourse was wholly on Vertue,and they presently fell into a Dispute about the Nature of truefortitude: Platoprov'dthatthiscouldby nomeansbeattributedtoTyrants,whoaresofar from being Valiant and Brave, that they are more
WeakandTimorousthanSlaves. Theyafterwards came to speak of Utility, and of Justice. Plato Ihew'd that nothing could be properly said to be useful, but that which is Honest and Just;and madeitappear,thattheLifeofJustMen was happy amidst the greatest Adversity ; and that of the Unjust miserable in the very bosom of
Prosperity.