Theætêtus, before he attempts a second answer, complains how much the subject had embarrassed him. Impressed with what he had heard about the interrogatories of Sokrates, he had tried to solve this problem: but he had not been able to satisfy himself with any attempted solution--nor yet to relinquish the search altogether. "You are in distress, Theætêtus" (observes Sokrates), "because you are not empty, but pregnant.[5] You have that within you, of which you need to be relieved; and you cannot be relieved without obstetric aid. It is my peculiar gift from the Gods to afford such aid, and to stimulate the parturition of pregnant minds which cannot of themselves bring forth what is within them.[6] I can produce no truth myself: but I can, by my art inherited from my mother the midwife Phænaretê, extract truth from others, and test the answers given by others: so as to determine whether such answers are true and valuable, or false and worthless. I can teach nothing: I only bring out what is already struggling in the minds of youth: and if there be nothing within them, my procedure is unavailing. My most important function is, to test the answers given, how far they are true or false. But most people, not comprehending my drift, complain of me as a most eccentric person, who only makes others sceptical. They reproach me, and that truly enough, with always asking questions, and never saying any thing of my own: because I have nothing to say worth hearing.[7] The young companions who frequent my society, often suffer long-continued pains of parturition night and day, before they can be delivered of what is within them. Some, though apparently stupid when they first come to me, make great progress, if my divine coadjutor is favourable to them: others again become tired of me, and go away too soon, so that the little good which I have done them becomes effaced. Occasionally, some of these impatient companions wish to return to me afterwards--but my divine sign forbids me to receive them: where such obstacle does not intervene, they begin again to make progress."[8] [Footnote 5: Plato, Theætêt. p. 148 E. [Greek: ô)di/neis, dia\ to\ mê\ keno\s a)ll' e)gku/môn ei)=nai.]] [Footnote 6: Plato, Theætêt. p. 149 A, p. 150 A.] [Footnote 7: Plato, Theætêt. p. 149 A. [Greek: oi( de/, a)/te ou)k ei)do/tes, tou=to me\n ou) le/gousi peri\ e)mou=, o(/ti de\ a)topô/tato/s ei)mi, kai\ poiô= tou\s a)nthrô/pous a)porei=n.] 150 B-C [Greek: me/giston de\ tou=t' e(/ni tê=| ê(mete/ra| te/chnê|, basani/zein dunato\n ei)=nai panti\ tro/pô|, po/teron ei)/dôlon ê)\ pseu=dos a)poti/ktei tou= ne/ou ê( dianoi/a, ê)\ go/nimo/n te kai\ a)lêthe/s; e)pei\ to/de ge kai\ e)moi\ u(pa/rchei o(/per tai=s mai/ais; a)/gono/s ei)mi sophi/as], &c.] [Footnote 8: Plato, Theætêt. pp. 150 E, 151 A. [Greek: e)ni/ois me\n to\ gigno/meno/n moi daimo/nion a)pokôlu/ei xunei=nai, e)ni/ois de\ e)a=|; kai\ pa/lin ou(=toi e)pidido/asin.]