The Prose Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley, Vol. 2 [of 2]Shelley, Percy Bysshe
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The Prose Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley, Vol. 2 [of 2]
Shelley, Percy Bysshe
English prose literature
“And observe, how like he is to what I said, and what a wonderful power
he possesses. Know that there is not one of you who is aware of the
real nature of Socrates; but since I have begun, I will make him plain
to you. You observe how passionately Socrates affects the intimacy of
those who are beautiful, and how ignorant he professes himself to be;
appearances in themselves excessively Silenic. This, my friends, is the
external form with which, like one of the sculptured Sileni, he has
clothed himself; for if you open him, you will find within admirable
temperance and wisdom. For he cares not for mere beauty, but despises
more than any one can imagine all external possessions, whether it be
beauty or wealth, or glory, or any other thing for which the multitude
felicitates the possessor. He esteems these things and us who honour
them, as nothing, and lives among men, making all the objects of their
admiration the playthings of his irony. But I know not if any one of
you have ever seen the divine images which are within, when he has been
opened and is serious. I have seen them, and they are so supremely
beautiful, so golden, so divine, and wonderful, that everything which
Socrates commands surely ought to be obeyed, even like the voice of a
God.
“At one time we were fellow-soldiers, and had our mess together in
the camp before Potidæa. Socrates there overcame not only me, but
every one beside, in endurance of toils: when, as often happens in a
campaign, we were reduced to few provisions, there were none who could
sustain hunger like Socrates; and when we had plenty, he alone seemed
to enjoy our military fare. He never drank much willingly, but when
he was compelled he conquered all even in that to which he was least
accustomed; and what is most astonishing, no person ever saw Socrates
drunk either then or at any other time. In the depth of winter (and the
winters there are excessively rigid,) he sustained calmly incredible
hardships; and amongst other things, whilst the frost was intolerably
severe, and no one went out of their tents, or if they went out, wrapt
themselves up carefully, and put fleeces under their feet, and bound
their legs with hairy skins, Socrates went out only with the same cloak
on that he usually wore, and walked barefoot upon the ice; more easily,
indeed, than those who had sandalled themselves so delicately: so that
the soldiers thought that he did it to mock their want of fortitude.
It would indeed be worth while to commemorate all that this brave man
did and endured in that expedition. In one instance he was seen early
in the morning, standing in one place wrapt in meditation; and as
he seemed not to be able to unravel the subject of his thoughts, he
still continued to stand as inquiring and discussing within himself,
and when noon came, the soldiers observed him, and said to one
another--‘Socrates has been standing there thinking, ever since the
morning.’ At last some Ionians came to the spot, and having supped, as
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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