At this point Socrates: Nay, gentlemen, if drinking is the order of the day, I heartily approve. Wine it is in very truth that moistens the soul of man, (46) that lulls at once all cares to sleep, even as mandragora (47) drugs our human senses, and at the same time kindles light-hearted thoughts, (48) as oil a flame. Yet it fares with the banquets of men, (49) if I mistake not, precisely as with plants that spring and shoot on earth. When God gives these vegetable growths too full a draught of rain, they cannot lift their heads nor feel the light air breathe through them; but if they drink in only the glad supply they need, they stand erect, they shoot apace, and reach maturity of fruitage. So we, too, if we drench our throats with over-copious draughts, (50) ere long may find our legs begin to reel and our thoughts begin to falter; (51) we shall scarce be able to draw breath, much less to speak a word in season. But if (to borrow language from the mint of Gorgias (52)), if only the attendants will bedew us with a frequent mizzle (53) of small glasses, we shall not be violently driven on by wine to drunkenness, but with sweet seduction reach the goal of sportive levity. (46) Cf. Plat. "Laws," 649; Aristoph. "Knights," 96: Come, quick now, bring me a lusty stoup of wine, To moisten my understanding and inspire me (H. Frere). (47) Cf. Plat. "Rep." vi. 488 C; Dem. "Phil." iv. 133. 1; Lucian v., "Tim." 2; lxxiii., "Dem. Enc." 36. See "Othello," iii. 3. 330: Not poppy, nor mandragora, Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world; "Antony and Cl." i. 5, 4. (48) Cf. 1 Esdras iii. 20: "It turneth also every thought into jollity and mirth," {eis euokhian kai euphrosunen}. The whole passage is quoted by Athen. 504. Stob. "Fl." lvi. 17. (49) Reading {sumposia}, cf. Theog. 298, 496; or if after Athen. {somata} transl. "persons." (50) Or, "if we swallow at a gulp the liquor." Cf. Plat. "Sym." 176 D. (51) See "Cyrop." I. iii. 10, VIII. viii. 10; Aristoph. "Wasps," 1324; "Pol. Lac." v. 7. (52) For phrases filed by Gorgias, see Aristot. "Rhet." iii. 3; "faults of taste in the use of metaphors," Longin. "de Subl." 3. See also Plat. "Symp." 198 C. (53) Cf. Aristoph. "Peace," 1141; Theophr. "Lap." 13; Lucian, xvii., "De merc. cond." 27; Cic. "Cat. m." 14, transl. "pocula... minuta atque rorantia." The proposition was unanimously carried, with a rider appended by Philippus: The cup-bearers should imitate good charioteers, and push the cups round, quickening the pace each circuit. (54) (54) Or, "at something faster than a hand-gallop each round." See the drinking song in "Antony and Cl." i. 7. 120. III During this interval, whilst the cup-bearers carried out their duties, the boy played on the lyre tuned to accompany the flute, and sang. (1) (1) Cf. Plat. "Laws," 812 C; Aristot. "Poet." i. 4.