[Footnote 2: Plato, Charm. 154 C. Ficinus, in his Argumentum to this dialogue (p. 767), considers it as mainly allegorical, especially the warm expressions of erotic sentiment contained therein, which he compares to the Song of Solomon. "Etsi omnia in hoc dialogo mirificam habeant allegoriam, amatoria maxime, non aliter quam Cantica Salomonis--mutavi tamen nonnihil--nonnihil etiam prætermisi. Quæ enim consonabant castigatissimis auribus Atticorum, rudioribus fortè auribus minimé consonarent."] [Footnote 3: Plato, Charm. 155 A.] [Footnote 4: Plato, Charm. 157 D. About the diffidence of Charmides in his younger years, see Xen. Mem. iii. 7, 1.] [Side-note: Question, What is Temperance? addressed by Sokrates to the temperate Charmides. Answer, It is a kind of sedateness or slowness.] You are said to be temperate, Charmides (says Sokrates). If so, your temperance will surely manifest itself within you in some way, so as to enable you to form and deliver an opinion, What Temperance is. Tell us in plain language what you conceive it to be. Temperance, replies Charmides (after some hesitation),[5] consists in doing every thing in an orderly and sedate manner, when we walk in the highway, or talk, or perform other matters in the presence of others. It is, in short, a kind of sedateness or slowness. [Footnote 5: Plato, Charm. 159 B. [Greek: to\ kosmi/ôs pa/nta pra/ttein kai\ ê(suchê=|, e)/n te tai=s o)doi=s badi/zein kai\ diale/gesthai . . . sullê/bdên ê(suchio/tês tis.]] [Side-note: But Temperance is a fine or honourable thing, and slowness is, in many or most cases, not fine or honourable, but the contrary. Temperance cannot be slowness.] Sokrates begins his cross-examination upon this answer, in the same manner as he had begun it with Laches in respect to courage. _Sokr._--Is not temperance a fine and honourable thing? Does it not partake of the essence and come under the definition, of what is fine or and honourable?[6] _Char._--Undoubtedly it does. _Sokr._--But if we specify in detail our various operations, either of body or mind--such as writing, reading, playing on the harp, boxing, running, jumping, learning, teaching, recollecting, comprehending, deliberating, determining, &c.--we shall find that to do them quickly is more fine and honourable than to do them slowly. Slowness does not, except by accident, belong to the fine and honourable: therefore temperance, which does so belong to it, cannot be a kind of slowness.[7] [Footnote 6: Plato, Charm. 159 C--160 D. [Greek: ou) tô=n kalô=n me/ntoi ê( sôphrosu/nê e)sti/n? . . . e)peidê\ _e)n tô=| lo/gô|_ tô=n kalô=n ti ê(mi=n ê( sôphrosu/nê u(pete/thê.]] [Footnote 7: Plato, Charm. 160 C.] [Side-note: Second answer. Temperance is a variety of the feeling of shame. Refuted by Sokrates.]