‘Assuredly,’ they said, ‘they must be one or the other.’ ‘Or both,’ said Agathon. ‘Yes,’ I agreed, ‘that was well added by Agathon, for we must not forget the influence of religion which even tyrants can modify only through slow degrees. But as religion is the manifestation of the soul’s nature, if we find the religion of these people compelling them to lead the life they do, shall we not justly decide that there is in their souls an ignorance of what is truly good? Now I say that in religion they are followers of Pythagoras without rightly understanding his doctrine, and that they are to be numbered among the worshippers of the Sacred Number.’ ‘Without doubt,’ said Lysis, ‘the Sacred Number is Number One, which has long been the favourite among mankind.’ ‘You are wrong,’ said I, ‘and you must not think that the Americans are in general more selfish than other men. I think that the opposite is the case, and that nowhere on earth, not even among the Athenians, is there so much fellow-feeling and willingness to help combined with so much competitiveness and so great a desire to excel in contests. No, the number is the symbol _n_, or whatever you choose that denotes the greatest quantity. For they pay a most special and devout worship to a strange god whom they call Progress, and whose will they declare it to be that there shall be made as great a number as possible of all objects that men make, but principally of the machines that are called “autos” or “cars,” which move men quickly from place to place.’ ‘It is often a fine thing to go quickly from place to place,’ said Lysis. ‘Why, yes,’ I said, ‘and in addition the control of these machines gives great joy to the Americans. So that it may well happen that they will live altogether in their cars. For at present they must endeavour to find some place in the city where they can leave their car while they go to an office, and he who is successful in doing this is said to have parked his car, and is held in honour. And as among many peoples a youth is not granted the dignity of manhood until he has slain an enemy, so among the Americans must he first prove himself by parking a car.’ ‘They would become men sooner if theirs was the old test of slaying a man, would they not?’ said Lysis, ‘for that requires but little skill in controlling cars and a stout heart is alone sufficient.’