d the purely Socratic point of view, but before he had entered
on the more abstract speculations of the Sophist or the Philebus. Taking
into account the divisions of the soul, the doctrine of transmigration,
the contemplative nature of the philosophic life, and the character
of the style, we shall not be far wrong in placing the Phaedrus in the
neighbourhood of the Republic; remarking only that allowance must be
made for the poetical element in the Phaedrus, which, while falling
short of the Republic in definite philosophic results, seems to have
glimpses of a truth beyond.

Two short passages, which are unconnected with the main subject of the
Dialogue, may seem to merit a more particular notice: (1) the locus
classicus about mythology; (2) the tale of the grasshoppers.

The first passage is remarkable as showing that Plato was entirely
free from what may be termed the Euhemerism of his age. For there were
Euhemerists in Hellas long before Euhemerus. Early philosophers, like
Anaxagoras and Metrodorus, had found in Homer and mythology hidden
meanings. Plato, with a truer instinct, rejects these attractive
interpretations; he regards the inventor of them as 'unfortunate;' and
they draw a man off from the knowledge of himself. There is a latent
criticism, and also a poetical sense in Plato, which enable him to
discard them, and yet in another way to make use of poetry and mythology
as a vehicle of thought and feeling. What would he have said of the
discovery of Christian doctrines in these old Greek legends? While
acknowledging that such interpretations are 'very nice,' would he not
have remarked that they are found in all sacred literatures? They cannot
be tested by any criterion of truth, or used to establish any truth;
they add nothing to the sum of human knowledge; they are--what we
please, and if employed as 'peacemakers' between the new and old are
liable to serious misconstruction, as he elsewhere remarks (Republic).
And therefore he would have 'bid Farewell to them; the study of them
would take up too much of his time; and he has not as yet learned the
true nature of religion.' The 'sophistical' interest of Phaedrus, the
little touch about the two versions of the story, the ironical manner in
which these explanations are set aside--'the common opinion about them
is enough for me'--the allusion to the serpent Typho may be noted in
passing; also the general agreement between the tone of this speech and
the remark o