consent, were it not for the necessity of the body; and
which, though it be necessary, ought, nevertheless, to give us no
inquietude. As for himself, his continence was known to all men, and it
was more easy for him to avoid courting the most celebrated beauties,
than it is for others to get away from disagreeable objects.

Thus we see what was his way of life in eating, drinking, and in the
affair of love. He believed, however, that he tasted of those pleasures
no less than they who give themselves much trouble to enjoy them; but
that he had not, like them, so frequent occasions for sorrow and
repentance.

CHAPTER IV. SOCRATES PROVETH THE EXISTENCE OF A DEITY.

If there be any who believe what some have written by conjecture, that
Socrates was indeed excellent in exciting men to virtue, but that he did
not push them forward to make any great progress in it, let such reflect
a little on what he said, not only when he endeavoured to refute those
that boasted they knew all things, but likewise in his familiar
conversations, and let them judge afterwards if he was incapable to
advance his friends in the paths of virtue.

I will, in the first place, relate a conference which he had with
Aristodemus, surnamed the Little, touching the Deity, for he had heard
that he never sacrificed to the gods; that he never addressed himself to
them in prayer; that he never consulted the oracles, and even laughed at
those that practised these things, he took him to talk in this manner:--

"Tell me, Aristodemus, are there any persons whom you value on account of
their merit?" He answered, "Yes, certainly." "Tell me their names,"
added Socrates. Aristodemus replied: "For epic poetry I admire Homer as
the most excellent; for dithyrambics, Melanippides; Sophocles for
tragedy; Polycletes for statuary; and Zeuxis for painting." "Which
artists," said Socrates, "do you think to be most worthy of your esteem
and admiration: they who make images without soul and motion, or they who
make animals that move of their own accord, and are endowed with
understanding?" "No doubt the last," replied Aristodemus, "provided they
make them not by chance, but with judgment and prudence." Socrates went
on: "As there are some things which we cannot say why they were made, and
others which are apparently good and useful, tell me, my friend, whether
of the two you rather take to be the work of prudence than of hazard."
"It is reasonable," said Arist