Be it so, rejoined Theocritus, but what shall we
think of his Daemon? Was it a mere juggle? Indeed,
nothing that is told of Pythagoras regarding divination
seems to me so great and divine. For, in my mind, as
Homer makes Minerva to stand by Ulysses in all dangers.
so the Daemon joined to Socrates even from his cradle
some vision to guide him in all the actions of his life;
which going before him, shed a light upon hidden and
obscure matters and such as could not be discovered by
unassisted human understanding; of such things the Daemon often discoursed with him, presiding over and by
divine instinct directing his intentions. More and greater
things perhaps you may learn from Simmias and other
companions of Socrates; but once when I was present, as
I went to Euthyphron the soothsayer's, it happened, Simmias,—for you remember it,—that Socrates walked up
to Symbolum and the house of Andocides, all the way asking questions and jocosely perplexing Euthyphron. When
standing still upon a sudden and persuading us to do the
like, he mused a pretty while, and then turning about
walked through Trunk-makers' Street, calling back his
friends that walked before him, affirming that it was his
Daemon's will and admonition. Many turned back, amongst
whom I, holding Euthyphron, was one; but some of the
youths keeping on the straight way, on purpose (as it were)
to confute Socrates's Daemon, took along with them Charillus the piper, who came in my company to Athens to see
Cebes. Now as they were walking through Gravers' Row,
[p. 389]
near the court-houses, a herd of dirty swine met them;
and being too many for the street and running against one
another, they overthrew some that could not get out of the
way, and dirted others; and Charillus came home with his
legs and clothes very dirty; so that now and then in merriment they would think on Socrates's Daemon, wondering
that it never forsook the man, and that Heaven took such
particular care of him.
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