PREFACE.

THE Text which has been mostly followed in this Translation of Plato is the latest 8vo edition of Stallbaum; the principal deviations are noted at the bottom of the page.

I have to acknowledge many obligations to old friends and pupils. These are, Mr. John Purves, Fellow of Balliol College, with whom I have revised about half of the entire Translation; the Rev. Professor Campbell, of St. Andrew's, who has helped me in the revision of several parts of the work, especially of the Theaetetus, Sophist, and Politicus; Mr. Robinson Ellis, Fellow of Trinity College, and Mr. Alfred Robinson, Fellow of New College, who read with me the Cratylus and the Gorgias; Mr. Paravicini, Student of Christ Church, who assisted me in the Symposium; Mr. Raper, Fellow of Queen's College, Mr. Monro, Fellow of Oriel College, and Mr. Shadwell, Student of Christ Church, who gave me similar assistance in the Laws. Dr. Greenhill, of Hastings, has also kindly sent me remarks on the physiological part of the Timaeus, which I have inserted as corrections under the head of errata at the end of the Introduction. The degree of accuracy which I have been enabled to attain is in great measure due to these gentlemen, and I heartily thank them for the pains and time which they have bestowed on my work.

I have further to explain how far I have received help from other laborers in the same field. The books which I

have found most of use are Steinhart and Müller's German Translation of Plato with Introductions; Zeller's "Philosophie der Griechen," and "Platonische Studien; Susemihl's "Genetische Entwickelung der Platonischen Philosophie;" Hermann's "Geschichte der Platonischen Philosophie;" Bonitz, "Platonische Studien; Stallbaum's Notes and Introductions; Professor Campbell's editions of the "Theaetetus," the "Sophist," and the "Politicus;" Professor Thompson's "Phaedrus ; Martin's "Études sur le Timée;" Mr. Poste's edition and translation of the "Philebus;" the Translation of the "Republic" by Messrs. Davies and Vaughan, and the Translation of the "Gorgias," by Mr. Cope.

"Th.

I have also derived much assistance from the great work of Mr. Grote, which contains excellent analyses of the Dialogues, and is rich in original thoughts and observations. I agree with him in rejecting as futile the attempt of Schleiermacher and others to arrange the Dialogues of Plato into a harmonious whole. Any such arrangement appears to me not only to be unsupported by evidence, but to involve an anachronism in the history of philosophy. There is a common spirit in the writings of Plato, but not a unity of design in the whole, nor perhaps a perfect unity in any single Dialogue. The hypothesis of a general plan which is worked out in the successive Dialogues is an after-thought of the critics, who have attributed a system to writings belonging to an age when system had not as yet taken possession of philosophy.

If Mr. Grote should do me the honor to read any portion of this work he will probably remark that I have endeavored to approach Plato from a point of view which is opposed to his own. The aim of the Introductions in these volumes has been to represent Plato as the father of idealism, who is not to be measured by the standard of utilitarianism or any other modern philosophical system. He is the poet or maker of ideas, satisfying the wants of