_Socr._ You will say so still more, when you hear what follows. For to
judge truly is beautiful, but to be deceived is base.
_Theæ._ How not?
_Socr._ They say, then, that these things proceed from hence. When the
wax in any one’s soul is deep, abundant, smooth, and properly moulded,
objects entering by means of the perceptions and impressing themselves
on this heart[163] of the soul, as Homer calls it, obscurely intimating
its resemblance to wax, then pure and sufficiently deep impressions
being made in these, become lasting, and such men are first of all
easily taught, next have retentive memories, and lastly do not change
the impressions of the perceptions, but form true judgments; for, as
these impressions are clear, and in a wide space, they quickly
distribute to their proper images each of the things that are called
beings; and such men are called wise. Does it not appear so to you?
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Footnote 163:
A play on the words κέαρ or κῆρ and κήρος, which cannot be retained in
an English version.
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_Theæ._ Entirely so.
125. _Socr._ When, therefore, any one’s heart is covered with hair,
which the very wise poet has celebrated, or when it is muddy, and not of
pure wax, or very soft, or hard, those in whom it is soft are easily
taught, but are forgetful, and those in when it is hard, the contrary;
but those who have it hairy and rough, and stony or full of earth or
mixed mud, have indistinct impressions; they are also indistinct in
those that are hard, for there is no depth in them; they are likewise
indistinct in those that are soft, for by being confused they soon
become obscure; but if, in addition to all this, they fall one upon
another by reason of narrowness of space, if any one’s soul is little,
they are still more indistinct than the others. All these, therefore,
are such as form false judgments. For when they see, or hear, or think
about any thing, not being able at once to attribute each object to its
impression, they are slow, and attributing different objects to
different impressions, they for the most part see wrongly, and hear
wrongly, and think wrongly; and these are said to be deceived in objects
and ignorant.
_Theæ._ You speak as correctly as man can do, Socrates.