Phaethon | Page 4

relieved from the unwonted pressure by Lady Jane and
the ladies going upstairs, was part of the same old foundation?"
"Which, then?"
"That, if a man does but believe a thing, he has a right to speak it and
act on it, right or wrong. Have you forgotten his vindication of your
friend, the radical voter, and his 'spirit of truth'?"

"What, the worthy who, when I canvassed him as the Liberal candidate
for ---, and promised to support complete freedom of religious opinion,
tested me by breaking out into such blasphemous ribaldry as made me
run out of the house, and then went and voted against me as a bigot?"
"I mean him, of course. The Professor really seemed to admire the man,
as a more brave and conscientious hero than himself. I am not
squeamish, as you know; but I am afraid that I was quite rude to him
when he went as far as that."
"What-when you told him that you thought that, after all, the old theory
of the Divine Right of Kings was as plausible as the new theory of the
Divine Right of Blasphemy? My dear fellow, do not fret yourself on
that point. He seemed to take it rather as a compliment to his own
audacity, and whispered to me that 'The Divine Right of Blasphemy'
was an expression of which Theodore Parker himself need not have
been ashamed."
"He was pleased to be complimentary. But, tell me, what was it in his
oratory which has so vexed the soul of the country squire?"
"That very argument of his, among many things. I saw, or rather felt,
that he was wrong; and yet, as I have said already, I could not answer
him; and, had he not been my guest, should have got thoroughly cross
with him, as a pis-aller."
"I saw it. But, my friend, used we not to read Plato together, and enjoy
him together, in old Cambridge days? Do you not think that Socrates
might at all events have driven the Professor into a corner?"
"He might: but I cannot. Is that, then, what you were writing about all
last night?"
"It was. I could not help, when I went out on the terrace to smoke my
last cigar, fancying to myself how Socrates might have seemed to set
you, and the Professor, and that warm-hearted, right-headed,
wrong-tongued High-Church Curate, all together by the ears, and made
confusion worse confounded for the time being, and yet have left for

each of you some hint whereby you might see the darling truth for
which you were barking, all the more clearly in the light of the one
which you were howling down."
"And so you sat up, and-I thought the corridor smelt somewhat of
smoke."
"Forgive, and I will confess. I wrote a dialogue;-and here it is, if you
choose to hear it. If there are a few passages, or even many, which
Plato would not have written, you will consider my age and
inexperience, and forgive."
"My dear fellow, you forget that I, like you, have been ten years away
from dear old Alma-Mater, Plato, the boats, and Potton Wood. My
authorities now are 'Morton on Soils' and 'Miles on the Horse's Foot.'
Read on, fearless of my criticisms. Here is the waterfall; we will settle
ourselves on Jane's favourite seat. You shall discourse, and I, till Lewis
brings the luncheon, will smoke my cigar; and if I seem to be looking
at the mountain, don't fancy that I am only counting how many young
grouse those heath-burning worthies will have left me by the twelfth."
So we sat down, and I began:
PHAETHON
Alcibiades and I walked into the Pnyx early the other morning, before
the people assembled. There we saw Socrates standing, having his face
turned toward the rising sun. Approaching him, we perceived that he
was praying; and that so ardently, that we touched him on the shoulder
before he became aware of our presence.
"You seem like a man filled with the God, Socrates," said Alcibiades.
"Would that were true," answered he, "both of me and of all who will
counsel here this day. In fact, I was praying for that very thing; namely,
that they might have light to see the truth, in whatsoever matter might
be discussed here."

"And for me also?" said Alcibiades; "but I have prepared my speech
already."
"And for you also, if you desire it-even though some of your periods
should be spoiled thereby. But why are you both here so early, before
any business is stirring?"
"We were discussing," said I, "that very thing for which we found you
praying-namely, truth, and what it might be."
"Perhaps you went a worse way toward discovering it than I did. But let
us hear.