[22] or, "of choice spirits; and who are the choice spirits?--clearly those who choose to toil."and this has been proved conclusively by a notable example. if we look back to the men of old who sat at the feet of cheiron--whose names i mentioned--we see that it was by dedicating the years of their youth to the chase[23] that they learnt all their noble lore; and therefrom they attained to great renown, and are admired even to this day for their virtue--virtue who numbers all men as her lovers, as is very plain. only because of the pains it costs to win her the greater number fall away; for the achievement of her is hid in obscurity; while the pains that cleave to her are manifest. perchance, if only she were endowed with a visible bodily frame, men would less have neglected her, knowing that even as she is visible to them, so they also are not hid from her eyes. for is it not so that when a man moves in the presence of him whom he dearly loves,[24] he rises to a height above himself, being incapable of aught base or foul in word or deed in sight of him?[25] but fondly dreaming that the eye of virtue is closed to them, they are guilty of many a base thing and foul before her very face, who is hidden from their eyes. yet she is present everywhere, being dowered with immortality; and those who are perfect in goodness[26] she honours, but the wicked she thrusts aside from honour. if only men could know that she regards them, how eagerly would they rush to the embrace of toilful training and tribulation,[27] by which alone she is hardly taken; and so should they gain the mastery over her, and she should be laid captive at their feet.
[23] or, "that they made their first essay in hunting when mere boys, and from hunting upwards were taught many noble arts."[24] lit. "is beheld by his beloved." cf. "symp." iv. 4; viii. 31. [25] lit. "in order not to be seen of him."[26] lit. "good with respect to her."
[27] or, "to those toils and that training."