Cle.Far otherwise.
Ath.What,then,leads us astray?Are beautiful things not the same to us all,or are they the same in themselves,but not in our opinion of them?For no one will admit that forms of vice in the dance are more beautiful than forms of virtue,or that he himself delights in the forms of vice,and others in a muse of another character.And yet most persons say,that the excellence of music is to give pleasure to our souls.But this is intolerable and blasphemous;there is,however,a much more plausible account of the delusion.
Cle.What?
Ath.The adaptation of art to the characters of men.Choric movements are imitations of manners occurring in various actions,fortunes,dispositions-each particular is imitated,and those to whom the words,or songs,or dances are suited,either by nature or habit or both,cannot help feeling pleasure in them and applauding them,and calling them beautiful.But those whose natures,or ways,or habits are unsuited to them,cannot delight in them or applaud them,and they call them base.There are others,again,whose natures are right and their habits wrong,or whose habits are right and their natures wrong,and they praise one thing,but are pleased at another.For they say that all these imitations are pleasant,but not good.And in the presence of those whom they think wise,they are ashamed of dancing and singing in the baser manner,or of deliberately lending any countenance to such proceedings;and yet,they have a secret pleasure in them.
Cle.Very true.
Ath.And is any harm done to the lover of vicious dances or songs,or any good done to the approver of the opposite sort of pleasure?
Cle.I think that there is.
Ath."I think"is not the word,but I would say,rather,"I am certain."For must they not have the same effect as when a man associates with bad characters,whom he likes and approves rather than dislikes,and only censures playfully because he has a suspicion of his own badness?In that case,he who takes pleasure in them will surely become like those in whom he takes pleasure,even though he be ashamed to praise them.And what greater good or evil can any destiny ever make us undergo?
Cle.I know of none.
Ath.Then in a city which has good laws,or in future ages is to have them,bearing in mind the instruction and amusement which are given by music,can we suppose that the poets are to be allowed to teach in the dance anything which they themselves like,in the way of rhythm,or melody,or words,to the young children of any well-conditioned parents?Is the poet to train his choruses as he pleases,without reference to virtue or vice?
Cle.That is surely quite unreasonable,and is not to be thought of.
Ath.And yet he may do this in almost any state with the exception of Egypt.
Cle.And what are the laws about music and dancing in Egypt?
Ath.You will wonder when I tell you:Long ago they appear to have recognized the very principle of which we are now speaking-that their young citizens must be habituated to forms and strains of virtue.These they fixed,and exhibited the patterns of them in their temples;and no painter or artist is allowed to innovate upon them,or to leave the traditional forms and invent new ones.To this day,no alteration is allowed either in these arts,or in music at all.And you will find that their works of art are painted or moulded in the same forms which they had ten thousand years ago;-this is literally true and no exaggeration-their ancient paintings and sculptures are not a whit better or worse than the work of to-day,but are made with just the same skill.
Cle.How extraordinary!
Ath.I should rather say,How statesmanlike,how worthy of a legislator!I know that other things in Egypt are nat so well.But what I am telling you about music is true and deserving of consideration,because showing that a lawgiver may institute melodies which have a natural truth and correctness without any fear of failure.To do this,however,must be the work of God,or of a divine person;in Egypt they have a tradition that their ancient chants which have been preserved for so many ages are the composition of the Goddess Isis.And therefore,as I was saying,if a person can only find in any way the natural melodies,he may confidently embody them in a fixed and legal form.For the love of novelty which arises out of pleasure in the new and weariness of the old,has not strength enough to corrupt the consecrated song and dance,under the plea that they have become antiquated.At any rate,they are far from being corrupted in Egypt.
Cle.Your arguments seem to prove your point.
Ath.May we not confidently say that the true use of music and of choral festivities is as follows:We rejoice when we think that we prosper,and again we think that we prosper when we rejoice?
Cle.Exactly.
Ath.And when rejoicing in our good fortune,we are unable to be still?
Cle.True.
Ath.Our young men break forth into dancing and singing,and we who are their elders deem that we are fulfilling our part in life when we look on at them.Having lost our agility,we delight in their sports and merry-******,because we love to think of our former selves;and gladly institute contests for those who are able to awaken in us the memory of our youth.
Cle.Very true.
Ath.Is it altogether unmeaning to say,as the common people do about festivals,that he should be adjudged the wisest of men,and the winner of the palm,who gives us the greatest amount of pleasure and mirth?For on such occasions,and when mirth is the order of the day,ought not he to be honoured most,and,as I was saying,bear the palm,who gives most mirth to the greatest number?Now is this a true way of speaking or of acting?