Episode 11

The next point which requires to be made clear to anyone whowishes to discover how things really happened, is the reason why itcame about that I did not continue my teaching in a second and thirdlesson and yet oftener. Does Dionysios, after a single lesson, believehimself to know the matter, and has he an adequate knowledge of it,either as having discovered it for himself or learnt it before fromothers, or does he believe my teaching to be worthless, or, thirdly,to be beyond his range and too great for him, and himself to be reallyunable to live as one who gives his mind to wisdom and virtue? Forif he thinks it worthless, he will have to contend with many who saythe opposite, and who would be held in far higher repute as judgesthan Dionysios, if on the other hand, he thinks he has discovered orlearnt the things and that they are worth having as part of aliberal education, how could he, unless he is an extraordinary person,have so recklessly dishonoured the master who has led the way in thesesubjects? How he dishonoured him, I will now state.

Up to this time he had allowed Dion to remain in possession of hisproperty and to receive the income from it. But not long after theforegoing events, as if he had entirely forgotten his letter to thateffect, he no longer allowed Dion's trustees to send him remittancesto the Peloponnese, on the pretence that the owner of the property wasnot Dion but Dion's son, his own nephew, of whom he himself waslegally the trustee. These were the actual facts which occurred upto the point which we have reached. They had opened my eyes as tothe value of Dionysios' desire for philosophy, and I had every rightto complain, whether I wished to do so or not. Now by this time it wassummer and the season for sea voyages; therefore I decided that I mustnot be vexed with Dionysios rather than with myself and those whohad forced me to come for the third time into the strait of Scylla,that once again I mightTo fell Charybdis measure back my course,but must tell Dionysios that it was impossible for me to remainafter this outrage had been put upon Dion. He tried to soothe me andbegged me to remain, not thinking it desirable for himself that Ishould arrive post haste in person as the bearer of such tidings. Whenhis entreaties produced no effect, he promised that he himself wouldprovide me with transport. For my intention was to embark on one ofthe trading ships and sail away, being indignant and thinking it myduty to face all dangers, in case I was prevented from going-sinceplainly and obviously I was doing no wrong, but was the party wronged.

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