Ath。Whenthingshaveanaccompanyingcharm，eitherthebestthinginthemisthisverycharm，orthereissomerightnessorutilitypossessedbythem；-forexample，Ishouldsaythateatinganddrinking，andtheuseoffoodingeneral，haveanaccompanyingcharmwhichwecallpleasure；butthatthisrightnessandutilityisjustthehealthfulnessofthethingsserveduptous，whichistheirtruerightness。
　　Cle。Justso。
　　Ath。Thus，too，Ishouldsaythatlearninghasacertainaccompanyingcharmwhichisthepleasure；butthattherightandtheprofitable，thegoodandthenoble，arequalitieswhichthetruthgivestoit。
　　Cle。Exactly。
　　Ath。Andsointheimitativearts-iftheysucceedinmakinglikenesses，andareaccompaniedbypleasure，maynottheirworksbesaidtohaveacharm？
　　Cle。Yes。
　　Ath。Butequalproportions，whetherofqualityorquantity，andnotpleasure，speakinggenerally，wouldgivethemtruthorrightness。
　　Cle。Yes。
　　Ath。Thenthatonlycanberightlyjudgedbythestandardofpleasure，whichmakesorfurnishesnoutilityortruthorlikeness，norontheotherhandisproductiveofanyhurtfulquality，butexistssolelyforthesakeoftheaccompanyingcharm；andtheterm“pleasure“
　　ismostappropriatelyappliedtoitwhentheseotherqualitiesareabsent。
　　Cle。Youarespeakingofharmlesspleasure，areyounot？
　　Ath。Yes；andthisItermamusement，whendoingneitherharmnorgoodinanydegreeworthspeakingof。
　　Cle。Verytrue。
　　Ath。Then，ifsuchbeourprinciples，wemustassertthatimitationisnottobejudgedofbypleasureandfalseopinion；andthisistrueofallequality，fortheequalisnotequalorthesymmetricalsymmetrical，becausesomebodythinksorlikessomething，buttheyaretobejudgedofbythestandardoftruth，andbynootherwhatever。
　　Cle。Quitetrue。
　　Ath。Dowenotregardallmusicasrepresentativeandimitative？
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Then，whenanyonesaysthatmusicistobejudgedofbypleasure，hisdoctrinecannotbeadmitted；andiftherebeanymusicofwhichpleasureisthecriterion，suchmusicisnottobesoughtoutordeemedtohaveanyrealexcellence，butonlythatotherkindofmusicwhichisanimitationofthegood。
　　Cle。Verytrue。
　　Ath。Andthosewhoseekforthebestkindofsongandmusicoughtnottoseekforthatwhichispleasant，butforthatwhichistrue；
　　andthetruthofimitationconsists，asweweresaying，inrenderingthethingimitatedaccordingtoquantityandquality。
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Andeveryonewilladmitthatmusicalcompositionsareallimitativeandrepresentative。Willnotpoetsandspectatorsandactorsallagreeinthis？
　　Cle。Theywill。
　　Ath。Surelythenhewhowouldjudgecorrectlymustknowwhateachcompositionis；forifhedoesnotknowwhatisthecharacterandmeaningofthepiece，andwhatitrepresents，hewillneverdiscernwhethertheintentionistrueorfalse。
　　Cle。Certainlynot。
　　Ath。Andwillhewhodoesnotknowwhatistruebeabletodistinguishwhatisgoodandbad？Mystatementisnotveryclear；
　　butperhapsyouwillunderstandmebetterifIputthematterinanotherway。
　　Cle。How？
　　Ath。Therearetenthousandlikenessesofobjectsofsight？
　　Cle。Yes。
　　Ath。Andcanhewhodoesnotknowwhattheexactobjectiswhichisimitated，everknowwhethertheresemblanceistruthfullyexecuted？
　　Imean，forexample，whetherastatuehastheproportionsofabody，andthetruesituationoftheparts；whatthoseproportionsare，andhowthepartsfitintooneanotherindueorder；alsotheircoloursandconformations，orwhetherthisisallconfusedintheexecution：
　　doyouthinkthatanyonecanknowaboutthis，whodoesnotknowwhattheanimaliswhichhasbeenimitated？
　　Cle。Impossible。
　　Ath。Butevenifweknowthatthethingpicturedorsculpturedisaman，whohasreceivedatthehandoftheartistallhisproperpartsandcoloursandshapes，mustwenotalsoknowwhethertheworkisbeautifulorinanyrespectdeficientinbeauty？
　　Cle。Ifthiswerenotrequired，Stranger，weshouldallofusbejudgesofbeauty。
　　Ath。Verytrue；andmaywenotsaythatineverythingimitated，whetherindrawing，music，oranyotherart，hewhoistobeacompetentjudgemustpossessthreethings；-hemustknow，inthefirstplace，ofwhattheimitationis；secondly，hemustknowthatitistrue；andthirdly，thatithasbeenwellexecutedinwordsandmelodiesandrhythms？
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Thenletusnotfaintindiscussingthepeculiardifficultyofmusic。Musicismorecelebratedthananyotherkindofimitation，andthereforerequiresthegreatestcareofthemall。Forifamanmakesamistakehere，hemaydohimselfthegreatestinjurybywelcomingevildispositions，andthemistakemaybeverydifficulttodiscern，becausethepoetsareartistsveryinferiorincharactertotheMusesthemselves，whowouldneverfallintothemonstrouserrorofassigningtothewordsofmenthegesturesandsongsofwomen；
　　noraftercombiningthemelodieswiththegesturesoffreemenwouldtheyaddontherhythmsofslavesandmenofthebasersort；nor，beginningwiththerhythmsandgesturesoffreemen，wouldtheyassigntothemamelodyorwordswhichareofanoppositecharacter；
　　norwouldtheymixupthevoicesandsoundsofanimalsandofmenandinstruments，andeveryothersortofnoise，asiftheywereallone。Buthumanpoetsarefondofintroducingthissortofinconsistentmixture，andsomakethemselvesridiculousintheeyesofthosewho，asOrpheussays，“areripefortruepleasure。“Theexperiencedseeallthisconfusion，andyetthepoetsgoonandmakestillfurtherhavocbyseparatingtherhythmandthefigureofthedancefromthemelody，settingbarewordstometre，andalsoseparatingthemelodyandtherhythmfromthewords，usingthelyreortheflutealone。
　　Forwhentherearenowords，itisverydifficulttorecognizethemeaningoftheharmonyandrhythm，ortoseethatanyworthyobjectisimitatedbythem。Andwemustacknowledgethatallthissortofthing，whichaimsonlyatswiftnessandsmoothnessandabrutishnoise，andusesthefluteandthelyrenotasthemereaccompanimentsofthedanceandsong，isexceedinglycoarseandtasteless。Theuseofeitherinstrument，whenunaccompanied，leadstoeverysortofirregularityandtrickery。Thisisallrationalenough。Butweareconsideringnothowourchoristers，whoarefromthirtytofiftyyearsofage，andmaybeoverfifty，arenottousetheMuses，buthowtheyaretousethem。Andtheconsiderationswhichwehaveurgedseemtoshowinwhatwaythesefiftyyear-oldchoristerswhoaretosing，maybeexpectedtobebettertrained。Fortheyneedtohaveaquickperceptionandknowledgeofharmoniesandrhythms；otherwise，howcantheyeverknowwhetheramelodywouldberightlysungtotheDorianmode，ortotherhythmwhichthepoethasassignedtoit？
　　Cle。Clearlytheycannot。
　　Ath。Themanyareridiculousinimaginingthattheyknowwhatisinproperharmonyandrhythm，andwhatisnot，whentheycanonlybemadetosingandstepinrhythmbyforce；itneveroccurstothemthattheyareignorantofwhattheyaredoing。Noweverymelodyisrightwhenithassuitableharmonyandrhythm，andwrongwhenunsuitable。
　　Cle。Thatismostcertain。
　　Ath。Butcanamanwhodoesnotknowathing，asweweresaying，knowthatthethingisright？
　　Cle。Impossible。
　　Ath。Thennow，aswouldappear，wearemakingthediscoverythatournewly-appointedchoristers，whomweherebyinviteand，althoughtheyaretheirownmasters，compeltosing，mustbeeducatedtosuchanextentastobeabletofollowthestepsoftherhythmandthenotesofthesong，thattheymayknowtheharmoniesandrhythms，andbeabletoselectwhataresuitableformenoftheirageandcharactertosing；andmaysingthem，andhaveinnocentpleasurefromtheirownperformance，andalsoleadyoungermentowelcomewithdutifuldelightgooddispositions。Havingsuchtraining，theywillattainamoreaccurateknowledgethanfallstothelotofthecommonpeople，orevenofthepoetsthemselves。Forthepoetneednotknowthethirdpoint，viz。，whethertheimitationisgoodornot，thoughhecanhardlyhelpknowingthelawsofmelodyandrhythm。Buttheagedchorusmustknowallthethree，thattheymaychoosethebest，andthatwhichisnearesttothebest；forotherwisetheywillneverbeabletocharmthesoulsofyoungmeninthewayofvirtue。AndnowtheoriginaldesignoftheargumentwhichwasintendedtobringeloquentaidtotheChorusofDionysus，hasbeenaccomplishedtothebestofourability，andletusseewhetherwewereright：-Ishouldimaginethatadrinkingassemblyislikelytobecomemoreandmoretumultuousasthedrinkinggoeson：this，asweweresayingatfirst，willcertainlybethecase。
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Everymanhasamorethannaturalelevation；hisheartisgladwithinhim，andhewillsayanythingandwillberestrainedbynobodyatsuchatime；hefanciesthatheisabletoruleoverhimselfandallmankind。
　　Cle。Quitetrue。