A. "It was."

S. "Then he who eats when he thinks that he ought to eat, does so
by the spirit of truth?"

A. "What next?"

S. "This next, that he who blows his nose when he thinks that it
wants blowing, blows his nose by the spirit of truth."

A. "What next?"

S. "Do not frown, friend. Believe me, in such days as these, I
honour even the man who is honest enough to blow his nose because he
finds that he ought to do so. But tell me-a horse, when he shies at
a beggar, does not he also do so by the spirit of truth? For he
believes sincerely the beggar to be something formidable, and
honestly acts upon his conviction."

"Not a doubt of it," said I, laughing, in spite of myself, at
Alcibiades's countenance.

S. "It is in danger, then, of proving to be something quite brutish
and doggish, this spirit of truth. I should not wonder, therefore,
if we found it proper to be restrained."

A. "How so, thou hair-splitter?"

S. "Have we not proved it to be common to man and animals; but are
not those passions which we have in common with animals to be