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28 THEORIES OF STYLE IN LITERATURE
who has an art of speaking by which he makes the same things
appear to his hearers like and unlike, one and many, at rest
and in motion?
Phadr.
Very true.
Soc. The art of disputation, then, is not confined to the
courts and the assembly, but is one and the same in every
use of language; this is the art, if there be such an art, which
is able to find a likeness of everything to which a likeness can
be found, and draws into the light of day the likenesses and
disguises which are used by others?
Phadr. How do you mean?
Soc. Let me put the matter thus : When
will there be more
chance of deception when the difference is large or small ?
Phadr. When the difference is small.
Soc. And you will be less likely to be discovered in passing
by degrees into the other extreme than when you go
once?
Phadr.
Soc.
Of course.
all at
He, then, who would deceive others, and not be deceived,
must exactly know the real likenesses and differences
of things ?
Phadr. He must.
Soc. And if he is ignorant of the true nature of any subject,
how can he detect the greater or less degree of likeness in
other things to that of which by the hypothesis he is ignorant ?
Phadr. He cannot.
Soc. And when men are deceived and their notions are at
variance with realities, it is clear that the error slips in through
resemblances ?
Phcedr. Yes, that is the way.
Soc. Then he who would be a master of the art must understand
the real nature of everything; or he will never
know either how to make the gradual departure from truth