SYNOPSIS 
 
 O R 
 
 GENERAL VIEW 
 
 •- O F T H E 
 
 WORKS 
 
 O F 
 
 P L A T O 
 
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 .•tl*v 
 
 s.fi 
 
 ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 THE Author of the Tranflatlon of PJato^ with Notes 
 Critical and Explanatory, now in the Prefs, perfeftiy 
 fenfible, how arduous a Tafk he hath undertaken, no lefs than 
 the opening to his Countrymen that rich Mine of Ancient 
 Wifdom ; and at the fame Time confcious, how unequal his 
 own Powers are to the due Performance of it ; but earneftly 
 defirous, that fo ufeful a Defign may, by the joint Aid of 
 Many, be fecured from failing in the Execution ; doth, by 
 this Advertifement, invite and intreat all that Part of the 
 Learned World, who are verfed in the Writings of Plato^ to 
 contribute their Ailiftance to a Work, from which he appre- 
 hends the World may receive equal Entertainment and Im- 
 ■ provement : afluring them that, if they will favour it fo far, 
 as to communicate to the Tranfiator, diredlcd to any One 
 of his Bookfellers, any Verbal Emendations they may have 
 made in the Text, ferving to reftore in a Critical Manner the 
 true Reading, wherever it is corrupt ; or any Remarks or 
 Comments, tending to illuflrate the Senfe, wherever it is 
 obfcure, through Length of Time, Change of Maiuicrs, and 
 different Ways of Thinking, introduced long fmce ; their 
 Notes fhall either be inferted among his own, and with Ju- 
 ftice and Gratitude be afcribed to their proper Authors ; or 
 fhall have a diftincl Place by themfelvcs at the End of thofe 
 Dialogues, to which their Notes relate. 
 
 ENCr 1*^??
 
 SYNOPSIS 
 
 O R 
 
 GENERAL VIEW 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 WORKS 
 
 O F 
 
 PLATO
 
 T O 
 
 THE RIGHT HONOURABLE 
 
 JOHN Earl G R A N FI L L E, 
 PRESIDENT 
 
 OF His MAJESrY\ PRIVY COUNCIL* 
 
 This ESSAY on 
 
 The works of PLATO, 
 
 One of the Greatest Masters 
 OF POLITICAL SCIENCE 
 
 IN Ancient Times, 
 
 Is, 
 
 With the highest Respect and Veneration, 
 
 DULY infcribed, 
 
 by his Lor D s H I p's 
 
 moft obedient Humble Servant 
 
 jliJ/JCA. ftjSi'^/^- 
 
 •X /«^
 
 Is 3 
 
 GENERAL VIEW 
 
 >v 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 WORKS 
 
 O F 
 
 PLATO 
 
 TH E Dialogues of P/ato are of various Kinds ; not 
 only with regard to thofe different Matters^ which 
 are the SiibjeBs of them ; but in refped of the 
 Manner alfo, in which they arc compofed ox fratned^ 
 and of the Fonn^ under which they make their Appearance 
 to the Reader. It will therefore, as I imagine, be not im- 
 proper, in Purfuance of the Admonition given us by Pkto 
 
 himfelf
 
 6 ^General View of 
 
 liimfclf in his Dialogue named ' Phcedrus^ and in Imitation 
 of the Example fct us by the * ancient Plat07iijls^ to clijlin- 
 guijl:> the feveral Kinds ; by dividing them, firft, into the 
 mojl General ; and then, fubdivqding into the Subordinate ; 
 till we come to thofe lower S pedes y that particularly and 
 precifely denote the Nature of the feveral Dialogues, and 
 from which they ought to take their refpedive Denomina- 
 tions. 
 
 The moft General DiviHon of the Writings of Plato., is 
 into thofe of the Sceptical Kind, and thofe of the Dog- 
 matical. In the former Sort, nothing is exprefsly either 
 proved or afferted ; Some Philofophical Queftion only is con- 
 Jidered and exa^nined ; and the Reader is left to Himfelf, to 
 draw fuch Conclufions, and difcover fuch Truths, as the 
 Philofopher means to i?iji?2uate. This is done, either in the 
 Way of Inquiry, or in the Way of Controversy and 
 PispuTE. In the Way of Controverfy are carried on all fuch 
 Pialogues, as tend to eradicate falfe Opinions ; and that, 
 
 ■' Y.a.v i^-n rii v.clt' «cf)j Sicti^a^xi To. ovra, xal y.ix Uiu, S'vvce.rli Z xx^ 
 tv (X.iL<^ov 7re^iAa^/2at'nr, vttot 'i^ai ri^vixU Aoyun' Trspi, y.x!cr' otrov Svyocror 
 oLv'Sr^uiro). Whoever is unable to divide and diflinguifh Things into their 
 feveral Sorts or Species ; and on the other hand, referring Every Parti- 
 cular to its proper Species, to comprehend them All in One General Idea ; 
 will never undcrftand any Writings, of which thofe Things are the 
 SLibjedl, like a true Critick, upon thofe high Principles of Art, to which 
 the Fluman Underltanding reaches. rjAar. Raid's. We have thought 
 proper, here, to paraphrafe this PafTage, for the Sake of giving to every 
 Part of fo important a Sentence its full Force, agreeably to the Tenor of 
 Plato's Dodlrinc ; and in order to inidatc our Readers into a Way of 
 Thinking, that probably Many of tlicm are as yet unacquainted with. 
 
 * See Aiop'. AxtPT. fti!2. y. 
 
 either
 
 the Works ^/PLATa 7 
 
 either indirectly, by involving them in DifEculties, and 
 EMBARRASSING the Maintaincrs of them; or diredly, by 
 CONFUTING them. In the Way of Inquiry proceed Thofe, 
 whofe Tendency is to raife in the Mind right Opinions ; 
 and that, either by exciting to the Purfuit of fome Part of 
 Wifdom, and fhewing in what Manner to inveftigate it ; or 
 by leading the Way, and helping the Mind forward in the 
 Search. 
 
 The Dialogues of the Other Kind, the Dogmatical or 
 Didadlic, teach explicitly fome Point of Dodlrine : And this 
 they do, either by laying it down in the Authoritative 
 Way, or by proving it in the Way of Reafon and Argu- 
 ment. In the Authoritative Way the Dodlrine is delivered, 
 fometimes by the Speaker himfelf Magisterially, at other 
 times as derived to Him by Tradition from Wife Men. The 
 Argumentative or Dejnonjlrative Method of Teaching, iifed 
 by PlatOy proceeds either through Analytical Reafoning, 
 refolving Things into their Principles, and from known or 
 allowed Truths tracing out the Unknown ; or through In- . 
 duct ION, from a Multitude of Particulars, inferri?jg fome 
 General Thing, in which they all agree. 
 
 According to this Divifion is framed the following Scheme, 
 or Table : which having been already explained, our Readers,, 
 it is hoped, will pardon any new Term there made Ufe of, 
 or any new Meaning given to Words already authorifed. 
 
 DIALOGUES
 
 s 
 
 ^General View of 
 
 f EMBARRASSING 
 
 rDISPUTATIVE — 
 
 rSCEPTICAL — < 
 
 en 
 
 LiNQUISITIVE 
 
 (.CONFUTING 
 fEXCITING 
 
 Iassisting 
 
 rDEMONSTRATIVEj 
 
 f ANALYTICAL 
 INDUCTIONAL 
 
 '^ lDOGx\IATICAL< 
 
 AUTHORITATIVEJ 
 
 C MAGISTERIAL 
 
 TRADITIONAL 
 
 The 
 
 ^ Wc have, given us by Diogenes Laertius, another Divifion of the 
 Characters, as he calls them, of Plato's Writings, different from That 
 exhibited in the Scheme above. This we have thought proper to fubjoin, 
 on Account of its Antiquity, and General Reception : neither are we fond 
 of obtruding our Own upon the Reader, without leaving him his Choice 
 of an Alternative ; but are defirous, that he may judge for Himfelf, upon a 
 Compariibn of Both together, and make Ufe of That, to which he pleafes 
 to give the Preference. 
 
 rSPECULATIVE 
 
 Didactic — 
 
 i 
 
 Practical - 
 
 PlALOGUES — < 
 
 IInouisitive 
 
 ■Gymnastic 
 
 Agonistic 
 
 {Physical 
 Logical 
 
 f Ethical 
 ^Political 
 
 Maieutic 
 Peirastic 
 
 I 
 { 
 
 4 
 
 Endeictic 
 
 Anatreptic 
 
 Tho
 
 the Works <?/ PLATO. 9 
 
 The Philofopher, in thus varying his Manner, and diver- 
 jfifying his Writings into thefe feveral Kinds, means not 
 merely to entertain with their Variety ; nor to teach, on 
 different Occadons, with more or lefs Plainnefs and Perfpi- 
 cuity \ nor yet to iniinuate different Degrees of Certainty in 
 
 The Learned Reader will oblerve the latter Half of the Dialogues, 
 according to tliis Scheme, to be defcribed by Metaphors taken from the 
 Gymnajlic Art : The Dialogues, here termed Gymnastig, being ima- 
 gined to bear a Similitude to the Exerdfe ; the Agonistic, to the Combat- 
 In the loweft Sub-divifion, indeed, the Word Maieutic is a Metaphor of 
 another Kind, fully explained in Plato s Thecetetus : the Maieutic Dia- 
 logues, however, were fuppofed to refemble Giving the Rudments of the 
 Art; as the Peirastic were, to reprefent a SkirmiJJ.\ or Trial of Profi- 
 ciency: the Endeictic were, it feems, likened to the Exhibiting a Spe- 
 cimen of Skill; and the AnatreptiCj to Prefenting the Spedlacle of a 
 thorough Defeat, or found Drubbing. 
 
 The Principal Reafon, why we contented not ourfelves with this 
 Account of the Difference between the Dialogues of Plato, was the Ca- 
 pital Error there committed in the Firjl Sub-divifion, of Courfe extend- 
 ing itfelf through the Latter. This Error conlifts in dividing the Di- 
 </rt^/V Dialogues with Regard to their SiibjeB-AIattcr ; while Thofe of 
 the Inquifithe Sort are divided with Refpedl to the Manner of their 
 Compofition. So that the Sub-divifiions fall not, with any Propriety, under- 
 One and the Same General Head. Befides, a Novice in the ^Vorks of 
 Plato might hence be led naturally to fuppofe, that the Dogmatical or 
 DidaBic Dialogues are. All of them, written in the Same Manner; and' 
 that the Others, thofe of the Inquijitive Kind, by Us termed Sceptical, 
 have no Particular SubjeSls at all; or, if they have, that Their Subjeds 
 are different from Thofe of the Didadic Dialogues, and are confequcnt!\ 
 unphihfophical ; there being no Topick in Philofophy, wliich is not re- 
 ducible, according to the Doftrinc of the Platonijh, to One or Other ol 
 Theje, Physicks, Logick, Ethicks, or Politicks. Now Every Om 
 of the Suppofitions, here mentioned, is far from being True. 
 
 B the
 
 lO y/GENERAL\^IEWo/ 
 
 tlie Doclrines themfclves : But he takes this Method, as a 
 conUimmatc Maftcr of the Art of Compofitmi in the Dia- 
 logue-Way of Writing ; from the different Charafters of the 
 Speakers, as from different Elements in the Frame of thefe 
 Dramatic Dialogues, or different Ingredients in their Mixture, 
 producing fome peculiar Genius^ and Turn of Temper, as 
 it were, in Each. 
 
 Socrates indeed is in almoft All of them the Principal 
 Speaker : but when he falls into the Company of fome arro- 
 gant SophiJ} \ when the modeft Wifdom, and clear Science 
 of the One, are contrafted with the confident Ignorance, 
 and blind Opinionativenefs of the Other; Dispute and 
 Controverfy muff of Courfe arife : where the falfe Pretender 
 cannot fail of being either puzzled^ or confuted. To puzzle 
 him only is fufficient, it there be no Other Perfons prefent ; 
 becaufe Such a Man can never be confuted in his own Opi- 
 nion : but w hen there is an Audience round them, in Danger 
 of being mifled by Sophiftry into Error, then is the true 
 Philofopher to exert his Utmoft, and the vain Sophift to be 
 CONVICTED and expofed. 
 
 In Some Dialogues Plato reprefents liis Great Mafter mix- 
 ing in Converfation with Young Men of the beft Families in 
 the Commonwealth. When Thefe happen to have docile 
 Difpofitions and fair Minds, then is Occafion given to the 
 Philofopher to call forth the latent Seeds of Wifdom, and to 
 cultivate the noble Plants with True Doclrine, in the affable 
 and familiar Way of yoint Inquiry. To This is owing the 
 Inquisitive Genius of fuch Dialogues ; where, by a feeming 
 5 Ec^uality
 
 the Works of PLATO. n 
 
 Equality in the Converfation, the Curiofity or Zeal of the 
 mere Stranger is excited; That of the Difciple is encou- 
 raged; and by proper Qiieftions, the Mind is aided and 
 forwarded in the Search of Truth. 
 
 At Other Times, the Philofophic Hero of thefe Dialogues 
 is introduced in a higher Charader, engaged in Difcourfe 
 with Men of more impi'oved Understandings, and e?ilighte7ied 
 Minds. At Such Seafons he has an Opportunity of teachincr 
 in a more explicit Manner, and of difcovering the Reafo?is 
 of Things. For to Such an Audience Truth is due, and all 
 ^ DejtiGnJlratioji poffible in the teaching it. Hence, in the 
 Dialogues compofed of thefe Perfons, naturally arifes the 
 juftly Argumentative or Demonstrative Genius ; of the 
 Analytical Kind, vt^hen the Principles of Mind or Scie?icey 
 the Leading Truths, are to be unfolded ; of the Inductional 
 Kind, when any Subfequeiit Truth, of the fame Rank with 
 Others, any Part of Science, is meant to be difplayed. 
 
 But when the Dodrinc to be taurrht admits not of De- 
 monftration ; of which Kind is the Dodrine of Outward 
 Nature, being only Plypothetical, and a Matter of Opi^iion ; 
 the Doctrine of Antiquities, being only Traditional, and a 
 Matter of Belief; and the Dodlrine of Laws, being Ifijunc- 
 ticnal, and the Matter o^ Obedience; the Air of Authority 
 
 ♦ The Vlatonifls rightly obfcrve, that Socrates ^ in thefe Cafes, makes 
 \}{q oi Danoiifirative and juft Rcafoning; [diro'^etK.'nKZ ;) whereas to the 
 Novice he is contented with Arguments only Probable, (T/S-aioIj j) and 
 againfl the litigious Sophiil: often employs Such, as are {ht^i-i.ot') PuzzU ig, 
 and Contentious. See 'AAku'. Llaccywy. Kef. <r'- 
 
 B 3 is
 
 ii .^General View ^ 
 
 is then alllimed : in the former Cafes, the Do6lrinc is Tra- 
 ditionally handed down to Others from the Authority of 
 ancient Sages \ in the latter, is Magisterially pronounced 
 with the Authority of a Legijlator. That this Turn may be 
 given to fuch Dialogues with Propriety, and Juftice to the 
 Character of the Speakers, the rcafoning Socrates is laid afide, 
 or only fuftains fome lower and ohfcure Part; while That, 
 which is the Pr'mctpal^ or Shiiiiiig^ is allotted to fome Other 
 Philofopher^ to whom may properly be attributed a mor« 
 Authoritative Manner ; to Such an Antiquarian^ as may be 
 credited^ or deemed to have received the beft hiformation-, 
 to Such a Stateffnan or Politician^ as may fairly be prefumed 
 beft qualified tor the 7nakvig La-jos. 
 
 Thus much for the Maymer^ in whicli the Dialogues of 
 Plato are fevcrally compofed, and the Caft of Ge?iius given 
 them in their Compofition. The Form^ under which they 
 appear^ or the external CharaSlcr that marks them, is of 
 Ihree Sorts ; either purely Dramatic^ like the Dialogue of 
 Tragedy or Comedy ; or purely Narrative, where a former 
 Converfation is fuppofed to be committed to Writing, and 
 communicated to fome abfent Friend ; or of the Mixed Kind, 
 like a Narration in Dramatic Poems, where is recited to fome 
 Pcrfon prefent the Story of Things paft. 
 
 Having dius divided the Dialogues of Plato, in refped: 
 of that inward Form or Compofition, which creates their 
 Genius; and again, with Reference to tliat outward Form, 
 
 which,
 
 the Works <?/ PLATO. 13 
 
 which marks them, like Flowers and other Vegetables, with a 
 certain Charadler ; we are farther to make a Divifion of them, 
 with regard to their ^ SuhjeB^ and their Dejjgn\ beginning 
 with their Deiign, or End, bccaiifc for the Sake of This are 
 all the Subjed:s chofen. The End of all the Wricings of 
 Plato is That, which is the End of all true Philosophy or 
 Wifdom, the Perfection and the Happiness of Man. Man 
 therefore is the General Subjedl : And the Jirjl BiiUnefs of 
 Philosophy mufl be to inquire. What is that Being, called 
 Man, who is to be made Happy ; and what is his Nature, 
 in the Perfedion of which is placed his Happinefs. 
 
 The Philofopher conliders Man, as a Compound Being, 
 coniifting of Body and of Sou l : the fuperior Part of which 
 Soul is Mind; by which he is intimately connedled with, 
 and of near Kindred to, the Divbie Nature \ the inferior 
 Part is made up of Pajfw?2s and AffeSlions^ reducible All to 
 Two Kinds, having All of them either Paiii or Pkafure for 
 their Objedl ; by Means of which, and alfo ot his Body^ he is 
 outwardly related to, and connedied with, the Fellows of his 
 cw?i SpecieSy and with all Outward Nature. He is moved by 
 fome commanding Power within him, the Principle of Adion, 
 commonly called Will ; and when the Motion^ given by it, is 
 Right ^ and in Right DireSiion^ moves him for his real Good. 
 The Motion and Dircdion Both are right, when the One is 
 
 5 It is by no Means intended here to prcfcnt our Readers with an 
 Epitome or Abflradt of Platoi Dodrine, any farther than may ferve for 
 the prefent, in fome Meafure, to fliew tlie Connexion of his Writings., rfnd 
 the Relation which the feveral SuhjcSls of them have One to Another. 
 
 imafurcd
 
 14 yi/ Ge NER AL Vie w o/ 
 
 mcafured and the Other di Bated by Right Reafon. The 
 Motion is thus meafured, and the Diredion thus diclated ; 
 or, in other W'ords, the Meafure and the Rule of a Man's 
 Adions are agreeable to Right Reafon, when the Governing 
 Poiver within him, the Reafon of his own Mifid, harmonifes 
 with Reafon Univerjal : And This it does, when his Mind 
 fees Things as they are, and partakes of Truth : becaufe 
 Truth is the Standard of Right Reafon, and is the Same in 
 Every, and in All Mind ; of Mind the Perfe&ion and the 
 End. By Means of T?-uth therefore, or the Kjtowlege of it, 
 (for the Mind is in Pojfejfwn of Truth by knowing it) is a 
 Man's Reafon empowered to gover?! him, and his Will to 
 7n(we him, for his Good. Now the Power of fo governing 
 and fo moving is Man's Virtue : the Virtue of Every Thing 
 being its Power to produce or procure fome certain Good, 
 Thus the Two great Objedls of the Platonic Philofophy are 
 Truth and Virtue; Truth, the Good oi all Mind \ and 
 Mrtue, the Good of the Whole Maj%. 
 
 Truth, that is, the Reality of Things, being Eternal, 
 Abiolute, and Independant upon any Particular Mind ; the 
 real EJfences ot Things not only always are, but always have 
 the fame Manner alfo of Being, that is, Uniform and Inva- 
 riable, not fabjcd to the Differences or Changes of any 
 Thoughts concerning them, and indeed feated above the 
 Comprchcnfion or the Reach of any Particular Minds. Our 
 Ideas, when true, are the cxad: Copies or perfed Images oi 
 Thefe : and ^^■hen we k?2ow them fo to be, and can refolve 
 
 tliem
 
 />6^ Works ^/ PLATO. 15 
 
 them into their Pri?iciples^ then have we true Science, It is 
 the Nature of the Human Soul to have tliefe Ideas generated 
 in her, and to partake of Mind Eternal and Immutable. 
 Hence She is the Offsprings and the Image^ of the Divine 
 Nature : and hence by Pa?'ticipatio?i of That, w^hich is 
 Eternal, and whofe Principle is Unity, She is Herfelf /;;- 
 diffohible and Immortal. 
 
 The Refembla7ices of thofe real Effences are alfo in Out- 
 ward Things, ferving firfl to excite in the Soul thofe true 
 Ideas. But becaufe of the ever-changing and tranfient Nature 
 of fuch Things, thofe Refemblances being uncertain ; they 
 are no lefs apt to raife falfe Fancies, and to give Birth to 
 erroneous Opinions. 
 
 But beiides thefe IVatural Reprefentations of Things, Others 
 there are which are Arbitrary ; invented by Men, in order 
 to exprefs or fignify to Each Other whatever they perceive 
 or fancy, know or think. Thefe are Words, framed into 
 Propojitions and Difcourfes ; in which we give an Account of 
 what we take to be the Nature of Things. They are deli- 
 vered in Three Ways ; either in the Way of Reafon, apply- 
 ing themfelves to the U?jde?'J}a7idi77g, with Pretenlions to 
 prove', in the Way of Oratory, addrefling the Paffw?is, in 
 order to perfuade ; or in the Way of Poetry, engaging the 
 Imagination, with a View to pleafe. The Mind therefore is 
 in Danger of being feduced into Error by Words, in Four 
 different Ways : either, by wrong Names attributed to 
 Things, difguifing thus their real Nature; by Sophistical 
 Arts of Reasoning, thus exhibiting Falfhood in the Drefs of 
 
 Truth;
 
 i6 ^General View c/ 
 
 Truth; by the adulterated Colours of Rhetorick, deluding 
 us ; or the tantaflic Figuring of Poetry, enchanting us. 
 In tliis Manner does Plato warn his Readers againft the Ways, 
 that lead afide into Error; while he conducts his Followers 
 alonii the Road of Truth. 
 
 As to the Other Objedl of Platonic Wifdom, Virtue, or 
 the fettled Power in the Soul of governing Man rightly ; con- 
 fidered as adherhig to its Divine Principle, 'Truths it takes 
 the Form of Sanctity ; confidcred as frcjiding over every 
 Word and Atlio?i, it has the Nature of Prudence ; in 
 controlling and ordering the Conciipifcible Part of the Soul, 
 or the Affections and Pailions that regard Pleafure, it 
 is called Temperance ; in compoffng and direding the 
 Irafcible Part of the Soul, or the Aff'edions and Paflions 
 relative to Pain^ it affumes the Name of Fortitude. And 
 thus far it refpedls Private Good immediately^ yet extending 
 its Influence to the Good of Others^ through the Connedions 
 of Kindred Nature and of Social Life. 
 
 But fmce every Man is a Member of fome Civil Coffwiu- 
 nity-i is linked with tlic Fellows of his own Species, is related 
 to every Nature Superior and Divi?ie, and is a Part alfo of 
 Univerfal Nature ; he muft always of NecelHty participate 
 of the Good and Evil of every Whole, greater as well as lefs, 
 to which he belongs ; and lias an Intereft in the Well-being 
 of every Species, with which he is conneded. With imme- 
 diate Reference therefore to the Good of Others.^ to the 
 Public Good, to the General Good of Mankind, and to. 
 
 Univerfat
 
 /^^ Works ^/ PLATO. 17 
 
 Univcrfal Good j yet rtmotelj^ and by Way of Confequence 
 affeding Private Good ; Virtue^ as She regulates the Con- 
 dud; of Man, in order to thefe Ends, has the Title given her 
 of Justice, Univerfal^ or Particular in all its various 
 Branches,. Friendship, Patriotism, Humanity^ Equity 
 and Piety, with every fuborcUitate Duty fpringing out of 
 Thefe. 
 
 But fince, in order to efFed thoroughly,, and fully to 
 accomplifh, the Good of any Vital Whclc^ there mufl: be a 
 Co?tfpiration and Co-operation of all the Parts ; there ought 
 in Every Public to be One Mind or Law prcfiding over, 
 difpofing, and direSiing All \ that through All may run 
 One Spirit^ and in All One Virtue operate. To illuftrate 
 This, the Idea is prefented of a perfed Commonwealth,. 
 and a juft Model is framed of Public Laws. And iji This 
 the Nature of Virtue is feen moft Godlike, that is, of Her- 
 felf moft difFufive, and of the moft Good produdlive, in her 
 rxiokmg All happy, as She is Political and Legislative. 
 
 Thus all Virtue is Order and Proportion , whether in the 
 Soul of Man, or in a Civil State : and putting Meafiire into' 
 all the Manners, and into every Adlion, whether of Private 
 or of Public Lite, produces in them Symmetiy and Beauty : 
 for of Thefe, proportioned Meafure is the Pri?iciple. This. 
 She docs, becaufe the Ride, according to which the Mind 
 by her Will then governs, is Beauty Itfclf \ and the Scie?icey 
 through which She governs, is the Science of that Beauty. 
 For Truth and Beauty concur in 0?ie\ and whcre-ever 
 They are, there is alfo Good. The Love of Reauty then 
 
 C is.
 
 iS A General View of 
 
 is nothing different from that Firft and Leading Motive m 
 all Minds to the Purfuit of every Thing, That from whence 
 the Philofopher fets out in his Liquiry after Wifdom, the 
 Desire of Good. Thus the P£rfe£lio7i of Man confifts in 
 his Similitude to this Supreme Beauty; and in his Unio?i 
 with it is found his Supreme Good. 
 
 The Dialogues of Piato, with refped to their SubjeSis, 
 jniay be divided, conformably to this flight Sketch of their 
 Dejign, into the Speculative^ the PraSiical^ and fuch as are 
 of a Mixed Nature. The Subjeds of thefe lafi are either 
 Ge?ieralj comprehending Both the Others; or Differential^ 
 diftingiiifhing them. The Gejm-al Subjeds are either Fu?i- 
 damental^ or Final : Thofe of the Fundamental Kind are 
 Philosophy, Human Nature, the Soul of Man: of the 
 Final Kind are Love, Beauty, Good. The Differ efitial 
 regard K7ioii:lerc, as it flands related to PraSiice : in which 
 are confidered two Queftions ; One of which is, whether 
 Firtue is to be taught ; the Other is, whether Error in the 
 JVill depends on Error in the Judgment. The Subjedls of 
 the Speculative Dialogues relate either to Words, or to 
 Things, Of the former Sort are Etymology, Sophistry, 
 Rhetorick, Poetry: of the latter Sort are Science, True 
 Bein.g^ the Principles of Mind, Outward Nature. 
 The PraElical Subjedls relate either to Private Condudl, and 
 the Government of the Mind over the Whole Man ; or to his 
 Duty towards Others in his feveral Relations ; or to the Go- 
 vernment of a Qivil State, and the Public Condudl of a. Whole 
 
 People.
 
 ihe Works <?/ PLATO, l9^ 
 
 People. Under thefe Three Heads rank in Order the Parti- 
 cular Subjeds Pradical ; Virtue in General, Sanctity, 
 Temperance, Fortitude ; Justice, Friendship, Pa- 
 TRiOTisAi, Piety j the Ruling Mind in a Civil Govern- 
 MENT, the Frame and Order of a State^ Law in General, 
 and laftly, thofe Rules of Government and of Public Con- 
 dudl, the Civil Laws. 
 
 Thus, for the Sake of giving the Reader a Scientific, that 
 is, a comprehenfive and at the fame Time a diJlinSl^ View of 
 Plato\ Writings, we have attempted to exhibit to him their 
 juft and natural Diftindions ; whether he chufes to confider 
 them with regard to their Liward Form ov EJfence, their Out- 
 ward Form or Appearance^ their Matter^ or their End : that 
 is, in thofe more familiar Terms, we have ufed in this Synopfis,. 
 their Genius, their Character, their Subject, and theur. 
 Design. 
 
 C 2 THE
 
 [ ai 3 
 
 THE 
 
 PROLOGUE. 
 
 SOCRATES, the H-ero of thefe Dramatic Dialogues^ 
 lived a private Life at Athens; quiet a?id fludioiis^ yet 
 in the highefi Degree facial^ deigjiing his Conveife a?2d com- 
 municating his Knowlege^ in proper Meafure^ to all Sorts of 
 People, hi this City therefore mufl of Courfe lie the ordinary 
 Scene of thofe Converfations^ in which Socrates prefdes^ or 
 hath a Share. As that wife Man however ufed Diuch Exer- 
 cife^ and died before his Days of Exercife were pafl^ Proba^ 
 bility admits the Scene to be now and then diverffed^ by beijtg 
 chaiiged to the adjacent Country, Nor is it i?i thefe Cafes 
 either coffmed to One Spot of Ground^ or i7i Gerieral o?ily and 
 at large Rural : fometimes opening into the IValks round the 
 City-Walls j at other times lefigthened along the Way to fomd 
 appendant Sea-Port or Village : now widened into the Fields 
 and Groves', now winding along the Banks of the Ilyilus. Of 
 thofe Co?jverfationsy that pafs within ■ the City^ the Particular 
 
 Spot
 
 2.2 The prologue. 
 
 Spot is no kfs varied: here it is the open Street 'y there the 
 private Houfe of One of the Company \ but oftenefl one or 
 ether Public Place of General Refort ; as the Place of Ex- 
 chanfre^ or fome Court of Judicature \ the Place 'where the 
 Gymnic Exercifes were ufed, or fome School where they were 
 taught : neither is the Banquet-Room^ nor the Prifon wa?iti}ig, 
 to compUat the Variety. But in every Dialogue the exaEiefl 
 Care is taken to adapt the Scene, as much as pojjible, to the 
 SubjeSl : even in the fame Dialogue the Scene is fjifted, if the 
 Oeconofny of the Drama requires the different Parts of it to be ' 
 difpofed in different Places. By all this Diveff feat ion, Pro- 
 priety is preferved, the Fancy fond of Change is entertained,, 
 and the Speculative Mind is prefented with a true, that is, a 
 variegated PiBure of Human Life. Our Readers, having 
 thus received fome Sort of Information, co?Jcerning the Country 
 whither they are going ', may probably dejjre to have the like 
 General Notice given them, co7Ker7iing the Names and Titles 
 oflhofe, to whofe Acquaintance they are going to be ijjtroduced. 
 Each of the Dialogues then of Plato bears Two Titles ; One of 
 which was in all Probability prefixed to it by Plato hifnfelf. 
 This is ufually taken from the Name of the Perfon, with whom 
 Socrates there is reprefented holding Difcourfe : or, if fever al 
 Perfons are Parties in the Converfation, then Whoever makes 
 the mofl fjining Figure in itf next after Socrates, gives Name 
 to the Dialogue. The Other Title feems to have been attri- 
 buted
 
 The prologue. 23 
 
 luted to it by Some of the ^ Platonic School, cle?totwg the fup~ 
 pofed SubjeEi of that Converfatio7i. That thefe Secondafy Titles 
 have not the Authority of Plato, is evident '' from the Dif~ 
 agreement a?jd U?icertainty of So7ne of them, and the Impro- 
 priety of Others. We have thought it conve?iient to retain 
 Both : for the Sake however of DifliitSlion, calling the Firjl, 
 (a?idy we prefume, not improperly,) the Name of the Dia- 
 logue ; a?:d the Other, the Title of it. But where the Title 
 appeared ifnproper, we have attempted to ajfign a Better ; a?id 
 where, in differefjt Mamfcripts of the Same Dialogue, werd 
 foimd different Titles, to prefer the Befl. 
 
 ^ This, we think, appears from Diogenes Lacrtiiis, who colledled his 
 Account of the Life and Writings of Plato from various Authors, Phi- 
 lofophers, Criticks, and Grammarians : and as he alwavs fairly cites his 
 Authorities for every Thing, which he advances ; fo ujwn this Head he 
 informs us, that Thrafyllus made Ufe of Double Infcriptions or Titles. 
 
 AiTT^.a'ii Si X^^'^'^ [©^aVuAAo?] Ta?s e7ny^a(pcc'ii fxaV« rcov fit(2Aiuv. Atoy. 
 
 Axi^T. /3i/3. y. From whence it is plain, that the Ui'c of them was not 
 General at leaft, till the Time of this Thrajyllus. 
 
 7 Another Al-gument, to prove the After-Invention of thefe Se- 
 condary Titles, arifes from this Obfervation ; that amono- the numer- 
 ous Works of the other Ancient Philofophers, of which there remain 
 but the mere Titles, prefcrved to us by Lacrtiiis, fcarcc Any is found to 
 bear more than One, till the Time of Cbryjippus the Vcrbofe ; the Dia- 
 logues of the Socratic School being ufually inlcribed, after the Manner of 
 Plato, with the Name of One of the Speakers ; and the Treatifes of the 
 Other Philofopliers taking their Title ufually from their Subjeft, and 
 fometimcs, after the Manner of Epiftlcs, initribcd only with die Name of 
 tlie Pcrfon to whom tliey arc addieilcd.
 
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