पृष्ठ 779 / 1391

What is to be done then? I said; how shall we find a gentle

nature which has also a great spirit, for the one is the

contradiction of the other?

True.

He will not be a good guardian who is wanting in either of these

two qualities; and yet the combination of them appears to be

impossible; and hence we must infer that to be a good guardian is

impossible.

I am afraid that what you say is true, he replied.

Here feeling perplexed I began to think over what had

preceded.-My friend, I said, no wonder that we are in a

perplexity; for we have lost sight of the image which we had

before us.

What do you mean? he said.

I mean to say that there do exist natures gifted with those

opposite qualities.

And where do you find them?

Many animals, I replied, furnish examples of them; our friend the

dog is a very good one: you know that well-bred dogs are

perfectly gentle to their familiars and acquaintances, and the

reverse to strangers.

Yes, I know.