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In translating him into the language of modern thought, we might

insensibly lose the spirit of ancient philosophy. It is

remarkable that although Plato speaks of the idea of good as the

first principle of truth and being, it is nowhere mentioned in

his writings except in this passage. Nor did it retain any hold

upon the minds of his disciples in a later generation; it was

probably unintelligible to them. Nor does the mention of it in

Aristotle appear to have any reference to this or any other

passage in his extant writings.