or
being well prepared in body; and in fact there is nothing which men do
for which the body is not a help. In every demand, therefore, which can
be laid upon the body it is much better that it should be in the best
condition; since, even where you might imagine the claims upon the body
to be slightest--in the act of reasoning--who does not know the terrible
stumbles which are made through being out of health? It suffices to say
that forgetfulness, and despondency, and moroseness, and madness take
occasion often of ill-health to visit the intellectual faculties so
severely as to expel all knowledge (8) from the brain. But he who is in
good bodily plight has large security. He runs no risk of incurring any
such catastrophe through ill-health at any rate; he has the expectation
rather that a good habit must procure consequences the opposite to those
of an evil habit; (9) and surely to this end there is nothing a man in
his senses would not undergo.... It is a base thing for a man to wax old
in careless self-neglect before he has lifted up his eyes and seen
what manner of man he was made to be, in the full perfection of bodily
strength and beauty. But these glories are withheld from him who is
guilty of self-neglect, for they are not wont to blaze forth unbidden.
(10)

(7) Cf. "Pol. Ath." i. 13; and above, III. v. 15.

(8) Or, "whole branches of knowledge" ({tas epistemas}).

(9) Or, "he may well hope to be insured by his good habit against the
evils attendant on its opposite."

(10) Or, "to present themselves spontaneously."

XII

Once when some one was in a fury of indignation because he had bidden a
passer-by good-day and the salutation was not returned, Socrates
said: "It is enough to make one laugh! If you met a man in a wretched
condition of body, you would not fall into a rage; but because you
stumble upon a poor soul somewhat boorishly disposed, you feel annoyed."

To the remark of another who complained that he did not take his foot
with pleasure, he said: "Acumenus (1) has a good prescription for that."
And when the other asked: "And what may that be?" "To stop eating," he
said. "On the score of pleasure, economy, and health, total abstinence
has much in its favour." (2)

(1) A well-known physician. See Plat. "Phaedr." 227 A, 269 A; "Symp."
176 B. A similar story is told of Dr. Abernethy, I think.

(2) Lit. "he would live a happier, thriftier, and healthier life, if
he stopped eatin