MISCELLANEOUS DICOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS QI 



The following account of the drinking of decoction of the poison hemlock 

 and the last conversations of the philosopher with his friends is taken from 

 the last part of the Phaedo. 



Then Crito made a sign to his slave, who was standing by, and the slave 

 went out, and after some delay returned with the man who was to give 

 the poison, carrying it prepared in a cup. When Socrates saw him, he 

 asked, "You understand these things, my good sir, what have I to do?" 

 'You have only to drink this," he replied, and "to walk about until your 

 legs feel heavy, and then lie down, and it will act of itself." With that 

 he handed the cup to Socrates, who took it quite cheerfully. Socrates, 

 without trembling, and without any change of color of feature, looked 

 up at the man with that fixed glance of his and asked, "what say you to 

 making a libation from this draught? May I, or not?" "We only 

 prepare so much as we think sufficient, Socrates," he answered. "I 

 understand said Socrates. But I suppose that I may, and must, pray to 

 the Gods that my journey hence may be prosperous: that is my prayer 

 be it so." With these words he put the cup to his lips and drank the poison 

 quite lively and cheerfully. Till then most of us had been able to con- 

 trol our grief fairly well; but when we saw him drinking, and then the 

 poison finished, we could do so no longer: my tears came first in spite of 

 myself, and I covered my face and wept for myself: it was not for him, 

 but at my own misfortune in losing such a friend. Even before that 

 Crito had been unable to restrain his tears and had gone away; and 

 Apollodorus, who had never once ceased weeping the whole time, burst 

 into a loud cry, and made us one and all break down by his sobbing, and 

 grief, except only Socrates himself, "what are you doing, my friends"? 

 he exclaimed. "I sent away the women chiefly in order that they might 

 not offend in this way; for I have heard that a man should die in silence. 

 So calm yourselves and bear up." When we heard that, we were ashamed, 

 and we ceased from weeping. But he walked about, until he said that his 

 legs were getting heavy, and then he lay down on his back, as he was told. 

 And the man who gave the poison began to examine his feet and legs, 

 from time to time: than he pressed his foot hard, and asked if there was 

 any feeling in it; and Socrates said, " No: " and then his legs, and so higher 

 and higher, and showed us that he was cold and stiff. And Socrates felt 

 himself, and said that when it came to his heart, he should be gone. He 

 was already growing cold about the groin, when he uncovered his face, 

 which had been covered, and spoke for the last time. "Crito, he said, 



