Banquet

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. [I am employed just now, having little better to do, in translating into my faint and inefficient periods, the divine eloquence of Plato's Symposium; only as an exercise, or, perhaps, to give Mary some idea of the manners and feelings of the Athenians - so different on many subjects from that of any other community that ever existed.<br><br>From a letter written by Shelley to Mr. and Mrs. Gisborne, dated Bagni di Lucca, July 10th, 1818.<br><br>I have lately found myself totally incapable of original composition. I employed my mornings, therefore, in translating the Symposium, which I accomplished in ten days. Mary is now transcribing it, and I am writing a prefatory essay.<br><br>Written to Peacock (Fraser's Magazine, March, 1860, page 302.)]