appearance or opinion." In this part the poet-philosopher makes some attempt to describe and explain the phenomena of the sensible universe. In addition to the tenets propounded in this poem, we find in Plato's works, particularly in the dialogue entitled 'Sophista,' some notices of the speculations of Parmenides, and the other Eleatics, respecting Being and not-Being. But these speculations must be worked out mainly by means of one's own reflections. We have only a few crumbling bones from which to construct our skeleton as we best may, and to give it, if that be possible, some semblance to the remains of an organic creature.
18. The whole philosophy of Parmenides centres, I think, in these two points; first, the conception of Being; and, secondly, the determination of the relation between Being and not-Being. Let us consider each of these points separately.
19. First, then, of the conception of Being. To set forth Being as the universal, as that in which all things are identical, to declare that Being is the truth of the universe; this, to us, who live in these latter times, may seem to be a very trivial and uninstructive dogma. But we have to remember, for one thing, that we, as soon as we were born, have entered on an inheritance of thoughts and of words from which these early thinkers were altogether cut off. They had to think out and to devise what we find
