DION. 259 Dionysius iiumediately removed Plato into the castle,* designing, under color of an honorable and kind reception, to set a guard upon him, lest he should follow Dion, and declare to the world in his behalf, how injuriously he had been dealt with. And, moreover, time and conversation (as wild beasts by use grow tame and tractable) had brought Dionysius to endure Plato's company and dis- course, so that he began to love the philosopher, but with euch an afiection as had something of the tyrant in it, requiring of Plato that he should, in return of his kind- ness, love hmi only, and attend to him above all other men ; being ready to permit to his care the chief man- agement of aflliirs, and even the government, too, upon condition that he would not prefer Dion's friendship be- fore his. This extravagant afiection was a great trouble to Plato, for it was accompanied with petulant and jeal- ous humors, like the fond passions of those that are desperately in love ; frequently he was angry and fell out with him, and presently begged and entreated to be friends again. He was beyond measure desirous to be Plato's scholar, and to proceed in the study of philoso- phy, and yet he was ashamed of it with those who spoke against it and professed to think it woidd ruin him. But a war about this time breaking out, he sent Plato away, promising him in the summer to recall Dion, though in this he broke his word at once ; nevertheless, he remitted to him his revenues, desiring Plato to excuse him as to the time appointed, because of the war, but, as soon as he had settled a peace, he would immediately send for Dion, requiring him in the interim to be quiet, and not raise any disturbance, nor speak ill of hun among
- The castle, citadel, or aero- held by the barbarian garrison, and
volis, is the island of Ortygia (now in which the tyrannic family lived the modem town), which Dionysius and kept their court. had stronglj' fortified, which was
