["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.)]