383. He was followed by a second speaker, who got up to disclose in an elegant speech the source of beauty. 'I have heard,' he said, 'that love is the source of beauty, but I do not accept that opinion. Is there anyone who knows what love is? Has anyone been able to form in his thinking a notion that would enable him to contemplate it? Has anyone set eyes on it? Tell me where it is. My contention is that wisdom is the source of beauty. In women it is a wisdom deeply buried and hidden away, in men a wisdom open and plainly visible. What is it but wisdom which makes a human being human? But for this he would be a sculpture or a painting. What does a young woman look for in a young man but how wise he is? And what does a young man look for in a young woman but what sort of affection she has for his wisdom? I mean by wisdom true morality, since this is the wisdom of life. This is how it is that when the hidden wisdom approaches and embraces the open wisdom, something that occurs inwardly in the spirit of each, they kiss and couple with each other; that is what is called love. Then they look to each other like models of beauty. In short, wisdom is like the light or brilliance of fire, which dazzles the eyes, and in doing so produces beauty.'