[Minossleeping: to him enter the Phantasm of Euclid. Minosopens his eyes and regards him with a blank and stony gaze, without betraying the slightest surprise or even interest.]

A priori reasons for retaining Euclid's Manual.

Euc. Now what is it you really require in a Manual of Geometry?

Min. Excuse me, but—with all respect to a shade whose name I have reverenced from early boyhood —is not that rather an abrupt way of starting a conversation? Remember, we are two thousand years apart in history, and consequently have never had a personal interview till now. Surely a few preliminary remarks —

Euc. Centuries are long, my good sir, but my time to-night is short: and I never was a man of many words. So kindly waive all ceremony and answer my question.

Min. Well, so far as I can answer a question that comes upon me so suddenly, I should say —a book that will exercise the learner in habits of clear definite conception, and enable him to test the logical value of a scientific argument.

Euc. You do not require, then, a complete repertory of Geometrical truth?

Min. Certainly not. It is the ἐνέγεια rather than the ἕργον that we need here.

Euc. And yet many of my Modern Rivals have thus attempted to improve upon me —by filling up what they took to be my omissions.