κατὰ τὸν δεύτερον, φασί, πλοῦν τὰ ἐλάχιστα ληπτέον τῶν κακῶν → we must as second best, as people say, take the least of the evils
P. and V. τὰ πλεῖστα, P. ὡς ἐπὶ πολύ, τὰ πολλὰ, ὡς τὰ πολλά, V. τὰ πλείω.