κατὰ τὸν δεύτερον, φασί, πλοῦν τὰ ἐλάχιστα ληπτέον τῶν κακῶν → we must as second best, as people say, take the least of the evils
περιπεσεῖν: απαρ. αορ. βʹ του περιπίπτω.
