第18章

Ath。ThatGodgovernsallthings，andthatchanceandopportunityco-operatewithhiminthegovernmentofhumanaffairs。Thereis，however，athirdandlessextremeview，thatartshouldbetherealso；

forIshouldsaythatinastormtheremustsurelybeagreatadvantageinhavingtheaidofthepilot’sart。Youwouldagree？

Cle。Yes。

Ath。Anddoesnotalikeprincipleapplytolegislationaswellastootherthings：evensupposingalltheconditionstobefavourablewhichareneededforthehappinessofthestate，yetthetruelegislatormustfromtimetotimeappearonthescene？

Cle。Mosttrue。

Ath。Ineachcasetheartistwouldbeabletoprayrightlyforcertainconditions，andiftheseweregrantedbyfortune，hewouldthenonlyrequiretoexercisehisart？

Cle。Certainly。

Ath。Andalltheotherartistsjustnowmentioned，iftheywerebiddentoofferupeachtheirspecialprayer，woulddoso？

Cle。Ofcourse。

Ath。Andthelegislatorwoulddolikewise？

Cle。Ibelievethathewould。

Ath。“Come，legislator，“wewillsaytohim；“whataretheconditionswhichyourequireinastatebeforeyoucanorganizeit？“

Howoughthetoanswerthisquestion？ShallIgivehisanswer？

Cle。Yes。

Ath。Hewillsay-“Givemeastatewhichisgovernedbyatyrant，andletthetyrantbeyoungandhaveagoodmemory；lethimbequickatlearning，andofacourageousandnoblenature；lethimhavethatqualitywhich，asIsaidbefore，istheinseparablecompanionofalltheotherpartsofvirtue，ifthereistobeanygoodinthem。“

Cle。Isuppose，Megillus，thatthiscompanionvirtueofwhichtheStrangerspeaks，mustbetemperance？

Ath。Yes，Cleinias，temperanceinthevulgarsense；notthatwhichintheforcedandexaggeratedlanguageofsomephilosophersiscalledprudence，butthatwhichisthenaturalgiftofchildrenandanimals，ofwhomsomelivecontinentlyandothersincontinently，butwhenisolated，wasaswesaid，hardlyworthreckoninginthecatalogueofgoods。Ithinkthatyoumustunderstandmymeaning。

Cle。Certainly。

Ath。Thenourtyrantmusthavethisaswellastheotherqualities，ifthestateistoacquireinthebestmannerandintheshortesttimetheformofgovernmentwhichismostconducivetohappiness；forthereneitherisnoreverwillbeabetterorspeedierwayofestablishingapolitythanbyatyranny。

Cle。Bywhatpossiblearguments，Stranger，cananymanpersuadehimselfofsuchamonstrousdoctrine？

Ath。Thereissurelynodifficultyinseeing，Cleinias，whatisinaccordancewiththeorderofnature？

Cle。Youwouldassume，asyousay，atyrantwhowasyoung，temperate，quickatlearning，havingagoodmemory，courageous，ofanoblenature？

Ath。Yes；andyoumustaddfortunate；andhisgoodfortunemustbethatheisthecontemporaryofagreatlegislator，andthatsomehappychancebringsthemtogether。Whenthishasbeenaccomplished，Godhasdoneallthatheeverdoesforastatewhichhedesirestobeeminentlyprosperous；Hehasdonesecondbestforastateinwhichtherearetwosuchrulers，andthirdbestforastateinwhichtherearethree。Thedifficultyincreaseswiththeincrease，anddiminisheswiththediminutionofthenumber。

Cle。Youmeantosay，Isuppose，thatthebestgovernmentisproducedfromatyranny，andoriginatesinagoodlawgiverandanorderlytyrant，andthatthechangefromsuchatyrannyintoaperfectformofgovernmenttakesplacemosteasily；lesseasilywhenfromanoligarchy；and，inthethirddegree，fromademocracy：isnotthatyourmeaning？

Ath。Notso；Imeanrathertosaythatthechangeisbestmadeoutofatyranny；andsecondly，outofamonarchy；andthirdly，outofsomesortofdemocracy：fourth，inthecapacityforimprovement，comesoligarchy，whichhasthegreatestdifficultyinadmittingofsuchachange，becausethegovernmentisinthehandsofanumberofpotentates。Iamsupposingthatthelegislatorisbynatureofthetruesort，andthathisstrengthisunitedwiththatofthechiefmenofthestate；andwhentherulingelementisnumericallysmall，andatthesametimeverystrong，asinatyranny，therethechangeislikelytobeeasiestandmostrapid。

Cle。How？Idonotunderstand。

Ath。AndyetIhaverepeatedwhatIamsayingagoodmanytimes；butIsupposethatyouhaveneverseenacitywhichisunderatyranny？

Cle。No，andIcannotsaythatIhaveanygreatdesiretoseeone。

Ath。Andyet，wherethereisatyranny，youmightcertainlyseethatofwhichIamnowspeaking。

Cle。Whatdoyoumean？

Ath。Imeanthatyoumightseehow，withouttroubleandinnoverylongperiodoftime，thetyrant，ifhewishes，canchangethemannersofastate：hehasonlytogointhedirectionofvirtueorofvice，whicheverheprefers，hehimselfindicatingbyhisexamplethelinesofconduct，praisingandrewardingsomeactionsandreprovingothers，anddegradingthosewhodisobey。

Cle。Buthowcanweimaginethatthecitizensingeneralwillatoncefollowtheexamplesettothem；andhowcanhehavethispowerbothofpersuadingandofcompellingthem？

Ath。Letnoone，myfriends，persuadeusthatthereisanyquickerandeasierwayinwhichstateschangetheirlawsthanwhentherulerslead：suchchangesneverhave，noreverwill，cometopassinanyotherway。Therealimpossibilityordifficultyisofanothersort，andisrarelysurmountedinthecourseofages；butwhenonceitissurmounted，tenthousandorratherallblessingsfollow。

Cle。Ofwhatareyouspeaking？

Ath。Thedifficultyistofindthedivineloveoftemperateandjustinstitutionsexistinginanypowerfulformsofgovernment，whetherinamonarchyoroligarchyofwealthorofbirth。YoumightaswellhopetoreproducethecharacterofNestor，whoissaidtohaveexcelledallmeninthepowerofspeech，andyetmoreinhistemperance。This，however，accordingtothetradition，wasinthetimesofTroy；inourowndaysthereisnothingofthesort；butifsuchanoneeitherhasorevershallcomeintobeing，orisnowamongus，blessedisheandblessedaretheywhohearthewisewordsthatflowfromhislips。Andthismaybesaidofpoweringeneral：

Whenthesupremepowerinmancoincideswiththegreatestwisdomandtemperance，thenthebestlawsandthebestconstitutioncomeintobeing；butinnootherway。AndletwhatIhavebeensayingberegardedasakindofsacredlegendororacle，andletthisbeourproofthat，inonepointofview，theremaybeadifficultyforacitytohavegoodlaws，butthatthereisanotherpointofviewinwhichnothingcanbeeasierorsoonereffected，grantingoursupposition。

Cle。Howdoyoumean？

Ath。Letustrytoamuseourselves，oldboysasweare，bymouldinginwordsthelawswhicharesuitabletoyourstate。

Cle。Letusproceedwithoutdelay。

Ath。ThenletusinvokeGodatthesettlementofourstate；mayhehearandbepropitioustous，andcomeandsetinordertheStateandthelaws!

Cle。Mayhecome!

Ath。Butwhatformofpolityarewegoingtogivethecity？

Cle。Telluswhatyoumeanalittlemoreclearly。Doyoumeansomeformofdemocracy，oroligarchy，oraristocracy，ormonarchy？Forwecannotsupposethatyouwouldincludetyranny。

Ath。Whichofyouwillfirsttellmetowhichoftheseclasseshisowngovernmentistobereferred？

Megillus。OughtItoanswerfirst，sinceIamtheelder？

Cle。Perhapsyoushould。

Meg。Andyet，Stranger，IperceivethatIcannotsay，withoutmorethought，whatIshouldcallthegovernmentofLacedaemon，foritseemstometobelikeatyranny-thepowerofourEphorsismarvellouslytyrannical；andsometimesitappearstometobeofallcitiesthemostdemocratical；andwhocanreasonablydenythatitisanaristocracy？Wehavealsoamonarchywhichisheldforlife，andissaidbyallmankind，andnotbyourselvesonly，tobethemostancientofallmonarchies；and，therefore，whenaskedonasudden，IcannotpreciselysaywhichformofgovernmenttheSpartanis。

Cle。Iaminthesamedifficulty，Megillus；forIdonotfeelconfidentthatthepolityofCnosusisanyofthese。

Ath。Thereasonis，myexcellentfriends，thatyoureallyhavepolities，butthestatesofwhichwewerejustnowspeakingaremerelyaggregationsofmendwellingincitieswhoarethesubjectsandservantsofapartoftheirownstate，andeachofthemisnamedafterthedominantpower；theyarenotpolitiesatall。Butifstatesaretobenamedaftertheirrulers，thetruestateoughttobecalledbythenameoftheGodwhorulesoverwisemen。

Cle。AndwhoisthisGod？

Ath。MayIstillmakeuseoffabletosomeextent，inthehopethatImaybebetterabletoansweryourquestion：shallI？

Cle。Byallmeans。

Ath。Intheprimevalworld，andalongwhilebeforethecitiescameintobeingwhosesettlementswehavedescribed，thereissaidtohavebeeninthetimeofCronosablessedruleandlife，ofwhichthebest-orderedofexistingstatesisacopy。

Cle。Itwillbeverynecessarytohearaboutthat。

Ath。Iquiteagreewithyou；andthereforeIhaveintroducedthesubject。

Cle。Mostappropriately；andsincethetaleistothepoint，youwilldowellingivingusthewholestory。

Ath。Iwilldoasyousuggest。Thereisatraditionofthehappylifeofmankindindayswhenallthingswerespontaneousandabundant。