下载辰思小说免费APP
thatontheotherhandexcessiveandsavageservitudemakesmenmeanandabject，andhatersoftheirkind，andthereforemakesthemundesirableassociates。
Cle。Buthowmustthestateeducatethosewhodonotasyetunderstandthelanguageofthecountry，andarethereforeincapableofappreciatinganysortofinstruction？
Ath。Iwilltellyouhow：-Everyanimalthatisborniswonttouttersomecry，andthisisespeciallythecasewithman，andheisalsoaffectedwiththeinclinationtoweepmorethananyotheranimal。
Cle。Quitetrue。
Ath。Donotnurses，whentheywanttoknowwhataninfantdesires，judgebythesesigns？-whenanythingisbroughttotheinfantandheissilent，thenheissupposedtobepleased，but，whenheweepsandcriesout，thenheisnotpleased。Fortearsandcriesaretheinauspicioussignsbywhichchildrenshowwhattheyloveandhate。Nowthetimewhichisthusspentisnolessthanthreeyears，andisaveryconsiderableportionoflifetobepassedillorwell。
Cle。True。
Ath。Doesnotthediscontentedandungraciousnatureappeartoyoutobefulloflamentationsandsorrowsmorethanagoodmanoughttobe？
Cle。Certainly。
Ath。Well，butifduringthesethreeyearseverypossiblecareweretakenthatournurslingshouldhaveaslittleofsorrowandfear，andingeneralofpainaswaspossible，mightwenotexpectinearlychildhoodtomakehissoulmoregentleandcheerful？
Cle。Tobesure，Stranger-moreespeciallyifwecouldprocurehimavarietyofpleasures。
Ath。ThereIcannolongeragree，Cleinias：youamazeme。Tobringhimupinsuchawaywouldbehisutterruin；forthebeginningisalwaysthemostcriticalpartofeducation。LetusseewhetherIamright。
Cle。Proceed。
Ath。ThepointaboutwhichyouandIdifferisofgreatimportance，andIhopethatyou，Megillus，willhelptodecidebetweenus。ForImaintainthatthetruelifeshouldneitherseekforpleasures，nor，ontheotherhand，entirelyavoidpains，butshouldembracethemiddlestate，whichIjustspokeofasgentleandbenign，andisastatewhichwebysomedivinepresageandinspirationrightlyascribetoGod。Now，Isay，heamongmen，too，whowouldbedivineoughttopursueafterthismeanhabit-heshouldnotrushheadlongintopleasures，forhewillnotbefreefrompains；norshouldweallowanyone，youngorold，maleorfemale，tobethusgivenanymorethanourselves，andleastofallthenewly-borninfant，forininfancymorethanatanyothertimethecharacterisengrainedbyhabit。Nay，more，ifIwerenotafraidofappearingtoberidiculous，Iwouldsaythatawomanduringheryearofpregnancyshouldofallwomenbemostcarefullytended，andkeptfromviolentorexcessivepleasuresandpains，andshouldatthattimecultivategentlenessandbenevolenceandkindness。
Cle。Youneednot，askMegillus，Stranger，whichofushasmosttrulyspoken；forImyselfagreethatallmenoughttoavoidthelifeofunmingledpainorpleasure，andpursuealwaysamiddlecourse。
Andhavingspokenwell，mayIaddthatyouhavebeenwellanswered？
Ath。Verygood，Cleinias；andnowletusallthreeconsiderafurtherpoint。
Cle。Whatisit？
Ath。Thatallthematterswhichwearenowdescribingarecommonlycalledbythegeneralnameofunwrittencustoms，andwhataretermedthelawsofourancestorsareallofsimilarnature。Andthereflectionwhichlatelyaroseinourminds，thatwecanneithercallthesethingslaws，noryetleavethemunmentioned，isjustified；fortheyarethebondsofthewholestate，andcomeinbetweenthewrittenlawswhichareorarehereaftertobelaiddown；theyarejustancestralcustomsofgreatantiquity，which，iftheyarerightlyorderedandmadehabitual，shieldandpreservethepreviouslyexistingwrittenlaw；butiftheydepartfromrightandfallintodisorder，thentheyarelikethepropsofbuilderswhichslipawayoutoftheirPlaceandcauseauniversalruin-onepartdragsanotherdown，andthefairsuper-structurefallsbecausetheoldfoundationsareundermined。Reflectinguponthis，Cleinias，yououghttobindtogetherthenewstateineverypossibleway，omittingnothing，whethergreatorsmall，ofwhatarecalledlawsormannersorpursuits，forbythesemeansacityisboundtogether，andallthesethingsareonlylastingwhentheydependupononeanother；and，therefore，wemustnotwonderifwefindthatmanyapparentlytriflingcustomsorusagescomepouringinandlengtheningoutourlaws。
Cle。Verytrue：wearedisposedtoagreewithyou。
Ath。Upt
