LAWS

第34章

Buthowcanourlawsufficientlytrainthedirectorofeducation。

himself;forasyetallhasbeenimperfect,andnothinghasbeensaideitherclearorsatisfactory?Now,asfaraspossible,thelawoughttoleavenothingtohim,buttoexplaineverything,thathemaybeaninterpreterandtutortoothers。Aboutdancesandmusicandchoralstrains,Ihavealreadyspokenbothtothecharacteroftheselectionofthem,andthemannerinwhichtheyaretobeamendedandconsecrated。Butwehavenotasyetspoken,Oillustriousguardianofeducation,ofthemannerinwhichyourpupilsaretousethosestrainswhicharewritteninprose,althoughyouhavebeeninformedwhatmartialstrainstheyaretolearnandpractise;whatrelatesinthefirstplacetothelearningofletters,andsecondly,tothelyre,andalsotocalculation,which,asweweresaying,isneedfulforthemalltolearn,andanyotherthingswhicharerequiredwithaviewtowarandthemanagementofhouseandcity,and,lookingtothesameobject,whatisusefulintherevolutionsoftheheavenlybodies-thestarsandsunandmoon,andthevariousregulationsaboutthesematterswhicharenecessaryforthewholestate-Iamspeakingofthearrangementsof;daysinperiodsofmonths,andofmonthsinyears,whicharetobeobserved,inorderthatseasonsandsacrificesandfestivalsmayhavetheirregularandnaturalorder,andkeepthecityaliveandawake,theGodsreceivingthehonoursduetothem,andmenhavingabetterunderstandingaboutthem:allthesethings,Omyfriend,havenotyetbeensufficientlydeclaredtoyoubythelegislator。Attend,then,towhatIamnowgoingtosay:-Weweretellingyou,inthefirstplace,thatyouwerenotsufficientlyinformedaboutletters,andtheobjectionwastothiseffect-thatyouwerenevertoldwhetherhewhowasmeanttobearespectablecitizenshouldapplyhimselfindetailtothatsortoflearning,ornotapplyhimselfatall;andthesameremarkholdsgoodofthestudyofthelyre。Butnowwesaythatheoughttoattendtothem。A

fairtimeforaboyoftenyearsoldtospendinlettersisthreeyears;theageofthirteenisthepropertimeforhimtobegintohandlethelyre,andhemaycontinueatthisforanotherthreeyears,neithermorenorless,andwhetherhisfatherorhimselflikeordislikethestudy,heisnottobeallowedtospendmoreorlesstimeinlearningmusicthanthelawallows。Andlethimwhodisobeysthelawbedeprivedofthoseyouthfulhonoursofwhichweshallhereafterspeak。Hear,however,firstofall,whattheyoungoughttolearnintheearlyyearsoflife,andwhattheirinstructorsoughttoteachthem。Theyoughttobeoccupiedwiththeirlettersuntiltheyaretoreadandwrite;buttheacquisitionofperfectbeautyorquicknessinwritinig,ifnaturehasnotstimulatedthemtoacquiretheseaccomplishmentsinthegivennumberofyears,theyshouldletalone。Andastothelearningofcompositionscommittedtowritingwhicharenotsettothelyre,whethermetricalorwithoutrhythmicaldivisions,compositionsinprose,astheyaretermed,havingnorhythmorharmony-seeinghowdangerousarethewritingshandeddowntousbymanywritersofthisclass-whatwillyoudowiththem,Omostexcellentguardiansofthelaw?orhowcanthelawgiverrightlydirectyouaboutthem?Ibelievethathewillbeingreatdifficulty。

Cle。Whattroublesyou,Stranger?andwhyareyousoperplexedinyourmind?

Ath。Younaturallyask,Cleinias,andtoyouandMegillus,whoaremypartnersintheworkoflegislation,Imuststatethemoredifficultaswellastheeasierpartsofthetask。

Cle。Towhatdoyoureferinthisinstance?

Ath。Iwilltellyou。Thereisadifficultyinopposingmanymyriadsofmouths。

Cle。Well,andhavewenotalreadyopposedthepopularvoiceinmanyimportantenactments?

Ath。Thatisquitetrue;andyoumeantoimply,thattheroadwhichwearetakingmaybedisagreeabletosomebutisagreeabletoasmanyothers,orifnottoasmany,atanyratetopersonsnotinferiortotheothers,andincompanywiththemyoubidme,atwhateverrisk,toproceedalongthepathoflegislationwhichhasopenedoutofourpresentdiscourse,andtobeofgoodcheer,andnottofaint。

Cle。Certainly。

Ath。AndIdonotfaint;Isay,indeed,thatwehaveagreatmanypoetswritinginhexameter,trimeter,andallsortsofmeasures-somewhoareserious,otherswhoaimonlyatr

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