下载辰思小说免费APP
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