And when some one applies external agitation to affections of thissort, the motion coming from without gets the better of the terribleand violent internal one, and produces a peace and calm in the soul,and quiets the restless palpitation of the heart, which is a thingmuch to be desired, sending the children to sleep, and making theBacchantes, although they remain awake, to dance to the pipe withthe help of the Gods to whom they offer acceptable sacrifices, andproducing in them a sound mind, which takes the place of their frenzy.
And, to express what I mean in a word, there is a good deal to be saidin favour of this treatment.
Cle. Certainly.
Ath. But if fear has such a power we ought to infer from thesefacts, that every soul which from youth upward has been familiarwith fears, will be made more liable to fear, and every one will allowthat this is the way to form a habit of cowardice and not of courage.
Cle. No doubt.
Ath. And, on the other hand, the habit of overcoming, from our youthupwards, the fears and terrors which beset us, may be said to be anexercise of courage.
Cle. True.
Ath. And we may say that the use of exercise and motion in theearliest years of life greatly contributes to create a part ofvirtue in the soul.
Cle. Quite true.
Ath. Further, a cheerful temper, or the reverse, may be regardedas having much to do with high spirit on the one hand, or withcowardice on the other.
Cle. To be sure.
Ath. Then now we must endeavour to show how and to what extent wemay, if we please, without difficulty implant either character inthe young.
Cle. Certainly.
Ath. There is a common opinion, that luxury makes the disposition ofyouth discontented and irascible and vehemently excited by trifles;that on the other hand excessive and savage servitude makes men meanand abject, and haters of their kind, and therefore makes themundesirable associates.
Cle. But how must the state educate those who do not as yetunderstand the language of the country, and are therefore incapable ofappreciating any sort of instruction?
Ath. I will tell you how:-Every animal that is born is wont to uttersome cry, and this is especially the case with man, and he is alsoaffected with the inclination to weep more than any other animal.
Cle. Quite true.
Ath. Do not nurses, when they want to know what an infant desires,judge by these signs?-when anything is brought to the infant and he issilent, then he is supposed to be pleased, but, when he weeps andcries out, then he is not pleased. For tears and cries are theinauspicious signs by which children show what they love and hate. Nowthe time which is thus spent is no less than three years, and is avery considerable portion of life to be passed ill or well.
Cle. True.
Ath. Does not the discontented and ungracious nature appear to youto be full of lamentations and sorrows more than a good man ought tobe?
Cle. Certainly.
Ath. Well, but if during these three years every possible carewere taken that our nursling should have as little of sorrow and fear,and in general of pain as was possible, might we not expect in earlychildhood to make his soul more gentle and cheerful?
Cle. To be sure, Stranger-more especially if we could procure hima variety of pleasures.
Ath. There I can no longer agree, Cleinias: you amaze me. To bringhim up in such a way would be his utter ruin; for the beginning isalways the most critical part of education. Let us see whether I amright.
Cle. Proceed.
Ath. The point about which you and I differ is of greatimportance, and I hope that you, Megillus, will help to decide betweenus. For I maintain that the true life should neither seek forpleasures, nor, on the other hand, entirely avoid pains, but shouldembrace the middle state, which I just spoke of as gentle andbenign, and is a state which we by some divine presage and inspirationrightly ascribe to God. Now, I say, he among men, too, who would bedivine ought to pursue after this mean habit-he should not rushheadlong into pleasures, for he will not be free from pains; norshould we allow any one, young or old, male or female, to be thusgiven any more than ourselves, and least of all the newly-born infant,for in infancy more than at any other time the character isengrained by habit. Nay, more, if I were not afraid of appearing to beridiculous, I would say that a woman during her year of pregnancyshould of all women be most carefully tended, and kept from violent orexcessive pleasures and pains, and should at that time cultivategentleness and benevolence and kindness.
Cle. You need not, ask Megillus, Stranger, which of us has mosttruly spoken; for I myself agree that all men ought to avoid thelife of unmingled pain or pleasure, and pursue always a middle course.
And having spoken well, may I add that you have been well answered?
Ath. Very good, Cleinias; and now let us all three consider afurther point.
Cle. What is it?
Ath. That all the matters which we are now describing are commonlycalled by the general name of unwritten customs, and what are termedthe laws of our ancestors are all of similar nature. And thereflection which lately arose in our minds, that we can neither callthese things laws, nor yet leave them unmentioned, is justified; forthey are the bonds of the whole state, and come in between the writtenlaws which are or are hereafter to be laid down; they are justancestral customs of great antiquity, which, if they are rightlyordered and made habitual, shield and preserve the previously existingwritten law; but if they depart from right and fall into disorder,then they are like the props of builders which slip away out oftheir Place and cause a universal ruin-one part drags another down,and the fair super-structure falls because the old foundations areundermined. Reflecting upon this, Cleinias, you ought to bind togetherthe new state in every possible way, omitting nothing, whether greator small, of what are called laws or manners or pursuits, for by thesemeans a city is bound together, and all these things are onlylasting when they depend upon one another; and, therefore, we must notwonder if we find that many apparently trifling customs or usages comepouring in and lengthening out our laws.
Cle. Very true: we are disposed to agree with you.