method he ought to lay down in the disposition of his laws is stated.

P. 634. The fault of the Cretan and of the Lacedæmonian laws is, that they do not fortify the soul as well against pleasure as against pain. Youth is not permitted to examine into the rectitude of those laws by which they are governed, nor to dispute about them; this is the privilege of age, and only to be practised in private.

P. 635. The division of the citizens into companies, (called Ξυσσιτια) which daily assembled to eat together in publick, was apt to create seditions and conspiracies.

NOTES.

Ρ. 633. Τριτον η τεταρτον.] Does Plato here allude to the order in which he has ranged the virtues, (which, however, is not very clear, except that he ranges valour in the fourth place)? or does he allude to the heads which he has laid down for a legislator to proceed with method? in which the laws that are to fortify the mind against pleasure and pain, and the passions which they produce, come under the third and fourth head.

Ib. Κρυπτεια τις.] Vid. Plutarch. in Lycurgo. Ib. Γυμνοπαιδίαις.] Plutarch, ibid. Propert. L. 3. Eleg. 13. These exercises were performed during a solemn festival held in honour of Apollo, at which strangers were permitted to be present in Sparta.

635. Φυξεισθαι τους.] The translation is very deficient here: the sense is this; "They will fly before such as have been fortified by exercise and habit against labour, pain, and terror, and will become their slaves:" and afterwards, Δουλευσουσι δε τροπον έτερον, &c. "They will become slaves in a different, but a more ignominious, manner both to those who have the power of resisting pleasure, and to those who possess all the arts of pleasing, who are often the worst of men."

The regular naked exercises of the youth were often the cause of an unnatural passion among them. Crete and Lacedæmon are blamed particularly on this account.

P. 636. Pleasure and pain are the two great sources

NOTES.

Ρ. .636. Δηλουσι δε Μιλησιων.] The confusions at Miletus were frequent, after that state had fallen into luxury and dissoluteness of manners: Heraclides Ponticus says of it; H Μιλησιων πολις περιπεπτωκεν ατυχίαις δια τρυφην βιου και πολιτικας εχθρας· ὁι το επιεικες ουκ αγαπώντες εκ ῥιζων ανειλον τους εχθρους : and he gives a remarkable instance of the implacable cruelty which these parties shewed to each other. (Athenæus. L. 12. p. 524.)

Ib. Και δη και παλαιον.] Επιτηδευμα in this place seems to me to be the nominative, and Νομιμον the accusative: thus, Τουτο το επιτηδευμα (τα γυμνασια) δοκει μοι διεφθαρκεναι το παλαιον και κατα φυσιν νομιμον, τας περι, &c. i.e. "This practice (of exercising constantly naked) appears to me to have weakened greatly that ancient and natural law, by which the pleasures of love, not only among human creatures, but even in the brute creation, mutually belong to the two sexes." This is a remarkable passage: and Tully judges in the same manner of these exercises. How far the Cretans indulged their passions in the way here mentioned, may be seen in Ephorus, (ap. Strabonem L. 10.) The purity of manners at Sparta is strongly asserted by Xenophon, (De Lacedæmon. Republ. p. 395.) and by Plutarch in his life of Lycurgus; but here is a testimony on the other side at least of equal authority.

Ib. Δηλοῦσι δε Μιλησιων.] We learn from Polybius that the Ξυσσιτια were in use among the Bœotians (though under no such regulations, probably, as those of Crete and Lacedæmon), for speaking of that nation after the great victory at Leuctra, Ol. 102. 2. he says, Κατα μικρον ανεπεσον ταις ψυχαις, και όρμησαντες επ' ευωχιας και μεθας, διεθεντο και κοινωνεια τοις φιλοις· πολλοι δε των εχοντων γενεας απεμεριζον τοις ξυσσιτίοις το πλεον μερος της ουσιας, ώστε πολλους ειναι Βοιωτων, δις ὑπηρχε δειλινα του μηνος πλειω των εις τον μηνα διατεταγμενων ἡμερων.

of all human actions: the skill of a legislator consists in managing and opposing one of them to the other.

P. 639. The use of wine, when under a proper direction, in the education of youth.

NOTES.

(Ap. Athenæum, L. 10. p. 418. et Casaub. Annotat. in locum.) Many instances more may be observed in history of the intestine divisions in the cities of Boeotia, (see Xenoph. Græc. Hist. L. 5. p. 325.) and among the Thurians. (Thucyd. L. 7. c. 33. and Aristot. Politic. L. 5. с. 7.)

P. 637. No assemblies for the sake of drinking were ever seen in Lacedæmon, nor intemperate revels, nor frolicks, the consequences of such entertainments.

Ib. Ωσπερ εν ἁμαξαις.] A sort of drunken farces performed in the villages of Attica, during the Dionysia, which seem to be the origin of the ancient comedy and tragedy. Hence the proverb, Εξ ἁμαξης λεγειν, and hence, too, Aristophanes gives the name of Τραγωδια to comedy. Acharnenses, v. 498, 499, and 627. They seem to have still continued in use in the country.

Ib. Εν Ταραντι.] Vid. Plutarch. in Pyrrho, and Strabo, L. 6. p. 230. We see here the beginnings of those vices, which some years afterwards were the ruin of Tarentum; though as yet the Pythagorean sect flourished there, and Archytas was probably at the head of their affairs.

Ib. Γυναικων παρ' ὑμιν ανεσιν.] Aristotle finds the same fault in this part of the Lacedæmonian constitution; he says of their women, Ζωσι μεν ακολαστως προς άπασαν ακολασιαν, και τρυφερως· and he gives an instance of it in their behaviour, when the Thebans invaded Laconia. Χρησιμοι μεν γαρ ουδεν ησαν, ώσπερ εν έτεραις πολεσι· θορυβον δε παρειχον πλειω των πολεμιων. (Polit. L. 2. c. 9.)

Ib. Ωσπερ Σκυθαι.] Herodot. L. 6. c. 84. - Περσαι.] Xenoph. Cyropæd. L. 8. p. 142. -Χαρχηδονιοι.] Were the Carthaginians remarkable for drinking ?-Κελτοι.] See Posidonius ap. Athenæum, L. 4. p. 152.

P. 642. An apology for his own garrulity and diffuseness, which is the characteristick of an Athenian. P. 643. The nature and intent of education.

P. 644. Mankind are compared to puppets: but whether they are formed by the gods for their diversion, or for some more serious purpose (he says) is uncertain. Their pleasures and pains, their hopes and fears, are

NOTES.

Ρ. 637. Θράκες.) Xenophon, describing an entertainment given by Seuthes, a Thracian king, at which he himself was present, says, Αναστας ὁ Σευθης συνεξεπιε, και συγκατεσκεδασε το μετ' αυτου το κερας.

638. Δοκροι.] The Locri Epizephyrii were governed by the laws of Zaleucus, and were an aristocracy, till the elder Dionysius marrying Doris, a Locrian lady, her relations grew powerful enough to bring that state into subjection to the Syracusans.

Ib. Πολλαι. γαρ δη φυγαι.] This may possibly allude to the unexpected defeat of the Spartans at Leuctra.

Ib. Χιους.] The wisdom of the Chian government appears from what Thucydides says of them. Χιοι μονοι μετα Λακεδαιμονιους, ών εγω ησθομην, ευδαιμονησαντες ἁμα και εσωφρονησαν, και όσω επεδιδου ἡ πολις αυτοις επι το μειζον, τοσω και εκοσμοῦντο εχυρωτερον. L. 8. c. 24. But I doubt if Kειους be not the true reading, for Chios revolted from the Athenians, Ol. 91. 4. when Plato was but seventeen years old, and Plato's Νομοι were written in the latter end of his life.

641. The character of Athens, ὡς φιλολογος εστι και πολυλογος, that of Lacedæmon and Crete, ὡς ἡ μεν βραχυλογος, ἡ δε πολυνοιαν μαλλον η πολυλογιαν ασκουσα.

642. Ἡ ἑστια της πόλεως ουσα ύμων προξενος.] As each private family had its Vesta, to whom the hearth was particularly sacred, so that of the publick was seated in the Prytanèum, (Pindar. Nem. Od. 11.) where in most cities a perpetual lamp was kept burning in honour of this goddess: and as every private family of rank had their Προξενοι in several cities of Greece, with whom they were connected by the ties of hospi

the springs which move them, and often draw contrary ways at once. Reason is the master-spring which ought to determine their motions; but as this draws gently and never uses violence, some of the passions must be called to its aid, which may give it strength to resist the force of the others.

P. 645. The effects of wine upon the soul: it

NOTES.

tality, and in whose houses they were lodged and entertained, so cities themselves had a like connection with each other; and there were publick Προξενοι nominated to receive and to defray the expenses of such as came on business from other cities in alliance with them. The character of the Athenians is thus drawn : Το ὑπο πολλων λεγομενον, ὡς ὁσοι Αθηναιων εισιν αγαθοι, διαφεροντως εισι τοιουτοι -μονοι γαρ ανευ αναγκης, αυτοφυως, θειᾳ μοιρᾳ, αληθως και ουτι πλαστως εισιν αγαθοι.

Ρ. 642. Προ των Περσικων.] Epimenides, therefore, came to Athens, Ol. 70. 1. ten years before the battle of Marathon. This is not reconcileable with Plutarch (in Solone), Diogenes Laertius, or any other author, who mentions Epimenides. It is sure that he arrived at Athens ninety-six years earlier, and was then extremely old. Plato must therefore mean some other person of the same name, country, and family, perhaps descended from the old Epimenides, and practising, like him, the art of divination.

644. Θαυμα μεν.] It is plain, that by θαυμα he means a puppet, νευροσπαστον, and I suppose, that the θαυματοποιοι, οι jugglers, used to carry such figures about to draw the crowd together, as the mountebanks do at Venice. To this he alludes also, L. 7. Πολιτειων· Παρ' ἡν ιδε τειχιον παρωκοδομημενον, ώσπερ τοις θαυματοποιοις των ανθρωπων προκειται τα παραφραγματα, ὑπερ ὡν τα θαυματα δεικνῦσι, &c. Puppet-shews were in such request among the Greeks, that Pothinus, a famous man in that way, performed before the whole Athenian people in the same theatre (says Athenæus, L. 1. p. 19.), in which Euripides had represented his tragedies.