philosophers, whom they compared to ‘yelping she-dogs,’ besides making other abusive remarks.  No man can now truly worship the Gods who does not believe that the soul is eternal, and prior to the body, and the ruler of all bodies, and does not perceive also that there is mind in the stars; or who has not heard the connexion of these things with music, and has not harmonized them with manners and laws, giving a reason of things which are matters of reason.  He who is unable to acquire this knowledge, as well as the ordinary virtues of a citizen, can only be a servant, and not a ruler in the state.

Let us then add another law to the effect that the Nocturnal Council shall be a guard set for the salvation of the state.  ‘Very good.’  To establish this will be our aim, and I hope that others besides myself will assist.  ‘Let us proceed along the road in which God seems to guide us.’  We cannot, Megillus and Cleinias, anticipate the details which will hereafter be needed; they must be supplied by experience.  ‘What do you mean?’ First of all a register will have to be made of all those whose age, character, or education would qualify them to be guardians.  The subjects which they are to learn, and the order in which they are to be learnt, are mysteries which cannot be explained beforehand, but not mysteries in any other sense.  ‘If that is the case, what is to be done?’ We must stake our all on a lucky throw, and I will share the risk by stating my views on education.  And I would have you, Cleinias, who are the founder of the Magnesian state, and will obtain the greatest glory if you succeed, and will at least be praised for your courage, if you fail, take especial heed of this matter.  If we can only establish the Nocturnal Council, we will hand over the city to its keeping; none of the present company will hesitate about that.  Our dream will then become a reality; and our citizens, if they are carefully chosen and well educated, will be saviours and guardians such as the world hitherto has never seen.

The want of completeness in the Laws becomes more apparent in the later books.  There is less arrangement in them, and the transitions are more abrupt from one subject to another.  Yet they contain several noble passages, such as the ’prelude to the discourse concerning the honour and dishonour of parents,’ or the picture of the dangers attending the ‘friendly intercourse of young men and maidens with one another,’ or the soothing remonstrance which is addressed to the dying man respecting his right to do what he will with his own, or the fine description of the burial of the dead.  The subject of religion in Book X is introduced as a prelude to offences against the Gods, and this portion of the work appears to be executed in Plato’s best manner.

In the last four books, several questions occur for consideration:  among them are (I) the detection and punishment of offences; (ii) the nature of the voluntary and involuntary; (iii) the arguments against atheism, and against the opinion that the Gods have no care of human affairs; (IV) the remarks upon retail trade; (V) the institution of the Nocturnal Council.