Perhaps; but let me ask you whether you have ever observed the manner in which painters put in and rub out colour:  yet their endless labour will last but a short time, unless they leave behind them some successor who will restore the picture and remove its defects.  ‘Certainly.’  And have we not a similar object at the present moment?  We are old ourselves, and therefore we must leave our work of legislation to be improved and perfected by the next generation; not only making laws for our guardians, but making them lawgivers.  ‘We must at least do our best.’  Let us address them as follows.  Beloved saviours of the laws, we give you an outline of legislation which you must fill up, according to a rule which we will prescribe for you.  Megillus and Cleinias and I are agreed, and we hope that you will agree with us in thinking, that the whole energies of a man should be devoted to the attainment of manly virtue, whether this is to be gained by study, or habit, or desire, or opinion.  And rather than accept institutions which tend to degrade and enslave him, he should fly his country and endure any hardship.  These are our principles, and we would ask you to judge of our laws, and praise or blame them, accordingly as they are or are not capable of improving our citizens.

And first of laws concerning religion.  We have already said that the number 5040 has many convenient divisions:  and we took a twelfth part of this (420), which is itself divisible by twelve, for the number of the tribe.  Every divisor is a gift of God, and corresponds to the months of the year and to the revolution of the universe.  All cities have a number, but none is more fortunate than our own, which can be divided by all numbers up to 12, with the exception of 11, and even by 11, if two families are deducted.  And now let us divide the state, assigning to each division some God or demigod, who shall have altars raised to them, and sacrifices offered twice a month; and assemblies shall be held in their honour, twelve for the tribes, and twelve for the city, corresponding to their divisions.  The object of them will be first to promote religion, secondly to encourage friendship and intercourse between families; for families must be acquainted before they marry into one another, or great mistakes will occur.  At these festivals there shall be innocent dances of young men and maidens, who may have the opportunity of seeing one another in modest undress.  To the details of all this the masters of choruses and the guardians will attend, embodying in laws the results of their experience; and, after ten years, making the laws permanent, with the consent of the legislator, if he be alive, or, if he be not alive, of the guardians of the law, who shall perfect them and settle them once for all.  At least, if any further changes are required, the magistrates must take the whole people into counsel, and obtain the sanction of all the oracles.

Whenever any one who is between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five wants to marry, let him do so; but first let him hear the strain which we will address to him:—­