I not right in saying that a good education tends to the improvement of body and mind?  ‘Certainly.’  And the body is fairest which grows up straight and well-formed from the time of birth.  ‘Very true.’  And we observe that the first shoot of every living thing is the greatest; many even contend that man is not at twenty-five twice the height that he was at five.  ‘True.’  And growth without exercise of the limbs is the source of endless evils in the body.  ‘Yes.’  The body should have the most exercise when growing most.  ‘What, the bodies of young infants?’ Nay, the bodies of unborn infants.  I should like to explain to you this singular kind of gymnastics.  The Athenians are fond of cock-fighting, and the people who keep cocks carry them about in their hands or under their arms, and take long walks, to improve, not their own health, but the health of the birds.  Here is a proof of the usefulness of motion, whether of rocking, swinging, riding, or tossing upon the wave; for all these kinds of motion greatly increase strength and the powers of digestion.  Hence we infer that our women, when they are with child, should walk about and fashion the embryo; and the children, when born, should be carried by strong nurses,—­there must be more than one of them,—­and should not be suffered to walk until they are three years old.  Shall we impose penalties for the neglect of these rules?  The greatest penalty, that is, ridicule, and the difficulty of making the nurses do as we bid them, will be incurred by ourselves.  ’Then why speak of such matters?’ In the hope that heads of families may learn that the due regulation of them is the foundation of law and order in the state.

And now, leaving the body, let us proceed to the soul; but we must first repeat that perpetual motion by night and by day is good for the young creature.  This is proved by the Corybantian cure of motion, and by the practice of nurses who rock children in their arms, lapping them at the same time in sweet strains.  And the reason of this is obvious.  The affections, both of the Bacchantes and of the children, arise from fear, and this fear is occasioned by something wrong which is going on within them.  Now a violent external commotion tends to calm the violent internal one; it quiets the palpitation of the heart, giving to the children sleep, and bringing back the Bacchantes to their right minds by the help of dances and acceptable sacrifices.  But if fear has such power, will not a child who is always in a state of terror grow up timid and cowardly, whereas if he learns from the first to resist fear he will develop a habit of courage?  ‘Very true.’  And we may say that the use of motion will inspire the souls of children with cheerfulness and therefore with courage.  ‘Of course.’  Softness enervates and irritates the temper of the young, and violence renders them mean and misanthropical.  ’But how is the state to educate them when they are as yet unable to understand the meaning of words?’ Why, surely