they roar and cry, like the young of any other animal, and the nurse knows the meaning of these intimations of the child’s likes or dislikes, and the occasions which call them forth.  About three years is passed by children in a state of imperfect articulation, which is quite long enough time to make them either good- or ill-tempered.  And, therefore, during these first three years, the infant should be as free as possible from fear and pain.  ’Yes, and he should have as much pleasure as possible.’  There, I think, you are wrong; for the influence of pleasure in the beginning of education is fatal.  A man should neither pursue pleasure nor wholly avoid pain.  He should embrace the mean, and cultivate that state of calm which mankind, taught by some inspiration, attribute to God; and he who would be like God should neither be too fond of pleasure himself, nor should he permit any other to be thus given; above all, not the infant, whose character is just in the making.  It may sound ridiculous, but I affirm that a woman in her pregnancy should be carefully tended, and kept from excessive pleasures and pains.

’I quite agree with you about the duty of avoiding extremes and following the mean.’

Let us consider a further point.  The matters which are now in question are generally called customs rather than laws; and we have already made the reflection that, though they are not, properly speaking, laws, yet neither can they be neglected.  For they fill up the interstices of law, and are the props and ligatures on which the strength of the whole building depends.  Laws without customs never last; and we must not wonder if habit and custom sometimes lengthen out our laws.  ‘Very true.’  Up to their third year, then, the life of children may be regulated by customs such as we have described.  From three to six their minds have to be amused; but they must not be allowed to become self-willed and spoilt.  If punishment is necessary, the same rule will hold as in the case of slaves; they must neither be punished in hot blood nor ruined by indulgence.  The children of that age will have their own modes of amusing themselves; they should be brought for their play to the village temples, and placed under the care of nurses, who will be responsible to twelve matrons annually chosen by the women who have authority over marriage.  These shall be appointed, one out of each tribe, and their duty shall be to keep order at the meetings:  slaves who break the rules laid down by them, they shall punish by the help of some of the public slaves; but citizens who dispute their authority shall be brought before the magistrates.  After six years of age there shall be a separation of the sexes; the boys will go to learn riding and the use of arms, and the girls may, if they please, also learn.  Here I note a practical error in early training.  Mothers and nurses foolishly believe that the left hand is by nature different from the right, whereas the left leg and foot are acknowledged to be the same