752
Clinias
Clin. I heartily approve of what you say, Stranger.
Athenian
Ath. And what is more, I shall act as I say to the best of my power.
Clinias
Clin. By all means let us do as we say.
Athenian
Ath. It shall be done, if God will and if we can thus far master our old age.
5
Clinias
Clin. Probably God will be willing.
Athenian
Ath. Probably he will; and with him as leader let us observe this also—
Athenian
Ath. How bold and adventurous is the fashion in which we shall now have founded this State of ours.
Clinias
Clin. What is now specially in your mind, and what makes you say so?
10
Athenian
Ath. The fact that we are legislating lightheartedly and boldly for inexperienced men, in the hope that they will accept the laws we have now enacted. Thus much at least is plain, Clinias, to almost everyone—even to the meanest intelligence— that they will not readily accept any of those laws at the start; but if those laws could remain unchanged until those who have imbibed them in infancy, and have been reared up in them and grown fully used to them, have taken part in elections to office in every department of State,—then, when this has been effected (if any means or method can be found to effect it rightly) , we have, as I think, a strong security that, after this transitional period of disciplined adolescence, the State will remain firm.
Clinias
Clin. It is certainly reasonable to suppose so.