Cle。Thatistrue。
　　Ath。Maywenotfairlymakeanswertohimonbehalfofthepoets？
　　Cle。Whatanswershallwemaketohim？
　　Ath。Thatthepoet，accordingtothetraditionwhichhaseverprevailedamongus，andisacceptedofallmen，whenhesitsdownonthetripodofthemuse，isnotinhisrightmind；likeafountain，heallowstoflowoutfreelywhatevercomesin，andhisartbeingimitative，heisoftencompelledtorepresentmenofoppositedispositions，andthustocontradicthimself；neithercanhetellwhetherthereismoretruthinonethingthathehassaidthaninanother。thisisnotthecaseinalaw；thelegislatormustgivenottworulesaboutthesamething，butoneonly。Takeanexamplefromwhatyouhavejustbeensaying。Ofthreekindsoffunerals，thereisonewhichistooextravagant，anotheristooniggardly，thethirdisamean；andyouchooseandapproveandorderthelastwithoutqualification。ButifIhadanextremelyrichwife，andshebademeburyheranddescribeherburialinapoem，Ishouldpraisetheextravagantsort；andapoormiserlyman，whohadnotmuchmoneytospend，wouldapproveoftheniggardly；andthemanofmoderatemeans，whowashimselfmoderate，wouldpraiseamoderatefuneral。
　　Nowyouinthecapacityoflegislatormustnotbarelysay“amoderatefuneral，“butyoumustdefinewhatmoderationis，andhowmuch；unlessyouaredefinite，youmustnotsupposethatyouarespeakingalanguagethatcanbecomelaw。
　　Cle。Certainlynot。
　　Ath。Andisourlegislatortohavenoprefacetohislaws，buttosayatonceDothis，avoidthat-andthenholdingthepenaltyinterroremtogoontoanotherlaw；offeringneverawordofadviceorexhortationtothoseforwhomheislegislating，afterthemannerofsomedoctors？Forofdoctors，asImayremindyou，somehaveagentler，othersarudermethodofcure；andaschildrenaskthedoctortobegentlewiththem，sowewillaskthelegislatortocureourdisorderswiththegentlestremedies。WhatImeantosayis，thatbesidesdoctorstherearedoctors’servants，whoarealsostyleddoctors。
　　Cle。Verytrue。
　　Ath。Andwhethertheyareslavesorfreemenmakesnodifference；
　　theyacquiretheirknowledgeofmedicinebyobeyingandobservingtheirmasters；empiricallyandnotaccordingtothenaturalwayoflearning，asthemanneroffreemenis，whohavelearnedscientificallythemselvestheartwhichtheyimpartscientificallytotheirpupils。
　　Youareawarethattherearethesetwoclassesofdoctors？
　　Cle。Tobesure。
　　Ath。Anddidyoueverobservethattherearetwoclassesofpatientsinstates，slavesandfreemen；andtheslavedoctorsrunaboutandcuretheslaves，orwaitfortheminthedispensaries-practitionersofthissortnevertalktotheirpatientsindividually，orletthemtalkabouttheirownindividualcomplaints？Theslavedoctorprescribeswhatmereexperiencesuggests，asifhehadexactknowledge；andwhenhehasgivenhisorders，likeatyrant，herushesoffwithequalassurancetosomeotherservantwhoisill；
　　andsoherelievesthemasterofthehouseofthecareofhisinvalidslaves。Buttheotherdoctor，whoisafreeman，attendsandpractisesuponfreemen；andhecarrieshisenquiriesfarback，andgoesintothenatureofthedisorder；heentersintodiscoursewiththepatientandwithhisfriends，andisatoncegettinginformationfromthesickman，andalsoinstructinghimasfarasheisable，andhewillnotprescribeforhimuntilhehasfirstconvincedhim；atlast，whenhehasbroughtthepatientmoreandmoreunderhispersuasiveinfluencesandsethimontheroadtohealth，heattemptstoeffectacure。Nowwhichisthebetterwayofproceedinginaphysicianandinatrainer？Ishethebetterwhoaccomplisheshisendsinadoubleway，orhewhoworksinoneway，andthattheruderandinferior？
　　Cle。Ishouldsay，Stranger，thatthedoublewayisfarbetter。
　　Ath。Shouldyouliketoseeanexampleofthedoubleandsinglemethodinlegislation？
　　Cle。CertainlyIshould。
　　Ath。Whatwillbeourfirstlaw？Willnotthetheorderofnature，beginbymakingregulationsforstatesaboutbirths？
　　Cle。Hewill。
　　Ath。Inallstatesthebirthofchildrengoesbacktotheconnectionofmarriage？
　　Cle。Verytrue。
　　Ath。And，accordingtothetrueorder，thelawsrelatingtomarriageshouldbethosewhicharefirstdeterminedineverystate？
　　Cle。Quiteso。
　　Ath。Thenletmefirstgivethelawofmarriageinasimpleform；itmayrunasfollows：-Amanshallmarrybetweentheagesofthirtyandthirty-five，or，ifhedoesnot，heshallpaysuchandsuchafine，orshallsufferthelossofsuchandsuchprivileges。Thiswouldbethesimplelawaboutmarriage。Thedoublelawwouldrunthus：-Amanshallmarrybetweentheagesofthirtyandthirty-five，consideringthatinamannerthehumanracenaturallypartakesofimmortality，whicheverymanisbynatureinclinedtodesiretotheutmost；forthedesireofeverymanthathemaybecomefamous，andnotlieinthegravewithoutaname，isonlytheloveofcontinuance。Nowmankindarecoevalwithalltime，andareeverfollowing，andwilleverfollow，thecourseoftime；andsotheyareimmortal，becausetheyleavechildren’schildrenbehindthem，andpartakeofimmortalityintheunityofgeneration。Andforamanvoluntarilytodeprivehimselfofthisgift，ashedeliberatelydoeswhowillnothaveawifeorchildren，isimpiety。Hewhoobeysthelawshallbefree，andshallpaynofine；buthewhoisdisobedient，anddoesnotmarry，whenhehasarrivedattheageofthirty-five，shallpayayearlyfineofacertainamount，inorderthathemaynotimaginehiscelibacytobringeaseandprofittohim；andheshallnotshareinthehonourswhichtheyoungmeninthestategivetotheaged。Comparingnowthetwoformsofthelaw，youwillbeabletoarriveatajudgmentaboutanyotherlaws-whethertheyshouldbedoubleinlengthevenwhenshortest，becausetheyhavetopersuadeaswellasthreaten，orwhethertheyshallonlythreatenandbeofhalfthelength。
　　Meg。Theshorterform，Stranger，wouldbemoreinaccordancewithLacedaemoniancustom；although，formyownpart，ifanyoneweretoaskmewhichImyselfpreferinthestate，Ishouldcertainlydetermineinfavourofthelonger；andIwouldhaveeverylawmadeafterthesamepattern，ifIhadtochoose。ButIthinkthatCleiniasisthepersontobeconsulted，forhisisthestatewhichisgoingtousetheselaws。
　　Cle。Thankyou，Megillus。
　　Ath。Whether，intheabstract，wordsaretobemanyorfew，isaveryfoolishquestion；thebestform，andnottheshortest，istobeapproved；norislengthatalltoberegarded。Ofthetwoformsoflawwhichhavebeenrecited，theoneisnotonlytwiceasgoodinpracticalusefulnessastheother，butthecaseislikethatofthetwokindsofdoctors，whichIwasjustnowmentioning。Andyetlegislatorsneverappeartohaveconsideredthattheyhavetwoinstrumentswhichtheymightuseinlegislation-persuasionandforce；forindealingwiththerudeanduneducatedmultitude，theyusetheoneonlyasfarastheycan；theydonotminglepersuasionwithcoercion，butemployforcepureandsimple。Moreover，thereisathirdpoint，sweetfriends，whichoughttobe，andneveris，regardedinourexistinglaws。
　　Cle。Whatisit？
　　Ath。Apointarisingoutofourpreviousdiscussion，whichcomesintomymindinsomemysteriousway。Allthistime，fromearlydawnuntilnoon，havewebeentalkingaboutlawsinthischarmingretreat：nowwearegoingtopromulgateourlaws，andwhathasprecededwasonlythepreludeofthem。WhydoImentionthis？Forthisreason：-Becausealldiscoursesandvocalexerciseshavepreludesandovertures，whichareasortofartisticbeginningsintendedtohelpthestrainwhichistobeperformed；lyricmeasuresandmusicofeveryotherkindhavepreludesframedwithwonderfulcare。Butofthetruerandhigherstrainoflawandpolitics，noonehaseveryetutteredanyprelude，orcomposedorpublishedany，asthoughtherewasnosuchthinginnature。Whereasourpresentdiscussionseemstometoimplythatthereis；-thesedoublelaws，ofwhichwewerespeaking，arenotexactlydouble，buttheyareintwoparts，thelawandthepreludeofthelaw。Thearbitrarycommand，whichwascomparedtothecommandsofdoctors，whomwedescribedasofthemeanersort，wasthelawpureandsimple；andthatwhichpreceded，andwasdescribedbyourfriendhereasbeinghortatoryonly，was，althoughinfact，anexhortation，likewiseanalogoustothepreambleofadiscourse。ForIimaginethatallthislanguageofconciliation，whichthelegislatorhasbeenutteringintheprefaceofthelaw，wasintendedtocreategoodwillinthepersonwhomheaddressed，inorderthat，byreasonofthisgood-will，hemightmoreintelligentlyreceivehiscommand，thatistosay，thelaw。Andtherefore，inmywayofspeaking，thisismorerightlydescribedasthepreamblethanasthematterofthelaw。AndImustfurtherproceedtoobserve，thattoallhislaws，andtoeachseparately，thelegislatorshouldprefixapreamble；heshouldrememberhowgreatwillbethedifferencebetweenthem，accordingastheyhave，orhavenot，suchpreambles，asinthecasealreadygiven。
　　Cle。Thelawgiver，ifheasksmyopinion，willcertainlylegislateintheformwhichyouadvise。
　　Ath。Ithinkthatyouareright，Cleinias，inaffirmingthatalllawshavepreambles，andthatthroughoutthewholeofthisworkoflegislationeverysinglelawshouldhaveasuitablepreambleatthebeginning；forthatwhichistofollowismostimportant，anditmakesallthedifferencewhetherweclearlyrememberthepreamblesornot。
　　Yetweshouldbewronginrequiringthatalllaws，smallandgreatalike，shouldhavepreamblesofthesamekind，anymorethanallsongsorspeeches；althoughtheymaybenaturaltoall，theyarenotalwaysnecessary，andwhethertheyaretobeemployedornothasineachcasetobelefttothejudgmentofthespeakerorthemusician，or，inthepresentinstance，ofthelawgiver。
　　Cle。ThatIthinkismosttrue。Andnow，Stranger，withoutdelayletusreturntotheargument，and，aspeoplesayinplay，makeasecondandbetterbeginning，ifyouplease，withtheprincipleswhichwehavebeenlayingdown，whichweneverthoughtofregardingasapreamblebefore，butofwhichwemaynowmakeapreamble，andnotmerelyconsiderthemtobechancetopicsofdiscourse。Letusacknowledge，then，thatwehaveapreamble。AboutthehonouroftheGodsandtherespectofparents，enoughhasbeenalreadysaid；andwemayproceedtothetopicswhichfollownextinorder，untilthepreambleisdeemedbyyoutobecomplete；andafterthatyoushallgothroughthelawsthemselves。
　　Ath。IunderstandyoutomeanthatwehavemadeasufficientpreambleaboutGodsanddemi-gods，andaboutparentslivingordead；
　　andnowyouwouldhaveusbringtherestofthesubjectintothelightofday？
　　Cle。Exactly。
　　Ath。Afterthis，asismeetandfortheinterestofusall，Ithespeaker，andyouthelisteners，willtrytoestimateallthatrelatestothesoulsandbodiesandpropertiesofthecitizens，asregardsboththeiroccupationsandarrive，asfarasinuslies，atthenatureofeducation。Thesethenarethetopicswhichfollownextinorder。
　　Cle。Verygood。
　　BOOKV
　　AthenianStranger。Listen，allyewhohavejustnowheardthelawsaboutGods，andaboutourdearforefathers：-Ofallthethingswhichamanhas，nexttotheGods，hissoulisthemostdivineandmosttrulyhisown。Nowineverymantherearetwoparts：thebetterandsuperior，whichrules，andtheworseandinferior，whichserves；andtherulingpartofhimisalwaystobepreferredtothesubject。