Ath。Ishouldexpectso。
　　Cle。Proceed。
　　Ath。Well，then，letusgiveallthegreaterheedtooneanother’swords。Theargumentaffirmsthatanychangewhateverexceptfromevilisthemostdangerousofallthings；thisistrueinthecaseoftheseasonsandofthewinds，inthemanagementofourbodiesandthehabitsofourminds-trueofallthingsexcept，asIsaidbefore，ofthebad。Hewholooksattheconstitutionofindividualsaccustomedtoeatanysortofmeat，ordrinkanydrink，ortodoanyworkwhichtheycanget，mayseethattheyareatfirstdisorderedbythem，butafterwards，astimegoeson，theirbodiesgrowadaptedtothem，andtheylearntoknowandlikevariety，andhavegoodhealthandenjoymentoflife；andifeverafterwardstheyareconfinedagaintoasuperiordiet，atfirsttheyaretroubledwithdisorders，andwithdifficultybecomehabituatedtotheirnewfood。Asimilarprinciplewemayimaginetoholdgoodaboutthemindsofmenandthenaturesoftheirsouls。Forwhentheyhavebeenbroughtupincertainlaws，whichbysomeDivineProvidencehaveremainedunchangedduringlongages，sothatnoonehasanymemoryortraditionoftheireverhavingbeenotherwisethantheyare，theneveryoneisafraidandashamedtochangethatwhichisestablished。Thelegislatormustsomehowfindawayofimplantingthisreverenceforantiquity，andIwouldproposethefollowingway：-Peopleareapttofancy，asIwassayingbefore，thatwhentheplaysofchildrenarealteredtheyaremerelyplays，notseeingthatthemostseriousanddetrimentalconsequencesariseoutofthechange；andtheyreadilycomplywiththechild’swishesinsteadofdeterringhim，notconsideringthatthesechildrenwhomakeinnovationsintheirgames，whentheygrowuptobemen，willbedifferentfromthelastgenerationofchildren，and，beingdifferent，willdesireadifferentsortoflife，andundertheinfluenceofthisdesirewillwantotherinstitutionsandlaws；andnooneofthemreflectsthattherewillfollowwhatIjustnowcalledthegreatestofevilstostates。Changesinbodilyfashionsarenosuchseriousevils，butfrequentchangesinthepraiseandcensureofmannersarethegreatestofevils，andrequiretheutmostprevision。
　　Cle。Tobesure。
　　Ath。Andnowdowestillholdtoourformerassertion，thatrhythmsandmusicingeneralareimitationsofgoodandevilcharactersinmen？Whatsayyou？
　　Cle。Thatistheonlydoctrinewhichwecanadmit。
　　Ath。Mustwenot，then，tryineverypossiblewaytopreventouryouthfromevendesiringtoimitatenewmodeseitherindanceorsong？
　　normustanyonebeallowedtoofferthemvarietiesofpleasures。
　　Cle。Mosttrue。
　　Ath。CananyofusimagineabettermodeofeffectingthisobjectthanthatoftheEgyptians？
　　Cle。Whatistheirmethod？
　　Ath。Toconsecrateeverysortofdanceormelody。Firstweshouldordainfestivals-calculatingfortheyearwhattheyoughttobe，andatwhattime，andinhonourofwhatGods，sonsofGods，andheroestheyoughttobecelebrated；and，inthenextplace，whathymnsoughttobesungattheseveralsacrifices，andwithwhatdancestheparticularfestivalistobehonoured。Thishastobearrangedatfirstbycertainpersons，and，whenarranged，thewholeassemblyofthecitizensaretooffersacrificesandlibationstotheFatesandalltheotherGods，andtoconsecratetheseveralodestogodsandheroes：andifanyoneoffersanyotherhymnsordancestoanyoneoftheGods，thepriestsandpriestesses，actinginconcertwiththeguardiansofthelaw，shall，withthesanctionofreligionandthelaw，excludehim，andhewhoisexcluded，ifhedonotsubmit，shallbeliableallhislifelongtohaveasuitofimpietybroughtagainsthimbyanyonewholikes。
　　Cle。Verygood。
　　Ath。Intheconsiderationofthissubject，letusrememberwhatisduetoourselves。
　　Cle。Towhatareyoureferring？
　　Ath。Imeanthatanyyoungman，andmuchmoreanyoldone，whenheseesorhearsanythingstrangeorunaccustomed，doesnotatonceruntoembracetheparadox，buthestandsconsidering，likeapersonwhoisataplacewherethreepathsmeet，anddoesnotverywellknowhisway-hemaybealoneorhemaybewalkingwithothers，andhewillsaytohimselfandthem，“Whichistheway？“andwillnotmoveforwarduntilheissatisfiedthatheisgoingright。Andthisiswhatwemustdointhepresentinstance：-Astrangediscussiononthesubjectoflawhasarisen，whichrequirestheutmostconsideration，andweshouldnotatouragebetooreadytospeakaboutsuchgreatmatters，orbeconfidentthatwecansayanythingcertainallinamoment。
　　Cle。Mosttrue。
　　Ath。Thenwewillallowtimeforreflection，anddecidewhenwehavegiventhesubjectsufficientconsideration。Butthatwemaynotbehinderedfromcompletingthenaturalarrangementofourlaws，letusproceedtotheconclusionofthemindueorder；forverypossibly，ifGodwill，theexpositionofthem，whencompleted，maythrowlightonourpresentperplexity。
　　Cle。Excellent，Stranger；letusdoasyoupropose。
　　Ath。Letusthenaffirmtheparadoxthatstrainsofmusicareourlawsnomoi，andthislatterbeingthenamewhichtheancientsgavetolyricsongs，theyprobablywouldnothaveverymuchobjectedtoourproposedapplicationoftheword。Someone，eitherasleeporawake，musthavehadadreamysuspicionoftheirnature。Andletourdecreebeasfollows：-Nooneinsingingordancingshalloffendagainstpublicandconsecratedmodels，andthegeneralfashionamongtheyouth，anymorethanhewouldoffendagainstanyotherlaw。Andhewhoobservesthislawshallbeblameless；buthewhoisdisobedient，asIwassaying，shallbepunishedbytheguardiansofthelaws，andbythepriestsandpriestesses。Supposethatweimaginethistobeourlaw。
　　Cle。Verygood。
　　Ath。Cananyonewhomakessuchlawsescaperidicule？Letussee。
　　Ithinkthatouronlysafetywillbeinfirstframingcertainmodelsforcomposers。Oneofthesemodelsshallbeasfollows：-Ifwhenasacrificeisgoingon，andthevictimsarebeingburntaccordingtolaw-if，Isay，anyonewhomaybeasonorbrother，standingbyanotheratthealtarandoverthevictims，horriblyblasphemes，willnothiswordsinspiredespondencyandevilomensandforebodingsinthemindofhisfatherandofhisotherkinsmen？
　　Cle。Ofcourse。
　　Ath。Andthisisjustwhattakesplaceinalmostallourcities。A
　　magistrateoffersapublicsacrifice，andtherecomeinnotonebutmanychoruses，whotakeupapositionalittlewayfromthealtar，andfromtimetotimepourforthallsortsofhorribleblasphemiesonthesacredrites，excitingthesoulsoftheaudiencewithwordsandrhythmsandmelodiesmostsorrowfultohear；andhewhoatthemomentwhenthecityisofferingsacrificemakesthecitizensweepmost，carriesawaythepalmofvictory。Now，oughtwenottoforbidsuchstrainsasthese？Andifeverourcitizensmusthearsuchlamentations，thenonsomeunblestandinauspiciousdaylettherebechorusesofforeignandhiredminstrels，likethosehirelingswhoaccompanythedepartedatfuneralswithbarbarousCarianchants。
　　Thatisthesortofthingwhichwillbeappropriateifwehavesuchstrainsatall；andlettheapparelofthesingersbe，notcircletsandornamentsofgold，butthereverse。Enoughofallthis。Iwillsimplyaskoncemorewhetherweshalllaydownasoneofourprinciplesofsong-
　　Cle。What？
　　Ath。Thatweshouldavoideverywordofevilomen；letthatkindofsongwhichisofgoodomenbeheardeverywhereandalwaysinourstate。Ineedhardlyaskagain，butshallassumethatyouagreewithme。
　　Cle。Byallmeans；thatlawisapprovedbythesuffragesofusall。
　　Ath。Butwhatshallbeournextmusicallawortype？OughtnotprayerstobeoffereduptotheGodswhenwesacrifice？
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Andourthirdlaw，ifIamnotmistaken，willbetotheeffectthatourpoets，understandingprayerstoberequestswhichwemaketotheGods，willtakeespecialheedthattheydonotbymistakeaskforevilinsteadofgood。Tomakesuchaprayerwouldsurelybetooridiculous。
　　Cle。Verytrue。
　　Ath。WerewenotalittlewhileagoquiteconvincedthatnosilverorgoldenPlutusshoulddwellinourstate？
　　Cle。Tobesure。
　　Ath。Andwhathasitbeentheobjectofourargumenttoshow？Didwenotimplythatthepoetsarenotalwaysquitecapableofknowingwhatisgoodorevil？Andifoneofthemuttersamistakenprayerinsongorwords，hewillmakeourcitizensprayfortheoppositeofwhatisgoodinmattersofthehighestimport；thanwhich，asIwassaying，therecanbefewgreatermistakes。ShallwethenproposeasoneofourlawsandmodelsrelatingtotheMuses-
　　Cle。What？-willyouexplainthelawmoreprecisely？
　　Ath。Shallwemakealawthatthepoetshallcomposenothingcontrarytotheideasofthelawful，orjust，orbeautiful，orgood，whichareallowedinthestate？norshallhebepermittedtocommunicatehiscompositionstoanyprivateindividuals，untilheshallhaveshownthemtotheappointedjudgesandtheguardiansofthelaw，andtheyaresatisfiedwiththem。Astothepersonswhomweappointtobeourlegislatorsaboutmusicandastothedirectorofeducation，thesehavebeenalreadyindicated。Oncemorethen，asI
　　haveaskedmorethanonce，shallthisbeourthirdlaw，andtype，andmodel-Whatdoyousay？
　　Cle。Letitbeso，byallmeans。
　　Ath。ThenitwillbepropertohavehymnsandpraisesoftheGods，intermingledwithprayers；andaftertheGodsprayersandpraisesshouldbeofferedinlikemannertodemigodsandheroes，suitabletotheirseveralcharacters。
　　Cle。Certainly。
　　Ath。Inthenextplacetherewillbenoobjectiontoalaw，thatcitizenswhoaredepartedandhavedonegoodandenergeticdeeds，eitherwiththeirsoulsorwiththeirbodies，andhavebeenobedienttothelaws，shouldreceiveeulogies；thiswillbeveryfitting。
　　Cle。Quitetrue。