hould a man honour the gods with more beautiful or holier
honour than by doing what they bid him? but he must in no wise slacken
or fall short of his ability, for when a man so does, it is manifest, I
presume, that at the moment he is not honouring the gods. You must then
honour the gods, not with shortcoming but according to your ability;
and having so done, be of good cheer and hope to receive the greatest
blessings. For where else should a man of sober sense look to receive
great blessings if not from those who are able to help him most, and how
else should he hope to obtain them save by seeking to please his helper,
and how may he hope to please his helper better than by yielding him the
amplest obedience?

(28) Or, "and that law, I presume, is universal which says, Let a
man," etc.; and for the maxim see above; "Anab." III. ii. 9.

By such words--and conduct corresponding to his words--did Socrates
mould and fashion the hearts of his companions, making them at once more
devout and more virtuous. (29)

(29) Or, "sounder of soul and more temperate as well as more pious."

IV

But indeed (1) with respect to justice and uprightness he not only made
no secret of the opinion he held, but gave practical demonstration of
it, both in private by his law-abiding and helpful behaviour to all, (2)
and in public by obeying the magistrates in all that the laws enjoined,
whether in the life of the city or in military service, so that he was
a pattern of loyalty to the rest of the world, and on three several
occasions in particular: first, when as president (Epistates) of
the assembly he would not suffer the sovereign people to take an
unconstitutional vote, (3) but ventured, on the side of the laws, to
resist a current of popular feeling strong enough, I think, to have
daunted any other man. Again, when the Thirty tried to lay some
injunction on him contrary to the laws, he refused to obey, as for
instance when they forbade his conversing with the young; (4) or again,
when they ordered him and certain other citizens to arrest a man to
be put to death, (5) he stood out single-handed on the ground that the
injunctions laid upon him were contrary to the laws. And lastly, when
he appeared as defendant in the suit instituted by Meletus, (6)
notwithstanding that it was customary for litigants in the law courts
to humour the judges in the conduct of their arguments by flattery
and supplications contrary to the laws, (7) notw