to new toil
and fresh instruction, have, at the cost of lessons and exercises
painful to themselves, obtained to their several states salvation;
and in the other are those who for the very irksomeness of the process
choose not to be taught, but rather to pass away their days in pleasures
unseasonable--nature's abjects these. (20) Not theirs is it to obey
either laws or good instruction; (21) nay, how should they, who never
toil, discover what a good man ought to be?--in other words, wisdom and
justice are alike beyond their power. Subject to indiscipline, they have
many a fault to find with him who is well educated.

(20) Lit. "the sorriest of mankind these by nature."

(21) Or, "virtuous argument"; {logois agathois}, lit. "good words."

Through the instrumentality of such as these nothing can go well;
whereas every blessing which mankind enjoys has been discovered by the
efforts of the nobler sort. Nobler, I say, are those who choose to toil.
(22)

(22) Or, "of choice spirits; and who are the choice spirits?--Clearly
those who choose to toil."

And this has been proved conclusively by a notable example. If we look
back to the men of old who sat at the feet of Cheiron--whose names I
mentioned--we see that it was by dedicating the years of their youth to
the chase (23) that they learnt all their noble lore; and therefrom they
attained to great renown, and are admired even to this day for their
virtue--virtue who numbers all men as her lovers, as is very plain. Only
because of the pains it costs to win her the greater number fall away;
for the achievement of her is hid in obscurity; while the pains that
cleave to her are manifest. Perchance, if only she were endowed with a
visible bodily frame, men would less have neglected her, knowing that
even as she is visible to them, so they also are not hid from her eyes.
For is it not so that when a man moves in the presence of him whom he
dearly loves, (24) he rises to a height above himself, being incapable
of aught base or foul in word or deed in sight of him? (25) But fondly
dreaming that the eye of virtue is closed to them, they are guilty of
many a base thing and foul before her very face, who is hidden
from their eyes. Yet she is present everywhere, being dowered with
immortality; and those who are perfect in goodness (26) she honours, but
the wicked she thrusts aside from honour. If only men could know that
she regards them, how eagerly would they rush to the e