one who claimed to call himself a man
was bound to argue in its favour.

[22] And on that one of the brigadiers smiled to himself and said: "I
know at least one son of the soil who will be ready to agree that the
principle of share and share alike should not be followed everywhere."

"And who is he?" another asked.

"Well," said the first, "he is a member of our quarters, I can tell you
that, and he is always hunting after the lion's share of every single
thing."

"What? Of everything?" said a third. "Of work as well?" "Oh, no!" said
the first, "you have caught me there. I was wrong to say so much, I must
confess. When it comes to work, I must admit, he is quite ready to go
short: he will give up his own share of that, without a murmur, to any
man whatever."

[23] "For my part, gentlemen," said Cyrus, "I hold that all such idlers
ought to be turned out of the army, that is, if we are ever to cultivate
obedience and energy in our men. The bulk of our soldiers, I take it,
are of the type to follow a given lead: they will seek after nobleness
and valour if their leaders are valiant and noble, but after baseness if
these are base. [24] And we know that only too often the worthless will
find more friends than the good. Vice, passing lightly along her path
of pleasure, wins the hearts of thousands with her gifts; but Virtue,
toiling up the steep ascent, has little skill to snare the souls of men
and draw them after her, when all the while their comrades are calling
to them on the easy downward way. [25] It is true there are degrees,
and where the evil springs only from sloth and lethargy, I look on the
creatures as mere drones, only injuring the hive by what they cost: but
there are others, backward in toil and forward in greed, and these are
the captains in villainy: for not seldom can they show that rascality
has its advantages. Such as they must be removed, cut out from among us,
root and branch. [26] And I would not have you fill their places from
our fellow-citizens alone, but, just as you choose your horses from
the best stocks, wherever you find them, not limiting yourselves to
the national breed, so you have all mankind before you, and you should
choose those, and those only, who will increase your power and add
to your honour. Let me clinch my argument by examples: no chariot can
travel fast if the horses in the team are slow, or run straight if they
will not be ruled; no house can stand firm if the household i