were not weakened by love for their kindred and
friends, or by the ambition to rise to higher dignities, would be less
fond of property, and more imbued with a spirit of charity towards all,
as it was in the time of the Apostles, and is now in a great many cases.

_G.M._ St. Augustine may say that, but I say that among this race of
men, friendship is worth nothing; since they have not the chance of
conferring mutual benefits on one another.

_Capt._ Nay, indeed. For it is worth the trouble to see that no one can
receive gifts from another. Whatever is necessary they have, they
receive it from the community, and the magistrate takes care that no one
receives more than he deserves. Yet nothing necessary is denied to any
one. Friendship is recognized among them in war, in infirmity, in the
art contests, by which means they aid one another mutually by teaching.
Sometimes they improve themselves mutually with praises, with
conversation, with actions and out of the things they need. All those of
the same age call one another brothers. They call all over twenty-two
years of age, fathers; those who are less than twenty-two are named
sons. Moreover, the magistrates govern well, so that no one in the
fraternity can do injury to another.

_G.M._ And how?

_Capt._ As many names of virtues as there are amongst us, so many
magistrates there are among them. There is a magistrate who is named
Magnanimity, another Fortitude, a third Chastity, a fourth Liberality, a
fifth Criminal and Civil Justice, a sixth Comfort, a seventh Truth, an
eighth Kindness, a tenth Gratitude, an eleventh Cheerfulness, a twelfth
Exercise, a thirteenth Sobriety, &c. They are elected to duties of that
kind, each one to that duty for excellence in which he is known from
boyhood to be most suitable. Wherefore among them neither robbery nor
clever murders, nor lewdness, incest, adultery, or other crimes of
which we accuse one another, can be found. They accuse themselves of
ingratitude and malignity when any one denies a lawful satisfaction to
another, of indolence, of sadness, of anger, of scurrility, of slander,
and of lying, which curseful thing they thoroughly hate. Accused persons
undergoing punishment are deprived of the common table, and other
honours, until the judge thinks that they agree with their correction.

_G.M._ Tell me the manner in which the magistrates are chosen.

_Capt._ You would not rightly understand this, unless you first learnt
their