do with the city
tradesmen, the shoemakers, masons, smiths, and other mechanics, whom you
so often allege as examples of life; and who, I apprehend, are quite
jaded with your discourses." "I must then likewise," replied Socrates,
"omit the consequences I draw from those discourses; and have no more to
do with justice, piety, and the other duties of a good man." "Yes, yes,"
said Charicles; "and I advise you to meddle no more with those that tend
herds of oxen; otherwise take care you lose not your own." And these
last words made it appear that Critias and Charicles had taken offence at
the discourse which Socrates had held against their government, when he
compared them to a man that suffers his herd to fall to ruin.

Thus we see how Critias frequented Socrates, and what opinion they had of
each other. I add, moreover, that we cannot learn anything of a man whom
we do not like: therefore if Critias and Alcibiades made no great
improvement with Socrates, it proceeded from this, that they never liked
him. For at the very time that they conversed with him, they always
rather courted the conversation of those who were employed in the public
affairs, because they had no design but to govern.--The following
conference of Alcibiades, in particular, which he had with Pericles, his
governor--who was the chief man of the city, whilst he was yet under
twenty years of age--concerning the nature of the laws, will confirm what
I have now advanced.

"Pray," says Alcibiades, "explain to me what the law is: for, as I hear
men praised who observe the laws, I imagine that this praise could not be
given to those who know not what the law is." "It is easy to satisfy
you," answered Pericles: "the law is only what the people in a general
assembly ordain, declaring what ought to be done, and what ought not to
be done." "And tell me," added Alcibiades, "do they ordain to do what is
good, or what is ill?" "Most certainly what is good." Alcibiades
pursued: "And how would you call what a small number of citizens should
ordain, in states where the people is not the master, but all is ordered
by the advice of a few persons, who possess the sovereignty?" "I would
call whatever they ordain a law; for laws are nothing else but the
ordinances of sovereigns." "If a tyrant then ordain anything, will that
be a law?" "Yes, it will," said Pericles. "But what then is violence
and injustice?" continued Alcibiades; "is it not when the strongest make