em that as the laws permit a man to chain his
own father if he can convict him of lunacy, so, in like manner, it is but
just that a man of excellent sense should throw another into chains who
has not so much understanding. I cannot deny but that Socrates may have
said something like this; but he meant it not in the sense in which the
accuser would have it taken: and he fully discovered what his meaning by
these words was, when he said that he who should pretend to chain others
because of their ignorance, ought, for the same reason, to submit to be
chained himself by men who know more than he. Hence it is that he argued
so often of the difference between folly and ignorance; and then he
plainly said that fools and madmen ought to be chained indeed, as well
for their own interest as for that of their friends; but that they who
are ignorant of things they should know, ought only to be instructed by
those that understand them.

The accuser goes on, that Socrates did not only teach men to despise
their parents, but their other relations too; because he said that if a
man be sick, or have a suit in law, it is not his relations, but the
physicians, or the advocates who are of use to him. He further alleged
that Socrates, speaking of friends, said it was to no purpose to bear
goodwill to any man, if it be not in our power to serve him; and that the
only friends whom we ought to value are they who know what is good for
us, and can teach it to us: thus, says the accuser, Socrates, by
persuading the youth that he was the wisest of all men, and the most
capable to set others in the right road to wisdom, made them believe that
all the rest of mankind were nothing in comparison with him. I remember,
indeed, to have heard him sometimes talk after this manner of parents,
relations, and friends; and he observed besides, if I mistake not, that
when the soul, in which the understanding resides, is gone out of the
body, we soon bury the corpse; and even though it be that of our nearest
relation, we endeavour to put it out of our sight as soon as decently we
can. Farther, though every man loves his own body to a great degree, we
scruple not nevertheless to take from it all that is superfluous, for
this reason we cut our hair and our nails, we take off our corns and our
warts, and we put ourselves into the surgeons' hands, and endure caustics
and incisions; and after they have made us suffer a great deal of pain,
we think ourselves oblig