PhaleasofChalcedon[10]contrivedaveryextraordinarymethodofrenderingallfortunesequal，inarepublicwheretherewasthegreatestinequality。Thiswasthattherichshouldgivefortuneswiththeirdaughterstothepoor，butreceivenonethemselves；andthatthepoorshouldreceivemoneyfortheirdaughters，insteadofgivingthemfortunes。ButIdonotrememberthataregulationofthiskindevertookplaceinanyrepublic。Itlaysthecitizensundersuchhardandoppressiveconditionsaswouldmakethemdetesttheveryequalitywhichtheydesignedtoestablish。Itispropersometimesthatthelawsshouldnotseemtotendsodirectlytotheendtheypropose。
Thoughrealequalitybetheverysoulofademocracy，itissodifficulttoestablishthatanextremeexactnessinthisrespectwouldnotbealwaysconvenient。Sufficientisittoestablishacensus[11]whichshallreduceorfixthedifferencestoacertainpoint：itisafterwardsthebusinessofparticularlawstolevel，asitwere，theinequalities，bythedutieslaidupontherich，andbytheeaseaffordedtothepoor。
Itismoderaterichesalonethatcangiveorsufferthissortofcompensation；forastomenofovergrownestates，everythingwhichdoesnotcontributetoadvancetheirpowerandhonourisconsideredbythemasaninjury。
Allinequalityindemocraciesoughttobederivedfromthenatureofthegovernment，andevenfromtheprincipleofequality。Forexample，itmaybeapprehendedthatpeoplewhoareobligedtolivebytheirlabourwouldbetoomuchimpoverishedbyapublicemployment，orneglectthedutiesattendingit；thatartisanswouldgrowinsolent，andthattoogreatanumberoffreemenwouldoverpowertheancientcitizens。Inthiscasetheequality[12]inademocracymaybesuppressedforthegoodofthestate。
Butthisisonlyanapparentequality；foramanruinedbyapublicemploymentwouldbeinaworseconditionthanhisfellow—citizens；andthissameman，beingobligedtoneglecthisduty，wouldreducetheresttoaworseconditionthanhimself，andsoon。