Ath。Ishouldexpectso。
Cle。Proceed。
Ath。Well，then，letusgiveallthegreaterheedtooneanother’swords。Theargumentaffirmsthatanychangewhateverexceptfromevilisthemostdangerousofallthings；thisistrueinthecaseoftheseasonsandofthewinds，inthemanagementofourbodiesandthehabitsofourminds-trueofallthingsexcept，asIsaidbefore，ofthebad。Hewholooksattheconstitutionofindividualsaccustomedtoeatanysortofmeat，ordrinkanydrink，ortodoanyworkwhichtheycanget，mayseethattheyareatfirstdisorderedbythem，butafterwards，astimegoeson，theirbodiesgrowadaptedtothem，andtheylearntoknowandlikevariety，andhavegoodhealthandenjoymentoflife；andifeverafterwardstheyareconfinedagaintoasuperiordiet，atfirsttheyaretroubledwithdisorders，andwithdifficultybecomehabituatedtotheirnewfood。Asimilarprinciplewemayimaginetoholdgoodaboutthemindsofmenandthenaturesoftheirsouls。Forwhentheyhavebeenbroughtupincertainlaws，whichbysomeDivineProvidencehaveremainedunchangedduringlongages，sothatnoonehasanymemoryortraditionoftheireverhavingbeenotherwisethantheyare，theneveryoneisafraidandashamedtochangethatwhichisestablished。Thelegislatormustsomehowfindawayofimplantingthisreverenceforantiquity，andIwouldproposethefollowingway：-Peopleareapttofancy，asIwassayingbefore，thatwhentheplaysofchildrenarealteredtheyaremerelyplays，notseeingthatthemostseriousanddetrimentalconsequencesariseoutofthechange；andtheyreadilycomplywiththechild’swishesinsteadofdeterringhim，notconsideringthatthesechildrenwhomakeinnovationsintheirgames，whentheygrowuptobemen，willbedifferentfromthelastgenerationofchildren，and，beingdifferent，willdesireadifferentsortoflife，andundertheinfluenceofthisdesirewillwantotherinstitutionsandlaws；andnooneofthemreflectsthattherewillfollowwhatIjustnowcalledthegreatestofevilstostates。Changesinbodilyfashionsarenosuchseriousevils，butfrequentchangesinthepraiseandcensureofmannersarethegreatestofevils，andrequiretheutmostprevision。
Cle。Tobesure。
Ath。Andnowdowestillholdtoourformerassertion，thatrhythmsandmusicingeneralareimitationsofgoodandevilcharactersinmen？Whatsayyou？
Cle。Thatistheonlydoctrinewhichwecanadmit。
Ath。Mustwenot，then，tryineverypossiblewaytopreventouryouthfromevendesiringtoimitatenewmodeseitherindanceorsong？
normustanyonebeallowedtoofferthemvarietiesofpleasures。
Cle。Mosttrue。
Ath。CananyofusimagineabettermodeofeffectingthisobjectthanthatoftheEgyptians？
Cle。Whatistheirmethod？
Ath。Toconsecrateeverysortofdanceormelody。Firstweshouldordainfestivals-calculatingfortheyearwhattheyoughttobe，andatwhattime，andinhonourofwhatGods，sonsofGods，andheroestheyoughttobecelebrated；and，inthenextplace，whathymnsoughttobesungattheseveralsacrifices，andwithwhatdancestheparticularfestivalistobehonoured。Thishastobearrangedatfirstbycertainpersons，and，whenarranged，thewholeassemblyofthecitizensaretooffersacrificesandlibationstotheFatesandalltheotherGods，andtoconsecratetheseveralodestogodsandheroes：andifanyoneoffersanyotherhymnsordancestoanyoneoftheGods，thepriestsandpriestesses，actinginconcertwiththeguardiansofthelaw，shall，withthesanctionofreligionandthelaw，excludehim，andhewhoisexcluded，ifhedonotsubmit，shallbeliableallhislifelongtohaveasuitofimpietybroughtagainsthimbyanyonewholikes。
Cle。Verygood。
Ath。Intheconsiderationofthissubject，letusrememberwhatisduetoourselves。
Cle。Towhatareyoureferring？
Ath。Imeanthatanyyoungman，andmuchmoreanyoldone，whenheseesorhearsanythingstrangeorunaccustomed，doesnotatonceruntoembracetheparadox，buthestandsconsidering，likeapersonwhoisataplacewherethreepathsmeet，anddoesnotverywellknowhisway-hemaybealoneorhemaybewalkingwithothers，andhewillsaytohimselfandthem，“Whichistheway？“andwillnotmoveforwarduntilheissatisfiedthatheisgoingright。Andthisiswhatwemustdointhepresentinstance：-Astrangediscussiononthesubjectoflawhasarisen，whichrequirestheutmostconsideration，andweshouldnotatouragebetooreadytospeakaboutsuchgreatmatters，orbeconfidentthatwecansayanythingcertainallinamoment。
Cle。Mosttrue。
Ath。Thenwewillallowtimeforreflection，anddecidewhenwehavegiventhesubjectsufficientconsideration。Butthatwemaynotbehinderedfromcompletingthenaturalarrangementofourlaws，letusproceedtotheconclusionofthemindueorder；forverypossibly，ifGodwill，theexpositionofthem，whencompleted，maythrowlightonourpresentperplexity。
Cle。Excellent，Stranger；letusdoasyoupropose。
Ath。Letusthenaffirmtheparadoxthatstrainsofmusicareourlawsnomoi，andthislatterbeingthenamewhichtheancientsgavetolyricsongs，theyprobablywouldnothaveverymuchobjectedtoourproposedapplicationoftheword。Someone，eitherasleeporawake，musthavehadadreamysuspicionoftheirnature。Andletourdecreebeasfollows：-Nooneinsingingordancingshalloffendagainstpublicandconsecratedmodels，andthegeneralfashionamongtheyouth，anymorethanhewouldoffendagainstanyotherlaw。Andhewhoobservesthislawshallbeblameless；buthewhoisdisobedient，asIwassaying，shallbepunishedbytheguardiansofthelaws，andbythepriestsandpriestesses。Supposethatweimaginethistobeourlaw。
Cle。Verygood。
Ath。Cananyonewhomakessuchlawsescaperidicule？Letussee。
Ithinkthatouronlysafetywillbeinfirstframingcertainmodelsforcomposers。Oneofthesemodelsshallbeasfollows：-Ifwhenasacrificeisgoingon，andthevictimsarebeingburntaccordingtolaw-if，Isay，anyonewhomaybeasonorbrother，standingbyanotheratthealtarandoverthevictims，horriblyblasphemes，willnothiswordsinspiredespondencyandevilomensandforebodingsinthemindofhisfatherandofhisotherkinsmen？
Cle。Ofcourse。
Ath。Andthisisjustwhattakesplaceinalmostallourcities。A
magistrateoffersapublicsacrifice，andtherecomeinnotonebutmanychoruses，whotakeupapositionalittlewayfromthealtar，andfromtimetotimepourforthallsortsofhorribleblasphemiesonthesacredrites，excitingthesoulsoftheaudiencewithwordsandrhythmsandmelodiesmostsorrowfultohear；andhewhoatthemomentwhenthecityisofferingsacrificemakesthecitizensweepmost，carriesawaythepalmofvictory。Now，oughtwenottoforbidsuchstrainsasthese？Andifeverourcitizensmusthearsuchlamentations，thenonsomeunblestandinauspiciousdaylettherebechorusesofforeignandhiredminstrels，likethosehirelingswhoaccompanythedepartedatfuneralswithbarbarousCarianchants。
Thatisthesortofthingwhichwillbeappropriateifwehavesuchstrainsatall；andlettheapparelofthesingersbe，notcircletsandornamentsofgold，butthereverse。Enoughofallthis。Iwillsimplyaskoncemorewhetherweshalllaydownasoneofourprinciplesofsong-
Cle。What？
Ath。Thatweshouldavoideverywordofevilomen；letthatkindofsongwhichisofgoodomenbeheardeverywhereandalwaysinourstate。Ineedhardlyaskagain，butshallassumethatyouagreewithme。
Cle。Byallmeans；thatlawisapprovedbythesuffragesofusall。
Ath。Butwhatshallbeournextmusicallawortype？OughtnotprayerstobeoffereduptotheGodswhenwesacrifice？
Cle。Certainly。
Ath。Andourthirdlaw，ifIamnotmistaken，willbetotheeffectthatourpoets，understandingprayerstoberequestswhichwemaketotheGods，willtakeespecialheedthattheydonotbymistakeaskforevilinsteadofgood。Tomakesuchaprayerwouldsurelybetooridiculous。
Cle。Verytrue。
Ath。WerewenotalittlewhileagoquiteconvincedthatnosilverorgoldenPlutusshoulddwellinourstate？
Cle。Tobesure。
Ath。Andwhathasitbeentheobjectofourargumenttoshow？Didwenotimplythatthepoetsarenotalwaysquitecapableofknowingwhatisgoodorevil？Andifoneofthemuttersamistakenprayerinsongorwords，hewillmakeourcitizensprayfortheoppositeofwhatisgoodinmattersofthehighestimport；thanwhich，asIwassaying，therecanbefewgreatermistakes。ShallwethenproposeasoneofourlawsandmodelsrelatingtotheMuses-
Cle。What？-willyouexplainthelawmoreprecisely？
Ath。Shallwemakealawthatthepoetshallcomposenothingcontrarytotheideasofthelawful，orjust，orbeautiful，orgood，whichareallowedinthestate？norshallhebepermittedtocommunicatehiscompositionstoanyprivateindividuals，untilheshallhaveshownthemtotheappointedjudgesandtheguardiansofthelaw，andtheyaresatisfiedwiththem。Astothepersonswhomweappointtobeourlegislatorsaboutmusicandastothedirectorofeducation，thesehavebeenalreadyindicated。Oncemorethen，asI
haveaskedmorethanonce，shallthisbeourthirdlaw，andtype，andmodel-Whatdoyousay？
Cle。Letitbeso，byallmeans。
Ath。ThenitwillbepropertohavehymnsandpraisesoftheGods，intermingledwithprayers；andaftertheGodsprayersandpraisesshouldbeofferedinlikemannertodemigodsandheroes，suitabletotheirseveralcharacters。
Cle。Certainly。
Ath。Inthenextplacetherewillbenoobjectiontoalaw，thatcitizenswhoaredepartedandhavedonegoodandenergeticdeeds，eitherwiththeirsoulsorwiththeirbodies，andhavebeenobedienttothelaws，shouldreceiveeulogies；thiswillbeveryfitting。
Cle。Quitetrue。