BOOKIX
Nexttoallthematterswhichhaveprecededinthenaturalorderoflegislationwillcomesuitsoflaw。Ofsuitsthosewhichrelatetoagriculturehavebeenalreadydescribed，butthemoreimportanthavenotbeendescribed。Havingmentionedthemseverallyundertheirusualnames，wewillproceedtosaywhatpunishmentsaretobeinflictedforeachoffence，andwhoaretobethejudgesofthem。
Cleinias。Verygood。
AthenianStranger。Thereisasenseofdisgraceinlegislating，asweareabouttodo，forallthedetailsofcrimeinastatewhich，aswesay，istobewellregulatedandwillbeperfectlyadaptedtothepracticeofvirtue。Toassumethatinsuchastatetherewillarisesomeonewhowillbeguiltyofcrimesasheinousasanywhichareeverperpetratedinotherstates，andthatwemustlegislateforhimbyanticipation，andthreatenandmakelawsagainsthimifheshouldarise，inordertodeterhim，andpunishhisacts，undertheideathathewillarise-this，asIwassaying，isinamannerdisgraceful。Yetseeingthatwearenotliketheancientlegislators，whogavelawstoheroesandsonsofgods，being，accordingtothepopularbelief，themselvestheoffspringofthegods，andlegislatingforothers，whowerealsothechildrenofdivineparents，butthatweareonlymenwhoarelegislatingforthesonsofmen，thereisnouncharitablenessinapprehendingthatsomeoneofourcitizensmaybelikeaseedwhichhastouchedtheox’shorn，havingaheartsohardthatitcannotbesoftenedanymorethanthoseseedscanbesoftenedbyfire。Amongourcitizenstheremaybethosewhocannotbesubduedbyallthestrengthofthelaws；andfortheirsake，thoughanungracioustask，Iwillproclaimmyfirstlawabouttherobbingoftemples，incaseanyoneshoulddaretocommitsuchacrime。Idonotexpectorimaginethatanywell-brought-upcitizenwillevertaketheinfection，buttheirservants，andstrangers，andstrangers’servantsmaybeguiltyofmanyimpieties。
Andwithaviewtothemespecially，andyetnotwithoutaprovidenteyetotheweaknessofhumannaturegenerally，Iwillproclaimthelawaboutrobbersoftemplesandsimilarincurable，oralmostincurable，criminals。Havingalreadyagreedthatsuchenactmentsoughtalwaystohaveashortprelude，wemayspeaktothecriminal，whomsometormentingdesirebynightandbydaytemptstogoandrobatemple，thefewestpossiblewordsofadmonitionandexhortation：-Osir，wewillsaytohim，theimpulsewhichmovesyoutorobtemplesisnotanordinaryhumanmalady，noryetavisitationofheaven，butamadnesswhichisbegotteninamanfromancientandunexpiatedcrimesofhisrace，anever-recurringcurse；-againstthisyoumustguardwithallyourmight，andhowyouaretoguardwewillexplaintoyou。Whenanysuchthoughtcomesintoyourmind，goandperformexpiations，goasasupplianttothetemplesoftheGodswhoavertevils，gotothesocietyofthosewhoarecalledgoodmenamongyou；
hearthemtellandyourselftrytorepeatafterthem，thateverymanshouldhonourthenobleandthejust。Flyfromthecompanyofthewicked-flyandturnnotback；andifyourdisorderislightenedbytheseremedies，wellandgood，butifnot，thenacknowledgedeathtobenoblerthanlife，anddeparthence。
Sucharethepreludeswhichwesingtoallwhohavethoughtsofunholyandtreasonableactions，andtohimwhohearkenstothemthelawhasnothingtosay。Buttohimwhoisdisobedientwhenthepreludeisover，crywithaloudvoice，-Hewhoistakenintheactofrobbingtemples，ifhebeaslaveorstranger，shallhavehisevildeedengravenonhisfaceandhands，andshallbebeatenwithasmanystripesasmayseemgoodtothejudges，andbecastnakedbeyondthebordersoftheland。Andifhesuffersthispunishmenthewillprobablyreturntohisrightmindandbeimproved；fornopenaltywhichthelawinflictsisdesignedforevil，butalwaysmakeshimwhosufferseitherbetterornotsomuchworseashewouldhavebeen。Butifanycitizenbefoundguiltyofanygreatorunmentionablewrong，eitherinrelationtothegods，orhisparents，orthestate，letthejudgedeemhimtobeincurable，rememberingthatafterreceivingsuchanexcellenteducationandtrainingfromyouthupward，hehasnotabstainedfromthegreatestofcrimes。Hispunishmentshallbedeath，whichtohimwillbetheleastofevils；
andhisexamplewillbenefitothers，ifheperishingloriously，andbecastbeyondthebordersoftheland。Butlethischildrenandfamily，iftheyavoidthewaysoftheirfather，haveglory，andlethonourablementionbemadeofthem，ashavingnoblyandmanfullyescapedoutofevilintogood。Noneofthemshouldhavetheirgoodsconfiscatedtothestate，forthelotsofthecitizensoughtalwaystocontinuethesameandequal。
Touchingtheexactionofpenalties，whenamanappearstohavedoneanythingwhichdeservesafine，heshallpaythefine，ifhehaveanythinginexcessofthelotwhichisassignedtohim；butmorethanthatheshallnotpay。Andtosecureexactness，lettheguardiansofthelawrefertotheregisters，andinformthejudgesoftheprecisetruth，inorderthatnoneofthelotsmaygouncultivatedforwantofmoney。Butifanyoneseemstodeserveagreaterpenalty，lethimundergoalongandpublicimprisonmentandbedishonoured，unlesssomeofhisfriendsarewillingtobesuretyforhim，andliberatehimbyassistinghimtopaythefine。Nocriminalshallgounpunished，notevenforasingleoffence，norifhehavefledthecountry；butletthepenaltybeaccordingtohisdeserts-death，orbonds，orblows，ordegradingplacesofsittingorstanding，orremovaltosometempleonthebordersoftheland；orlethimpayfines，aswesaidbefore。Incasesofdeath，letthejudgesbetheguardiansofthelaw，andacourtselectedbymeritfromthelastyear’smagistrates。Buthowthecausesaretobebroughtintotocourt，howthesummonsesaretobeserved，thelike，thesethingsmaybelefttotheyoungergenerationoflegislatorstodetermine；themannerofvotingwemustdetermineourselves。
Letthevotebegivenopenly；butbeforetheycometothevoteletthejudgessitinorderofseniorityoveragainstplaintiffanddefendant，andletallthecitizenswhocansparetimehearandtakeaseriousinterestinlisteningtosuchcauses。Firstofalltheplaintiffshallmakeonespeech，andthenthedefendantshallmakeanother；andafterthespeecheshavebeenmadetheeldestjudgeshallbegintoexaminetheparties，andproceedtomakeanadequateenquiryintowhathasbeensaid；andaftertheoldesthasspoken，therestshallproceedinordertoexamineeitherpartyastowhathefindsdefectiveintheevidence，whetherofstatementoromission；andhewhohasnothingtoaskshallhandovertheexaminationtoanother。Andonsomuchofwhathasbeensaidasistothepurposeallthejudgesshallsettheirseals，andplacethewritingsonthealtarofHestia。Onthenextdaytheyshallmeetagain，andinlikemannerputtheirquestionsandgothroughthecause，andagainsettheirsealsupontheevidence；andwhentheyhavethreetimesdonethis，andhavehadwitnessesandevidenceenough，theyshalleachofthemgiveaholyvote，afterpromisingbyHestiathattheywilldecidejustlyandtrulytotheutmostoftheirpower；
andsotheyshallputanendtothesuit。
Next，afterwhatrelatestotheGods，followswhatrelatestothedissolutionofthestate：-Whoeverbypromotingamantopowerenslavesthelaws，andsubjectsthecitytofactions，usingviolenceandstirringupseditioncontrarytolaw，himwewilldeemthegreatestenemyofthewholestate。Buthewhotakesnopartinsuchproceedings，and，beingoneofthechiefmagistratesofthestate，hasnoknowledgeofthetreason，or，havingknowledgeofit，byreasonofcowardicedoesnotinterfereonbehalfofhiscountry，suchanonewemustconsidernearlyasbad。Everymanwhoisworthanythingwillinformthemagistrates，andbringtheconspiratortotrialformakingaviolentandillegalattempttochangethegovernment。Thejudgesofsuchcasesshallbethesameasoftherobbersoftemples；
andletthewholeproceedingbecarriedoninthesameway，andthevoteofthemajoritycondemntodeath。Butlettherebeageneralrule，thatthedisgraceandpunishmentofthefatherisnottobevisitedonthechildren，exceptinthecaseofsomeonewhosefather，grandfather，andgreat-grandfatherhavesuccessivelyundergonethepenaltyofdeath。Suchpersonsthecityshallsendawaywithalltheirpossessionstothecityandcountryoftheirancestors，retainingonlyandwhollytheirappointedlot。Andoutofthecitizenswhohavemorethanonesonofnotlessthantenyearsofage，theyshallselecttenwhomtheirfatherorgrandfatherbythemother’sorfather’ssideshallappoint，andletthemsendtoDelphithenamesofthosewhoareselected，andhimwhomtheGodchoosestheyshallestablishasheirofthehousewhichhasfailed；andmayhehavebetterfortunethanhispredecessors!
Cle。Verygood。
Ath。Oncemorelettherebeathirdgenerallawrespectingthejudgeswhoaretogivejudgment，andthemannerofconductingsuitsagainstthosewhoaretriedonanaccusationoftreason；andasconcerningtheremainingordepartureoftheirdescendants-thereshallbeonelawforallthree，forthetraitor，andtherobberoftemples，andthesubverterbyviolenceofthelawsofthestate。Forathief，whetherhestealmuchorlittle，lettherebeonelaw，andonepunishmentforallalike：inthefirstplace，lethimpaydoubletheamountofthetheftifhebeconvicted，andifhehavesomuchoverandabovetheallotment；-ifhehavenot，heshallbebounduntilhepaythepenalty，orpersuadehimhasobtainedthesentenceagainsthimtoforgivehim。Butifapersonbeconvictedofatheftagainstthestate，thenifhecanpersuadethecity，orifhewillpaybacktwicetheamountofthetheft，heshallbesetfreefromhisbonds。
Cle。Whatmakesyousay，Stranger，thatatheftisallone，whetherthethiefmayhavetakenmuchorlittle，andeitherfromsacredorsecularplaces-andthesearenottheonlydifferencesinthefts：-seeing，then，thattheyareofmanykinds，oughtnotthelegislatortoadapthimselftothem，andimposeuponthementirelydifferentpenalties？
Ath。Excellent。Iwasrunningontoofast，Cleinias，andyouimpingeduponme，andbroughtmetomysenses，remindingmeofwhat，indeed，hadoccurredtomindalready，thatlegislationwasneveryetrightlyworkedout，asImaysayinpassing-DoyouremembertheimageinwhichIlikenedthemenforwhomlawsarenowmadetoslaveswhoaredoctoredbyslaves？Forofthisyoumaybeverysure，thatifoneofthoseempiricalphysicians，whopractisemedicinewithoutscience，weretocomeuponthegentlemanphysiciantalkingtohisgentlemanpatient，andusingthelanguagealmostofphilosophy，beginningatthebeginningofthediseaseanddiscoursingaboutthewholenatureofthebody，hewouldburstintoaheartylaugh-hewouldsaywhatmostofthosewhoarecalleddoctorsalwayshaveattheirtongue’send：-Foolishfellow，hewouldsay，youarenothealingthesickman，butyouareeducatinghim；andhedoesnotwanttobemadeadoctor，buttogetwell。
Cle。Andwouldhenotberight？
Ath。Perhapshewould；andhemightremarkuponusthathewhodiscoursesaboutlaws，aswearenowdoing，isgivingthecitizenseducationandnotlaws；thatwouldberatheratellingobservation。
Cle。Verytrue。
Ath。Butwearefortunate。
Cle。Inwhatway？
Ath。Inasmuchaswearenotcompelledtogivelaws，butwemaytakeintoconsiderationeveryformofgovernment，andascertainwhatisbestandwhatismostneedful，andhowtheymaybothbecarriedintoexecution；andwemayalso，ifweplease，atthisverymomentchoosewhatisbest，or，ifweprefer，whatismostnecessary-whichshallwedo？