PLATO. 73 



is the noblest good; and a man who would enjoy happiness, is 

 desirous at the earliest moment to partake of Truth, that he may 

 spend as much of his time as possible in the course of sincerity, for 

 such an one is a sincere character. But he is insincere who practises 

 voluntary falsehood ; and he is simple who practises it involuntarily. 

 Nor is either of these conditions to be admired. For every insincere 

 and simple person is friendless, and his true character being detected 

 in course of time, he ends his days in dreary solitude. Since, 

 whether his family and acquaintance still live or not, his life is almost 

 equally lonely. That man is to be respected, who is guilty of no 

 injustice himself, but doubly or more than doubly does he deserve 

 respect, who will not allow injustice to be committed by others. 



" Let that man who assists the magistrates in punishing vice, be 

 proclaimed a great and perfect character, and let him receive the 

 crown of virtue. And let the same praise be given respecting tem- 

 perance and wisdom, and all other good qualities which a man 

 not only possesses in himself, but is able to impart to others. The 

 person able so to impart, should be respected in the highest degree ; 

 and next to him, he who, though unable, is at least willing to impart. 

 But the man of an envious nature, who would grudge to others the 

 blessings which he himself enjoys, deserves reprehension. Nor ought 

 we to disparage any virtue which is misapplied, but rather to be 

 desirous to attain it if we can. And let every one enter on a course 

 of virtuous emulation, but devoid of envy. For, by such conduct, 

 while men improve themselves, instead of engaging in calumnies and 

 detraction against others, they benefit the community. But an 

 envious character, who seeks to raise himself by depreciating others, 

 not only makes no advances himself towards real virtue, but by his 

 aspersions, he does, as far as he has power, discourage others from 

 the pursuit of excellence, and checks the advance of his country 

 towards real eminence. 



"It is also right that a man should be at once courageous and 

 mild ; for it is impossible to rid oneself of the severe, and extreme or 

 irremediable injuries of others, otherwise than by struggling against 

 them, and by overcoming them, and executing exemplary vengeance. 

 And such a struggle cannot be entered upon without courage and 

 resolution. On the other hand, with regard to such injuries as are 

 remediable, we ought to reflect first of all, that injustice originates not^ 

 in any perverseness of the will, but in a defect of the understanding; 

 for the perpetrator of evil does the greatest mischief to his own mind ; 

 and no one voluntarily and intentionally seeks what is mischievous to 

 himself, least of all, when it is mischievous in the highest degree. 

 But a man's mind, as we before observed, is that which is deserving 

 of the greatest respect. Now, in that part of himself which is de- 

 serving of the greatest respect, no one would voluntarily bring on the 

 greatest evil, when that evil too would continue through life. But a 

 man who is unjust, and who is possessed with evil propensities, is 



