ing-shop," who was ready to make, for a consideration," the worse appear the better reason. And some probability had been given to this picture by the recent career of two of his friends—probably at that time the most detested names in Athens—Alcibiades, the selfish renegade, and Critias, the worst of the Thirty Tyrants. But after all, the great offence of Socrates (as Mr Grote points out[1]) was one which no society, ancient or modern, ever forgives—his disdain of conventionality, and his disregard of the sovereign power of Custom. As we shall see in the 'Dialogues of Search,' he questions. and criticises, and often destroys, the orthodox commonplaces of morality, handed down from father to son, and consecrated in the eyes of the Athenians by tradition, and by those mighty household goddesses, "Use and Wont"—
"Grey nurses, loving nothing new."
In short, Socrates is a "dissenter," who will maintain his right of private judgment, and will speak what his conscience tells him to be right—though it be his own opinion against the world. Hence there grew up a widespread antipathy against this man who continually set at defiance the creed sanctioned by custom and society. This at length found its vent in the tablet of indictment, which was hung up one morning in the portico where such notices were displayed—"Socrates is guilty of crime; first, for not worshipping the gods, whom the city worships, but introducing new divini-
- ↑ Plato, i. 250.
