LAWS, BOOK I
man fit for command, provided that he has military science, even though he be a coward and sea-sick with a kind of tipsy terror when danger comes?
mec. Certainly not.
atu. And suppose he has no military skill, besides being a coward ?
Mec. You are describing an utterly worthless fellow, not a commander of men at all, but of the most womanish of women.
aTH. Now take the case of any social institution whatsoever which naturally has a commander and which, under its commander, is beneficial; and suppose that someone, who had never seen the conduct of the institution under its commander, but seen it only when with no commander or bad commanders, were to commend the institution or censure it: do we imagine that either the praise or the blame of such an observer of such an institution is of any value?
mec. Certainly not, when the man has never seen nor shared in an institution of the kind that was properly conducted,
aTH, Now stay a moment! Shall we lay it down that, of the numerous kinds of social institutions, that of banqueters and banquetings forms one ?
MEG, Most certainly.
ATH. Now has anyone ever yet beheld this institution rightly conducted? Both of you can easily make answer— Never yet at all,” for with you this institution is neither customary nor legal; but I have come across many modes of banqueting in many places, and [ have also inquired into nearly all of them, and I have scarcely seen or heard of a single one that was in all points rightly conducted ;
51 E 2
