that he can only act for the best by violating the laws, while in

reality appetite and ignorance are the motives of the imitation, may not

such an one be called a tyrant?

YOUNG SOCRATES: Certainly.

STRANGER: And this we believe to be the origin of the tyrant and the

king, of oligarchies, and aristocracies, and democracies,--because men

are offended at the one monarch, and can never be made to believe that

any one can be worthy of such authority, or is able and willing in the

spirit of virtue and knowledge to act justly and holily to all; they

fancy that he will be a despot who will wrong and harm and slay whom he

pleases of us; for if there could be such a despot as we describe, they

would acknowledge that we ought to be too glad to have him, and that he

alone would be the happy ruler of a true and perfect State.

YOUNG SOCRATES: To be sure.

STRANGER: But then, as the State is not like a beehive, and has no

natural head who is at once recognized to be the superior both in body

and in mind, mankind are obliged to meet and make laws, and endeavour to

approach as nearly as they can to the true form of government.

YOUNG SOCRATES: True.

STRANGER: And when the foundation of politics is in the letter only

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