another, and give rise to a similar opposition in the characters who are

endowed with them?

YOUNG SOCRATES: True.

STRANGER: Let us consider a further point.

YOUNG SOCRATES: What is it?

STRANGER: I want to know, whether any constructive art will make

any, even the most trivial thing, out of bad and good materials

indifferently, if this can be helped? does not all art rather reject the

bad as far as possible, and accept the good and fit materials, and from

these elements, whether like or unlike, gathering them all into one,

work out some nature or idea?

YOUNG SOCRATES: To, be sure.

STRANGER: Then the true and natural art of statesmanship will never

allow any State to be formed by a combination of good and bad men, if

this can be avoided; but will begin by testing human natures in play,

and after testing them, will entrust them to proper teachers who are the

ministers of her purposes--she will herself give orders, and maintain

authority; just as the art of weaving continually gives orders and

maintains authority over the carders and all the others who prepare the

material for the work, commanding the subsidiary arts to execute the

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Statesman