speaking. Shall I explain the nature of what I call the second best?

YOUNG SOCRATES: By all means.

STRANGER: I must again have recourse to my favourite images; through

them, and them alone, can I describe kings and rulers.

YOUNG SOCRATES: What images?

STRANGER: The noble pilot and the wise physician, who 'is worth many

another man'--in the similitude of these let us endeavour to discover

some image of the king.

YOUNG SOCRATES: What sort of an image?

STRANGER: Well, such as this:--Every man will reflect that he suffers

strange things at the hands of both of them; the physician saves

any whom he wishes to save, and any whom he wishes to maltreat he

maltreats--cutting or burning them; and at the same time requiring them

to bring him payments, which are a sort of tribute, of which little or

nothing is spent upon the sick man, and the greater part is consumed by

him and his domestics; and the finale is that he receives money from the

relations of the sick man or from some enemy of his, and puts him out of

the way. And the pilots of ships are guilty of numberless evil deeds of

the same kind; they intentionally play false and leave you ashore when

the hour of sailing arrives; or they cause mishaps at sea and cast away

Statesman