If you are but
yet beginning to teach, take Care that you do not make your firstEssay upon little base Souls, but up on your own Children and those of your best Friends.
yet beginning to teach, take Care that you do not make your firstEssay upon little base Souls, but up on your own Children and those of your best Friends.
Plato - 1701 - Works - a
very
? ? ? 88
Laches:Or^ ofFakw.
verygoodMan. Youand1mustrenewourAncient Friendship, and henceforward your Interests shall be mine, andmineyours.
Lac. You doverywell,Lysimacbus-? donotlet him go: ForIhaveseen Occasions, in which he maintain'd not only the Reputation of his Father, butthatofhisCountry, (a)AttheDefeatofDe-
? Humheretiredalongwithme :AndIcanallureyou, if all the rest had done their Duty, as he did, our City had been admirably well supported , and had not met with that great Shock.
LyJ. This is a great Encomium, Socrates ; and by
whomisitgiven>ByPersonsthatareworthy to
be credited in all things, especially upon that Point Thatis,fe*forwhichtheycryyouup. 1assureyou, noBody m' canhearyourPraiseswithmorePleasurethanIdo.
Iam infinitelygladthatyouhavepurchasedsucha Reputation, and I list my seisin the Number of your greatest Well-wishers. And therefore pray come, without Ceremony, to see Us ; and live with
us:SinceyouareofourFamilyyououghttodoit. Let this Day be the Date of the renewing of our Ancient Friendship ; and from henceforward be fa miliar with us and these Children, to the end that youandtheymaykeepup ourFriendship, asaPa ternalPledge. Wehopeyou'llmakethatuseofit; a n d f o r o u r P a r t s w e w i l l n o t l u s t e r y o u t o f o r g e t it. But to return to our Subject ^ what do you fayI WhatthinkyouofthisExerciseofArms*Doesit deserve to be learned by young M e n >
Soc. Upon thatPoint,Lyjimacbus, Ishallendea vourtogiveyou thebestCouncilIam Masterof; and shall not rail to put all your Orders in Execution. But since I a m the youngest , and less experienced thananyofyou, 'tisbutjustthatIhearyouspeak first; that so, after I have heard you, I may give in
(<t)InthisBattle,Socratessav'dXinophon'sLife,who fell when his Horse was shot under him ; and Socrates being on foot , took him upon his Back , and carried him several Miles,
my
? ? Laches : Of, of Valom. i8#
my SentimentsifIdifferfromyou, andback them withforcibleReasons. Whydonotyouspeakthen JSsicias? Tis your turn toipeak first. '
Nk. IdonotrefusetotellmyThoughts. Inmy-*Vantgj\ Mind, thatExercise isvery proper for young Peo-nV*"**"* pie, andMeritstheirApplication:Forbesidesthat,Few"*
it diverts them from theAmusements that they com
monlypursue, when they'reidle-,itinures1'emto 'labour,, and of necessity renders them more vigorous andstrong. ThereisnobetterExercise;nonethat requires more strength and dexterity : There's none more suitable to a Person of Quality than this, and riding the great Horse , especially to those of our
Profession:AndinregardoftheWarswe areal- ) ready engaged in, and that are liketo come upon us,; we must reckon those only true and good Exercises thatareperformedwiththeArmsus'dinWar;for they are of admirable use in Battles,whether set Battles in Rank and File, or singleAttacks after the Ranks are broken ; whether we pursue an Enemy
that rallies from time to time, or upon a Retreat are put to it, to get clear of an obstinate Enemy,, thatpursuesuswithSwordinHand. Hewhoisac- * quainted with those Exercises, will never be afraid of one Man norseveraltogether;butwillstillget offclear. Besides,theseExerciseshavethiscom mendable Quality , that they inspire their Votaries with a truePassion foranothermore'serious Exercise : forIsupposeallthosewho give themselves toFen cing, breath nothing but the End they proposed in
g o i n g t o b e t a u g h t , v i z . B a t t l e s a n d F i g h t s ? , a n d w h e n
theycometobeengagedinthese, aresofullofAm bitionandsofondofGlory, that theycarefullyin struct themselves in all that belongs to the Art of War, and make it their Business to rife by degrees
tothehighestPostsintheArmy. For itiscertain and manifest, that nothing ismore desirable and more worthyoftheCareofagoodMan, thanthesedif ferentPostsoftheSword, andallthe Functionsof War, to which this Exercise of Arms leads, as a
Means
? ? jqo
Laches : Or, of Valour.
Means to the End. To all these Advantages, we shalladdonemore, which isnotasmallone. Tis thatthisArtofFencingmakesMen morevaliant, and more venturous in Engagements : And if we reckon up every thing, there's anotherAdvantage that isnottobedespis'd,viz. that itgivesMen a good Meen and agraceful Carriage, which in a publick Appearance renders them agreeable to their own Troops,andformidabletotheirEnemies. Sothat Iam of Opinion, Lysimachus, thatChildrenshould learn those Exercises, and have given the Reasons I goupon. IfLachesbeofanotherMind, Ishallbe glad to hear it.
JNicias'*e- Lack Indeed,Niciat,hemustbeaboldMan,that iogj/refn'd. fayS that any Science whatever is not worthy to be
learn'd : For it is very commendable to k n o w every thing,andifthisExerciseofArmsisaScience, as itsTeachersalledge, and asNicias fays, Iown it oughttobetaught. ButifitisnotaScience,and ifthe Fencing-Masters impose upon us by theirBra vado's ; or ifitisonly an inconsiderable Science, to what purposeshouldweamuseourselveswithit?
Imentionthis,becauseIam perswaded, TheExampleoftheLa- jfjtwereavervconsiderableScience,it
S S r S <<3ffi wouldneverhaveescap'dtheLacedemo-
said. mam, whospendtheirwholelite-time Theywerethemost jnenquiringaftersuchthings,asmay
warlikeveopleosailthe ref]der triemsuperior in War to their
l ^ X s Enemies' Nay, supposing it had esca-
ped the Lacedemonians ; these Fencing-
Masters could not have been ignorant so long, that
of all the Grecians, the Lacedemonians are the most
curious in what relates to Arms ; and that Masters
of any Reputation here, would make their Fortune
there, muchbetterthanelsewhere;justasTragical
PoetsofanyNotedohere. Forevery . asatyrualw yon onethathasayeinforTragedies,comes
$ % & X & toight hither with 'em. and does riionwas ofArms. not travel from City to City to publish his Performances ; whereas those valiant Champions
? ? Laches: Or,ofValour, ipi
Champions who teach Fencing, look upon Lace-? *sreat? - demon(a)asan inaccessibleTemplethattheydarelosyfirLa- notapproach;andrambleround aboutitteachingceemon*
theirArttoothers,particularlytotholewho ownFineMa- themselves inferiour to all their Neighbours mstTM *>>***& whatrelatestoWar. Inavior^Lysimachus^Ihavey*'/^? "' seenagreat many ofthoseMastersengag'd inhot^"0}
Actions,andIknow perfectlywhattheirHumourthosewho is5upon which'tis eafieto form ajustestimateofflighttheir theirMerit. ItseemsProvidencehaspurposelysoLelfmS-
ordefd it, that none of that Profession did ever ac quiretheleastReputation inWar. We seeseveralftncing-
ofother Professions,notonlysuccessfulintheway^s-n oftheirBusiness,butlikewisefamousinWar. Butwau"* these Men are unfortunate by a peculiar fort of Fatality. ForthisfameveryStesilem^whoexpos'd himself but now before this Crowd of Spectators,
and spoke so Magnificently of himself. I say, I have seen this fame Man make a farbetter show against his Will upon a better Occasion. When the Ship he was in attack'd a Merchant-Man, he fought with a Pike headed with aSithe, that his Armsmightbeasremarkableashimselfwasamong theCombatants. AlltheProwessheshew'ddoes fcarce merit a relation : But the success of this warlike Stratagem, in clapping a Sithe on the Head ofaPike,isworthourattention. WhiletheFel lowwasfencingwithhisnew Arms,theywereun happily entangled in the Tackling of the Enemies Ship,andstuckthere. Hepull'dwithallhisforce togetitclear,butcouldnotobtainhisEnd. While his Ship kept close to the other, he follow'd it and kept his hold ; but when the Enemies Ship steer'd off, and was going to hawl him in, he suffer'd his
(a) He compares Lacedemon to the Temple of the Furies, tohich none durst approach ; for they had iuch a terrible Impression of these Goddesses, that they durst not either name 'en>>,orlookupon'em,orofferAddressestothem. These
Fencing-Masters were equally afraid of Lacedmon. A noble Elegy 1
Pike
? ? i$%
Laches : Or, ofValom.
Pike to flip by degrees through his Hands, till he hadonlyholdofitbythesmallend. TheEne my's Crew made Huzza's upon the pleasant Acci
dent : At last some Body having thrown a Stone that felljust at his Feet, he quit his beloved Arms,
and the Enemy redoubled their Shouts, when they saw the armed Sickle ? hanging upon the Tackling
oftheirShiplikeaTrophy. Itispossible,that,as Nicia* fays, itmay be a very considerable and use ful Science:ButItellyou whatIsaw:So that, asIsaidinthebeginning,ifitisaScience,itisan uselessone;andifitisnone,andifwe areonly inveigled by its fine Motto, then it does not deserve ourregard. Inaword,thosewho applythemfelves
tothatArt,areeitherCowardsorbrave
tf,eirAddress inspires Men. If Cowards, they are the more 'emwithsomeaffiance? infolent andtheirCowardice isOnly
butfor want of Courage , ' ? i tc>i_ u << theyC*ncarryonnotbitg the more exposd. Ifbrave,allthe
tsgorousty. World has their Eyes upon 'em : And
if they happen to be guilty of the least as we say that such false step, they must bear a thouiand tray* Ones are the Bui- Jests ^ Ra}Ueries . for th}s js not an
ties of the bcliool. This ? i-rr t>> r> n- ? /-? >> H"tionof-awardsdeferTM indifferentProfession;itexposes em to
to be remark'd. E n v y a t a f u r i o u s r a t e ; a n d i f t h e M a n that follows it, does not distinguish himself mightily by his Courage, he'll be ridicul'd without any possibility . of avoiding it. These are my ThoughtsofthatExercise. Itremainsthatyou
oblige Socrates to tell us,his Mind.
Lyf. Pray do Socrates-,for we want an Umpire
to decide the Difference. Had Nicias and Laches beenofoneOpinion,weshouldhavespar'dyouthe Trouble : But you see they are directly opposite. Sothatnow our businessistohearyour Judgment,
and see which of the two you fide with.
Soc. H o w now, Lyjimacbus^ are you for following
thegreatestNumber then?
Lyf. What can one do better ? ,
Soc. And you too, Melesias ? Were you to chuse
Exercises to be learn'd by your Son, would you rather
? ? Laches : Or, os Valour. 19^
rather be directed by the greatest Number, than by- one Man that has been well educated himself; and had excellent Masters ?
Mel. Formy part,Socrates^Iwouldbedirected
by thelatter.
Soc. You'd be more influenced by his Opinion,
than by that of us all four ?
Mel. PerhapsImight.
Soc. Becauseawise Judgmentoughttobeform'd'T>s**>>>-
from Knowledge, and not from the Multitude ? ltd&,***?
^/. Without doubt. ? J X
Soc. T h e first thing then, that w e are to enquire that ought into, is whether any of us is expert in the Thing *> <<*<<*? -
weconsultabout,ornot. Ifanyonebe,wemustmm**?
refer our selves to him, and leave the others -, if
not,wemustfeeforsomesuchManelsewhere. For
doyou,Melefiasand Lyjimachus^imaginethatthis
is a Business of small Consequence, and that you
run but an ordinary Risque ? Do not you de
ceive your selves, the Matter in hand relates to the
greatestGoodthatis. AlltheHappinessofFami-Ofwhat liesdependsupon theEducationofChildren:AndcVf'Va<^
HousesriseorsinkaccordingastheirChildrenare! ? ? rFi Vicious or Vertuous. ? drm ,-,.
Mel. You fay well.
Soc. So that one cannot be too Cautious and Prudent upon thisScore.
Mel. Most certainly.
Soc. How shouldwedothentotrywhichofus Four isnnost expert and best skill'd in Exercises ? Should not we presently pitch upon him who learn'd 'em best and follow'd 'em most, and had the best Masters ?
Mel. So Ithink.
Soc. And beforethat, should notwe endeavour to know the Thing it self that we would have our Children learn?
Mel. Howdoyousay>
Sc. Perhaps you'll understand me better inthis
manner: Merhinks, we did not at first agree upon Nn the
? ? jp4
Laches : Of, of Valour)
thenatureoftheThingwe areconsultingabout,in order,toknow whichofusismostdexterousatit, and was taught by the most masterly Hand.
Nic. How do you mean,Socrates;are notwe considering of Fencing, in order to know whether our Children ought to learn it, or not ?
Soc. Idonotfayotherwise. Butwhen aMan advises about a Remedy for the Eyes,and wants to know whether he should apply it or not ; do you think this Consultation relates more to the Remedy
than to the Eyes,to which 'tisto be applied ?
Nic. It relates most to the Eyes. Soc. AndwhenaManconsultswhatBitheshould
put upon his Horse, does not the Question relate more to the Horse than to the Bit ?
JV/V. Yes sure.
Soc. Inoneword,asoftenasaMan advisesa- bout a Thing with reference to another, (a) the direct Object of the Consultation is the Thing re- fer'dto,andnottothatwhichisonlymindedfor the fake of the other.
Nic. Itisnecessarily so.
Soc. Then we ought to examine well whether the M a n w e advise with is expert and skill'd in the Thingaboutwhichwe advise.
Nic. That's certain.
Soc. Atpresentwe areconsulting whatourChil
drenshouldlearn:So thatthe Questionturnsup
on the Children, and the Knowledge of their Souls isthe Business. ?
Nic. 'Tis just so.
Soc. And byConsequence,the Questionis,Whe
ther there is any of us experienc'd in the Conduct ofaSoul-,whoknowshowtomanageit,andhas been taught that Art by the best Masters >
(a) For Instance, when we think of purging a sick Per son,we considerofthePatientbeforewethinkoftheMe d i c i n e : A n d h a v i n g first d i s c o v e r s t h e S t a t e o f t h e P a t i e n t , then we think of a proper Medicine.
? -Lac.
? ? Laches: Or, ofValour: J9j
Lac. How, Socrates, did you never know any Peo ple that have become greater Proficients in some Sciences and Arts without any Master, than others with all the Masters that could be had ?
Soc. Yes, Laches-, I have known some : But tho' allthatsortofMen shouldbeproudoftellingyou that they are very Skilful, you would never intrust the least Affair to them, unless you saw 'em make, I do not fay one, but several elaborate and well done Performances.
Nic. Right, Socrates.
Soc. Since Lyfimachus and Melejias have call'd us to give our Advice of the Education of their Chil dren ; out of an ardent desire to form and dispose
their Minds to Vertue:We areoblig'd,O Nicks andLaches, ifwepretendtobeendow'dwiththe Capacity that's necessary for it,totell'em what Masters we have had, who were very good Men, and after having instructed several Scholars, form'd anddisposedourMindstoHonesty. Andifany,of us pretends to have had no Master, he must pro duce his Performances, and instance in some either- among the Athenians, or among Foreigners, whe ther Free-men or Slaves, who have been benefited by hisPrecepts, according to the Testimony ofall the World. If we can neither name our Masters norshewour Works,wemustsendourFriendsto fee for Advice elsewhere, and not expose our selves to just Reproach upon a Point of that importance, by corrupting their Children. For my part, Lyfi machusand Melejias,IownIneverhadaMatter for that Science, notwithstanding that from my youth I was passionately in love with it : But I had. not Money enough to reach the dear Fees of thole Sophisters who had boasted that they were the on ly Men that could benefit me :And by my own Ingenuity I have riot yet been able to find out thi Art. If Nicias and La:hes have compass'd it by
themselves, or have learn'd it of Masters, I shall think itno wonder:ForbeingricherthanI,they N n 2 could
? ? 196
Laches : Or, of Valour.
could afFord to have Masters * and being older than I,they may have learn'd itby themselves. And upon that Account I account 'em admirably well qua lified for instructing a young Gentleman : And be
sides,iftheyhadnotbeenvery wellassur'doftheir own Capacity, they would never have been so po sitive in determining what Exercises are useful and whatareuselesstotheYouth. So thatIsubmitto theminallThings. Whatamazesme,is,thatthey areoftwodifferentOpinions. However,sinceLa thesintreatedyoutodetainmeandobligeme to
speak ; pray suffer m e to intreat you in m y turn, not to suffer Laches and Nicias to be gone, but to p r e s s ' e m t o m a k e a n s w e r -, b y t e l l i n g t h e m t h a t S a - cratesknows nothing oftheseMatters,and isunca- pable to determine which of them has the better of it : For he had no Masters, and could not find out theArtby himself WhereforeNiciasandLaches, say you, pray tellus if ever you saw any excellent Man for the Education of Youth ? Did you learn thisArtfromanyBody,ordidyoufinditofyour selves? If you learn'd it, pray tell us who was your Master, and who they are that follow the fame Profeflion;totheendthatifthePublick Af fairs do not afford you so much leisure, we may go to them, and by Presents and Caresses oblige them to take Care of our Children aqd yours, and to pre vent their reflecting dishonour upon their Ancestors by their Vices. Ifyou found out this Art by your own Ingenuity, pray cite those you have instructed, who being Vicious before their coming to you, be came Vertuous under your Care.
If you are but
yet beginning to teach, take Care that you do not make your firstEssay upon little base Souls, but up on your own Children and those of your best Friends. Tell us then what you can do, and what not. ThisLyjimacbus,iswhatIwouldhaveyouto askofthem:Do notletthemgowithoutgiving you an Answer.
Lys.
? ? Laches : Or, of Valour. 197
Lys. In m y mind Socrates speaks admirably well. Wherefore, my Friends, consider ofanswering all these Questions :,For you may assure your selves that in so doing you'll oblige me and Me/ejias ve
rymuch. Itoldyoubeforethatwecall'dforyour Advice, as fancying, that since you have Children as well as we, that will quickly be of that Age which requires a wife Education, you might have thought maturelyuponitbeforenow. So,ifyouarenot
b u s i e , p r a y d i s c o u r s e t h e M a t t e r w i t h S o c r a t e s -, f o r , as he said very well, this is the most important Af fair of our Life.
Nic. It feems,LyJimacbus, you have no knowledge of Socrates, otherwise than by his Father, and that you never frequented his Company : You never law
him, sure, but in his Infancy in the Temples or Pub- lick Assemblies, or when his Father brought him to your House : For since he came to be a Man, it seems you never had any Correspondence with
him.
Lys. What ground do you go upon for that,
Niciaf ?
Nic. I go upon this : That I perceive you are ig- ^ ciiaratter
norant that Socrates looks upon every Body as his "/Socra-
N e i g h b o u r ; a n d t h a t w h o e v e r c o n v e r s e s w i t h h i m , ^ ^ f w <ol heisasmuchoblig'dtohimasifhewerehisRela-Mm. tion : Tho1 at fillt he speaks only of indifferent
Things, yet at last he is oblig'd by the Thread of his Discourse to give him an Account of the Conduct ofhisLife,andtotellhim howhelives,andhas
liv'd. And when Socrates has once brought him that length, he does not part from him tillhe have sounded him to the bottom, and got an account of allhisgoodandevilActions. Iknow itbyExpe rience. So Iseethere'sanecessityofpassingthat
way,andIfindthatImy selfcannotgetoff. How ever,I am very glad ofit} and do always take a singularPleasure in discoursing with him. For 'tis no great harm for a Man to be advertis'd of his Faults:And afterthat,hecannot butbecome more
Nn3 wise
? ? 198 Laches: Or, of Valour.
wife and prudent, ifhe minds and loves the Admoi nition? ,andaccording to Solon's Maxim, iswilling
to be instructed, whatever his Age be, and is not oldAgt foolishlypeffaadedthatoldAgebringsWisdoma- doesnot jongwithit. Sothatitshallneitherseemnew, hrinsJ^ nor disagreeable to me, if Socrates puts m e to a
rtthit"* Trial:And indeedIwasawarefromthebeginning, that since he was here, 'twould not be our Chil dren,butourselvesthatwouldbeexamin'd. For my partIsubmit tohimwithallmy Heart. Itre mains that Laches should tell his Sentiments.
Lac. MySentimentsarevarious. SometimesI'm inone Humour and sometimes inanother. Some timesIlovenothingsomuch asdiscoursing,and at
7Y*only othertimesIcannotabideit. WhenImeetwitha
yaiuMe Man"thatspeakswellofVertueor,anyScience,and discourses, findhim aMan ofVeracity and worthy ofhisProfes sion,Iam charmedwithhim,andtakeanunexpreffible
Pleasure in rinding his Words and Actions all of a piece:SuchaManistometheonlyexcellentMu sician that makes a perfect Harmony, not with the
^fhfont" ^arP or Musical Instruments, but with the Sum tq- L<</L>>*J' talcs his Life. For all his Actions suit with his
Musician. Words, not according to the (a) Lydias Phrygian, or Ionian Tones, but according to the Dorian -y which is the only one that deserves the name of GrecianHarmony. WhensuchaMan speaks,Iam pverjoy'd and charm'd; and drink in his Words so
greedily, that every Body perceives m e to be fond of hisDiscourses. ButaMan thatactsthequite,contra
st,? TheGrecianshadfourMeasures orToneswhich they call'dHarmonies,andmultipliedtheseby joyningtheother several ways. The tydian was doleful and proper for Lamenta tions,the"Phrygianwas vehement andfitto raiseupthe Passi ons, the Ionian effeminate and soft, the DorUk was Masculine, andsoprefer'dbySocratesto,alltherest; Accordingly\Ari-
ffotlein the last Chapter of his Toliticks, fays, That all the W o r l d is a g r e e d , t h a t t h e D o r i c k w a s m o s t m a n l y a n d s m o o t h , and a fortofmedium between the others ;upon which Ac countitwasmoreproperandsuitableforChildren. "Plata absolutely condemns the Lydian and Ionian in the Third Book
6f his l\ep.
ry,
? ? Laches : Or, of Valours 199
ry, mortifies m e most cruelly-, and the more he seems
to speak well, the more aversion I have to his*Jar-Jl'eJ"e^
gon. IamnotyetacquainredwithSocratesbyhis^tback'd Words, but by hisActions Iam ;and thinkhimhysuitable worthy tospeakuponanySubject,anddiscoursewithMHons,de- all freedom. If he issuch a M a n as you represent h\m/ervei "? -
I a m willing to enter into a Conference with him. *tj? J?
Ishall beveryglad ifhe'll takethePainstoexa-andhatred.
mineme, andshallneverbeunwillingtolearn:For
Iam ofSoloesMind, thatwe oughttobelearning
inouroldAge. Iwouldonlyaddawordtohis^^
Maxim,whichIwishhehadadded,viz,. Thatwqpua}*rMe
shouldlearnofgood Men. Inearnest,youmustLearning<< grant me this, That a Teacher ought to be a good/ro">>? <"><*
Man,thatImaynotlearnofhimwithreluctancy,^"- andthatmy disrelishmaynotpassforStupidityand. Indocility. ForIdonotmatteritatall,ifmyMa
ster be younger than I, or has not yet gain'd a Repu tation,andthelike. So,Socrates$$you'llexamineHe,heais andinstructme,you shallfindmeverydocileandthu>>p"n submissive. I have always had a good Opinion ofSocrates'* you, since that day that you and Iescap'd a consi-^fTM** derable Danger, and you gave such Proof of your Z,ZlnoL- Vertue, as became a good Man. Tell me then,^er^'L. whatyouplease:And letnotmyAgebeanyhin
drance.
Soc. Atleastwe cannotcomplain,thatyouare
not very ready to ask good Counsel and follow it. Lys. Thisisourbusiness;Icallitours, because
it is upon our Account that you are engag'd in it. Wherefore, Ibeseech you, for the love of theseChil* dren,seeinmysteadwhatweoughttoaskofNi- cias and Laches^ and joyn your Thoughts in Confe rence with theirs. As for me, my Memory isal mostgone,byreasonofmyoldAge:Iforgetmost part of the Questions I design'd to ask, and a great partofwhattheysaid:Iremembernothingofthe Matter, when theprincipalQuestion is thuscross'd and carv'd by fresh Incidents. Discuss this Mat ter among your selves-, I and Melesias shall
N n 4. hear
? ? 2oo
Laches : Or, of Valour.
hear you ; and after that, shall do as you direct
us. *
Soc. Nicias and Laches, w e must obey Lyjimachus
andMelejias. Perhapsitwillnotbeimproperto discusstheQuestionwe propos'dabove,viz. Whe therwe hadMastersinthisArt,orifwe have fbrm'd any Scholarsand render'd 'em betterMen thantheywere? Butmethinksthere'sashorterway ofcompassing our End, and at the same time of going nearer to the source, (j) for ifwe have a certain knowledge of any things that being communicated to another renders him better and have likewise
IncuringatheSecretofcommunicatingittohim, 'tisplainnot sickPerson,oniyj-hatwe kn0wthethingitself,butthatwe
TnoZthe knowwnatmeanSaret0beemploy'dinacquiring Remedyofit. Perhapsyoudonotunderstandme;butanEx- fixwayosamplewillletyouintothemeaning. Ifweknow pving it. certainly that Sight communicated to the Eyes ren-
? ders them better, and are able to communicate it; it is certain that we know what the Sight is, and all that'stobedoneforprocuringit. Whereasifwe donotknowwhatSeeingorHearingis,ourAdvice will be to no purposes we cannot pretend to be good Physicians either for the Eyes or the Ears, or to furnish 'em with the means of Seeing or Hearing.
Lys. You fay well, Socrates:
Soc. Have not your two Friends, Laches, call'd
you hither to advise with us, how Vertue may be
made to grow in the Souls of their Children, in
order totheirImprovement ? Lac. 'Tistrue. -vj- ?
Soc. Isitnotnecessary then,that firstofallwe should know what Vertue is; for ifwe are ignorant
(! ') This is an important and very useful Principle. Socra- tts'sScopeis,tomake'emsensiblethatMenmaywellknow the Vices and Faults of one another, and the Vertues they
ailwanttomake'emperfect,butdonotknowhowtocom municate that Vertue. God alone knows pur Weakness and.
Misery, and he alon? can heal it.
of
? ? Laches : Or, of Valour, ao|
pf that, how should we be capable of prescribing M e a n s for acquiring it >
Lac. By no Means, Socrates.
S o c T h e n 'tis p r e s u m ' d y o u k n o w w h a t it is. Lac. Without doubt. Soc. Butwhenweknowathing,cannotwe tell
what itis?
Lac. Yes. sure.
Soc. tAtpresentwe shall not enterupon theEn
quiry, What Vertue is in General ;That would be toolongandtooperplex'daTask, Let uscontent our selves with tracing one of its Branches* and try if we have all that's necessary for knowing that well. This will be a shorter and easier En quiry.
Lac. Sinceyou are ofthatmind,Iam satis fied.
Soc. But what Branch of Vertue shall we pitch;
upon? Doubtlessitmustbethatwhichseemstobe the only End of Fencing ? ,for the People alledge,
that this Exercise tends directly to Valour. ,
Lac. Yes, thatisthePlea.
Soc. Let's endeavour, Laches, in the firstPlace to
form a nice Definition of Valour ; and then we shall pursue the Means of communicating it to these Children, as much as ispossible,both by HabitandbyStudy. Saythen,WhatisValour?
Lac. Indeed,Socrates,that Question isnot very
hard. A valorousMan isonethatstandstohis"A*firsts
Post in Battle, that never turns his back, and that^X? repulses the Enemy.
Soc. Very well,Laches-,but perhaps 'tismy faulty Expression that occaiion'd your giving an An swerremotefrommy Question.
Lac. Howdoyoumean,Socrates?
Soc. I'lltellyou, ifIcan. A valiantMan isone thatkeepshisPostintheArmy, andbravelyattacks the Enemy.
Lac. That's what I fay.
5to<<
? ? to% Laches : Or, of Valour.
Laches'*_ Soc. SofayItoo. Butasforhimthatfightsthe DefinitionUEnemy upon a flight, and without keeping his fmtty. Post/
Lac. How,uponaFlight?
S o c . Y e s , i n F l e e i n g ? , a s t h e S c y t h i a n s , f o r I n
stance, w h o fight as fiercely upon a Retreat, as upon , ,a Pursuit: And, as Homer fays in Commendation of
ofUiads! " AEwaet's Horses, They were swifter than the Wind, intheFieldofBattle,andknewhowtoescapeand pursueanEnemy. Anddoesnothecommend AEneas for his skill in the Art of Fleeing when he calls them expert in Retreat ?
Lachesdt- Lac. That'sverytrue,Socrates;forHomerinthat fendsbisVe-PlacespeaksofChariots. AndasfortheScythians, ^ a ? n p " v o u k n o w t h e y w e r e T r o o p s o f C a v a l r y -, f o r t h a t
ijm ion. was tke-ir way 0f Engagement with Horse ; but our
Grecian Infantry fights by standing their Ground, asI
said but now.
Socrates -Soc. Perhapsyou'llexcepttheLacedemonians;
BiftMiZ. f? rI have heard in theBattle Q? P/at<e<e, when the Thesewere Lacedemonians were engaged with the Gerropboriy
Persian whohadmadeaBulwarkoftheirBucklers,and TTMf>\f-kill'd many of theirMen with their Arrows-,the
'jwJe<< <</fLacedemonians, Ifay,on thisoccasionthought itnot Willows5, propertokeeptheirPost,butfled;and whenthe
Tin Flight Persian Ranks were disorder'd in the Pursuit, rally'd eftbeUce- an,i attack'd the Cavalry you speak of, and by that ieSansmeanscameoffwithaNobleVictofy-
b'wght'em Lac. Youfaytrue.
theyiiiory. Sac. AndforthatReason,Itoldyoubutnow
thatIoccasionedyour faultyAnswerbyputtingthe Questionamiss. ForIwantedtoknow,whatValour is in a M a n that's valiant not only in Cavalry, but in
Infantryand allotherforts of War-, that is,not only TheExtentvaliantinWar, butinDangersatSea,inDiseases, tfrdour. -m poverty^ }n tne Management of Publick Affairs;
not only valorous, in Grief, Sorrow, and Fears, but likewiseinhisDesiresandPleasuresjaMan that knows how to make head against his Passions, whe therbystandinghisGround,orfleeing. ForValour extends to all these things. Lac.
? ? Laches : Or, of Valour. acj
Lac. That's certain.
Soc. ThenalltheseMenarevaliant. Onedisplays hisCourage by opposing hisPleasures,another against hisSorrow: OnecontroulshisDesires,andanother hisFears:AnduponalltheseOccasionsaMan may be cowardly and mean spirited.
Lac. Without question.
Soc. So I wanted to know of you, what each of
these Contraries,Valour and Cowardice,is. To begin27*Desini- withValour:Tellme,ifyou can,what isthisQua-t-onlT^JL
lity that is always the fame upon all those differentX/e Aft, Occasions? Do notyouunderstandme now? <<>>tocf*-
Lac. Not yet, perfectly. ii>><<.
Soc. WhatIwouldfay,isthis. Forinstance,If I ask'd you what that Swiftness is, which extends it selftoRunning, Playing upon Instruments, Speak ing,Learning,andathousandotherthings. Forwe apply that Swiftness to the Actions of the Hands,
Feet, Tongue, and Mind : These are the principal Subjects. Is it not so ?
Lac. Yes.
Soc. If any one ask'd me, what this Swiftness is, that extends to all these different things ? I would
answer, 'Tif a Faculty that does much in a littlespace a befini- ofTime. ForthisDefinitionagreestotheVoice,totknosSwif- Running, and all the other things that the word can mfi>
be applied to.
Lac. Right, Socrates-,theDefinitionisverygood. Soc. Define Valour then after the fame manner.
Tell. me what Faculty thisis, thatisalways the fame in Pleasures, in Affliction, and in all the above- mention'd Cafes ; and that never changes either its Name oritsNature.
? ? ? 88
Laches:Or^ ofFakw.
verygoodMan. Youand1mustrenewourAncient Friendship, and henceforward your Interests shall be mine, andmineyours.
Lac. You doverywell,Lysimacbus-? donotlet him go: ForIhaveseen Occasions, in which he maintain'd not only the Reputation of his Father, butthatofhisCountry, (a)AttheDefeatofDe-
? Humheretiredalongwithme :AndIcanallureyou, if all the rest had done their Duty, as he did, our City had been admirably well supported , and had not met with that great Shock.
LyJ. This is a great Encomium, Socrates ; and by
whomisitgiven>ByPersonsthatareworthy to
be credited in all things, especially upon that Point Thatis,fe*forwhichtheycryyouup. 1assureyou, noBody m' canhearyourPraiseswithmorePleasurethanIdo.
Iam infinitelygladthatyouhavepurchasedsucha Reputation, and I list my seisin the Number of your greatest Well-wishers. And therefore pray come, without Ceremony, to see Us ; and live with
us:SinceyouareofourFamilyyououghttodoit. Let this Day be the Date of the renewing of our Ancient Friendship ; and from henceforward be fa miliar with us and these Children, to the end that youandtheymaykeepup ourFriendship, asaPa ternalPledge. Wehopeyou'llmakethatuseofit; a n d f o r o u r P a r t s w e w i l l n o t l u s t e r y o u t o f o r g e t it. But to return to our Subject ^ what do you fayI WhatthinkyouofthisExerciseofArms*Doesit deserve to be learned by young M e n >
Soc. Upon thatPoint,Lyjimacbus, Ishallendea vourtogiveyou thebestCouncilIam Masterof; and shall not rail to put all your Orders in Execution. But since I a m the youngest , and less experienced thananyofyou, 'tisbutjustthatIhearyouspeak first; that so, after I have heard you, I may give in
(<t)InthisBattle,Socratessav'dXinophon'sLife,who fell when his Horse was shot under him ; and Socrates being on foot , took him upon his Back , and carried him several Miles,
my
? ? Laches : Of, of Valom. i8#
my SentimentsifIdifferfromyou, andback them withforcibleReasons. Whydonotyouspeakthen JSsicias? Tis your turn toipeak first. '
Nk. IdonotrefusetotellmyThoughts. Inmy-*Vantgj\ Mind, thatExercise isvery proper for young Peo-nV*"**"* pie, andMeritstheirApplication:Forbesidesthat,Few"*
it diverts them from theAmusements that they com
monlypursue, when they'reidle-,itinures1'emto 'labour,, and of necessity renders them more vigorous andstrong. ThereisnobetterExercise;nonethat requires more strength and dexterity : There's none more suitable to a Person of Quality than this, and riding the great Horse , especially to those of our
Profession:AndinregardoftheWarswe areal- ) ready engaged in, and that are liketo come upon us,; we must reckon those only true and good Exercises thatareperformedwiththeArmsus'dinWar;for they are of admirable use in Battles,whether set Battles in Rank and File, or singleAttacks after the Ranks are broken ; whether we pursue an Enemy
that rallies from time to time, or upon a Retreat are put to it, to get clear of an obstinate Enemy,, thatpursuesuswithSwordinHand. Hewhoisac- * quainted with those Exercises, will never be afraid of one Man norseveraltogether;butwillstillget offclear. Besides,theseExerciseshavethiscom mendable Quality , that they inspire their Votaries with a truePassion foranothermore'serious Exercise : forIsupposeallthosewho give themselves toFen cing, breath nothing but the End they proposed in
g o i n g t o b e t a u g h t , v i z . B a t t l e s a n d F i g h t s ? , a n d w h e n
theycometobeengagedinthese, aresofullofAm bitionandsofondofGlory, that theycarefullyin struct themselves in all that belongs to the Art of War, and make it their Business to rife by degrees
tothehighestPostsintheArmy. For itiscertain and manifest, that nothing ismore desirable and more worthyoftheCareofagoodMan, thanthesedif ferentPostsoftheSword, andallthe Functionsof War, to which this Exercise of Arms leads, as a
Means
? ? jqo
Laches : Or, of Valour.
Means to the End. To all these Advantages, we shalladdonemore, which isnotasmallone. Tis thatthisArtofFencingmakesMen morevaliant, and more venturous in Engagements : And if we reckon up every thing, there's anotherAdvantage that isnottobedespis'd,viz. that itgivesMen a good Meen and agraceful Carriage, which in a publick Appearance renders them agreeable to their own Troops,andformidabletotheirEnemies. Sothat Iam of Opinion, Lysimachus, thatChildrenshould learn those Exercises, and have given the Reasons I goupon. IfLachesbeofanotherMind, Ishallbe glad to hear it.
JNicias'*e- Lack Indeed,Niciat,hemustbeaboldMan,that iogj/refn'd. fayS that any Science whatever is not worthy to be
learn'd : For it is very commendable to k n o w every thing,andifthisExerciseofArmsisaScience, as itsTeachersalledge, and asNicias fays, Iown it oughttobetaught. ButifitisnotaScience,and ifthe Fencing-Masters impose upon us by theirBra vado's ; or ifitisonly an inconsiderable Science, to what purposeshouldweamuseourselveswithit?
Imentionthis,becauseIam perswaded, TheExampleoftheLa- jfjtwereavervconsiderableScience,it
S S r S <<3ffi wouldneverhaveescap'dtheLacedemo-
said. mam, whospendtheirwholelite-time Theywerethemost jnenquiringaftersuchthings,asmay
warlikeveopleosailthe ref]der triemsuperior in War to their
l ^ X s Enemies' Nay, supposing it had esca-
ped the Lacedemonians ; these Fencing-
Masters could not have been ignorant so long, that
of all the Grecians, the Lacedemonians are the most
curious in what relates to Arms ; and that Masters
of any Reputation here, would make their Fortune
there, muchbetterthanelsewhere;justasTragical
PoetsofanyNotedohere. Forevery . asatyrualw yon onethathasayeinforTragedies,comes
$ % & X & toight hither with 'em. and does riionwas ofArms. not travel from City to City to publish his Performances ; whereas those valiant Champions
? ? Laches: Or,ofValour, ipi
Champions who teach Fencing, look upon Lace-? *sreat? - demon(a)asan inaccessibleTemplethattheydarelosyfirLa- notapproach;andrambleround aboutitteachingceemon*
theirArttoothers,particularlytotholewho ownFineMa- themselves inferiour to all their Neighbours mstTM *>>***& whatrelatestoWar. Inavior^Lysimachus^Ihavey*'/^? "' seenagreat many ofthoseMastersengag'd inhot^"0}
Actions,andIknow perfectlywhattheirHumourthosewho is5upon which'tis eafieto form ajustestimateofflighttheir theirMerit. ItseemsProvidencehaspurposelysoLelfmS-
ordefd it, that none of that Profession did ever ac quiretheleastReputation inWar. We seeseveralftncing-
ofother Professions,notonlysuccessfulintheway^s-n oftheirBusiness,butlikewisefamousinWar. Butwau"* these Men are unfortunate by a peculiar fort of Fatality. ForthisfameveryStesilem^whoexpos'd himself but now before this Crowd of Spectators,
and spoke so Magnificently of himself. I say, I have seen this fame Man make a farbetter show against his Will upon a better Occasion. When the Ship he was in attack'd a Merchant-Man, he fought with a Pike headed with aSithe, that his Armsmightbeasremarkableashimselfwasamong theCombatants. AlltheProwessheshew'ddoes fcarce merit a relation : But the success of this warlike Stratagem, in clapping a Sithe on the Head ofaPike,isworthourattention. WhiletheFel lowwasfencingwithhisnew Arms,theywereun happily entangled in the Tackling of the Enemies Ship,andstuckthere. Hepull'dwithallhisforce togetitclear,butcouldnotobtainhisEnd. While his Ship kept close to the other, he follow'd it and kept his hold ; but when the Enemies Ship steer'd off, and was going to hawl him in, he suffer'd his
(a) He compares Lacedemon to the Temple of the Furies, tohich none durst approach ; for they had iuch a terrible Impression of these Goddesses, that they durst not either name 'en>>,orlookupon'em,orofferAddressestothem. These
Fencing-Masters were equally afraid of Lacedmon. A noble Elegy 1
Pike
? ? i$%
Laches : Or, ofValom.
Pike to flip by degrees through his Hands, till he hadonlyholdofitbythesmallend. TheEne my's Crew made Huzza's upon the pleasant Acci
dent : At last some Body having thrown a Stone that felljust at his Feet, he quit his beloved Arms,
and the Enemy redoubled their Shouts, when they saw the armed Sickle ? hanging upon the Tackling
oftheirShiplikeaTrophy. Itispossible,that,as Nicia* fays, itmay be a very considerable and use ful Science:ButItellyou whatIsaw:So that, asIsaidinthebeginning,ifitisaScience,itisan uselessone;andifitisnone,andifwe areonly inveigled by its fine Motto, then it does not deserve ourregard. Inaword,thosewho applythemfelves
tothatArt,areeitherCowardsorbrave
tf,eirAddress inspires Men. If Cowards, they are the more 'emwithsomeaffiance? infolent andtheirCowardice isOnly
butfor want of Courage , ' ? i tc>i_ u << theyC*ncarryonnotbitg the more exposd. Ifbrave,allthe
tsgorousty. World has their Eyes upon 'em : And
if they happen to be guilty of the least as we say that such false step, they must bear a thouiand tray* Ones are the Bui- Jests ^ Ra}Ueries . for th}s js not an
ties of the bcliool. This ? i-rr t>> r> n- ? /-? >> H"tionof-awardsdeferTM indifferentProfession;itexposes em to
to be remark'd. E n v y a t a f u r i o u s r a t e ; a n d i f t h e M a n that follows it, does not distinguish himself mightily by his Courage, he'll be ridicul'd without any possibility . of avoiding it. These are my ThoughtsofthatExercise. Itremainsthatyou
oblige Socrates to tell us,his Mind.
Lyf. Pray do Socrates-,for we want an Umpire
to decide the Difference. Had Nicias and Laches beenofoneOpinion,weshouldhavespar'dyouthe Trouble : But you see they are directly opposite. Sothatnow our businessistohearyour Judgment,
and see which of the two you fide with.
Soc. H o w now, Lyjimacbus^ are you for following
thegreatestNumber then?
Lyf. What can one do better ? ,
Soc. And you too, Melesias ? Were you to chuse
Exercises to be learn'd by your Son, would you rather
? ? Laches : Or, os Valour. 19^
rather be directed by the greatest Number, than by- one Man that has been well educated himself; and had excellent Masters ?
Mel. Formy part,Socrates^Iwouldbedirected
by thelatter.
Soc. You'd be more influenced by his Opinion,
than by that of us all four ?
Mel. PerhapsImight.
Soc. Becauseawise Judgmentoughttobeform'd'T>s**>>>-
from Knowledge, and not from the Multitude ? ltd&,***?
^/. Without doubt. ? J X
Soc. T h e first thing then, that w e are to enquire that ought into, is whether any of us is expert in the Thing *> <<*<<*? -
weconsultabout,ornot. Ifanyonebe,wemustmm**?
refer our selves to him, and leave the others -, if
not,wemustfeeforsomesuchManelsewhere. For
doyou,Melefiasand Lyjimachus^imaginethatthis
is a Business of small Consequence, and that you
run but an ordinary Risque ? Do not you de
ceive your selves, the Matter in hand relates to the
greatestGoodthatis. AlltheHappinessofFami-Ofwhat liesdependsupon theEducationofChildren:AndcVf'Va<^
HousesriseorsinkaccordingastheirChildrenare! ? ? rFi Vicious or Vertuous. ? drm ,-,.
Mel. You fay well.
Soc. So that one cannot be too Cautious and Prudent upon thisScore.
Mel. Most certainly.
Soc. How shouldwedothentotrywhichofus Four isnnost expert and best skill'd in Exercises ? Should not we presently pitch upon him who learn'd 'em best and follow'd 'em most, and had the best Masters ?
Mel. So Ithink.
Soc. And beforethat, should notwe endeavour to know the Thing it self that we would have our Children learn?
Mel. Howdoyousay>
Sc. Perhaps you'll understand me better inthis
manner: Merhinks, we did not at first agree upon Nn the
? ? jp4
Laches : Of, of Valour)
thenatureoftheThingwe areconsultingabout,in order,toknow whichofusismostdexterousatit, and was taught by the most masterly Hand.
Nic. How do you mean,Socrates;are notwe considering of Fencing, in order to know whether our Children ought to learn it, or not ?
Soc. Idonotfayotherwise. Butwhen aMan advises about a Remedy for the Eyes,and wants to know whether he should apply it or not ; do you think this Consultation relates more to the Remedy
than to the Eyes,to which 'tisto be applied ?
Nic. It relates most to the Eyes. Soc. AndwhenaManconsultswhatBitheshould
put upon his Horse, does not the Question relate more to the Horse than to the Bit ?
JV/V. Yes sure.
Soc. Inoneword,asoftenasaMan advisesa- bout a Thing with reference to another, (a) the direct Object of the Consultation is the Thing re- fer'dto,andnottothatwhichisonlymindedfor the fake of the other.
Nic. Itisnecessarily so.
Soc. Then we ought to examine well whether the M a n w e advise with is expert and skill'd in the Thingaboutwhichwe advise.
Nic. That's certain.
Soc. Atpresentwe areconsulting whatourChil
drenshouldlearn:So thatthe Questionturnsup
on the Children, and the Knowledge of their Souls isthe Business. ?
Nic. 'Tis just so.
Soc. And byConsequence,the Questionis,Whe
ther there is any of us experienc'd in the Conduct ofaSoul-,whoknowshowtomanageit,andhas been taught that Art by the best Masters >
(a) For Instance, when we think of purging a sick Per son,we considerofthePatientbeforewethinkoftheMe d i c i n e : A n d h a v i n g first d i s c o v e r s t h e S t a t e o f t h e P a t i e n t , then we think of a proper Medicine.
? -Lac.
? ? Laches: Or, ofValour: J9j
Lac. How, Socrates, did you never know any Peo ple that have become greater Proficients in some Sciences and Arts without any Master, than others with all the Masters that could be had ?
Soc. Yes, Laches-, I have known some : But tho' allthatsortofMen shouldbeproudoftellingyou that they are very Skilful, you would never intrust the least Affair to them, unless you saw 'em make, I do not fay one, but several elaborate and well done Performances.
Nic. Right, Socrates.
Soc. Since Lyfimachus and Melejias have call'd us to give our Advice of the Education of their Chil dren ; out of an ardent desire to form and dispose
their Minds to Vertue:We areoblig'd,O Nicks andLaches, ifwepretendtobeendow'dwiththe Capacity that's necessary for it,totell'em what Masters we have had, who were very good Men, and after having instructed several Scholars, form'd anddisposedourMindstoHonesty. Andifany,of us pretends to have had no Master, he must pro duce his Performances, and instance in some either- among the Athenians, or among Foreigners, whe ther Free-men or Slaves, who have been benefited by hisPrecepts, according to the Testimony ofall the World. If we can neither name our Masters norshewour Works,wemustsendourFriendsto fee for Advice elsewhere, and not expose our selves to just Reproach upon a Point of that importance, by corrupting their Children. For my part, Lyfi machusand Melejias,IownIneverhadaMatter for that Science, notwithstanding that from my youth I was passionately in love with it : But I had. not Money enough to reach the dear Fees of thole Sophisters who had boasted that they were the on ly Men that could benefit me :And by my own Ingenuity I have riot yet been able to find out thi Art. If Nicias and La:hes have compass'd it by
themselves, or have learn'd it of Masters, I shall think itno wonder:ForbeingricherthanI,they N n 2 could
? ? 196
Laches : Or, of Valour.
could afFord to have Masters * and being older than I,they may have learn'd itby themselves. And upon that Account I account 'em admirably well qua lified for instructing a young Gentleman : And be
sides,iftheyhadnotbeenvery wellassur'doftheir own Capacity, they would never have been so po sitive in determining what Exercises are useful and whatareuselesstotheYouth. So thatIsubmitto theminallThings. Whatamazesme,is,thatthey areoftwodifferentOpinions. However,sinceLa thesintreatedyoutodetainmeandobligeme to
speak ; pray suffer m e to intreat you in m y turn, not to suffer Laches and Nicias to be gone, but to p r e s s ' e m t o m a k e a n s w e r -, b y t e l l i n g t h e m t h a t S a - cratesknows nothing oftheseMatters,and isunca- pable to determine which of them has the better of it : For he had no Masters, and could not find out theArtby himself WhereforeNiciasandLaches, say you, pray tellus if ever you saw any excellent Man for the Education of Youth ? Did you learn thisArtfromanyBody,ordidyoufinditofyour selves? If you learn'd it, pray tell us who was your Master, and who they are that follow the fame Profeflion;totheendthatifthePublick Af fairs do not afford you so much leisure, we may go to them, and by Presents and Caresses oblige them to take Care of our Children aqd yours, and to pre vent their reflecting dishonour upon their Ancestors by their Vices. Ifyou found out this Art by your own Ingenuity, pray cite those you have instructed, who being Vicious before their coming to you, be came Vertuous under your Care.
If you are but
yet beginning to teach, take Care that you do not make your firstEssay upon little base Souls, but up on your own Children and those of your best Friends. Tell us then what you can do, and what not. ThisLyjimacbus,iswhatIwouldhaveyouto askofthem:Do notletthemgowithoutgiving you an Answer.
Lys.
? ? Laches : Or, of Valour. 197
Lys. In m y mind Socrates speaks admirably well. Wherefore, my Friends, consider ofanswering all these Questions :,For you may assure your selves that in so doing you'll oblige me and Me/ejias ve
rymuch. Itoldyoubeforethatwecall'dforyour Advice, as fancying, that since you have Children as well as we, that will quickly be of that Age which requires a wife Education, you might have thought maturelyuponitbeforenow. So,ifyouarenot
b u s i e , p r a y d i s c o u r s e t h e M a t t e r w i t h S o c r a t e s -, f o r , as he said very well, this is the most important Af fair of our Life.
Nic. It feems,LyJimacbus, you have no knowledge of Socrates, otherwise than by his Father, and that you never frequented his Company : You never law
him, sure, but in his Infancy in the Temples or Pub- lick Assemblies, or when his Father brought him to your House : For since he came to be a Man, it seems you never had any Correspondence with
him.
Lys. What ground do you go upon for that,
Niciaf ?
Nic. I go upon this : That I perceive you are ig- ^ ciiaratter
norant that Socrates looks upon every Body as his "/Socra-
N e i g h b o u r ; a n d t h a t w h o e v e r c o n v e r s e s w i t h h i m , ^ ^ f w <ol heisasmuchoblig'dtohimasifhewerehisRela-Mm. tion : Tho1 at fillt he speaks only of indifferent
Things, yet at last he is oblig'd by the Thread of his Discourse to give him an Account of the Conduct ofhisLife,andtotellhim howhelives,andhas
liv'd. And when Socrates has once brought him that length, he does not part from him tillhe have sounded him to the bottom, and got an account of allhisgoodandevilActions. Iknow itbyExpe rience. So Iseethere'sanecessityofpassingthat
way,andIfindthatImy selfcannotgetoff. How ever,I am very glad ofit} and do always take a singularPleasure in discoursing with him. For 'tis no great harm for a Man to be advertis'd of his Faults:And afterthat,hecannot butbecome more
Nn3 wise
? ? 198 Laches: Or, of Valour.
wife and prudent, ifhe minds and loves the Admoi nition? ,andaccording to Solon's Maxim, iswilling
to be instructed, whatever his Age be, and is not oldAgt foolishlypeffaadedthatoldAgebringsWisdoma- doesnot jongwithit. Sothatitshallneitherseemnew, hrinsJ^ nor disagreeable to me, if Socrates puts m e to a
rtthit"* Trial:And indeedIwasawarefromthebeginning, that since he was here, 'twould not be our Chil dren,butourselvesthatwouldbeexamin'd. For my partIsubmit tohimwithallmy Heart. Itre mains that Laches should tell his Sentiments.
Lac. MySentimentsarevarious. SometimesI'm inone Humour and sometimes inanother. Some timesIlovenothingsomuch asdiscoursing,and at
7Y*only othertimesIcannotabideit. WhenImeetwitha
yaiuMe Man"thatspeakswellofVertueor,anyScience,and discourses, findhim aMan ofVeracity and worthy ofhisProfes sion,Iam charmedwithhim,andtakeanunexpreffible
Pleasure in rinding his Words and Actions all of a piece:SuchaManistometheonlyexcellentMu sician that makes a perfect Harmony, not with the
^fhfont" ^arP or Musical Instruments, but with the Sum tq- L<</L>>*J' talcs his Life. For all his Actions suit with his
Musician. Words, not according to the (a) Lydias Phrygian, or Ionian Tones, but according to the Dorian -y which is the only one that deserves the name of GrecianHarmony. WhensuchaMan speaks,Iam pverjoy'd and charm'd; and drink in his Words so
greedily, that every Body perceives m e to be fond of hisDiscourses. ButaMan thatactsthequite,contra
st,? TheGrecianshadfourMeasures orToneswhich they call'dHarmonies,andmultipliedtheseby joyningtheother several ways. The tydian was doleful and proper for Lamenta tions,the"Phrygianwas vehement andfitto raiseupthe Passi ons, the Ionian effeminate and soft, the DorUk was Masculine, andsoprefer'dbySocratesto,alltherest; Accordingly\Ari-
ffotlein the last Chapter of his Toliticks, fays, That all the W o r l d is a g r e e d , t h a t t h e D o r i c k w a s m o s t m a n l y a n d s m o o t h , and a fortofmedium between the others ;upon which Ac countitwasmoreproperandsuitableforChildren. "Plata absolutely condemns the Lydian and Ionian in the Third Book
6f his l\ep.
ry,
? ? Laches : Or, of Valours 199
ry, mortifies m e most cruelly-, and the more he seems
to speak well, the more aversion I have to his*Jar-Jl'eJ"e^
gon. IamnotyetacquainredwithSocratesbyhis^tback'd Words, but by hisActions Iam ;and thinkhimhysuitable worthy tospeakuponanySubject,anddiscoursewithMHons,de- all freedom. If he issuch a M a n as you represent h\m/ervei "? -
I a m willing to enter into a Conference with him. *tj? J?
Ishall beveryglad ifhe'll takethePainstoexa-andhatred.
mineme, andshallneverbeunwillingtolearn:For
Iam ofSoloesMind, thatwe oughttobelearning
inouroldAge. Iwouldonlyaddawordtohis^^
Maxim,whichIwishhehadadded,viz,. Thatwqpua}*rMe
shouldlearnofgood Men. Inearnest,youmustLearning<< grant me this, That a Teacher ought to be a good/ro">>? <"><*
Man,thatImaynotlearnofhimwithreluctancy,^"- andthatmy disrelishmaynotpassforStupidityand. Indocility. ForIdonotmatteritatall,ifmyMa
ster be younger than I, or has not yet gain'd a Repu tation,andthelike. So,Socrates$$you'llexamineHe,heais andinstructme,you shallfindmeverydocileandthu>>p"n submissive. I have always had a good Opinion ofSocrates'* you, since that day that you and Iescap'd a consi-^fTM** derable Danger, and you gave such Proof of your Z,ZlnoL- Vertue, as became a good Man. Tell me then,^er^'L. whatyouplease:And letnotmyAgebeanyhin
drance.
Soc. Atleastwe cannotcomplain,thatyouare
not very ready to ask good Counsel and follow it. Lys. Thisisourbusiness;Icallitours, because
it is upon our Account that you are engag'd in it. Wherefore, Ibeseech you, for the love of theseChil* dren,seeinmysteadwhatweoughttoaskofNi- cias and Laches^ and joyn your Thoughts in Confe rence with theirs. As for me, my Memory isal mostgone,byreasonofmyoldAge:Iforgetmost part of the Questions I design'd to ask, and a great partofwhattheysaid:Iremembernothingofthe Matter, when theprincipalQuestion is thuscross'd and carv'd by fresh Incidents. Discuss this Mat ter among your selves-, I and Melesias shall
N n 4. hear
? ? 2oo
Laches : Or, of Valour.
hear you ; and after that, shall do as you direct
us. *
Soc. Nicias and Laches, w e must obey Lyjimachus
andMelejias. Perhapsitwillnotbeimproperto discusstheQuestionwe propos'dabove,viz. Whe therwe hadMastersinthisArt,orifwe have fbrm'd any Scholarsand render'd 'em betterMen thantheywere? Butmethinksthere'sashorterway ofcompassing our End, and at the same time of going nearer to the source, (j) for ifwe have a certain knowledge of any things that being communicated to another renders him better and have likewise
IncuringatheSecretofcommunicatingittohim, 'tisplainnot sickPerson,oniyj-hatwe kn0wthethingitself,butthatwe
TnoZthe knowwnatmeanSaret0beemploy'dinacquiring Remedyofit. Perhapsyoudonotunderstandme;butanEx- fixwayosamplewillletyouintothemeaning. Ifweknow pving it. certainly that Sight communicated to the Eyes ren-
? ders them better, and are able to communicate it; it is certain that we know what the Sight is, and all that'stobedoneforprocuringit. Whereasifwe donotknowwhatSeeingorHearingis,ourAdvice will be to no purposes we cannot pretend to be good Physicians either for the Eyes or the Ears, or to furnish 'em with the means of Seeing or Hearing.
Lys. You fay well, Socrates:
Soc. Have not your two Friends, Laches, call'd
you hither to advise with us, how Vertue may be
made to grow in the Souls of their Children, in
order totheirImprovement ? Lac. 'Tistrue. -vj- ?
Soc. Isitnotnecessary then,that firstofallwe should know what Vertue is; for ifwe are ignorant
(! ') This is an important and very useful Principle. Socra- tts'sScopeis,tomake'emsensiblethatMenmaywellknow the Vices and Faults of one another, and the Vertues they
ailwanttomake'emperfect,butdonotknowhowtocom municate that Vertue. God alone knows pur Weakness and.
Misery, and he alon? can heal it.
of
? ? Laches : Or, of Valour, ao|
pf that, how should we be capable of prescribing M e a n s for acquiring it >
Lac. By no Means, Socrates.
S o c T h e n 'tis p r e s u m ' d y o u k n o w w h a t it is. Lac. Without doubt. Soc. Butwhenweknowathing,cannotwe tell
what itis?
Lac. Yes. sure.
Soc. tAtpresentwe shall not enterupon theEn
quiry, What Vertue is in General ;That would be toolongandtooperplex'daTask, Let uscontent our selves with tracing one of its Branches* and try if we have all that's necessary for knowing that well. This will be a shorter and easier En quiry.
Lac. Sinceyou are ofthatmind,Iam satis fied.
Soc. But what Branch of Vertue shall we pitch;
upon? Doubtlessitmustbethatwhichseemstobe the only End of Fencing ? ,for the People alledge,
that this Exercise tends directly to Valour. ,
Lac. Yes, thatisthePlea.
Soc. Let's endeavour, Laches, in the firstPlace to
form a nice Definition of Valour ; and then we shall pursue the Means of communicating it to these Children, as much as ispossible,both by HabitandbyStudy. Saythen,WhatisValour?
Lac. Indeed,Socrates,that Question isnot very
hard. A valorousMan isonethatstandstohis"A*firsts
Post in Battle, that never turns his back, and that^X? repulses the Enemy.
Soc. Very well,Laches-,but perhaps 'tismy faulty Expression that occaiion'd your giving an An swerremotefrommy Question.
Lac. Howdoyoumean,Socrates?
Soc. I'lltellyou, ifIcan. A valiantMan isone thatkeepshisPostintheArmy, andbravelyattacks the Enemy.
Lac. That's what I fay.
5to<<
? ? to% Laches : Or, of Valour.
Laches'*_ Soc. SofayItoo. Butasforhimthatfightsthe DefinitionUEnemy upon a flight, and without keeping his fmtty. Post/
Lac. How,uponaFlight?
S o c . Y e s , i n F l e e i n g ? , a s t h e S c y t h i a n s , f o r I n
stance, w h o fight as fiercely upon a Retreat, as upon , ,a Pursuit: And, as Homer fays in Commendation of
ofUiads! " AEwaet's Horses, They were swifter than the Wind, intheFieldofBattle,andknewhowtoescapeand pursueanEnemy. Anddoesnothecommend AEneas for his skill in the Art of Fleeing when he calls them expert in Retreat ?
Lachesdt- Lac. That'sverytrue,Socrates;forHomerinthat fendsbisVe-PlacespeaksofChariots. AndasfortheScythians, ^ a ? n p " v o u k n o w t h e y w e r e T r o o p s o f C a v a l r y -, f o r t h a t
ijm ion. was tke-ir way 0f Engagement with Horse ; but our
Grecian Infantry fights by standing their Ground, asI
said but now.
Socrates -Soc. Perhapsyou'llexcepttheLacedemonians;
BiftMiZ. f? rI have heard in theBattle Q? P/at<e<e, when the Thesewere Lacedemonians were engaged with the Gerropboriy
Persian whohadmadeaBulwarkoftheirBucklers,and TTMf>\f-kill'd many of theirMen with their Arrows-,the
'jwJe<< <</fLacedemonians, Ifay,on thisoccasionthought itnot Willows5, propertokeeptheirPost,butfled;and whenthe
Tin Flight Persian Ranks were disorder'd in the Pursuit, rally'd eftbeUce- an,i attack'd the Cavalry you speak of, and by that ieSansmeanscameoffwithaNobleVictofy-
b'wght'em Lac. Youfaytrue.
theyiiiory. Sac. AndforthatReason,Itoldyoubutnow
thatIoccasionedyour faultyAnswerbyputtingthe Questionamiss. ForIwantedtoknow,whatValour is in a M a n that's valiant not only in Cavalry, but in
Infantryand allotherforts of War-, that is,not only TheExtentvaliantinWar, butinDangersatSea,inDiseases, tfrdour. -m poverty^ }n tne Management of Publick Affairs;
not only valorous, in Grief, Sorrow, and Fears, but likewiseinhisDesiresandPleasuresjaMan that knows how to make head against his Passions, whe therbystandinghisGround,orfleeing. ForValour extends to all these things. Lac.
? ? Laches : Or, of Valour. acj
Lac. That's certain.
Soc. ThenalltheseMenarevaliant. Onedisplays hisCourage by opposing hisPleasures,another against hisSorrow: OnecontroulshisDesires,andanother hisFears:AnduponalltheseOccasionsaMan may be cowardly and mean spirited.
Lac. Without question.
Soc. So I wanted to know of you, what each of
these Contraries,Valour and Cowardice,is. To begin27*Desini- withValour:Tellme,ifyou can,what isthisQua-t-onlT^JL
lity that is always the fame upon all those differentX/e Aft, Occasions? Do notyouunderstandme now? <<>>tocf*-
Lac. Not yet, perfectly. ii>><<.
Soc. WhatIwouldfay,isthis. Forinstance,If I ask'd you what that Swiftness is, which extends it selftoRunning, Playing upon Instruments, Speak ing,Learning,andathousandotherthings. Forwe apply that Swiftness to the Actions of the Hands,
Feet, Tongue, and Mind : These are the principal Subjects. Is it not so ?
Lac. Yes.
Soc. If any one ask'd me, what this Swiftness is, that extends to all these different things ? I would
answer, 'Tif a Faculty that does much in a littlespace a befini- ofTime. ForthisDefinitionagreestotheVoice,totknosSwif- Running, and all the other things that the word can mfi>
be applied to.
Lac. Right, Socrates-,theDefinitionisverygood. Soc. Define Valour then after the fame manner.
Tell. me what Faculty thisis, thatisalways the fame in Pleasures, in Affliction, and in all the above- mention'd Cafes ; and that never changes either its Name oritsNature.
