Ihaveastrong
desire,upon this occasion, to try in your presence, whether this.
Plato - 1701 - Works - a
the Law.
SecrateswastheonlyManofthe"Agehe liv'd in, that call'd that in Question $ and, which isyetmore surprising,were he now alive,hewould betheonlyManinthisourAge.
Allthatwefee beforeourEyes,orreadofinourHistories;ina word, all the Instances of what Men have done
through
? ? the Intw&u&ion toCrito. " 4?
through the love of Life aiid the fear of Death, have so debauch'd our Judgmehts, that w e are scarce ca pable to judge of what true Justice requires, and are apt to call everjr thing Just, that's universally pra- ctis'd. Now therecannotbeamore capitalError. However, since the Conduct of a Heathen, that chose rather to die than to break the Course of Justice, would seem to u$ the effect of Folly or strong Pre
judice-, let's try ifwe can hit upon any solid Rule t h a t m a y r e c l a i m tis b y its A u t h o r i t y , a n d c o n v i n c e us by its Light. The Christian Religion affords a greatmany such: But we shall'confine our selvesto one, which in a sovereign degree is justly intitled toboththeseCharacters. St. PaulbeinginPrisonill Macedonia,one Night thePrisonDoors open'd and hisChainsdropp'doff*andheWassofarfrommi kinghisEscape,thathehinder'dotherstodoit. Pe terbeingimprison'd byHerod,who hadresolv'dto put him to death after the Passover,made hisEscape theNightbeforetheDayofExecution. Buthow didhedoit>Goddidnotcontenthimselfwithun locking his Chains, andopeningthe PrisonDoors, but sent an Angel who push'd him on, and forc'd him to go along. This was the Conduct of the Saints. Tho'thePrisonbeopen,theydonotoffer tomaketheirEscape. NothinglessthananAngel
canoblige'emtodeparrthePrison. Socrates,who was no Saint, but follow'd as close as possible the lame Light that guides and illuminates the Saints, observes the fame Conduct : They open'd the Pri son and unty'd his Chains, but his Angel was silent, and he would notstir. He preferr'dan innocent Deathbeforea criminalLife:Butbeforehecame to a Resolution, he heard the Reasons ofhis Friend, who- speaks with a great deal offeree, and omits nothing that could move him : And after that, with a Divine Eloquence, confronted him with incontesta ble Maxims, grounded upon Truth and Justice, in which one may trace the Rays of the Evangelical Doctrine* viz. That we ought to flight the Opinions\
Efd' of
? ? jo
The fatrodu&ioB to Crito.
osMen, andregardonlytheJudgmentofGod;that it is not living, but living well, that should be our wish; that Justice is the life, and Injustice the death os the Soul ; that we ought not to injure our Ene
mies, or resent the Injuries we receive ; that 'tis bettertodie,thantoJinhthatwe mustobeytheLaw ofourCountry-,thattheInjustice osMen cannotju- fiisieourdisrespeStotheLaws ;andthattheLawsof this World have Sister-Laws in the other, which re
venge the Affronts put upon ''em here.
These were the Principles that Socrates went up
on. Those who take the pains to examine 'em and weigh their Consequences, will be fully satis fied,not onlythatSocratesactedthepartofanho nestManinrefusingtomakehisEscape,butlike wise that he could not be a good M a n if he did
otherwise. And 'twas with this view, that ? >uin- tilian laid, This Philosopher, by quitting the small remainder of his Life, retriev'd all the former Part of his Life, and likewise gain'd a Life to all Ages. Tis such Thoughts as these that our Soul should always have in view, in order to keep out Vice ; for if once we relent and allow the Enemy to gain
some ground, under a specious Pretence and a ta<< king Appearance, it will quickly master all, and overrun all the Banks that ,should stop itscourse.
CRITO;
? ? CRITO: Or,Ofwhatweoughttodo.
Socratesand Criiol
Soc. \ 7 \ 7Hat'sth<<matteryoucomeheresosoon, y y Crito? AsItakeit,'tisyetveryearly*
Crit. Tis true.
Sec. What a Clock may itbe then ?
Crit. A little before the break of DayJ
Soc. I wonder the Goaler let you in. Crit. HeisoneIknowverywell. Ihavebeen
withhimhereoften;and he isin some measure bblig'd to me.
Soc. Areyou butjustcome? Or,isitlongsince you came ?
Crit. I have been here a pretty while.
Soc,Why didnotyouawaken me then,when
you came in? ?
Crit. Pray God forbid Socrates. For my ownT^ttaiu
part I would gladly shake off the Cares and Anxiety socrateso* that keep my Eyesfrom closing. But when Ien-theEyesre-
ter'd this Room, I wonder'd to find you so found a-feedingbis sleep, and was loth to awaken you, that I might Deat1''
notrobyouofthesehappyMinutes. Indeed,So-. . crates, ever since I knew you, I have been always %rf*JJt~- charm'dwithyourPatienceandcalmTemper5bmTatiead, in a distinguishing manner in this juncture, since in
the Circumstances you are in, your Eye looks so ea- fieand unconcern'd.
Soc. Indeed,Crito. itwouldbeagreatindecencyin oneofmyAgetobeapprehensiveofDeath.
Crit. Ay ! And how many do we see every day, underthelikemisfortunes,whom Agedoe'snotex emptfromthoseFearsI
Soc^That'strue. Butafterall,whatbroughtyou hither so early >
Crit, I came to tell you a troublesome piece of4 D d ? Mews,
51
? ? si
Crito : Or, O f what we ought to do.
News,which,tho'theymay notseemtoaffectyou, yettbfy overwhelmboth me andallyour Relati onsandFriendswithunfufferableGrief Infine,I bring the most terrible News that ever could be brought.
Soc. What News >IstheShip arriv'dfromDe/os, uponthereturnofwhichIamtodie?
Grit, It is not yet arriv'd $ but without doubt it will be here this day according to the Intelligence wehavefromsomePersonsthatcamefiomSunium andleftitthere. Foratthatrate,itcannotfailof being there to day, and Ib to morrow you must un avoidably die.
Soc. Why not,Crito? Beitso,since*fistheWill ofGod. However,IdonotbelievethatVeflelwill arrive this day.
Crit. What do you ground that Conjecture upon?
Soc. I'lltellyou. Iam nottodietillthedayas ter the arrival of the Veflel.
Crit. At least those w h o are to execute the Sen tence,fay so.
Soc. That Vessel will not arrivetill to morrow, as I conjecture from a certain Dream I had this Night,aboutaMinuteago. (a)Anditleemsto meahappinessthatyoudidnotawakenme.
Crit. Well,whatistheDream>
Socrates'* Soc. Ithought,IfewaveryhandsomcomelyWo- remarkaUe man, cladinwhite,come uptome, who calling me vream. by. Namesaid,(b)Inthreedaystbwjhattbeinthe
^ d " ? " " fertile Phthia. Achilles*
Country.
/-. ? . \ftt.
(a) He speakson this fashion, because"the Dream? ofthe morningwerelook'duponasmoredistinctandtrue. Certiora & co/atiorafomniariaffirmantsubextimitiwttibm, quasijamemer genteanlmarum-vigore,producT-osopore, Tertul. deAnima.
{b) In the s>th Book of the Iliads, Achilles threatning to re tire, lays to Vlyfses,After to morrow you /halt fee the Hellespont coyerA with my Ships, and if Neptune afford me a happy Voyage, in threedaysI(hall arriyeatthefertilePhthia. TwaS thislast VersethatSocrateshadfromtheMonthoftheWomaninhis Dream; for ourDreams always bear a proportion to our G*~ n. m'si Habits,and ways of thinking. Noting can be astronger
Evidence
? ? Crito: Or,Ofwhatweoughttodo} ys
Crit. That's a very strange Dream, Socrates. ? Soc. Tisa verysignificantone,CW/0.
Crit. Yes,withoutdoubt. Butforthistime,pri thee,Socratestakemy Advice, andmake your Es
cape. Forrnypart,ifyoudie,besidestheirrepara-* **/#>> blelossofaFriend,whichIwillever lament,IamTttfUtm
afraidthatagreatmanyPeople,whoarenotweU^TM7*\ acquainted neither with you nor me, will believe M m con- thatIhave forsaken you,innot employing my in-J***'**? terest for promoting your Escape,nowthat'tisindu? ril1>><*
my Power. Is there any thingmore scandalous,SS. *^ thantolieunder the disreputeofbeingwedded tohicL. myMoneymorethanmyFriend? For,inshort,the People will neverbelieve, that'twasyou who re-
fus'd to go from hence when we pressed you to be gone.
Soc. My dearCrito,whyshouldwe besomuch
concern'd for the Opinion of the People ? Is it not
enough, that the more sensible part, who are the , onlyMen weoughttoregard,knowhowtheCase
stands ? '
Crit. But you fee, Socrates, there'sa necessity of
beingconcern'd fortheNoiseoftheMob? ,foryour Example is a sufficient instance, that they are capa ble ofdoing not only small but thegreatest of Inju ries, and display their Passion in an outragious man
ner, against those w h o are once run d o w n by the vul gar Opinion.
Soc. * Would to God, Crito, the People were ca pable to do the greatest of Injuries ! Were itso,they
Evidence of the gentle and easie Thoughts that Socrates had of Death, thanhisApplicationofthisPassage,bywhich here- ? -esentsDeathasafortunateVoyage toone'sownCountry,
he Grammarians, w h o are always ty'd up to the Letter,were never able to point out the Beauty and Delicacy of this Pas sage:Forthey onlyturn'ditinto acoarseIdeaofDeath, upon the resemblance of the word,Tbtbia with pStcnr, to cor- rust, as if a Grecian could ever have mistaken ipSin tox<p$i<n<.
* This is a noble Principle of Socrates'%. None can do the greatest Harm, but those who are able to do the greatest Good. AndthiscanonlybeattributedtoGod,nottoMen.
Dd 3 would
? ? 54 Crito:Or,Oftphaiweoughtibdo.
would likewise be capable of doing the greatest Good. Thatwouldbeagreathappiness. ,Butnei ther the one nor the other is possible. For they cannotmakeMeneitherwifeMenorFools.
Crit. Igrantit. Butprayanswerme. Isitnot outofTendernesstome andyourotherFriends,that you will not stirfromhence? For fear,lestupon
your Escape w e should be troubled and charged with carrying you off;and by that meansbe oblig'd toquitourPossessions,orpayalargeSum ofMo
ney, or else suffer something more fatal than ei ther > If that be your Fear^ shake it off, Socrates, in thenameoftheGods. Isnotithighly,reasonable that we should purchase your Escape at the rate of
exposing our selves to these Dangers, and greater onesiftherebeoccasion? Oncemore,mydearSo- crates,believeme andgoalongwithme.
Sac. I own, Crito, that I have such Thoughts and
severalotherbesidesinmy view.
C r i t . F e a r n o t h i n g , I i n t r e a t y o u ? , f o r i n t h e f i r s t
place they require no great Sum to let you out. And ontheotherhand,youseewhatapitifulcon- dition * those are in, who probably might arraign us:AsmallSumofMoneywillstoptheirMouths; myEstatealonewillserveforthat. Ifyouscruple toacceptofmy offer;hereisagreatnumberof strangers,who desirenothing more thantofurnish youwithwhatMoneyyouwant. SimmiastheTk-
ban, himself, has brought up very considerableSums.
Cebes is capable to do as much, and so are several
others. LetnotyourFearsthenstifletheDesireof
makingyourEscape. Andasforwhatyoutoldme
t'other day, in the Court, that ifyou made your Escape,you shouldnotknowhowtolive? ,praylet
not that trouble you : Whither soever you go, you'll bebelov'dinallPlacesoftheWorld. Ifyou'llgo toThejfaly,Ihave Friends there who will honour you according to your merit, and think themselves
'? * T h o s e w h o m a d e a T r a d e o f a c c u s i n g a t M h e n s , w e r e a
poor sort of People, whose Mouths were easily stopp'd with Money. ? . . hap-
? ? Crito:Or,OfwhatweottgUtodo: fi
happy in supplying you with what you want, and covering you from all occasions of fear in their Country. Besides,Socrates^withoutdoubtyouare guilty of a very unjust thing in delivering up your self,while*tisinyourPowertomake yourEscape, and promoting what your Enemies so passionately wishfor. Foryounotonlybetrayyourself,but likewise your Children, by abandoning them when you might make4,a shift to maintain and educate
'em:Youarenotatallconcem'datwhatmaybe
fallthem. Tho'atthesametimetheyareliketo
be in as dismal a Condition, as ever poor Orphans
were. AManoughteithertohavenoChildren,or
else to expose himself to the Care and Trouble of
breedingthem. Youseemtometoactthesoftest
a n d m o s t i n s e n s i b l e P a r t i n t h e W o r l d ? , w h e r e a s y o u ^ w " - t h t
ought to take up a Resolution worthy of a generous1? %TM"^
S o u l s, a b o v e a l l , y o u w h o b o a s t t h a t y o u p m t a e d s t e d d Z e s i ? f
nothingbut Vertueallthedays ofyourlife. ItellSocrates you, Socrates, I am asham'd upon the account off"fi'^f? r
you and your Relations, since the World will teJSBLj.
lieve 'twas long of our Cowardliness that you di<U<%.
not get off. In the first place they'll charge you
with standing a Trial that you might have avoided ;Because he
then they'll censure your Conduct in making your Hd notstoop
Defences; and at last, which is the most shameful'" jf* u
of all,they'll upbraid us with forsaking you through^"rather
fear or Cowardice, since we did not accomplishlikeanm- yourEscape. Prayconsiderofit,mydearSocrates? '<? */<<? thana
ifyou donotpreventtheapproachingEvil,you'llTr'finer-
bear a part in the Shame that will cover us all. Pray advise with your self quickly. But now I think on'tj there is nottime foradvising, there'sno choice left, all must be put in execution the next Night, for ifwe delay longer, all our Measures willbebroke. Believeme,Iintreatyou,anddoas
I bid you.
Socrates, my dear Crito, your good-will is very
commendable, provided it agrees with right Reason : But ifit swerves from that, the stronger itis, the D d 4 ? , more
? 5 6 C r i t o : Q r , O s w h a t w e ottght id dal
moreisitblame-worthy. Thefirstthingtobecon. Reasonand sider'd, is, whether we ought todo as you fay, oc justice notjJrory0Uknow'tisnotofyesterdaythatI've
tX/LT accustom'dmy selfonlyto. followtheReasonsthat Estimateofappearmostjustafteramatureexamination. Tho'
theKindnessfoxtxme frowns upon me, yet 111never part with ofFriends. tne Principles I have all along profefs'd. These
Principles appear always the fame, and I esteem themequallyatalltimes. So,ifyourAdvicebe not back'd by the strongest Reasons, assure your self I will never comply, not if all the, Power of the People should arm it self against me, or,offerto frighten m e like a Child, by laying on fresh Chains; and threatning to deprive me ofthe greatest Good, andobligemetosufferthecruellestDeath. Now, how shallwemanage thisEnquiryjustly? Tobe- sure, the fairest way isto resume what you have
been saying of the vulgar Opinions; that is, to en-: quire, whether there are some Reports that we ought to regard, and others that are to be flighted 5 pr^ whether the saying so is only a groundless and childless Proposition.
Ihaveastrong desire,upon this occasion, to try in your presence, whether this. Principlewillappeartome indifferentColoursfrom what itdid while I was in other Circumstances; or whether I shall always find it the fame $ in order todeterminemetoaComplianceorRefusal. (. .
Ifsmistakenot,'tispertain, thatseveralPersons who thought themselves Men of Sense,* have of ten maintain'd in this Place, that of all the Opinions of Men, some are to be regarded, and others to be flighted. In the name of the Gods, Crito, do not you think that was well said ? In all humane appearance you are in no danger: of dying to. morrow , and therefore 'tis presum'd that the sear of the present Danger cannot work any change uponyou. Wherefore,prayconsideritwell. Do. not you think they spoke justly who said, that all
: * This probably had been maintain'd in some os the for-: xaet Conferences in Prison, for Sccrates's Friends met every day in the*Prison to keep him Company. ' the
? ? Crito:Or,Ofwhat toeoughttodpi ? }
t h e O p i n i o n s o f M e n a r e n o t a l w a y s t o b e r e g a r d e d , m a t cJjel
but only some of 'em ; and those not of all MertjWe ^i/,^
butonlyofsome? Whatdoyoufay? Donotyoumakeof think'tisvery'true? ? ? ? ? ? ? v ? > '? -? Ofinimu
Crit. Very true.
Soc. Atthatratethen,oughtnotwetoesteemthe good Opinions and flight the bad ones ?
. Crit. 'Ay,doubtless. ? >-?
Soc. Are not the good Opinions then those of
wiseMen,andthebadonesthoseofFools? ? \ Crit. ltcannotbeotherwise.
Soc. . Lei'sseethen, how you will answer this: A
Man that makeshisExercises, when hecomesto
have his,Lesson,,whethershall heregardtheCon*
mendation orCensureofwho evercomes first,or
only of him that iseither*a PhysicianoraMaster? . Crit. O f the last to be sure. , . ? > . .
Soc Then he ought to fear the Censure, and va
lue the Commendation of that Man alone;and flight what comes from others. . / ? . . . .
i. Crit. Without'doubt.
Soc. For that Reason, this young Man must nek
ther eat nor drink, nor do any thing, without the OrdersofthatMaster,thatMan ofSense, andheis notjatallto;govern himselfby theCaprices ofothers.
; Crit. . . That's true.
Sec. Let'sfixuponthatthen. Butsupposehedis
obeys this Mastet, and disregards his Applause o? Censure j and suffers himselsto be blinded by the C a ressesand ApplausesoftheignorantMob 3willnot hecometosomeharmbythismeans?
? Xrit. How isitpossibleitshouldheotherwise? . Soc. But what will be the nature of this harm
that will accrue to him thereupon * where will it terminate, and what partofhim willitaffect?
. Crit. His Body without doubt, for by that means hellruinehimself;
' * For they perform those Exercises either for their Healths or else to improve, their Dexterity and Strength: For the first they follow'd the Orders of a Physicianj and for the other,theyw<<e directedbyaMaster. Soc,
? ? yS Crito:Or,Ofwhatweoughttodo.
S o c . V e r y w e l l -, b u t i s n o t t h e C a s e t h e f e m e a l l over? Upon the point ofJusticeor Injustice,Ho nestyorDishonesty,Good orEvil,whichatpresent are the subject or our Dispute, shall-we rather re fer our selves . to the Opinion of the People, than to thatof anexperienc'dwise Man, who justlychal lenges more Respect and Deference from us, than allthe World besides>Andifwedonotactcon formably to the Opinion of this one Man, is it not certain,thatwe shallruineourselves,andentirely losethat which only livesand gains new strength by Justice, and perishes only through Unjustice ? Or, mustwetakeallthatforathingofnoaccount?
Crit. Iam ofyourOpinion.
S? c' Take heed, I intreat you ; if by following h f>>st>". theOpinionsoftheIgnorantwe destroythatwhich
is only preserv'd by Health and wasted by Sickness ; canwesurvivetheCorruptionof that,whether it beourBodyorsomewhatelse>
Crit. That's certain.
Soc. Can one live then after the corruption and destruction of the Body >
Crit. No, to be sure.
Soc. But can one survive the Corruption of that which lives only by Justice, and dies only through Injustice ? Or, is this thing (whatever it be) that hasJustice or Injusticefor itsObject,tobelessVa luedthantheBody?
? Crit. Not at all.
Soc. What, isit much more valuable then > Crit. A great deal more. Soc. ThenmydearCrito,weoughtnottobecon-
hn&our cern'datwhat thePeople fay;butwhatthatlays, ^ t f t j o m w e w h o k n o w s w h a t ' s j u s t a n d w h a t ' s u n j u s t -, a n d t h a t
3 ? r7aloneisnothingelsebuttheTruth. Thusyousee, theTmtb; youestablish'dfalsePrinciplesatfirst,insayingthat
ie. God weoughttopayaDeferencetotheOpinionsofthe whoalone people,uponwhatisjust,good,honest,anditscon-
fiif. "trades. Someperhapswillobject,thatthePeople
is able to put us to death,
? - . Crit,
, llZesZiy
? ? Crito:Or,Ofwhatvpeoughttodo. 55
Crit. T o be sure, they'll start that Objection.
Soc. Tis alsotrue. But thatdoesriotaltertheTolireu
nature of what we were sayings that's still the"***(R)*"* fame. For you must stillremember, that 'tisnotVdiiTdi. Life, but a good Life that w e ought to court.
Crit. That's a certain Truth. Soc. Butisitnotlikewisecertain,that thisgood^ W lfe
Life consists in nothing else but Honesty and Justice ? ? j t ? & ? Crit. Yes. LJWfep
Soc. Now, before we go further,lets examine up on the Principles you've agreed to, whether m y de parture from hence without the permission of the Atheniansisjustorunjust. Ifitbefoundjust,we mustdoourutmosttobring itaboutjbutif'tisun just,wemustlayasidetheDesign. Forastothe Considerations, you alledg'djustnow, ofMoney, Re
putation and Family : These are only the Thoughts
of the baser Mob, who put innocent Persons toAchatdle* death, and would afterwards bring 'em to life ifoftheMot.
'twere possible. But as for us w h o bend our thoughts
another way, allthat wearetomind,iswhether
we do a just thing in giving Money, and lying un
der an Obligation to thole who promote our Es
cape? Or,whetherbothwe and theydo notcom-2^y,
mit apieceofInjusticeinsodoing? Ifthisbeanf0thecom.
unjust thing, we need not reason much upon themiffionof
Point, since*tisbettertoabidehereanddie,thanto*? ,*">$ undergo somewhat more terrible than Death. cS*
( Crit. Youareintherightofthat,Socrates:Let's feethenhow itwillfall. '
: Soc. W e shall go hand in hand in the Enquiry. " If you have any thing of weight to answer, pray do
i t w h e n I h a v e s p o k e n , t h a t s o I m a y c o m p l y -, i f not,prayforbearanyfurtherto pressme togofrom hencewithouttheConsentoftheAthenians. Ishall be infinitely glad, ifyou can persuade me to do it; but Icannotdo itwithoutbeingfirstconvinc'd. Take noticethenwhether my wayofpursuingthisEnqui
ry satisfie you, and do your utmost to make answer to my Questions,
Grin
? ? * f *t.
o u r F o r t u n e b e n e v e r s o g o o d o r b a d ? ? Crit. That*s certain.
Soc. Then we must avoid the least measure of Injustice. :
; Crit. Most certainly.
Soc Since we aretoavoidtheleast degreeofit,
then we ought not to do itto those who are unjust to us, notwithstanding that this People thinks it lawful. .
1 Crit. So I think.
S o c . B u t w h a t ! O u g h t w e t o d o E v i l o r n o t >. Crit. Without doubt we ought not.
Soc. But is it Justice, to repay Evil with Evil,
6a Crito:Or,Ofwhatwewighttodol
Crit. I will.
Difference Soc. Isit;true,thatweoughtnottodoanunjust
^J5*' thingtoanyMan? Or,isitlawfulinanymeasure ? BiUHrtji! -t0dout0oneownen weareforbidtodoittoano- stifithedo-ther? Gr,isitnotabsolutely true, thatallmanner
*<<ginjusticeof Injustice isneither good nor honest, as we were uanjMw. fayingbutnow >Or,infine,arealltheseSentiments
which we formerly entertain'd, vanifh'd in a few days? Andisitpossible,Crito,that thoseof years, our most serious Conferences, should resemble those ofChildren,and we atthe fame time not be sensible
injusticeitthat'tisso? Oughtwe hot rathertostandtowhat /w*k/<>>"we^6 said,asbeingacertainTruth,thatallIn-
jtfefriLJustice is scandalous and fetal to the PeriOn that krmitj commitsit-,letMenfaywhattheywill,andlet
toiT^i pwft13111^0theOpinionofthePeople,orisitun-
fertyu. just?
? Crit. 'Tishighly unjust.
Soc: Then there's no difference between doing Evil and being Unjust ?
' Crit. sown it.
Soc. Then weought nottodotheleastEvilor
InjusticetoanyMan,lethim do by usashewill. But take heed, Crito, that by thisConcession you do not speakagainstyourownSentiments. ForIknow Very well, there are few that will go this length :
And 'tisimpossibleFor those who vary in theirSen- "? ; ments
? ? iwer ?
Crito: Or,Ofwhatm oughttodo] 6x
timents upon this Points to agree well together. Nay,-onthecontrary;,thecontempt ofpneanother'sSocrates
Opinions, leads 'em to a reciprocal contempt of one 2 ^ * ^ anothersPersons. Considerwellthen,ifyouareof^J^
t h e . l a m e O p i n i o n w i t h m e -, a n d . l e t u s g r o u n d o u r T n x h ^ t t m Reasonipgs upon this Principle, That we. ought not <<? <*?
through
? ? the Intw&u&ion toCrito. " 4?
through the love of Life aiid the fear of Death, have so debauch'd our Judgmehts, that w e are scarce ca pable to judge of what true Justice requires, and are apt to call everjr thing Just, that's universally pra- ctis'd. Now therecannotbeamore capitalError. However, since the Conduct of a Heathen, that chose rather to die than to break the Course of Justice, would seem to u$ the effect of Folly or strong Pre
judice-, let's try ifwe can hit upon any solid Rule t h a t m a y r e c l a i m tis b y its A u t h o r i t y , a n d c o n v i n c e us by its Light. The Christian Religion affords a greatmany such: But we shall'confine our selvesto one, which in a sovereign degree is justly intitled toboththeseCharacters. St. PaulbeinginPrisonill Macedonia,one Night thePrisonDoors open'd and hisChainsdropp'doff*andheWassofarfrommi kinghisEscape,thathehinder'dotherstodoit. Pe terbeingimprison'd byHerod,who hadresolv'dto put him to death after the Passover,made hisEscape theNightbeforetheDayofExecution. Buthow didhedoit>Goddidnotcontenthimselfwithun locking his Chains, andopeningthe PrisonDoors, but sent an Angel who push'd him on, and forc'd him to go along. This was the Conduct of the Saints. Tho'thePrisonbeopen,theydonotoffer tomaketheirEscape. NothinglessthananAngel
canoblige'emtodeparrthePrison. Socrates,who was no Saint, but follow'd as close as possible the lame Light that guides and illuminates the Saints, observes the fame Conduct : They open'd the Pri son and unty'd his Chains, but his Angel was silent, and he would notstir. He preferr'dan innocent Deathbeforea criminalLife:Butbeforehecame to a Resolution, he heard the Reasons ofhis Friend, who- speaks with a great deal offeree, and omits nothing that could move him : And after that, with a Divine Eloquence, confronted him with incontesta ble Maxims, grounded upon Truth and Justice, in which one may trace the Rays of the Evangelical Doctrine* viz. That we ought to flight the Opinions\
Efd' of
? ? jo
The fatrodu&ioB to Crito.
osMen, andregardonlytheJudgmentofGod;that it is not living, but living well, that should be our wish; that Justice is the life, and Injustice the death os the Soul ; that we ought not to injure our Ene
mies, or resent the Injuries we receive ; that 'tis bettertodie,thantoJinhthatwe mustobeytheLaw ofourCountry-,thattheInjustice osMen cannotju- fiisieourdisrespeStotheLaws ;andthattheLawsof this World have Sister-Laws in the other, which re
venge the Affronts put upon ''em here.
These were the Principles that Socrates went up
on. Those who take the pains to examine 'em and weigh their Consequences, will be fully satis fied,not onlythatSocratesactedthepartofanho nestManinrefusingtomakehisEscape,butlike wise that he could not be a good M a n if he did
otherwise. And 'twas with this view, that ? >uin- tilian laid, This Philosopher, by quitting the small remainder of his Life, retriev'd all the former Part of his Life, and likewise gain'd a Life to all Ages. Tis such Thoughts as these that our Soul should always have in view, in order to keep out Vice ; for if once we relent and allow the Enemy to gain
some ground, under a specious Pretence and a ta<< king Appearance, it will quickly master all, and overrun all the Banks that ,should stop itscourse.
CRITO;
? ? CRITO: Or,Ofwhatweoughttodo.
Socratesand Criiol
Soc. \ 7 \ 7Hat'sth<<matteryoucomeheresosoon, y y Crito? AsItakeit,'tisyetveryearly*
Crit. Tis true.
Sec. What a Clock may itbe then ?
Crit. A little before the break of DayJ
Soc. I wonder the Goaler let you in. Crit. HeisoneIknowverywell. Ihavebeen
withhimhereoften;and he isin some measure bblig'd to me.
Soc. Areyou butjustcome? Or,isitlongsince you came ?
Crit. I have been here a pretty while.
Soc,Why didnotyouawaken me then,when
you came in? ?
Crit. Pray God forbid Socrates. For my ownT^ttaiu
part I would gladly shake off the Cares and Anxiety socrateso* that keep my Eyesfrom closing. But when Ien-theEyesre-
ter'd this Room, I wonder'd to find you so found a-feedingbis sleep, and was loth to awaken you, that I might Deat1''
notrobyouofthesehappyMinutes. Indeed,So-. . crates, ever since I knew you, I have been always %rf*JJt~- charm'dwithyourPatienceandcalmTemper5bmTatiead, in a distinguishing manner in this juncture, since in
the Circumstances you are in, your Eye looks so ea- fieand unconcern'd.
Soc. Indeed,Crito. itwouldbeagreatindecencyin oneofmyAgetobeapprehensiveofDeath.
Crit. Ay ! And how many do we see every day, underthelikemisfortunes,whom Agedoe'snotex emptfromthoseFearsI
Soc^That'strue. Butafterall,whatbroughtyou hither so early >
Crit, I came to tell you a troublesome piece of4 D d ? Mews,
51
? ? si
Crito : Or, O f what we ought to do.
News,which,tho'theymay notseemtoaffectyou, yettbfy overwhelmboth me andallyour Relati onsandFriendswithunfufferableGrief Infine,I bring the most terrible News that ever could be brought.
Soc. What News >IstheShip arriv'dfromDe/os, uponthereturnofwhichIamtodie?
Grit, It is not yet arriv'd $ but without doubt it will be here this day according to the Intelligence wehavefromsomePersonsthatcamefiomSunium andleftitthere. Foratthatrate,itcannotfailof being there to day, and Ib to morrow you must un avoidably die.
Soc. Why not,Crito? Beitso,since*fistheWill ofGod. However,IdonotbelievethatVeflelwill arrive this day.
Crit. What do you ground that Conjecture upon?
Soc. I'lltellyou. Iam nottodietillthedayas ter the arrival of the Veflel.
Crit. At least those w h o are to execute the Sen tence,fay so.
Soc. That Vessel will not arrivetill to morrow, as I conjecture from a certain Dream I had this Night,aboutaMinuteago. (a)Anditleemsto meahappinessthatyoudidnotawakenme.
Crit. Well,whatistheDream>
Socrates'* Soc. Ithought,IfewaveryhandsomcomelyWo- remarkaUe man, cladinwhite,come uptome, who calling me vream. by. Namesaid,(b)Inthreedaystbwjhattbeinthe
^ d " ? " " fertile Phthia. Achilles*
Country.
/-. ? . \ftt.
(a) He speakson this fashion, because"the Dream? ofthe morningwerelook'duponasmoredistinctandtrue. Certiora & co/atiorafomniariaffirmantsubextimitiwttibm, quasijamemer genteanlmarum-vigore,producT-osopore, Tertul. deAnima.
{b) In the s>th Book of the Iliads, Achilles threatning to re tire, lays to Vlyfses,After to morrow you /halt fee the Hellespont coyerA with my Ships, and if Neptune afford me a happy Voyage, in threedaysI(hall arriyeatthefertilePhthia. TwaS thislast VersethatSocrateshadfromtheMonthoftheWomaninhis Dream; for ourDreams always bear a proportion to our G*~ n. m'si Habits,and ways of thinking. Noting can be astronger
Evidence
? ? Crito: Or,Ofwhatweoughttodo} ys
Crit. That's a very strange Dream, Socrates. ? Soc. Tisa verysignificantone,CW/0.
Crit. Yes,withoutdoubt. Butforthistime,pri thee,Socratestakemy Advice, andmake your Es
cape. Forrnypart,ifyoudie,besidestheirrepara-* **/#>> blelossofaFriend,whichIwillever lament,IamTttfUtm
afraidthatagreatmanyPeople,whoarenotweU^TM7*\ acquainted neither with you nor me, will believe M m con- thatIhave forsaken you,innot employing my in-J***'**? terest for promoting your Escape,nowthat'tisindu? ril1>><*
my Power. Is there any thingmore scandalous,SS. *^ thantolieunder the disreputeofbeingwedded tohicL. myMoneymorethanmyFriend? For,inshort,the People will neverbelieve, that'twasyou who re-
fus'd to go from hence when we pressed you to be gone.
Soc. My dearCrito,whyshouldwe besomuch
concern'd for the Opinion of the People ? Is it not
enough, that the more sensible part, who are the , onlyMen weoughttoregard,knowhowtheCase
stands ? '
Crit. But you fee, Socrates, there'sa necessity of
beingconcern'd fortheNoiseoftheMob? ,foryour Example is a sufficient instance, that they are capa ble ofdoing not only small but thegreatest of Inju ries, and display their Passion in an outragious man
ner, against those w h o are once run d o w n by the vul gar Opinion.
Soc. * Would to God, Crito, the People were ca pable to do the greatest of Injuries ! Were itso,they
Evidence of the gentle and easie Thoughts that Socrates had of Death, thanhisApplicationofthisPassage,bywhich here- ? -esentsDeathasafortunateVoyage toone'sownCountry,
he Grammarians, w h o are always ty'd up to the Letter,were never able to point out the Beauty and Delicacy of this Pas sage:Forthey onlyturn'ditinto acoarseIdeaofDeath, upon the resemblance of the word,Tbtbia with pStcnr, to cor- rust, as if a Grecian could ever have mistaken ipSin tox<p$i<n<.
* This is a noble Principle of Socrates'%. None can do the greatest Harm, but those who are able to do the greatest Good. AndthiscanonlybeattributedtoGod,nottoMen.
Dd 3 would
? ? 54 Crito:Or,Oftphaiweoughtibdo.
would likewise be capable of doing the greatest Good. Thatwouldbeagreathappiness. ,Butnei ther the one nor the other is possible. For they cannotmakeMeneitherwifeMenorFools.
Crit. Igrantit. Butprayanswerme. Isitnot outofTendernesstome andyourotherFriends,that you will not stirfromhence? For fear,lestupon
your Escape w e should be troubled and charged with carrying you off;and by that meansbe oblig'd toquitourPossessions,orpayalargeSum ofMo
ney, or else suffer something more fatal than ei ther > If that be your Fear^ shake it off, Socrates, in thenameoftheGods. Isnotithighly,reasonable that we should purchase your Escape at the rate of
exposing our selves to these Dangers, and greater onesiftherebeoccasion? Oncemore,mydearSo- crates,believeme andgoalongwithme.
Sac. I own, Crito, that I have such Thoughts and
severalotherbesidesinmy view.
C r i t . F e a r n o t h i n g , I i n t r e a t y o u ? , f o r i n t h e f i r s t
place they require no great Sum to let you out. And ontheotherhand,youseewhatapitifulcon- dition * those are in, who probably might arraign us:AsmallSumofMoneywillstoptheirMouths; myEstatealonewillserveforthat. Ifyouscruple toacceptofmy offer;hereisagreatnumberof strangers,who desirenothing more thantofurnish youwithwhatMoneyyouwant. SimmiastheTk-
ban, himself, has brought up very considerableSums.
Cebes is capable to do as much, and so are several
others. LetnotyourFearsthenstifletheDesireof
makingyourEscape. Andasforwhatyoutoldme
t'other day, in the Court, that ifyou made your Escape,you shouldnotknowhowtolive? ,praylet
not that trouble you : Whither soever you go, you'll bebelov'dinallPlacesoftheWorld. Ifyou'llgo toThejfaly,Ihave Friends there who will honour you according to your merit, and think themselves
'? * T h o s e w h o m a d e a T r a d e o f a c c u s i n g a t M h e n s , w e r e a
poor sort of People, whose Mouths were easily stopp'd with Money. ? . . hap-
? ? Crito:Or,OfwhatweottgUtodo: fi
happy in supplying you with what you want, and covering you from all occasions of fear in their Country. Besides,Socrates^withoutdoubtyouare guilty of a very unjust thing in delivering up your self,while*tisinyourPowertomake yourEscape, and promoting what your Enemies so passionately wishfor. Foryounotonlybetrayyourself,but likewise your Children, by abandoning them when you might make4,a shift to maintain and educate
'em:Youarenotatallconcem'datwhatmaybe
fallthem. Tho'atthesametimetheyareliketo
be in as dismal a Condition, as ever poor Orphans
were. AManoughteithertohavenoChildren,or
else to expose himself to the Care and Trouble of
breedingthem. Youseemtometoactthesoftest
a n d m o s t i n s e n s i b l e P a r t i n t h e W o r l d ? , w h e r e a s y o u ^ w " - t h t
ought to take up a Resolution worthy of a generous1? %TM"^
S o u l s, a b o v e a l l , y o u w h o b o a s t t h a t y o u p m t a e d s t e d d Z e s i ? f
nothingbut Vertueallthedays ofyourlife. ItellSocrates you, Socrates, I am asham'd upon the account off"fi'^f? r
you and your Relations, since the World will teJSBLj.
lieve 'twas long of our Cowardliness that you di<U<%.
not get off. In the first place they'll charge you
with standing a Trial that you might have avoided ;Because he
then they'll censure your Conduct in making your Hd notstoop
Defences; and at last, which is the most shameful'" jf* u
of all,they'll upbraid us with forsaking you through^"rather
fear or Cowardice, since we did not accomplishlikeanm- yourEscape. Prayconsiderofit,mydearSocrates? '<? */<<? thana
ifyou donotpreventtheapproachingEvil,you'llTr'finer-
bear a part in the Shame that will cover us all. Pray advise with your self quickly. But now I think on'tj there is nottime foradvising, there'sno choice left, all must be put in execution the next Night, for ifwe delay longer, all our Measures willbebroke. Believeme,Iintreatyou,anddoas
I bid you.
Socrates, my dear Crito, your good-will is very
commendable, provided it agrees with right Reason : But ifit swerves from that, the stronger itis, the D d 4 ? , more
? 5 6 C r i t o : Q r , O s w h a t w e ottght id dal
moreisitblame-worthy. Thefirstthingtobecon. Reasonand sider'd, is, whether we ought todo as you fay, oc justice notjJrory0Uknow'tisnotofyesterdaythatI've
tX/LT accustom'dmy selfonlyto. followtheReasonsthat Estimateofappearmostjustafteramatureexamination. Tho'
theKindnessfoxtxme frowns upon me, yet 111never part with ofFriends. tne Principles I have all along profefs'd. These
Principles appear always the fame, and I esteem themequallyatalltimes. So,ifyourAdvicebe not back'd by the strongest Reasons, assure your self I will never comply, not if all the, Power of the People should arm it self against me, or,offerto frighten m e like a Child, by laying on fresh Chains; and threatning to deprive me ofthe greatest Good, andobligemetosufferthecruellestDeath. Now, how shallwemanage thisEnquiryjustly? Tobe- sure, the fairest way isto resume what you have
been saying of the vulgar Opinions; that is, to en-: quire, whether there are some Reports that we ought to regard, and others that are to be flighted 5 pr^ whether the saying so is only a groundless and childless Proposition.
Ihaveastrong desire,upon this occasion, to try in your presence, whether this. Principlewillappeartome indifferentColoursfrom what itdid while I was in other Circumstances; or whether I shall always find it the fame $ in order todeterminemetoaComplianceorRefusal. (. .
Ifsmistakenot,'tispertain, thatseveralPersons who thought themselves Men of Sense,* have of ten maintain'd in this Place, that of all the Opinions of Men, some are to be regarded, and others to be flighted. In the name of the Gods, Crito, do not you think that was well said ? In all humane appearance you are in no danger: of dying to. morrow , and therefore 'tis presum'd that the sear of the present Danger cannot work any change uponyou. Wherefore,prayconsideritwell. Do. not you think they spoke justly who said, that all
: * This probably had been maintain'd in some os the for-: xaet Conferences in Prison, for Sccrates's Friends met every day in the*Prison to keep him Company. ' the
? ? Crito:Or,Ofwhat toeoughttodpi ? }
t h e O p i n i o n s o f M e n a r e n o t a l w a y s t o b e r e g a r d e d , m a t cJjel
but only some of 'em ; and those not of all MertjWe ^i/,^
butonlyofsome? Whatdoyoufay? Donotyoumakeof think'tisvery'true? ? ? ? ? ? ? v ? > '? -? Ofinimu
Crit. Very true.
Soc. Atthatratethen,oughtnotwetoesteemthe good Opinions and flight the bad ones ?
. Crit. 'Ay,doubtless. ? >-?
Soc. Are not the good Opinions then those of
wiseMen,andthebadonesthoseofFools? ? \ Crit. ltcannotbeotherwise.
Soc. . Lei'sseethen, how you will answer this: A
Man that makeshisExercises, when hecomesto
have his,Lesson,,whethershall heregardtheCon*
mendation orCensureofwho evercomes first,or
only of him that iseither*a PhysicianoraMaster? . Crit. O f the last to be sure. , . ? > . .
Soc Then he ought to fear the Censure, and va
lue the Commendation of that Man alone;and flight what comes from others. . / ? . . . .
i. Crit. Without'doubt.
Soc. For that Reason, this young Man must nek
ther eat nor drink, nor do any thing, without the OrdersofthatMaster,thatMan ofSense, andheis notjatallto;govern himselfby theCaprices ofothers.
; Crit. . . That's true.
Sec. Let'sfixuponthatthen. Butsupposehedis
obeys this Mastet, and disregards his Applause o? Censure j and suffers himselsto be blinded by the C a ressesand ApplausesoftheignorantMob 3willnot hecometosomeharmbythismeans?
? Xrit. How isitpossibleitshouldheotherwise? . Soc. But what will be the nature of this harm
that will accrue to him thereupon * where will it terminate, and what partofhim willitaffect?
. Crit. His Body without doubt, for by that means hellruinehimself;
' * For they perform those Exercises either for their Healths or else to improve, their Dexterity and Strength: For the first they follow'd the Orders of a Physicianj and for the other,theyw<<e directedbyaMaster. Soc,
? ? yS Crito:Or,Ofwhatweoughttodo.
S o c . V e r y w e l l -, b u t i s n o t t h e C a s e t h e f e m e a l l over? Upon the point ofJusticeor Injustice,Ho nestyorDishonesty,Good orEvil,whichatpresent are the subject or our Dispute, shall-we rather re fer our selves . to the Opinion of the People, than to thatof anexperienc'dwise Man, who justlychal lenges more Respect and Deference from us, than allthe World besides>Andifwedonotactcon formably to the Opinion of this one Man, is it not certain,thatwe shallruineourselves,andentirely losethat which only livesand gains new strength by Justice, and perishes only through Unjustice ? Or, mustwetakeallthatforathingofnoaccount?
Crit. Iam ofyourOpinion.
S? c' Take heed, I intreat you ; if by following h f>>st>". theOpinionsoftheIgnorantwe destroythatwhich
is only preserv'd by Health and wasted by Sickness ; canwesurvivetheCorruptionof that,whether it beourBodyorsomewhatelse>
Crit. That's certain.
Soc. Can one live then after the corruption and destruction of the Body >
Crit. No, to be sure.
Soc. But can one survive the Corruption of that which lives only by Justice, and dies only through Injustice ? Or, is this thing (whatever it be) that hasJustice or Injusticefor itsObject,tobelessVa luedthantheBody?
? Crit. Not at all.
Soc. What, isit much more valuable then > Crit. A great deal more. Soc. ThenmydearCrito,weoughtnottobecon-
hn&our cern'datwhat thePeople fay;butwhatthatlays, ^ t f t j o m w e w h o k n o w s w h a t ' s j u s t a n d w h a t ' s u n j u s t -, a n d t h a t
3 ? r7aloneisnothingelsebuttheTruth. Thusyousee, theTmtb; youestablish'dfalsePrinciplesatfirst,insayingthat
ie. God weoughttopayaDeferencetotheOpinionsofthe whoalone people,uponwhatisjust,good,honest,anditscon-
fiif. "trades. Someperhapswillobject,thatthePeople
is able to put us to death,
? - . Crit,
, llZesZiy
? ? Crito:Or,Ofwhatvpeoughttodo. 55
Crit. T o be sure, they'll start that Objection.
Soc. Tis alsotrue. But thatdoesriotaltertheTolireu
nature of what we were sayings that's still the"***(R)*"* fame. For you must stillremember, that 'tisnotVdiiTdi. Life, but a good Life that w e ought to court.
Crit. That's a certain Truth. Soc. Butisitnotlikewisecertain,that thisgood^ W lfe
Life consists in nothing else but Honesty and Justice ? ? j t ? & ? Crit. Yes. LJWfep
Soc. Now, before we go further,lets examine up on the Principles you've agreed to, whether m y de parture from hence without the permission of the Atheniansisjustorunjust. Ifitbefoundjust,we mustdoourutmosttobring itaboutjbutif'tisun just,wemustlayasidetheDesign. Forastothe Considerations, you alledg'djustnow, ofMoney, Re
putation and Family : These are only the Thoughts
of the baser Mob, who put innocent Persons toAchatdle* death, and would afterwards bring 'em to life ifoftheMot.
'twere possible. But as for us w h o bend our thoughts
another way, allthat wearetomind,iswhether
we do a just thing in giving Money, and lying un
der an Obligation to thole who promote our Es
cape? Or,whetherbothwe and theydo notcom-2^y,
mit apieceofInjusticeinsodoing? Ifthisbeanf0thecom.
unjust thing, we need not reason much upon themiffionof
Point, since*tisbettertoabidehereanddie,thanto*? ,*">$ undergo somewhat more terrible than Death. cS*
( Crit. Youareintherightofthat,Socrates:Let's feethenhow itwillfall. '
: Soc. W e shall go hand in hand in the Enquiry. " If you have any thing of weight to answer, pray do
i t w h e n I h a v e s p o k e n , t h a t s o I m a y c o m p l y -, i f not,prayforbearanyfurtherto pressme togofrom hencewithouttheConsentoftheAthenians. Ishall be infinitely glad, ifyou can persuade me to do it; but Icannotdo itwithoutbeingfirstconvinc'd. Take noticethenwhether my wayofpursuingthisEnqui
ry satisfie you, and do your utmost to make answer to my Questions,
Grin
? ? * f *t.
o u r F o r t u n e b e n e v e r s o g o o d o r b a d ? ? Crit. That*s certain.
Soc. Then we must avoid the least measure of Injustice. :
; Crit. Most certainly.
Soc Since we aretoavoidtheleast degreeofit,
then we ought not to do itto those who are unjust to us, notwithstanding that this People thinks it lawful. .
1 Crit. So I think.
S o c . B u t w h a t ! O u g h t w e t o d o E v i l o r n o t >. Crit. Without doubt we ought not.
Soc. But is it Justice, to repay Evil with Evil,
6a Crito:Or,Ofwhatwewighttodol
Crit. I will.
Difference Soc. Isit;true,thatweoughtnottodoanunjust
^J5*' thingtoanyMan? Or,isitlawfulinanymeasure ? BiUHrtji! -t0dout0oneownen weareforbidtodoittoano- stifithedo-ther? Gr,isitnotabsolutely true, thatallmanner
*<<ginjusticeof Injustice isneither good nor honest, as we were uanjMw. fayingbutnow >Or,infine,arealltheseSentiments
which we formerly entertain'd, vanifh'd in a few days? Andisitpossible,Crito,that thoseof years, our most serious Conferences, should resemble those ofChildren,and we atthe fame time not be sensible
injusticeitthat'tisso? Oughtwe hot rathertostandtowhat /w*k/<>>"we^6 said,asbeingacertainTruth,thatallIn-
jtfefriLJustice is scandalous and fetal to the PeriOn that krmitj commitsit-,letMenfaywhattheywill,andlet
toiT^i pwft13111^0theOpinionofthePeople,orisitun-
fertyu. just?
? Crit. 'Tishighly unjust.
Soc: Then there's no difference between doing Evil and being Unjust ?
' Crit. sown it.
Soc. Then weought nottodotheleastEvilor
InjusticetoanyMan,lethim do by usashewill. But take heed, Crito, that by thisConcession you do not speakagainstyourownSentiments. ForIknow Very well, there are few that will go this length :
And 'tisimpossibleFor those who vary in theirSen- "? ; ments
? ? iwer ?
Crito: Or,Ofwhatm oughttodo] 6x
timents upon this Points to agree well together. Nay,-onthecontrary;,thecontempt ofpneanother'sSocrates
Opinions, leads 'em to a reciprocal contempt of one 2 ^ * ^ anothersPersons. Considerwellthen,ifyouareof^J^
t h e . l a m e O p i n i o n w i t h m e -, a n d . l e t u s g r o u n d o u r T n x h ^ t t m Reasonipgs upon this Principle, That we. ought not <<? <*?
