Buthowcanourlawsufficientlytrainthedirectorofeducation。
himself；forasyetallhasbeenimperfect，andnothinghasbeensaideitherclearorsatisfactory？Now，asfaraspossible，thelawoughttoleavenothingtohim，buttoexplaineverything，thathemaybeaninterpreterandtutortoothers。Aboutdancesandmusicandchoralstrains，Ihavealreadyspokenbothtothecharacteroftheselectionofthem，andthemannerinwhichtheyaretobeamendedandconsecrated。Butwehavenotasyetspoken，Oillustriousguardianofeducation，ofthemannerinwhichyourpupilsaretousethosestrainswhicharewritteninprose，althoughyouhavebeeninformedwhatmartialstrainstheyaretolearnandpractise；whatrelatesinthefirstplacetothelearningofletters，andsecondly，tothelyre，andalsotocalculation，which，asweweresaying，isneedfulforthemalltolearn，andanyotherthingswhicharerequiredwithaviewtowarandthemanagementofhouseandcity，and，lookingtothesameobject，whatisusefulintherevolutionsoftheheavenlybodies-thestarsandsunandmoon，andthevariousregulationsaboutthesematterswhicharenecessaryforthewholestate-Iamspeakingofthearrangementsof；daysinperiodsofmonths，andofmonthsinyears，whicharetobeobserved，inorderthatseasonsandsacrificesandfestivalsmayhavetheirregularandnaturalorder，andkeepthecityaliveandawake，theGodsreceivingthehonoursduetothem，andmenhavingabetterunderstandingaboutthem：allthesethings，Omyfriend，havenotyetbeensufficientlydeclaredtoyoubythelegislator。Attend，then，towhatIamnowgoingtosay：-Weweretellingyou，inthefirstplace，thatyouwerenotsufficientlyinformedaboutletters，andtheobjectionwastothiseffect-thatyouwerenevertoldwhetherhewhowasmeanttobearespectablecitizenshouldapplyhimselfindetailtothatsortoflearning，ornotapplyhimselfatall；andthesameremarkholdsgoodofthestudyofthelyre。Butnowwesaythatheoughttoattendtothem。A
fairtimeforaboyoftenyearsoldtospendinlettersisthreeyears；theageofthirteenisthepropertimeforhimtobegintohandlethelyre，andhemaycontinueatthisforanotherthreeyears，neithermorenorless，andwhetherhisfatherorhimselflikeordislikethestudy，heisnottobeallowedtospendmoreorlesstimeinlearningmusicthanthelawallows。Andlethimwhodisobeysthelawbedeprivedofthoseyouthfulhonoursofwhichweshallhereafterspeak。Hear，however，firstofall，whattheyoungoughttolearnintheearlyyearsoflife，andwhattheirinstructorsoughttoteachthem。Theyoughttobeoccupiedwiththeirlettersuntiltheyaretoreadandwrite；buttheacquisitionofperfectbeautyorquicknessinwritinig，ifnaturehasnotstimulatedthemtoacquiretheseaccomplishmentsinthegivennumberofyears，theyshouldletalone。Andastothelearningofcompositionscommittedtowritingwhicharenotsettothelyre，whethermetricalorwithoutrhythmicaldivisions，compositionsinprose，astheyaretermed，havingnorhythmorharmony-seeinghowdangerousarethewritingshandeddowntousbymanywritersofthisclass-whatwillyoudowiththem，Omostexcellentguardiansofthelaw？orhowcanthelawgiverrightlydirectyouaboutthem？Ibelievethathewillbeingreatdifficulty。
Cle。Whattroublesyou，Stranger？andwhyareyousoperplexedinyourmind？
Ath。Younaturallyask，Cleinias，andtoyouandMegillus，whoaremypartnersintheworkoflegislation，Imuststatethemoredifficultaswellastheeasierpartsofthetask。