BOOKIX
Nexttoallthematterswhichhaveprecededinthenaturalorderoflegislationwillcomesuitsoflaw。Ofsuitsthosewhichrelatetoagriculturehavebeenalreadydescribed，butthemoreimportanthavenotbeendescribed。Havingmentionedthemseverallyundertheirusualnames，wewillproceedtosaywhatpunishmentsaretobeinflictedforeachoffence，andwhoaretobethejudgesofthem。
Cleinias。Verygood。
AthenianStranger。Thereisasenseofdisgraceinlegislating，asweareabouttodo，forallthedetailsofcrimeinastatewhich，aswesay，istobewellregulatedandwillbeperfectlyadaptedtothepracticeofvirtue。Toassumethatinsuchastatetherewillarisesomeonewhowillbeguiltyofcrimesasheinousasanywhichareeverperpetratedinotherstates，andthatwemustlegislateforhimbyanticipation，andthreatenandmakelawsagainsthimifheshouldarise，inordertodeterhim，andpunishhisacts，undertheideathathewillarise-this，asIwassaying，isinamannerdisgraceful。Yetseeingthatwearenotliketheancientlegislators，whogavelawstoheroesandsonsofgods，being，accordingtothepopularbelief，themselvestheoffspringofthegods，andlegislatingforothers，whowerealsothechildrenofdivineparents，butthatweareonlymenwhoarelegislatingforthesonsofmen，thereisnouncharitablenessinapprehendingthatsomeoneofourcitizensmaybelikeaseedwhichhastouchedtheox’shorn，havingaheartsohardthatitcannotbesoftenedanymorethanthoseseedscanbesoftenedbyfire。Amongourcitizenstheremaybethosewhocannotbesubduedbyallthestrengthofthelaws；andfortheirsake，thoughanungracioustask，Iwillproclaimmyfirstlawabouttherobbingoftemples，incaseanyoneshoulddaretocommitsuchacrime。Idonotexpectorimaginethatanywell-brought-upcitizenwillevertaketheinfection，buttheirservants，andstrangers，andstrangers’servantsmaybeguiltyofmanyimpieties。
Andwithaviewtothemespecially，andyetnotwithoutaprovidenteyetotheweaknessofhumannaturegenerally，Iwillproclaimthelawaboutrobbersoftemplesandsimilarincurable，oralmostincurable，criminals。Havingalreadyagreedthatsuchenactmentsoughtalwaystohaveashortprelude，wemayspeaktothecriminal，whomsometormentingdesirebynightandbydaytemptstogoandrobatemple，thefewestpossiblewordsofadmonitionandexhortation：-Osir，wewillsaytohim，theimpulsewhichmovesyoutorobtemplesisnotanordinaryhumanmalady，noryetavisitationofheaven，butamadnesswhichisbegotteninamanfromancientandunexpiatedcrimesofhisrace，anever-recurringcurse；-againstthisyoumustguardwithallyourmight，andhowyouaretoguardwewillexplaintoyou。Whenanysuchthoughtcomesintoyourmind，goandperformexpiations，goasasupplianttothetemplesoftheGodswhoavertevils，gotothesocietyofthosewhoarecalledgoodmenamongyou；