Whenamandoesanotheranyinjurybytheftorviolence，forthegreaterinjurylethimpaygreaterdamagestotheinjuredman，andlessforthesmallerinjury；butinallcases，whatevertheinjurymayhavebeen，asmuchaswillcompensatetheloss。Andbesidesthecompensationofthewrong，letamanpayafurtherpenaltyforthechastisementofhisoffence：hewhohasdonethewronginstigatedbythefollyofanother，throughthelightheartednessofyouthorthelike，shallpayalighterpenalty；buthewhohasinjuredanotherthroughhisownfolly，whenovercomebypleasureorpain，incowardlyfear，orlust，orenvy，orimplacableanger，shallendureaheavierpunishment。Notthatheispunishedbecausehedidwrong，forthatwhichisdonecanneverbeundone，butinorderthatinfuturetimes，he，andthosewhoseehimcorrected，mayutterlyhateinjustice，oratanyrateabatemuchoftheirevil-doing。Havinganeyetoallthesethings，thelaw，likeagoodarcher，shouldaimattherightmeasureofpunishment，andinallcasesatthedeservedpunishment。Intheattainmentofthisthejudgeshallbeafellow-workerwiththelegislator，wheneverthelawleavestohimtodeterminewhattheoffendershallsufferorpay；andthelegislator，likeapainter，shallgivearoughsketchofthecasesinwhichthelawistobeapplied。Thisiswhatwemustdo，MegillusandCleinias，inthebestandfairestmannerthatwecan，sayingwhatthepunishmentsaretobeofallactionsoftheftandviolence，andgivinglawsofsuchakindastheGodsandsonsofGodswouldhaveusgive。
Ifamanismadheshallnotbeatlargeinthecity，buthisrelationsshallkeephimathomeinanywaywhichtheycan；orifnot，letthempayapenalty-hewhoisofthehighestclassshallpayapenaltyofonehundreddrachmae，whetherhebeaslaveorafreemanwhomheneglects；andheofthesecondclassshallpayfour-fifthsofamina；andheofthethirdclassthree-fifths；andheofthefourthclasstwo-fifths。Nowtherearemanysortsofmadness，somearisingoutofdisease，whichwehavealreadymentioned；andthereareotherkinds，whichoriginateinanevilandpassionatetemperament，andareincreasedbybadeducation；outofaslightquarrelthisclassofmadmenwilloftenraiseastormofabuseagainstoneanother，andnothingofthatsortoughttobeallowedtooccurinawell-orderedstate。Letthis，then，bethelawaboutabuse，whichshallrelatetoallcases：-Nooneshallspeakevilofanother；andwhenamandisputeswithanotherheshallteachandlearnofthedisputantandthecompany，butheshallabstainfromevilspeaking；foroutoftheimprecationswhichmenutteragainstoneanother，andthefemininehabitofcastingaspersionsononeanother，andusingfoulnames，outofwordslightasair，inverydeedthegreatestenmitiesandhatredsspringup。Forthespeakergratifieshisanger，whichisanungraciouselementofhisnature；andnursinguphiswrathbytheentertainmentofevilthoughts，andexacerbatingthatpartofhissoulwhichwasformerlycivilizedbyeducation，helivesinastateofsavagenessandmoroseness，andpaysabitterpenaltyforhisanger。
Andinsuchcasesalmostallmentaketosayingsomethingridiculousabouttheiropponent，andthereisnomanwhoisinthehabitoflaughingatanotherwhodoesnotmissvirtueandearnestnessaltogether，orlosethebetterhalfofgreatness。Whereforeletnooneutteranytauntingwordatatemple，oratthepublicsacrifices，oratgames，orintheagora，orinacourtofjustice，orinanypublicassembly。Andletthemagistratewhopresidesontheseoccasionschastiseanoffender，andheshallbeblameless；butifhefailsindoingso，heshallnotclaimtheprizeofvirtue；forheisonewhoheedsnotthelaws，anddoesnotdowhatthelegislatorcommands。Andifinanyotherplaceanyoneindulgesinthesesortofrevilings，whetherhehasbegunthequarrelorisonlyretaliating，letanyelderwhoispresentsupportthelaw，andcontrolwithblowsthosewhoindulgeinpassion，whichisanothergreatevil；andifhedonot，lethimbeliabletopaytheappointedpenalty。Andwesaynow，thathewhodealsinreproachesagainstotherscannotreproachthemwithoutattemptingtoridiculethem；andthis，whendoneinamomentofanger，iswhatwemakematterofreproachagainsthim。Butthen，doweadmitintoourstatethecomicwriterswhoaresofondofmakingmankindridiculous，iftheyattemptinagood-naturedmannertoturnthelaughagainstourcitizens？ordowedrawthedistinctionofjestandearnest，andallowamantomakeuseofridiculeinjestandwithoutangeraboutanythingorperson；thoughasweweresaying，notifhebeangryhaveasetpurpose？Weforbidearnest-thatisunalterablyfixed；butwehavestilltosaywhoaretobesanctionedornottobesanctionedbythelawintheemploymentofinnocenthumour。Acomicpoet，ormakerofiambicorsatiricallyricverse，shallnotbepermittedtoridiculeanyofthecitizens，eitherbywordorlikeness，eitherinangerorwithoutanger。Andifanyoneisdisobedient，thejudgesshalleitheratonceexpelhimfromthecountry，orheshallpayafineofthreeminae，whichshallbededicatedtotheGodwhopresidesoverthecontests。Thoseonlywhohavereceivedpermissionshallbeallowedtowriteversesatoneanother，buttheyshallbewithoutangerandinjest；inangerandinseriousearnesttheyshallnotbeallowed。Thedecisionofthismattershallbelefttothesuperintendentofthegeneraleducationoftheyoung，andwhateverhemaylicense，thewritershallbeallowedtoproduce，andwhateverherejectsletnotthepoethimselfexhibit，oreverteachanybodyelse，slaveorfreeman，underthepenaltyofbeingdishonoured，andhelddisobedienttothelaws。
Nowheisnottobepitiedwhoishungry，orwhosuffersanybodilypain，buthewhoistemperate，orhassomeothervirtue，orpartofavirtue，andatthesametimesuffersfrommisfortune；itwouldbeanextraordinarythingifsuchanone，whetherslaveorfreeman，wereutterlyforsakenandfellintotheextremesofpovertyinanytolerablywell-orderedcityorgovernment。Whereforethelegislatormaysafelymakealawapplicabletosuchcasesinthefollowingterms：-Lettherebenobeggarsinourstate；andifanybodybegs，seekingtopickupalivelihoodbyunavailingprayers，letthewardensoftheagoraturnhimoutoftheagora，andthewardensofthecityoutofthecity，andthewardensofthecountrysendhimoutofanyotherpartsofthelandacrosstheborder，inorderthatthelandmaybeclearedofthissortofanimal。
Ifaslaveofeithersexinjureanything，whichisnothisorherown，throughinexperience，orsomeimproperpractice，andthepersonwhosuffersdamagebenothimselfinparttoblame，themasteroftheslavewhohasdonetheharmshalleithermakefullsatisfaction，orgiveupthetheslavewhohasdonehasdonetheinjury。Butifmasterarguethatthechargehasarisenbycollusionbetweentheinjuredpartyandtheinjurer，withtheviewofobtainingtheslave，lethimsuetheperson，whosaysthathehasbeeninjured，formalpractices。Andifhegainaconviction，lethimreceivedoublethevaluewhichthecourtfixesasthepriceoftheslave；andifhelosehissuit，lethimmakeamendsfortheinjury，andgiveuptheslave。Andifabeastofburden，orhorse，ordog，oranyotheranimal，injurethepropertyofaneighbour，theownershallinlikemannerpayfortheinjury。