few into aristocracy, which has an auspicious name, and oligarchy; and
democracy or the rule of the many, which before was one, must now be
divided.

  Y. Soc. On what principle of division?

  Str. On the same principle as before, although the name is now
discovered to have a twofold meaning;-For the distinction of ruling
with law or without applies to this as well as to the rest.

  Y. Soc. Yes.

  Str. The division made no difference when we were looking for the
perfect State, as we showed before. But now that this has been
separated off, and, as we said, the others alone are left for us,
the principle of law and the absence of law will bisect them all.

  Y. Soc. That would seem follow, from what has been said.

  Str. Then monarchy, when bound by good prescriptions or laws, is the
best of all the six, and when lawless is the most bitter and
oppressive to the subject.

  Y. Soc. True.

  Str. The government of the few which is intermediate between that of
the one and many; is also intermediate in good and evil; but the
government of the many is in every respect weak and unable to do
either any great good or any great evil, when compared with the
others, because the offices are too minutely subdivided and too many
hold them. And this therefore is the worst of all lawful
governments, and the best of all lawless ones. If they are all without
the restraints of law, democracy is the form in which to live is best;
if they are well ordered then this is the last which you should
choose, as royalty, the first form, is the best, with the exception of
the seventh for that excels them all, and is among States what God
is among men.

  Y. Soc. You are quite right, and we should choose that above all.

  Str. The members of all these States, with the exception of the
one which has knowledge may be set aside as being not Statesmen but
partisans-upholders of the most monstrous idols, and themselves idols;
and, being the greatest imitators and magicians, they are also the
greatest of Sophists.

  Y. Soc. The name of Sophist after many windings in the argument
appears to have been most justly fixed upon the politicians, as they
are termed.

  Str. And so our satyric drama has been played out; and the troop
of Centaurs and Satyrs, however unwilling to leave the stage, have
at last been separated from the political science.

  Y. Soc. So I perceive.

  Str. There remain, however, natures still more troublesome,
because they are more nearly akin to the king, and more difficult to
discern; the examination of them may be compared to the process of
refining gold.

  Y. Soc. What is your meaning?

  Str. The workmen begin by sifting away the earth and stones and
the like; there remain in a confused mass the valuable clements akin
to gold, which can only be separated by fire-copper, silver, and other
precious metals; these are at last refined away by the use of tests,
until the gold is left quite pure.

  Y. Soc. Yes, that is the way in which these things are said to be
done.

  Str. In like manner, all alien and uncongenial matter has been
separated from political science, and what is precious and of a
kindred nature has been left; there remain the nobler arts of the
general and the judge, and the higher sort of oratory which is an ally
of the royal art, and persuades men to do justice, and assists in
guiding the helm of States:-How can we best clear away all these,
leaving him whom we seek alone and unalloyed?

  Y. Soc. That is obviously what has in some way to be attempted.

  Str. If the attempt is all that is wanting, he shall certainly be
brought to light; and I think that the illustration of music may
assist in exhibiting him. Please to answer me a question.

  Y. Soc. What question?

  Str. There is such a thing as learning music or handicraft arts in
general?

  Y. Soc. There is.

  Str. And is there any higher art or science, having power to
decide which of these arts are and are not to be learned;-what do
you say?

  Y. Soc. I should answer that there is.

  Str. And do we acknowledge this science to be different from the