A duty that was performed in
such a manner by the Areopagites, as is elegantly praised by
Isocrates. "the Athenians (says he) write not their laws upon
dead walls, nor content themselves with having ordained
punishments for crimes, but provide in such a way, by the
education of their youth, that there be no crimes for
punishment." He speaks of those laws which regarded manners, not
of those orders which concerned the administration of the
commonwealth, lest you should think he contradicts Xenophon and
Polybius. The children of Lacedaemon, at the seventh year of
their age, were delivered to the poedonomi, or schoolmasters, not
mercenary, but magistrates of the commonwealth, to which they
were accountable for their charge; and by these at the age of
fourteen they were presented to other magistrates called the
beidioei, having the inspection of the games and exercises, among
which that of the platanista was famous, a kind of fight in
squadrons, but somewhat too fierce. When they came to be of
military age they were listed of the mora, and so continued in
readiness for public service under the discipline of the
polemarchs. But the Roman education and discipline by the
centuries and classes is that to which the Commonwealth of Oceana
has had a more particular regard in her three essays, being
certain degrees by which the youth commence as it were in arms
for magistracy, as appears by --
The twenty-sixth order, instituting, "That if a parent has
but one son, the education of that one son shall be wholly at the
disposition of that parent.
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