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Augustine, whose great work 'The City of God' originated in a

similar motive, for not being loyal to the Roman Empire. Even a

nearer parallel might be afforded by the first Christians, who

cannot fairly be charged with being bad citizens because, though

'subject to the higher powers,' they were looking forward to a

city which is in heaven.

2. The idea of the perfect State is full of paradox when judged

of according to the ordinary notions of mankind. The paradoxes of

one age have been said to become the commonplaces of the next;

but the paradoxes of Plato are at least as paradoxical to us as

they were to his contemporaries. The modern world has either

sneered at them as absurd, or denounced them as unnatural and

immoral; men have been pleased to find in Aristotle's criticisms

of them the anticipation of their own good sense. The wealthy and

cultivated classes have disliked and also dreaded them; they have

pointed with satisfaction to the failure of efforts to realize

them in practice. Yet since they are the thoughts of one of the

greatest of human intelligences, and of one who had done most to

elevate morality and religion, they seem to deserve a better

treatment at our hands. We may have to address the public, as

Plato does poetry, and assure them that we mean no harm to

existing institutions.