Pagina 387 de 1391

'No small catalogue of crimes truly, even if the perpetrators are

few.' Yes, I said; but small and great are relative terms, and no

crimes which are committed by them approach those of the tyrant,

whom this class, growing strong and numerous, create out of

themselves. If the people yield, well and good, but, if they

resist, then, as before he beat his father and mother, so now he

beats his fatherland and motherland, and places his mercenaries

over them. Such men in their early days live with flatterers, and

they themselves flatter others, in order to gain their ends; but

they soon discard their followers when they have no longer any

need of them; they are always either masters or servants,-the

joys of friendship are unknown to them. And they are utterly

treacherous and unjust, if the nature of justice be at all

understood by us.