Athenian:  Suppose that some God had given a fear-potion to men, and that the more a man drank of this the more he regarded himself at every draught as a child of misfortune, and that he feared everything happening or about to happen to him; and that at last the most courageous of men utterly lost his presence of mind for a time, and only came to himself again when he had slept off the influence of the draught.

Cleinias:  But has such a draught, Stranger, ever really been known among men?

Athenian:  No; but, if there had been, might not such a draught have been of use to the legislator as a test of courage?  Might we not go and say to him, ’O legislator, whether you are legislating for the Cretan, or for any other state, would you not like to have a touchstone of the courage and cowardice of your citizens?’

Cleinias:  ‘I should,’ will be the answer of every one.

Athenian:  ’And you would rather have a touchstone in which there is no risk and no great danger than the reverse?’

Cleinias:  In that proposition every one may safely agree.

Athenian:  ’And in order to make use of the draught, you would lead them amid these imaginary terrors, and prove them, when the affection of fear was working upon them, and compel them to be fearless, exhorting and admonishing them; and also honouring them, but dishonouring any one who will not be persuaded by you to be in all respects such as you command him; and if he underwent the trial well and manfully, you would let him go unscathed; but if ill, you would inflict a punishment upon him?  Or would you abstain from using the potion altogether, although you have no reason for abstaining?’

Cleinias:  He would be certain, Stranger, to use the potion.

Athenian:  This would be a mode of testing and training which would be wonderfully easy in comparison with those now in use, and might be applied to a single person, or to a few, or indeed to any number; and he would do well who provided himself with the potion only, rather than with any number of other things, whether he preferred to be by himself in solitude, and there contend with his fears, because he was ashamed to be seen by the eye of man until he was perfect; or trusting to the force of his own nature and habits, and believing that he had been already disciplined sufficiently, he did not hesitate to train himself in company with any number of others, and display his power in conquering the irresistible change effected by the draught—­his virtue being such, that he never in any instance fell into any great unseemliness, but was always himself, and left off before he arrived at the last cup, fearing that he, like all other men, might be overcome by the potion.

Cleinias:  Yes, Stranger, in that last case, too, he might equally show his self-control.

Athenian:  Let us return to the lawgiver, and say to him:—­’Well, lawgiver, there is certainly no such fear-potion which man has either received from the Gods or himself discovered; for witchcraft has no place at our board.  But is there any potion which might serve as a test of overboldness and excessive and indiscreet boasting?