“But the Nomothetae, Socrates, will prevent them.”
“Hardly,” I replied. “For your leaders of the Ecclesia, who are democrats and will not consult the people, and whom you praise, will ask the Nomothetae for their opinion three times; and when thereby they are quite satisfied that their proposal is displeasing to the Nomothetae it will forthwith become law. So that the conclusion is this: that the leaders of the Ecclesia will in most cases have authority to do what they like without consulting anybody. And these leaders, Askoïthios and his friends, are few in relation to the mass of the citizens, are they not?”
“They are not many, certainly.”
“That is something to be thankful for,” I said. “They then, being few, will rule for the time; and when the few rule, that is oligarchy. Is it not? Unless perhaps you will say that when your enemies
are in power in the Ecclesia, it is oligarchy; but when your friends are in power, then it is democracy?”
“Socrates, you are right, for once. That is precisely what I do say.”
THE TUTOR’S EXPEDIENT
“Come in” said the Senior Tutor of St. Boniface: and two scholars came in. (He knew they were scholars, because this was his hour for seeing scholars.) One was a heavy-looking young man in a frock coat and tall hat. The other was a spruce youth, who looked as if nature had intended him for an attorney’s clerk; as, indeed, nature had.
“Scholars, I presume, gentlemen?” inquired the Tutor. The young men bowed. “In what subjects, may I ask? You, sir” (turning to the spruce youth) “Mr.—I forget your name—eh? Oh, thanks—is it Classics? History? Natural Science, perhaps?”
“Oh no, sir; I hold a ‘Daily Thunderer’ Scholarship.”