to the great detriment of justice.[17]

[13] See Grote, "H. G." v. 514, 520; Machiavelli, "Disc. s. Livio," i.
7.

[14] Reading with Sauppe, {anagke toinun, ean me} [for the vulgate
{ean men oliga k.t.l.}] {oliga poiontai dikasteria, oligoi en
ekasto esontai to dikasterio}. Or, adopting Weiske's emendation,
{ean men polla poiontai dikasteria k.t.l.} Translate, "Then, if by
so doing they manage to multiply the law courts, there will be
only a few judges sitting," etc.

[15] Or, as Liddell and Scott, "to prepare all his tricks."

[16] {sundekasoi}, "to bribe in the lump." This is Schneider's happy
emendation of the MS. {sundikasai}; see Demosthenes, 1137, 1.

[17] Reading {oste}, lit. "so as to get a far less just judgment."

But besides this we cannot escape the conclusion that the Athenians
have their festivals to keep, during which the courts cannot sit.[18]
As a matter of fact these festivals are twice as numerous as those of
any other people. But I will reckon them as merely equal to those of
the state which has the fewest.

[18] Lit. "it is not possible to give judgment"; or, "for juries to
sit."

This being so, I maintain that it is not possible for business affairs
at Athens to stand on any very different footing from the present,