G.M. Tell me the manner in which the magistrates are
chosen.


Capt. You would not rightly understand this, unless you
first learned their manner of living. That you may know, then,
men and women wear the same kind of garment, suited for war.
The women wear the toga below the knee, but the men above;
and both sexes are instructed in all the arts together. When
this has been done as a start, and before their third year, the
boys learn the language and the alphabet on the walls by walk-
ing round them. They have four leaders, and four elders, the
first to direct them, the second to teach them, and these are men
approved beyond all others. After some time they exercise
themselves with gymnastics, running, quoits, and other games,
by means of which all their muscles are strengthened alike.
Their feet are always bare, and so are their heads as far as the
seventh ring. Afterward they lead them to the offices of the
trades, such as shoemaking, cooking, metal-working, carpentry,
painting, etc. In order to find out the bent of the genius of
each one, after their seventh year, when they have already gone
through the mathematics on the walls, they take them to the
readings of all the sciences; there are four lectures at each read-
ing, and in the course of four hours the four in their order ex-
plain everything.

For some take physical exercise or busy themselves with pub-
lic services or functions, others apply themselves to reading.