Crito
  by　Plato
  Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett
  INTRODUCTION。
  The　Crito　seems　intended　to　exhibit　the　character　of　Socrates　in　one　light
  only；　not　as　the　philosopher；　fulfilling　a　divine　mission　and　trusting　in
  the　will　of　heaven；　but　simply　as　the　good　citizen；　who　having　been
  unjustly　condemned　is　willing　to　give　up　his　life　in　obedience　to　the　laws
  of　the　state。。。
  The　days　of　Socrates　are　drawing　to　a　close；　the　fatal　ship　has　been　seen
  off　Sunium；　as　he　is　informed　by　his　aged　friend　and　contemporary　Crito；
  who　visits　him　before　the　dawn　has　broken；　he　himself　has　been　warned　in　a
  dream　that　on　the　third　day　he　must　depart。　　Time　is　precious；　and　Crito
  has　come　early　in　order　to　gain　his　consent　to　a　plan　of　escape。　　This　can
  be　easily　accomplished　by　his　friends；　who　will　incur　no　danger　in　making
  the　attempt　to　save　him；　but　will　be　disgraced　for　ever　if　they　allow　him
  to　perish。　　He　should　think　of　his　duty　to　his　children；　and　not　play　into
  the　hands　of　his　enemies。　　Money　is　already　provided　by　Crito　as　well　as　by
  Simmias　and　others；　and　he　will　have　no　difficulty　in　finding　friends　in
  Thessaly　and　other　places。
  Socrates　is　afraid　that　Crito　is　but　pressing　upon　him　the　opinions　of　the
  many：　　whereas；　all　his　life　long　he　has　followed　the　dictates　of　reason
  only　and　the　opinion　of　the　one　wise　or　skilled　man。　　There　was　a　time　when
  Crito　himself　had　allowed　the　propriety　of　this。　　And　although　some　one
  will　say　'the　many　can　kill　us；'　that　makes　no　difference；　but　a　good　life；
  in　other　words；　a　just　and　honourable　life；　is　alone　to　be　valued。　　All
  considerations　of　loss　of　reputation　or　injury　to　his　children　should　be
  dismissed：　　the　only　question　is　whether　he　would　be　right　in　attempting　to
  escape。　　Crito；　who　is　a　disinterested　person　not　having　the　fear　of　death
  before　his　eyes；　shall　answer　this　for　him。　　Before　he　was　condemned　they
  had　often　held　discussions；　in　which　they　agreed　that　no　man　should　either
  do　evil；　or　return　evil　for　evil；　or　betray　the　right。　　Are　these
  principles　to　be　altered　because　the　circumstances　of　Socrates　are　altered？
  Crito　admits　that　they　remain　the　same。　　Then　is　his　escape　consistent　with
  the　maintenance　of　them？　　To　this　Crito　is　unable　or　unwilling　to　reply。
  Socrates　proceeds：Suppose　the　Laws　of　Athens　to　come　and　remonstrate　with
  him：　　they　will　ask　'Why　does　he　seek　to　overturn　them？'　and　if　he　replies；
  'they　have　injured　him；'　will　not　the　Laws　answer；　'Yes；　but　was　that　the
  agreement？　　Has　he　any　objection　to　make　to　them　which　would　justify　him　in
  overturning　them？　　Was　he　not　brought　into　the　world　and　educated　by　their
  help；　and　are　they　not　his　parents？　　He　might　have　left　Athens　and　gone
  where　he　pleased；　but　he　has　lived　there　for　seventy　years　more　constantly
  than　any　other　citizen。'　　Thus　he　has　clearly　shown　that　he　acknowledged
  the　agreement；　which　he　cannot　now　break　without　dishonour　to　himself　and
  danger　to　his　friends。　　Even　in　the　course　of　the　trial　he　might　have
  proposed　exile　as　the　penalty；　but　then　he　declared　that　he　preferred　death
  to　exile。　　And　whither　will　he　direct　his　footsteps？　　In　any　well…ordered
  state　the　Laws　will　consider　him　as　an　enemy。　　Possibly　in　a　land　of
  misrule　like　Thessaly　he　may　be　welcomed　at　first；　and　the　unseemly
  narrative　of　his　escape　will　be　regarded　by　the　inhabitants　as　an　amusing
  tale。　　But　if　he　offends　them　he　will　have　to　learn　another　sort　of　lesson。
  Will　he　continue　to　give　lectures　in　virtue？　　That　would　hardly　be　decent。
  And　how　will　his　children　be　the　gainers　if　he　takes　them　into　Thessaly；
  and　deprives　them　of　Athenian　citizenship？　　Or　if　he　leaves　them　behind；
  does　he　expect　that　they　will　be　better　taken　care　of　by　his　friends
  because　he　is　in　Thessaly？　　Will　not　true　friends　care　for　them　equally
  whether　he　is　alive　or　dead？
  Finally；　they　exhort　him　to　think　of　justice　first；　and　of　life　and
  children　afterwards。　　He　may　now　depart　in　peace　and　innocence；　a　sufferer
  and　not　a　doer　of　evil。　　But　if　he　breaks　agreements；　and　returns　evil　for
  evil；　they　will　be　angry　with　him　while　he　lives；　and　their　brethren　the
  Laws　of　the　world　below　will　receive　him　as　an　enemy。　　Such　is　the　mystic
  voice　which　is　always　murmuring　in　his　ears。
  That　Socrates　was　not　a　good　citizen　was　a　charge　made　against　him　during
  his　lifetime；　which　has　been　often　repeated　in　later　ages。　　The　crimes　of
  Alcibiades；　Critias；　and　Charmides；　who　had　been　his　pupils；　were　still
  recent　in　the　memory　of　the　now　restored　democracy。　　The　fact　that　he　had
  been　neutral　in　the　death…struggle　of　Athens　was　not　likely　to　conciliate
  popular　good…will。　　Plato；　writing　probably　in　the　next　generation；
  undertakes　the　defence　of　his　friend　and　master　in　this　particular；　not　to
  the　Athenians　of　his　day；　but　to　posterity　and　the　world　at　large。
  Whether　such　an　incident　ever　really　occurred　as　the　visit　of　Crito　and　the
  proposal　of　escape　is　uncertain：　　Plato　could　easily　have　invented　far　more
  than　that　（Phaedr。）；　and　in　the　selection　of　Crito；　the　aged　friend；　as　the
  fittest　person　to　make　the　proposal　to　Socrates；　we　seem　to　recognize　the
  hand　of　the　artist。　　Whether　any　one　who　has　been　subjected　by　the　laws　of
  his　country　to　an　unjust　judgment　is　right　in　attempting　to　escape；　is　a
  thesis　about　which　casuists　might　disagree。　　Shelley　（Prose　Works）　is　of
  opinion　that　Socrates　'did　well　to　die；'　but　not　for　the　'sophistical'
  reasons　which　Plato　has　put　into　his　mouth。　　And　there　would　be　no
  difficulty　in　arguing　that　Socrates　should　have　lived　and　preferred　to　a
  glorious　death　the　good　which　he　might　still　be　able　to　perform。　　'A
  rhetorician　would　have　had　much　to　say　upon　that　point。'　　It　may　be
  observed　however　that　Plato　never　intended　to　answer　the　question　of
  casuistry；　but　only　to　exhibit　the　ideal　of　patient　virtue　which　refuses　to
  do　the　least　evil　in　order　to　avoid　the　greatest；　and　to　show　his　master
  maintaining　in　death　the　opinions　which　he　had　professed　in　his　life。　　Not
  'the　world；'　but　the　'one　wise　man；'　is　still　the　paradox　of　Socrates　in
  his　last　hours。　　He　must　be　guided　by　reason；　although　her　conclusions　may
  be　fatal　to　him。　　The　remarkable　sentiment　that　the　wicked　can　do　neither
  good　nor　evil　is　true；　if　taken　in　the　sense；　which　he　means；　of　moral
  evil；　in　his　own　words；　'they　cannot　make　a　man　wise　or　foolish。'
  This　little　dialogue　is　a　perfect　piece　of　dialectic；　in　which　granting　the
  'common　principle；'　there　is　no　escaping　from　the　conclusion。　　It　is
  anticipated　at　the　beginning　by　the　dream　of　Socrates　and　the　parody　of
  Homer。　　The　personification　of　the　Laws；　and　of　their　brethren　the　Laws　in
  the　world　below；　is　one　of　the　noblest　and　boldest　figures　of　speech　which
  occur　in　Plato。
  CRITO
  by
  Plato
  Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett
  PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：　　Socrates；　Crito。
  SCENE：　　The　Prison　of　Socrates。
  SOCRATES：　　Why　have　you　come　at　this　hour；　Crito？　it　must　be　quite　early。
  CRITO：　　Yes；　certainly。
  SOCRATES：　　What　is　the　exact　time？
  CRITO：　　The　dawn　is　breaking。
  SOCRATES：　　I　wonder　that　the　keeper　of　the　prison　would　let　you　in。
  CRITO：　　He　knows　me　because　I　often　come；　Socrates；　moreover。　　I　have　done
  him　a　kindness。
  SOCRATES：　　And　are　you　only　just　arrived？
  CRITO：　　No；　I　came　some　time　ago。
  SOCRATES：　　Then　why　did　you　sit　and　say　nothing；　instead　of　at　once
  awakening　me？
  CRITO：　　I　should　not　have　liked　myself；　Socrates；　to　be　in　such　great
  trouble　and　unrest　as　you　areindeed　I　should　not：　　I　have　been　watching
  with　amazement　your　peaceful　slumbers；　and　for　that　reason　I　did　not　awake
  you；　because　I　wished　to　minimize　the　pain。　　I　have　always　thought　you　to
  be　of　a　happy　disposition；　but　never　did　I　see　anything　like　the　easy；
  tranquil　manner　in　which　you　bear　this　calamity。
  SOCRATES：　　Why；　Crito；　when　a　man　has　reached　my　age　he　ought　not　to　be
  repining　at　the　approach　of　death。
  CRITO：　　And　yet　other　old　men　find　themselves　in　similar　misfortunes；　and
  age　does　not　prevent　them　from　repining。
  SOCRATES：　　That　is　true。　　But　you　have　not　told　me　why　you　come　at　this
  early　hour。
  CRITO：　　I　come　to　bring　you　a　message　which　is　sad　and　painful；　not；　as　I
  believe；　to　yourself；　but　to　all　of　us　who　are　your　friends；　and　saddest　of
  all　to　me。
  SOCRATES：　　What？　　Has　the　ship　come　from　Delos；　on　the　arrival　of　which　I
  am　to　die？
  CRITO：　　No；　the　ship　has　not　actually　arrived；　but　she　will　probably　be
  here　to…day；　as　persons　who　have　come　from　Sunium　tell　me　that　they　have
  left　her　there；　and　therefore　to…morrow；　Socrates；　will　be　the　last　day　of
  your　life。
  SOCRATES：　　Very　well；　Crito；　if　such　is　the　will　of　God；　I　am　willing；　but
  my　belief　is　that　there　will　be　a　delay　of　a　day。
  CRITO：　　Why　do　you　think　so？
  SOCRATES：　　I　will　tell　you。　　I　am　to　die　on　the　day　after　the　arrival　of
  the　ship？