Wherefore,in the matter of journeys to other countries and the reception of strangers,we enact as follows:-In the first place,let no one be allowed to go anywhere at all into a foreign country who is less than forty years of age;and no one shall go in a private capacity,but only in some public one,as a herald,or on an embassy;or on a sacred mission.Going abroad on an expedition or in war,not to be included among travels of the class authorized by the state.To Apollo at Delphi and to Zeus at Olympia and to Nemea and to the Isthmus,-citizens should be sent to take part in the sacrifices and games there dedicated to the Gods;and they should send as many as possible,and the best and fairest that can be found,and they will make the city renowned at holy meetings in time of peace,procuring a glory which shall be the converse of that which is gained in war;and when they come home they shall teach the young that the institutions of other states are inferior to their own.And they shall send spectators of another sort,if they have the consent of the guardians,being such citizens as desire to look a little more at leisure at the doings of other men;and these no law shall hinder.For a city which has no experience of good and bad men or intercourse with them,can never be thoroughly,and perfectly civilized,nor,again,can the citizens of a city properly observe the laws by habit only,and without an intelligent understanding of them.And there always are in the world a few inspired men whose acquaintance is beyond price,and who spring up quite as much in ill-ordered as in well-ordered cities.These are they whom the citizens of a well ordered city should be ever seeking out,going forth over sea and over land to find him who is incorruptible-that he may establish more firmly institutions in his own state which are good already;and amend what is deficient;for without this examination and enquiry a city will never continue perfect any more than if the examination is ill-conducted.
Cleinias.How can we have an examination and also a good one?
Athenian Stranger.In this way:In the first place,our spectator shall be of not less than fifty years of age;he must be a man of reputation,especially in war,if he is to exhibit to other cities a model of the guardians of the law,but when he is more than sixty years of age he shall no longer continue in his office of spectator,And when he has carried on his inspection during as many out of the ten years of his office as he pleases,on his return home let him go to the assembly of those who review the laws.This shall be a mixed body of young and old men,who shall be required to meet daily between the hour of dawn and the rising of the sun.They shall consist,in the first place,of the priests who have obtained the rewards of virtue;and in the second place,of guardians of the law,the ten eldest being chosen;the general superintendent of education shall also be member,as well the last appointed as those who have been released from the office;and each of them shall take with him as his companion young man,whomsoever he chooses,between the ages of thirty and forty.These shall be always holding conversation and discourse about the laws of their own city or about any specially good ones which they may hear to be existing elsewhere;also about kinds of knowledge which may appear to be of use and will throw light upon the examination,or of which the want will make the subject of laws dark and uncertain to them.Any knowledge of this sort which the elders approve,the younger men shall learn with all diligence;and if any one of those who have been invited appear to be unworthy,the whole assembly shall blame him who invited him.The rest of the city shall watch over those among the young men who distinguish themselves,having an eye upon them,and especially honouring them if they succeed,but dishonouring them above the rest if they turn out to be inferior.This is the assembly to which he who has visited the institutions of other men,on his return home shall straightway go,and if he have discovered any one who has anything to say about the enactment of laws or education or nurture,or if he have himself made any observations,let him communicate his discoveries to the whole assembly.And if he be seen to have come home neither better nor worse,let him be praised at any rate for his enthusiasm;and if he be much better,let him be praised so much the more;and not only while he lives but after his death let the assembly honour him with fitting honours.But if on his return home he appear to have been corrupted,pretending to be wise when he is not,let him hold no communication with any one,whether young or old;and if he will hearken to the rulers,then he shall be permitted to live as a private individual;but if he will not,let him die,if he be convicted in a court of law of interfering about education and the laws,And if he deserve to be indicted,and none of the magistrates indict him,let that be counted as a disgrace to them when the rewards of virtue are decided.