er, among all the faults of which I am accused,
there may not be some that I can correct."

You see, the philosopher knew that it was never too late to mend, and
fully intended to be as perfect as possible. He knew, of course, that he
could not straighten his crooked nose or make his face good-looking,
but he hoped to find some way of improving his character.

"The Clouds" amused the Athenians for about twenty years; and when
Alcibiades turned traitor, and caused the ruin of his country, the
people still went to see it. In their anger against Alcibiades, they
began to think that perhaps Aristophanes was right, and that the youth
they had once loved so dearly would never have turned out so badly had
he not been influenced for evil.

As the teacher in the play was blamed for all the wrongdoing of his
pupil, so Socrates was now accused by the Athenians of ruining
Alcibiades. Little by little the philosopher's enemies became so bold
that they finally made up their minds to get rid of him. As he was quite
innocent, and as there was no other excuse for dragging him before the
Tribunal, they finally charged him with giving bad advice to young men,
and speaking ill of the gods.

LXX. DEATH OF SOCRATES.

The false accusation made against Socrates by his enemies soon had the
desired effect, for the Tribunal gave orders for his arrest and trial.
The philosopher, sure of his innocence, came before his judges, and
calmly answered their questions.

He told them he had never turned the gods into ridicule, as he knew it
was wrong to make fun of anything which others deemed sacred. Then, as
they still further pressed him to explain his views, he confessed that
he believed there was a God greater and better than any they worshiped.

As to teaching the young men anything which could do them harm, he said
it was quite impossible; for he had ever told them that they should be
as good, virtuous, and helpful as they could, which was surely not
wrong.

Socrates gave noble answers to all their questions; but the judges,
blinded with prejudice, believed the lying charges of his enemies, which
Socrates scorned to contradict. The philosopher's friends begged him to
use his eloquence to defend himself and confound his accusers; but he
calmly refused, saying, "My whole life and teaching is the only
contradiction, and the best defense I can offer."

Socrates, as you have seen, was really one of the best men that ever
lived, and, wi