hall we say of men? Is not honesty the best policy?
The clever rogue makes a great start at first, but breaks down before he
reaches the goal, and slinks away in dishonour; whereas the true runner
perseveres to the end, and receives the prize. And you must allow me
to repeat all the blessings which you attributed to the fortunate
unjust--they bear rule in the city, they marry and give in marriage to
whom they will; and the evils which you attributed to the unfortunate
just, do really fall in the end on the unjust, although, as you implied,
their sufferings are better veiled in silence.

But all the blessings of this present life are as nothing when compared
with those which await good men after death. 'I should like to hear
about them.' Come, then, and I will tell you the story of Er, the son of
Armenius, a valiant man. He was supposed to have died in battle, but ten
days afterwards his body was found untouched by corruption and sent home
for burial. On the twelfth day he was placed on the funeral pyre and
there he came to life again, and told what he had seen in the world
below. He said that his soul went with a great company to a place, in
which there were two chasms near together in the earth beneath, and two
corresponding chasms in the heaven above. And there were judges sitting
in the intermediate space, bidding the just ascend by the heavenly
way on the right hand, having the seal of their judgment set upon them
before, while the unjust, having the seal behind, were bidden to descend
by the way on the left hand. Him they told to look and listen, as he was
to be their messenger to men from the world below. And he beheld and saw
the souls departing after judgment at either chasm; some who came from
earth, were worn and travel-stained; others, who came from heaven,
were clean and bright. They seemed glad to meet and rest awhile in the
meadow; here they discoursed with one another of what they had seen in
the other world. Those who came from earth wept at the remembrance of
their sorrows, but the spirits from above spoke of glorious sights and
heavenly bliss. He said that for every evil deed they were punished
tenfold--now the journey was of a thousand years' duration, because the
life of man was reckoned as a hundred years--and the rewards of virtue
were in the same proportion. He added something hardly worth repeating
about infants dying almost as soon as they were born. Of parricides and
other murderers he had tortu