the trader or merchant, who at best can only lay claim to
economical and not to royal science. Nor am I referring to government
officials, such as heralds and scribes, for these are only the servants
of the rulers, and not the rulers themselves. I admit that there may be
something strange in any servants pretending to be masters, but I hardly
think that I could have been wrong in supposing that the principal
claimants to the throne will be of this class. Let us try once more:
There are diviners and priests, who are full of pride and prerogative;
these, as the law declares, know how to give acceptable gifts to
the gods, and in many parts of Hellas the duty of performing solemn
sacrifices is assigned to the chief magistrate, as at Athens to the
King Archon. At last, then, we have found a trace of those whom we were
seeking. But still they are only servants and ministers.

And who are these who next come into view in various forms of men and
animals and other monsters appearing--lions and centaurs and satyrs--who
are these? I did not know them at first, for every one looks strange
when he is unexpected. But now I recognize the politician and his troop,
the chief of Sophists, the prince of charlatans, the most accomplished
of wizards, who must be carefully distinguished from the true king or
statesman. And here I will interpose a question: What are the true forms
of government? Are they not three--monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy?
and the distinctions of freedom and compulsion, law and no law, poverty
and riches expand these three into six. Monarchy may be divided into
royalty and tyranny; oligarchy into aristocracy and plutocracy; and
democracy may observe the law or may not observe it. But are any of
these governments worthy of the name? Is not government a science, and
are we to suppose that scientific government is secured by the rulers
being many or few, rich or poor, or by the rule being compulsory or
voluntary? Can the many attain to science? In no Hellenic city are there
fifty good draught players, and certainly there are not as many kings,
for by kings we mean all those who are possessed of the political
science. A true government must therefore be the government of one, or
of a few. And they may govern us either with or without law, and whether
they are poor or rich, and however they govern, provided they govern on
some scientific principle,--it makes no difference. And as the physician
may cure us with our will