Let the theatre be got ready (or by whatever other name they bid us call their new building); let the beadles make proclamation; let the people assemble, and those take the chief seats who either are distinguished by hoary hairs and age, and the excellence of their conduct as citizens; or else those conspicuous by their birth and reputation, and by the wisdom that cleaves to earth, and contains more of what is amusing than of true religion: for this point we will leave to their own discretion. What will they do next? Let them describe their presidents for themselves ---- "A purple robe shall adorn them, also a fillet round the head, and the garland and beauty of flowers," ⁹² ---- since I have on many occasions observed that a majestic appearance, and something above the common, is greatly affected by them, on the supposition that what is commonplace and prosaic brings with it contempt, but what is exaggerated and difficult to be reached produces credit: or else, perhaps, in this case too, they will descend down to our level, and hold that it is not dignity in outward forms that becomes them, but, like ourselves, superiority in morals. For we make small account of what is visible and pictured to the eye, our chief occupation is with the Inner Man, and to draw the spectator along with us to the object of thought, whereby we the more edify the public.

ΡΙΔʹ. Ἔστω τὸ θέατρον εὐτρεπές: ἢ οὐκ οἶδ' ὅ τι καὶ καλεῖν τὸν οἶκον αὐτῶν κελεύσουσιν: οἱ κήρυκες βοάτωσαν: ὁ λαὸς συνίτω: τὴν προεδρίαν ἐχέτωσαν εἴτε οἱ πολιᾷ, καὶ χρόνῳ, καὶ τῷ τῆς πολιτείας ἐξειλεγμένῳ προέχοντες, εἴτε οἱ γένει καὶ δόξῃ περίβλεπτοι, καὶ σοφίᾳ τῇ κάτω πλεκομένῃ, καὶ πλεῖον ἐχούσῃ τὸ τερπνὸν τῆς ἀληθοῦς εὐσεβείας: τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ποιησόμεθα. Τί ποιήσουσι τὰ ἑξῆς; Αὐτοὶ τοὺς ἑαυτῶν προέδρους γραψάτωσαν. Ἁλουργὶς αὐτοὺς κοσμήσει, καὶ ταινία, καὶ στεφάνων ἄνθος καὶ κάλλος: ἐπειδὴ πολλαχοῦ τὸ σεμνὸν ἔγνων αὐτοῖς σπουδαζόμενον, καὶ τὸ ὑπεράνω τοῦ ἰδιώτου ὡς τοῦ μὲν κοινοῦ καὶ πεζοῦ τὸ εὐκαταφρόνητον ἔχοντος, τοῦ δὲ ὑπερόγκου καὶ δυσεφίκτου τὸ ἀξιόπιστον. Ἢ κἀνταῦθα μέχρις ἡμῶν καταβήσονται, μὴ τὸ ἐν τοῖς σχήμασιν ὑψηλὸν μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ ἐν τῷ τρόπῳ πρέπειν αὐτοῖς, ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς, νομίζοντες; Ἡμῖν γὰρ τοῦ μὲν φαινομένου καὶ γραφομένου βραχὺς ὁ λόγος: ἡ πλείων δὲ πραγματεία περὶ τὸν ἐντὸς ἄνθρωπον, καὶ μεθέλκειν τὸν θεατὴν ἐπὶ τὸ νοούμενον, ᾧ καὶ μᾶλλον τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐκπαιδεύομεν.