Areopagiticus

Those who are rightly governed, on the other hand, do not need to fill their porticoes[*](Since Solon's time, Athenian laws were posted on pillars in the “King's Portico,” by the market-place. See Aristot. Ath. Pol. 7.) with written statutes, but only to cherish justice in their souls; for it is not by legislation, but by morals, that states are well directed, since men who are badly reared will venture to transgress even laws which are drawn up with minute exactness, whereas those who are well brought up will be willing to respect even a simple code.[*](Cf. Plat. Rep. 425a ff.)

Therefore, being of this mind, our forefathers did not seek to discover first how they should penalize men who were lawless, but how they should produce citizens who would refrain from any punishable act; for they thought that this was their duty, while it was proper for private enemies alone to be zealous in the avenging of crime.[*](The initiative in bringing criminals to justice was left largely to private citizens, any one of whom might bring charges before a court.)

Now our forefathers exercised care over all the citizens, but most of all over the young. They saw that at this age men are most unruly of temper and filled with a multitude of desires,[*](Cf. Plat. Laws 808d.) and that their spirits are most in need of being curbed by devotion to noble pursuits and by congenial labor; for only such occupations can attract and hold men who have been educated liberally and trained in high-minded ways.

However, since it was not possible to direct all into the same occupations, because of differences in their circumstances, they assigned to each one a vocation which was in keeping with his means; for they turned the needier towards farming and trade, knowing that poverty comes about through idleness, and evil-doing through poverty.