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[194]
Perhaps
they will make a suggestion of this sort: the man has now embarked on a course
of friendship, and really wants to do Athens a good turn; if we condemn the decree, we shall be
discouraging him, and filling him with mistrust of us. Well, men of Athens, my attitude is this; please
consider it. If he were our friend honestly and in all sincerity, if he really
did intend to do us all manner of good, even then I should not think this
argument worthy of your attention. In my judgement there is no man who could
possibly do you so much service that for his sake you ought to perjure
yourselves and vote against proven justice.
Demosthenes. Demosthenes with an English translation by A. T. Murray, Ph.D., LL.D. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1939.
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