Page:Works of Voltaire Volume 16.djvu/330

296 to the Olympics, that Socrates perverts the youth of Athens.

Admirable! go you from me to the seventh judge, and tell him I desire he'd take care of Socrates; so; here comes Melitus already, the first of the eleven; there's no necessity of practising any art with him, we know each other too well.

Mr. Judge, one word with you: this Socrates must be destroyed.

Indeed, Mr. High Priest, I have long thought so: let us agree in this point; we may quarrel, you know, notwithstanding, about everything else.

I know we hate each other most cordially: but at the same time we may lay our heads together to govern the commonwealth.

With all my heart, nobody can overhear us: therefore, to speak freely, I know you are a rogue, and you don't look upon me as a very honest man: I can't hurt you because you are high priest, nor you me because I am first judge; but Socrates may do us both a mischief, by exposing us to the world;