It was through knowledge that they owed success against their foes to such a training, that our own forefathers paid so careful a heed to the young. (9) Though they had but a scant supply of fruits, it was an immemorial custom "not to hinder (10) the hunter from hunting any of earth's offspring"; and in addition, "not to hunt by night (11) within many furlongs of the city," in order that the adepts in that art might not rob the young lads of their game. They saw plainly that among the many pleasures to which youth is prone, this one alone is productive of the greatest blessings. In other words, it tends to make them sound of soul and upright, being trained in the real world of actual things (12) (and, as was said before, our ancestors could not but perceive they owed their success in war to such instrumentality (13)); and the chase alone deprives them of none of the other fair and noble pursuits that they may choose to cultivate, as do those other evil pleasures, which ought never to be learned. Of such stuff are good soldiers and good generals made. (14) Naturally, those from whose souls and bodies the sweat of toil has washed all base and wanton thoughts, who have implanted in them a passion for manly virtue--these, I say, are the true nobles. (15) Not theirs will it be to allow their city or its sacred soil to suffer wrong. (9) Al. "looked upon the chase as a pursuit incumbent on the young." (10) {me koluein (dia) to meden ton epi te ge phuomenon agreuein}. The commentators generally omit {dia}, in which case translate as in text. Lenz reads {un koluein dia meden} (see his note ad v. 34), and translates (p. 61), "Dass man die Jager nicht hindern solle, in allem was die Erde hervorbrachte zu jagen," "not to hinder the huntsmen from ranging over any of the crops which spring from earth"; (but if so, we should expect {dia medenos}). Sturz, s.v. {agreuein}, notes "festive," "because the hunter does not hunt vegetable products." So Gail, "parce que le chasseur rien veut pas aux productions de la terre." (11) Or, "set their face against night-hunting," cf. "Mem." IV. vii. 4; Plat. "Soph." 220 D; "Stranger: There is one mode of striking which is done at night, and by the light of a fire, and is called by the hunters themselves firing, or spearing by firelight" (Jowett); for which see Scott, "Guy Mannering," ch. x. It seems "night hunting was not to be practised within a certain considerable radius, whereby the proficients in that art might deprive it (lit. in order that they might not deprive) them (the young huntsmen) of their game." (12) Lit. "in truth and reality (not among visionary phantoms)." (13) These words are commonly regarded as an addition; and what does {te} signify? (14) Or, "Here you have the making of brave soldiers and generals. Here in embryo are to be found your future soldiers and generals worthy the name."