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In the first place, men of Athens, I am not
altogether sure that a man would reasonably fear on your account lest your deliberations
would be the worse for your refusing to listen to your counsellors. For, to begin with,
Fortune—to whom be thanks—arranges much of your business to take care
of itself, so well that you would pray for nothing better, because little of it would be
in good shape through such foresight as is exercised by those in authority. Next, you know
in advance, not only what speeches each man will make, but also with what motives each one
harangues you, and if it were not spiteful, I should also have said, for what price.
[2]
I think you are prudent in reducing to a minimum the
time for being cheated. If I were intending to speak in the same vein as the rest, I
should not have thought it necessary to bore you by speaking. As it is, I think I have
something to say that will be worth your while to hear, and utterly different from what is
expected by the majority. It will be short. Listen and examine it, and, if it pleases you,
adopt it.
Demosthenes with an English translation by Norman W. DeWitt, Ph.D., and Norman J. DeWitt, Ph.D. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1949.
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