pansypoo's personal rant page.

well, i had to finish Caius Memmius's oration on a corrupt oligarcy and found something else for OUR time-

i do not, however, wish to encourage you-----to be better satisfied at finding your fellow citizens guilty thaqn innocent, but merely to warn you NOT TO BRING RUIN UPON GOOD, by suffering the bad to escape. It is far better, in any government, to be unmindful of a service than of an injury; for a good man, if neglected, only becomes less active, but a bad man, more daring(oh boy, and how!). besides, if crimes of the wicked are suppressed, the state will seldom need EXTRAORDINARY support from the virtuous.

i know this is nowhere as good as the dearly missed hesiod, but it's ancient knowledge nonetheless.