The tablets which are judged to be first, to the number of 300, shall be shown by the magistrates to the whole city, and the citizens shall in like manner select from these the candidates whom they prefer; and this second selection, to the number of 100, shall be again exhibited to the citizens; in the third, let any one who pleases select whom he pleases out of the 100, walking through the parts of victims, and let them choose for magistrates and proclaim the seven-and-thirty who have the greatest number of votes.

But who, Cleinias and Megillus, will order for us in the colony all this matter of the magistrates, and the scrutinies of them?
If we reflect, we shall see that cities which are in process of construction like ours must have some such persons, who cannot possibly be elected before there are any magistrates; and yet they must be elected in some way, and they are not to be inferior men, but the best possible.

For as the proverb says, 'a good beginning is half the business'; and 'to have begun well' is praised by all, and in my opinion is a great deal more than half the business, and has never been praised by any one enough.
CLEINIAS: That is very true.
ATHENIAN: Then let us recognize the difficulty, and make clear to our own minds how the beginning is to be accomplished.

There is only one proposal which I have to offer, and that is one which, under our circumstances, is both necessary and expedient.
CLEINIAS: What is it?
ATHENIAN: I maintain that this colony of ours has a father and mother, who are no other than the colonizing state.

Well I know that many colonies have been, and will be, at enmity with their parents.