Besides, it is said that his laws were obscurely and ambiguously worded on purpose to enhance the power of the popular courts. For since parties to a controversy could not get satisfaction from the laws, the result was that they always wanted jurors to decide it, and every dispute was laid before them, so that they were in a manner masters of the laws. And he himself claims the credit for this in the following words— For to the common people I gave so much power as is sufficient, Neither robbing them of dignity, nor giving them too much, And those who had power, and were marvelously rich, Even for these I contrived that they suffered no harm I stood with a mighty shield in front of both classes, And suffered neither of them to prevail unjustly. Fragment 5 (Bergk) ; Aristotle, Const. of Athens. , xii. 1 ; cf. also ix. 1 f.