My stepmother was present also,
panic-stricken and distrustful, not because she hated
me but because she was fearful and well aware that
he was in a bad way; she knew it because she alone
associated exclusively with him and lived side by


 

side with his disorder. Nevertheless, without any
timidity (for I knew that the symptoms would not
cheat me or betray the profession) I applied the
treatment at the nick of time for the attempt,
although some of my friends advised me not to be
overbold for fear that failure bring upon me a more
serious imputation of avenging myself upon my father
with poison, having conceived a grudge against him
for what I had suffered at his hands.
 To sum it up, he became well at once, recovered
his sanity, and was thoroughly in command of his
faculties. Those present were amazed, and my
stepmother was full of praise, making it plain to all
that she was delighted with my success and his
sanity. And as for my father here (for I am able to
testify on his behalf) without delay and without
asking any advice in this matter, as soon as he had
heard the whole story from those who were there, he
annulled the disownment and made me his son once
more, calling me his saviour and benefactor, admitting
that he had tested me thoroughly, and defending
himself for his former charges. This event gave joy
to many, the men of rectitude who were there, and
pain to those who preferred the disownment of a
son to his resumption. I saw, anyhow, at the time
that not all were equally pleased with the affair, but
at once one or another showed changed colour, disturbed eyes, and an angry face, such as comes from
jealousy and hatred. 
Well, we were rejoicing and making merry, as
was natural, since we had regained each other,
 
when
after a short time my stepmother suddenly began
to be afflicted, gentlemen of the jury, with an ailment
which was severe and unusual. I observed the

 

affliction constantly from the moment when it began,
Her form of insanity was not simple or superficial ;
some trouble of long ago, lurking in the soul, had
broken out and won its way into the open. We have,
of course, many symptoms of incurable madness,
but in the case of this woman I have observed one
that is novel; towards everyone else she is very
civil and gentle, and in their presence the disease is
peaceful, but if she sees any physician and simply
hears that he is one, she is beyond all things exasperated against him, and this in itself is proof that
her condition is bad and incurable. 
Seeing this, I was distressed and pitied the woman,
who was worthy of it and unfortunate beyond her
deserts.
 
My father, in his inexperience (for he
does not know either the origin of the trouble that
holds her in its grip, or its cause, or the extent of the
infirmity), bade me treat her and give her the same
medicine; for he thinks that madness has but one
form, that the ailment is simple, and that her illness
is identical with his, permitting the same treatment.
When I say what is as true as true can be, that it is
impossible to save his wife and confess that I am
worsted by the disorder, he is indignant and angry,
and says that I am deliberately shirking and giving
the woman up, thus making the ineffectiveness of
the art of medicine a reproach against me. He does,
indeed, what is habitually done by people who are
offended; all are angry at those who speak the
truth in frankness. In spite of that, I shall plead to
the best of my ability against him, not only for myself
but for my art.


 
 
First, I shall begin with the law under which he
wishes to disown me, in order that he may discover
that his power is now no longer what it was before.
The lawgiver, father,has not permitted all to exercise
the privilege of disownment, or upon all sons, or as
often as they choose, or upon all manner of grounds.
On the contrary, just as he has conceded to fathers
the right to exercise such anger, just so he has made
provision in behalf of sons, that they may not suffer it
unjustly ; and for that reason he has not allowed the
punishment to be inflicted freely or without trial,
but has ordered men to be summoned to court and
empanelled as investigators who will not be influenced
either by anger or by malice in determining what is
just. For he knew that many people on many
occasions are obsessed by senseless reasons for
anger; that one believes a malicious falsehood, while
another relies upon a servant or an unfriendly female.
It was not his idea, therefore, that the thing should
go untried or that sons should at once lose their case
by default. Water is measured, Time for speaking is apportioned to each side by the waterclock (κλέψυδρα). a hearing is given,
and nothing is left uninvestigated.
 
Accordingly, since it is within your powers, since
my father controls only the charge, and you who sit
in judgement control the decision whether his accusation is reasonable, do not yet consider his specific
allegation against me and the ground of his present
indignation, but first examine that other point,
whether he should still be allowed to disown a son
when, after once for all disowning him, using the
privilege that derives from the law and exercising to
the full this paternal suzerainty, he has subsequently


 

taken him back again and annulled the disownment.
I say that such a thing is most unjust—for punishments, precisely in the case of children, to be interminable, their condemnations numerous, and their
fear eternal; for the law at one moment to share
the prosecutor’s anger, only soon afterward to relax,
and then again to be as severe as before; in a word,
for justice to be altered this way and that to conform
to the momentary opinion of fathers. No, the first
time it is right to give the parent free rein, to share
his anger with him, to make him arbiter of the
punishment; but if, once for all, he expends his
privilege, makes full use of the law, satisfies his anger,
and then afterwards takes back his son, persuaded
that he deserves it, he must abide by it, and not keep
shifting, changing his mind, and altering his decision.
 
When that son was born there was no way, of
course, to ascertain whether he would turn out to be
bad or good, and on that account the privilege of
repudiating children who are unworthy of their
family has been allowed to their parents, since they
determined to bring them up at a time when they
were unaware ofthis.