This Book Pleasantly Begins to Relate the Birth, the Life, the Works, and the Habits of the Renowned Florentine Dante Alighieri, the Illustrious Poet

Solon, ¹ whose bosom was famous for being a human shrine of divine wisdom, and whose highly revered laws still offer the men of our day a clear testimony of ancient justice, used to say often, according to some, that all republics move and stand on two feet like men. With mature precision, he asserted that the right foot ² had to see that no act of wrongdoing would go unpunished, while the left foot had to reward every good deed. He added that, if either of these operations was hindered by vice or negligence or was less than well carried out, a republic that functioned in this manner would go lame; and if, through some catastrophe, it should be deficient in both operations, Solon would have to consider it in all certainty to be unable to stand on its feet.