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qualifications of a friend worth the winning; the following remarks of
Socrates could not fail; I think; to prove instructive。'1'

'1' Or; 〃Again; as to establishing a test of character; since a friend
    worth having must be of a particular type; I cannot but think that
    the following remarks would prove instructive。〃

Tell me (said Socrates; addressing Critobulus); supposing we stood in
need of a good friend; how should we set about his discovery? We must;
in the first place; I suppose; seek out one who is master of his
appetites; not under the dominion; that is; of his belly; not addicted
to the wine…cup or to lechery or sleep or idleness; since no one
enslaved to such tyrants could hope to do his duty either by himself
or by his friends; could he?

Certainly not (Critobulus answered)。

Soc。 Do you agree; then; that we must hold aloof from every one so
dominated?

Cri。 Most assuredly。

Well then (proceeded Socrates); what shall we say of the spendthrift
who has lost his independence and is for ever begging of his
neighbours; if he gets anything out of them he cannot repay; but if he
fails to get anything; he hates you for not givingdo you not think
that this man too would prove but a disagreeable friend?

Cri。 Certainly。

Soc。 Then we must keep away from him too?

Cri。 That we must。

Soc。 Well! and what of the man whose strength lies in monetary
transactions?'2' His one craving is to amass money; and for that
reason he is an adept at driving a hard bargain'3'glad enough to
take in; but loath to pay out。

'2' Or; 〃the money…lender? He has a passion for big money…bags。〃

'3' Or; 〃hard in all his dealings。〃

Cri。 In my opinion he will prove even a worse fellow than the last。

Soc。 Well! and what of that other whose passion for money…making is so
absorbing that he has no leisure for anything else; save how he may
add to his gains?

Cri。 Hold aloof from him; say I; since there is no good to be got out
of him or his society。

Soc。 Well! what of the quarrelsome and factious person'4' whose main
object is to saddle his friends with a host of enemies?

'4' 〃The partisan。〃

Cri。 For God's sake let us avoid him also。

Soc。 But now we will imagine a man exempt indeed from all the above
defectsa man who has no objection to receive kindnesses; but it
never enters into his head to do a kindness in return。

Cri。 There will be no good in him either。 But; Socrates; what kind of
man shall we endeavour to make our friend? what is he like?

Soc。 I should say he must be just the converse of the above: he has
control over the pleasures of the body; he is kindly disposed;'5'
upright in all his dealings;'6' very zealous is he not to be outdone
in kindness by his benefactors; if only his friends may derive some
profit from his acquaintance。

'5' Reading {eunous}; or if {euorkos}; transl。 〃a man of his word。〃

'6' Or; 〃easy to deal with。〃

Cri。 But how are we to test these qualities; Socrates; before
acquaintance?

Soc。 How do we test the merits of a sculptor?not by inferences drawn
from the talk of the artist merely。 No; we look to what he has already
achieved。 These former statues of his were nobly executed; and we
trust he will do equally well with the rest。

Cri。 You mean that if we find a man whose kindness to older friends is
established; we may take it as proved that he will treat his newer
friends as amiably?

Soc。 Why; certainly; if I see a man who has shown skill in the
handling of horses previously; I argue that he will handle others no
less skilfully again。

Cri。 Good! and when we have discovered a man whose friendship is worth
having; how ought we to make him our friend?

Soc。 First we ought to ascertain the will of Heaven whether it be
advisable to make him our friend。

Cri。 Well! and how are we to effect the capture of this friend of our
choice; whom the gods approve? will you tell me that?

Not; in good sooth (replied Socrates); by running him down like a
hare; nor by decoying him like a bird; or by force like a wild
boar。'7' To capture a friend against his will is a toilsome business;
and to bind him in fetters like a slave by no means easy。 Those who
are so treated are apt to become foes instead of friends。'8'

'7' Reading {kaproi}; al。 {ekhthroi}; 〃an enemy。〃

'8' Or; 〃Hate rather than friendship is the outcome of these methods。〃

Cri。 But how convert them into friends?

Soc。 There are certain incantations; we are told; which those who know
them have only to utter; and they can make friends of whom they list;
and there are certain philtres also which those who have the secret of
them may administer to whom they like and win their love。

Cri。 From what source shall we learn them?

Soc。 You need not go farther than Homer to learn that which the Sirens
sang to Odysseus;'9' the first words of which run; I think; as
follows:

    Hither; come hither; thou famous man; Odysseus; great glory of the
    Achaeans!

'9' 〃Od。〃 xii。 184。

Cri。 And did the magic words of this spell serve for all men alike?
Had the Sirens only to utter this one incantation; and was every
listener constrained to stay?

Soc。 No; this was the incantation reserved for souls athirst for fame;
of virtue emulous。

Cri。 Which is as much as to say; we must suit the incantation to the
listener; so that when he hears the words he shall not think that the
enchanter is laughing at him in his sleeve。 I cannot certainly
conceive a method better calculated to excite hatred and repulsion
than to go to some one who knows that he is small and ugly and a
weakling; and to breathe in his ears the flattering tale that he is
beautiful and tall and stalwart。 But do you know any other love…
charms; Socrates?

Soc。 I cannot say that I do; but I have heard that Pericles'10' was
skilled in not a few; which he poured into the ear of our city and won
her love。

'10' See above; I。 ii。 40; 〃Symp。〃 viii。 39。

Cri。 And how did Themistocles'11' win our city's love?

'11' See below; III。 vi。 2; IV。 ii。 2。

Soc。 Ah; that was not by incantation at all。 What he did was to
encircle our city with an amulet of saving virtue。'12'

'12' See Herod。 vii。 143; 〃the wooden wall〃; Thuc。 i。 93; 〃'the walls'
    of Athens。〃

Cri。 You would imply; Socrates; would you not; that if we want to win
the love of any good man we need to be good ourselves in speech and
action?

And did you imagine (replied Socrates) that it was possible for a bad
man to make good friends?

Cri。 Why; I could fancy I had seen some sorry speech…monger who was
fast friends with a great and noble statesman; or again; some born
commander and general who was boon companion with fellows quite
incapable of generalship。'13'

'13' Or; 〃Why; yes; when I see some base orator fast friends with a
    great leader of the people; or; again; some fellow incapable of
    generalship a comrade to the greatest captains of his age。〃

Soc。 But in reference to the point we were discussing; may I ask
whether you know of any one who can attach a useful friend to himself
without being of use in return?'14' Can service ally in friendship
with disservice?

'14' Add; 〃Can service ally in friendship with disservice? Must there
    not be a reciprocity of service to make friendship lasting?〃

Cri。 In good sooth no。 But now; granted it is impossible for a base
man to be friends with the beautiful and noble;'14' I am concerned at
once to discover if one who is himself of a beautiful and noble
character can; with a wave of the hand; as it were; attach himself in
friendship to every other beautiful and noble nature。

'14' {kalous kagathous}。

Soc。 What perplexes and confounds you; Critobulus; is the fact that so
often men of noble conduct; with souls aloof from baseness; are not
friends but rather at strife and discord with one another; and deal
more harshly by one another than they would by the most good…for…
nothing of mankind。

Cri。 Yes; and this holds true not of private persons only; but states;
the most eager to pursue a noble policy and to repudiate a base one;
are frequently in hostile relation to one another。 As I reason on
these things my heart fails me; and the question; how friends are to
be acquired; fills me with despondency。 The bad; as I see; cannot be
friends with one another。 For how can such people; the ungrateful; or
reckless; or covetous; or faithless; or incontinent; adhere together
as friends? Without hesitation I set down the bad as born to be foes
not friends; and as bearing the birthmark of internecine hate。 But
then again; as you suggest; no more can these same people harmonise in
friendship with the good。 For how should they who do evil be friends
with those who hate all evil…doing? And if; last of all; they that
cultivate virtue are torn by party strife in their struggle for the
headship of the states; envying one another; hating one another; who
are left to be friends? where shall goodwill and faithfulness be found
among men?

Soc。 The fact is there is some subtlety in the texture of these
things。'15' Seeds of love are implanted in man by nature。 Men have
need of one another; feel pity; help each other by united efforts; and
in recognition of the fact show mutual gratitude。 But there are seeds
of war implanted also。 The same objects being regarded as beautiful or
agreeable by all alike; they do battle for their possession; a spirit
of disunion'16' enters; and the parties range themselves in adverse
camps。 Discord and anger sound a note of war: the passion of more…
having; staunchless avarice; threatens hostility; and envy is a
hateful fiend。'17'

'15' i。e。 a cunning intertwining of the threads of warp and woof。

'16' Cf。 Shelley; 〃The devil of disunion in their souls。〃

'17' The diction is poetical。

But nevertheless; through all opposing barriers friendship steals her
way and binds together the beautiful and good among mankind。'18' Such
is their virtue that they would rather possess scant means painlessly
than wield an empire won by war。 In spite of hunger and thirst they
will share their meat and drink without a pang。 Not bloom of lusty
youth; nor love's delights can warp their self…control; nor will they
be tempted to c

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