ion from good feeling and
self-restraint might have been expected, this same Socrates kept them
modest and well-behaved, not one word of praise is uttered by the
accuser for all this. That is not the measure of justice elsewhere
meted. Would a master of the harp or flute, would a teacher of any sort
who has turned out proficient pupils, be held to account because one of
them goes away to another teacher and turns out to be a failure? Or what
father, if he have a son who in the society of a certain friend remains
an honest lad, but falling into the company of some other becomes
a good-for-nothing, will that father straightway accuse the earlier
instructor? Will not he rather, in proportion as the boy deteriorates in
the company of the latter, bestow more heartfelt praise upon the former?
What father, himself sharing the society of his own children, is held to
blame for their transgressions, if only his own goodness be established?
Here would have been a fair test to apply to Socrates: Was he guilty of
any base conduct himself? If so let him be set down as a knave, but if,
on the contrary, he never faltered in sobriety from beginning to end,
how in the name of justice is he to be held to account for a baseness
which was not in him?

(15) Or, "became overweening in arrogance." Cf. "Henry VIII. II. iv.
110": "But your heart is crammed with arrogancy, spleen, and
pride."

I go further: if, short of being guilty of any wrong himself, he saw
the evil doings of others with approval, reason were he should be held
blameworthy. Listen then: Socrates was well aware that Critias was
attached to Euthydemus, (16) aware too that he was endeavouring to deal
by him after the manner of those wantons whose love is carnal of the
body. From this endeavour he tried to deter him, pointing out how
illiberal a thing it was, how ill befitting a man of honour to appear
as a beggar before him whom he loved, in whose eyes he would fain be
precious, ever petitioning for something base to give and base to get.

(16) See below, IV. ii. 1 (if the same person).

But when this reasoning fell on deaf ears and Critias refused to be
turned aside, Socrates, as the story goes, took occasion of the presence
of a whole company and of Euthydemus to remark that Critias appeared to
be suffering from a swinish affection, or else why this desire to rub
himself against Euthydemus like a herd of piglings scraping against
stones.

The hatred of Critias t