e people?

Euth. The poor citizens, I should say.

Soc. Then you know who the poor are, of course?

Euth. Of course I do.

Soc. I presume you also know who the rich are?

Euth. As certainly as I know who are the poor.

Soc. Whom do you understand by poor and rich?

Euth. By poor I mean those who have not enough to pay for their
necessaries, (58) and by rich those who have more means than sufficient
for all their needs.

(58) Al. "who cannot contribute their necessary quota to the taxes
(according to the census)."

Soc. Have you noticed that some who possess a mere pittance not only
find this sufficient, but actually succeed in getting a surplus out of
it; while others do not find a large fortune large enough?

I have, most certainly; and I thank you for the reminder (replied
Euthydemus). One has heard of crowned heads and despotic rulers being
driven by want to commit misdeeds like the veriest paupers.

Then, if that is how matters stand (continued Socrates), we must class
these same crowned heads with the commonalty; and some possessors of
scant fortunes, provided they are good economists, with the wealthy?

Then Euthydemus: It is the poverty of my own wit which forces me to this
admission. I bethink me it is high time to keep silence altogether; a
little more, and I shall be proved to know absolutely nothing. And so he
went away crestfallen, in an agony of self-contempt, persuaded that he
was verily and indeed no better than a slave.

Amongst those who were reduced to a like condition by Socrates, many
refused to come near him again, whom he for his part looked upon as
dolts and dullards. (59) But Euthydemus had the wit to understand that,
in order to become worthy of account, his best plan was to associate
as much as possible with Socrates; and from that moment, save for some
necessity, he never left him--in some points even imitating him in his
habits and pursuits. Socrates, on his side, seeing that this was the
young man's disposition, disturbed him as little as possible, but in the
simplest and plainest manner initiated him into everything which he held
to be needful to know or important to practise.

(59) Or, "as people of dull intelligence and sluggish temperament."
Cf. Plat. "Gorg." 488 A.

III

It may be inferred that Socrates was in no hurry for those who were
with him to discover capacities for speech and action or as
inventive geniuses, (1) without at any rate a well-laid fou