he
hour. [23] In fact, to let the fellows take things easily the whole day
through will make a difference easily of half in the whole work. [24]

[18] Lit. "it made a great difference, he said, with regard to profit
and loss in agriculture."

[19] Or if, after Hertlein, adding {kai meionon}, transl. "workmen now
more, now less, in number."

[20] {ergasteron}, "poet." L. & S. cf. "Orph. H." 65. 4. See above, v.
15; xiii. 10.

[21] Cf. Herod. II. ii. 2.

[22] Or, "Why! one man in ten makes all the difference by..."
{para} = "by comparison with."

[23] Reading as vulg., or if {to me pro k.t.l.} transl. "by not
leaving off, etc."

[24] i.e. "is a difference of fifty per cent on the whole work."

As, on a walking-expedition, it may happen, of two wayfarers, the
one will gain in pace upon the other half the distance say in every
five-and-twenty miles, [25] though both alike are young and hale of
body. The one, in fact, is bent on compassing the work on which he
started, he steps out gaily and unflinchingly; the other, more slack in
spirit, stops to recruit himself and contemplate the view by fountain
side and shady nook, as though his object were to court each gentle
zephyr. So in farm work; there is a vast difference as regards
performance between those who do it not, but seek excuse for idleness
and are suffered to be listless. Thus, between good honest work and base
neglect there is as great a difference as there is between--what shall I
say?--why, work and idleness. [26] The gardeners, look, are hoeing vines
to keep them clean and free of weeds; but they hoe so sorrily that the
loose stuff grows ranker and more plentiful. Can you call that [27]
anything but idleness?

[25] Lit. "per 200 stades."

[26] Or, "wholly to work and wholly to be idle." Reading as Sauppe,
etc., or if with Holden, etc., {to de de kalos kai to kakos
ergazesthai e epimeleisthai}, transl. "between toil and
carefulness well or ill expended there lies all the difference;
the two things are sundered as wide apart as are the poles of work
and play," etc. A. Jacobs' emend. ap. Hartm. "An. Xen." p. 211,
{to de de kakos ergazesthai e kakos epimeleisthai kei to kalos},
seems happy.

[27] Or, "such a hoer aught but an idle loon."

Such, Socrates, are the ills which cause a house to crumble far more
than lack of scientific knowledge, however rude it be. [28] For if
you will consider; on