ins. [9]

[8] Or, "who have not only attained to affluence by the same pursuit,
but can hold their heads high, and may well pride themselves on
their thrift."

[9] Cf. Hom. "Il." xii. 114, {ippoisin kai okhesphin agallomenos}, et
passim; "Hiero," viii. 5; "Anab." II. vi. 26.

Crit. Well, then, I may tell you, I see and know both characters as well
as you do; but I do not find myself a whit the more included among those
who gain.

Soc. Because you look at them just as you might at the actors in a
tragedy or comedy, and with the same intent--your object being to
delight the ear and charm the eye, but not, I take it, to become
yourself a poet. And there you are right enough, no doubt, since you
have no desire to become a playright. But, when circumstances compel you
to concern yourself with horsemanship, does it not seem to you a little
foolish not to consider how you are to escape being a mere amateur in
the matter, especially as the same creatures which are good for use are
profitable for sale?

Crit. So you wish me to set up as a breeder of young horses, [10] do
you, Socrates?

[10] See "Horsemanship," ii. 1.

Soc. Not so, no more than I would recommend you to purchase lads and
train them up from boyhood as farm-labourers. But in my opinion there is
a certain happy moment of growth which must be seized, alike in man
and horse, rich in present service and in future promise. In further
illustration, I can show you how some men treat their wedded wives in
such a way that they find in them true helpmates to the joint increase
of their estate, while others treat them in a way to bring upon
themselves wholesale disaster. [11]

[11] Reading {e os pleista}, al. {e oi pleistoi} = "to bring about
disaster in most cases."

Crit. Ought the husband or the wife to bear the blame of that?

Soc. If it goes ill with the sheep we blame the shepherd, as a rule, or
if a horse shows vice we throw the blame in general upon the rider. But
in the case of women, supposing the wife to have received instruction
from her husband and yet she delights in wrong-doing, [12] it may be
that the wife is justly held to blame; but supposing he has never tried
to teach her the first principles of "fair and noble" conduct, [13] and
finds her quite an ignoramus [14] in these matters, surely the husband
will be justly held to blame. But come now (he added), we are all
friends here; make a clean breast of it, and tell us, Critob