The Syr. I do not say they want to murder him, but wheedle him away with
bribes to pass his nights with them.

Soc. And if that happened, you on your side, it appears, believe the boy
will be corrupted?

The Syr. Beyond all shadow of a doubt, most villainously.

Soc. And you, of course, you never dream of such a thing. You don't
spend nights with him?

The Syr. Of course I do, all night and every night.

Soc. By Hera, what a mighty piece of luck (84) for you--to be so happily
compounded, of such flesh and blood. You alone can't injure those who
sleep beside you. You have every right, it seems, to boast of your own
flesh, if nothing else.

(84) Cf. Plat. "Symp." 217 A.

The Syr. Nay, in sooth, it is not on that I pride myself.

Soc. Well, on what then?

The Syr. Why, on the silly fools who come and see my puppet show. (85) I
live on them.

(85) "My marionettes." Cf. Herod. ii. 48; Lucian lxxii., "De Syr. d."
16; Aristot. "de Mund." 6.

Phil. Ah yes! and that explains how the other day I heard you praying to
the gods to grant you, wheresoe'er you chance to be, great store of corn
and wine, but dearth of wits. (86)

(86) Or, "of fruits abundance, but of wits a famine." Cf. Plat. "Rep."
546 A. His prayer resembles that of the thievish trader in Ovid,
"Fast." v. 675 foll., "Grant me to-day my daily... fraud!" but
in spite of himself (like Dogberry), he seems to pray to the gods
to "write him down an ass"!

Pass on (said Callias); now it is your turn, Socrates. What have you to
say to justify your choice? How can you boast of so discredited an art?
(87)

(87) Sc. "the hold-door trade."

He answered: Let us first decide (88) what are the duties of the good
go-between; (89) and please to answer every question without hesitating;
let us know the points to which we mutually assent. (90) Are you agreed
to that?

(88) Or, "define in common." Cf. "Mem." IV. vi. 15.

(89) Or, "man-praiser." Cf. "The Manx Witch," p. 47 (T. E. Brown),
"And Harry, more like a dooiney-molla For Jack, lak helpin him to
woo." See, too, Mr. Hall Caine's "Manxman," p. 73.

(90) See Plat. "Rep." 342 D, for a specimen of Socratic procedure,
"from one point of agreement to another."

The Company, in chorus. Without a doubt (they answered, and the formula,
once started, was every time repeated by the company, full chorus).

Soc. Are you agreed it is the business of a good go-between to make him