Or do you not care for
any man's favour and goodwill, neither for that of a general, suppose, or
of any other magistrate?" "On the contrary," said Lamprocles, "I am very
careful to gain the goodwill of all men." "Perhaps you would endeavour
to acquire the goodwill of your neighbour, to the end he might do you
kind offices, such as giving you fire when you want it, or, when any
misfortune befalls you, speedily relieve you?" "Yes, I would." "And if
you were travelling with any man, either by sea or land, would you count
it a matter of indifference whether you were loved by him or not?" "No,
indeed." "Are you then so abandoned, Lamprocles," replied Socrates,
"that you would take pains to acquire the goodwill of those persons, and
yet will do nothing to your mother, who loves you incomparably better
than they? Know you not that the Republic concerns not herself with
common instances of ingratitude; that she takes no cognisance of such
crimes, and that she neglects to punish those who do not return the
civilities they receive? But if any one be disrespectful to his parents
there is a punishment provided for such ingratitude; the laws reject him
as an outlaw, and will not allow him to be received into any public
office, because it is a maxim commonly received amongst us, that a
sacrifice, when offered by an impious hand, cannot be acceptable to the
gods, nor profitable to the Republic. Nobody can believe, that a person
of such a character can be capable to perform any great or worthy action,
or to act the part of a righteous judge. The same punishment is ordained
likewise for those who, after the death of their parents, neglect to
honour their funerals: and this is particularly examined into in the
inquiry that is made into the lives of such as stand candidates for
offices.

"Therefore, my son, if you be wise, you will beseech Heaven to pardon you
the offences committed against your mother, to the end that the favours
of the Deity may be still continued to you, and that you may not forfeit
them by an ungrateful behaviour. Take care, likewise, that the public
may not discover the contempt you show her, for then would you be blamed
and abandoned by all the world; for, if it were suspected that you did
not gratefully resent the benefits conferred on you by your parents, no
man could believe you would be grateful for any kind actions that others
might do you."

CHAPTER III. SOCRATES RECONCILES CHAEREPHON AND CHA