uffered themselves to be
insensibly charmed by the music of their songs." "Be sure," said
Critobulus, "that I will use no violence to them whose friendship I would
gain, and therefore delay no longer to teach me your art." "Will you
give me your word likewise," said Socrates, "that you will not even give
them a kiss?" "I promise you," said Critobulus, "I will not, unless they
are very beautiful persons." "You mistake the matter," replied Socrates;
"the beautiful permit not those liberties; but the ugly grant them freely
enough, because they know very well that should any beauty be ascribed to
them, it is only in consideration of that of the soul." "I will not
transgress in this point," said Critobulus; "only impart to me the secret
you know to gain friends."

"When you would contract a friendship with any one," said Socrates, "you
must give me leave to tell him that you have a great esteem for him, and
that you desire to be his friend." "With all my heart," answered
Critobulus; "for sure no man can wish ill to a man who esteems him." "And
if I add besides," continued Socrates, "that because you set a great
value on his merit you have much affection for his person, will you not
take it amiss?" "Not at all," said Critobulus; "for I am sensible we
have a great kindness for those who bear us goodwill." "I may, then,"
said Socrates, "speak in that manner to those whom you desire to love:
but will you likewise give me leave to advance that your greatest
pleasure is to have good friends, that you take great care of them, that
you behold their good actions with as much joy as if you yourself had
performed them, and that you rejoice at their good fortune as much as at
your own: that you are never weary when you are serving them, and that
you believe it the glory of a man of honour to surpass his friends in
benefits, and his enemies in valour? By this means I think I shall be
very useful to you in procuring you good friends." "Why do you ask me
leave," said Critobulus, "as if you might not say of me whatever you
please?" "No, indeed," answered Socrates, "for I remember what Aspasia
once said, that match-makers are successful in their business when they
tell truth of the persons in whose behalf they court, but that the
marriages made by their lies are unfortunate, because they who are
deceived hate one another, and hate yet more the person that put them
together. And therefore, for the same reason, I think I ought not