send them to be taught at their expense. Thus they watch over their
children, doing all in their power to enable them to grow up to be as
good as possible.

[1] Lit. "the joys of Aphrodite."

[2] "For the procreation of children." See below, IV. iv. 22; "Pol.
Lac." i.

[3] Lit. "to leave nought lacking."

So be it (the youth answered); but even if she have done all that, and
twenty times as much, no soul on earth could endure my mother's cross-
grained temper.

Then Socrates: Which, think you, would be harder to bear--a wild
beast's savagery or a mother's?

Lamp. To my mind, a mother's--at least if she be such as mine.

Soc. Dear me! And has this mother ever done you any injury--such as
people frequently receive from beasts, by bite or kick?

Lamp. If she has not done quite that, she uses words which any one
would sooner sell his life than listen to.

Soc. And how many annoyances have you caused your mother, do you
suppose, by fretfulness and peevishness in word and deed, night and
day, since you were a little boy? How much sorrow and pain, when you
were ill?