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The Symposium by Xenophon
page 57 of 102 (55%)

[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
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