support the expense, and who having daily occasion to employ the purses
of his friends should show by his actions that whatever you lend him is
so much lost, and that if you do not lend him he will take it ill of you,
do you not think that such a man would be very improper to make a friend
of?" "There is no doubt of it," said Critobulus. "And if we found
another," continued Socrates, "who was saving of what he had, but who, on
the other hand, was so covetous that it would be quite unfit to have
anything to do with him, because he would always be very ready to receive
and never to give again?" "In my opinion," said Critobulus, "this would
be a worse friend than the former. And if we should find a man who was
so carried away with the desire of enriching himself that he applied his
mind to nothing else, but getting all he could scrape together?" "We
ought not to have anything to do with him neither," answered Critobulus,
"for he would be good to no man but himself." "If we found a quarrelsome
man," continued Socrates, "who was every day like to engage all his
friends in new broils and squabbles, what would you think of him?" "That
he ought to be avoided," answered Critobulus. "And if a man," said
Socrates, "were free from all these faults, and were only of a humour to
desire to receive kindnesses, but never to concern himself to return
them, what would you think of him?" "That neither he, too, would be
proper to make a friend of," replied Critobulus; "and indeed, after
having rejected so many, I can scarce tell whom we should take." "We
ought to take," said Socrates, "a man who were the reverse of all those
we have mentioned, who would be temperate in his manners, faithful in his
promises, and sincere in all his actions; who would think it a point of
honour not to be outdone in civilities so that it would be of advantage
to have to do with him." "But how can we be certain of all this," said
Critobulus, "before we have tried him?" "When we would give our judgment
of statuaries, we have no regard," replied Socrates, "to what they say of
themselves, but consider their works; and he who has already made good