Or, "Why, yes, when I see some base orator fast friends with a
great leader of the people; or, again, some fellow incapable of
generalship a comrade to the greatest captains of his age."

Soc. But in reference to the point we were discussing, may I ask whether
you know of any one who can attach a useful friend to himself without
being of use in return? (14) Can service ally in friendship with
disservice?

(14) Add, "Can service ally in friendship with disservice? Must there
not be a reciprocity of service to make friendship lasting?"

Cri. In good sooth no. But now, granted it is impossible for a base man
to be friends with the beautiful and noble, (14) I am concerned at once
to discover if one who is himself of a beautiful and noble character
can, with a wave of the hand, as it were, attach himself in friendship
to every other beautiful and noble nature.

(14) {kalous kagathous}.

Soc. What perplexes and confounds you, Critobulus, is the fact that
so often men of noble conduct, with souls aloof from baseness, are not
friends but rather at strife and discord with one another, and deal more
harshly by one another than they would by the most good-for-nothing of
mankind.

Cri. Yes, and this holds true not of private persons only, but states,
the most eager to pursue a noble policy and to repudiate a base one,
are frequently in hostile relation to one another. As I reason on
these things my heart fails me, and the question, how friends are to
be acquired, fills me with despondency. The bad, as I see, cannot be
friends with one another. For how can such people, the ungrateful, or
reckless, or covetous, or faithless, or incontinent, adhere together as
friends? Without hesitation I set down the bad as born to be foes not
friends, and as bearing the birthmark of internecine hate. But then
again, as you suggest, no more can these same people harmonise in
friendship with the good. For how should they who do evil be friends
with those who hate all evil-doing? And if, last of all, they that
cultivate virtue are torn by party strife in their struggle for the
headship of the states, envying one another, hating one another, who are
left to be friends? where shall goodwill and faithfulness be found among
men?

Soc. The fact is there is some subtlety in the texture of these things.
(15) Seeds of love are implanted in man by nature. Men have need of
one another, feel pity, help each other by united efforts, and in