(3) and travel about with a long train of
attendants, he must have the same; in the next place, they can command
the plaudits of a multitude, he therefore must pack a conclave of
clackers. But one thing is clear: nothing must induce him to give
a performance, or he will be exposed at once, and find himself a
laughing-stock not only as a sorry sort of flute player, but as a
wretched imposter. And now he has a host of expenses to meet; and not
one advantage to be reaped; and worse than all his evil reputation. What
is left him but to lead a life stale and unprofitable, the scorn and
mockery of men? Let us try another case. Suppose a man wished to be
thought a good general or a good pilot, though he were really nothing of
the sort, let us picture to our minds how it will fare with him. Of two
misfortunes one: either with a strong desire to be thought proficient in
these matters, he will fail to get others to agree with him, which will
be bad enough; or he will succeed, with worse result; since it stands
to reason that anyone appointed to work a vessel or lead an army without
the requisite knowledge will speedily ruin a number of people whom he
least desires to hurt, and will make but a sorry exit from the
stage himself." Thus first by one instance and then another would
he demonstrate the unprofitableness of trying to appear rich, or
courageous, or strong, without really being the thing pretended. "You
are sure sooner or later to have commands laid upon you beyond your
power to execute, and failing just where you are credited with capacity,
the world will give you no commiseration." "I call that man a cheat, and
a great cheat too," he would say, "who gets money or goods out of some
one by persuasion, and defrauds him; but of all imposters he surely is
the biggest who can delude people into thinking that he is fit to lead
the state, when all the while he is a worthless creature." (4)

(1) {apotrepon proutrepen}. See K. Joel, op. cit. p. 450 foll.

(2) Cf. "Cyrop." I. vi. 22.

(3) Or, "furniture of the finest," like Arion's in Herod. i. 24.
Schneid. cf. Demosth. 565. 6.

(4) Here follows the sentence ({emoi men oun edokei kai tou
alazoneuesthai apotrepein tous sunontas toiade dialegomenos}),
which, for the sake of convenience, I have attached to the first
sentence of Bk. II. ch. i. ({edokei de moi... ponou.}) I
believe that the commentators are right in bracketing both one and
the other as e