e 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
statues is the person of whom we have the best opinion for those he shall
make for the future. Apply this to the question you asked me, and be
assured that a man who has served his former friends well will be likely
to show no less affection for those that come after; as we may strongly
conjecture that a groom, whom we have formerly seen dress horses very
well, is capable of dressing others." "But," said Critobulus, "when we
have found a man worthy of our choice, how ought we to contract a
friendship with him?" "In the first place," answered Socrates, "we must
inquire whether the gods approve of it." "But supposing they do not
dissuade us, how are we to take this precious prey?" "Not by hunting, as
we catch hares," said Socrates; "nor in nets, as we take birds, nor by
force, as we take our enemies; for it is very difficult to gain any man's
friendship against his will, or stop him by force, and detain him in
prison as a slave, seeing such ill-usage would oblige him rather to wish
us ill