st effort of human
prudence, comes of itself into the mind." And this was all that passed
in this first interview.

After this Socrates, observing that Euthydemus always avoided being in
his company, lest he should be taken for one of his admirers, attacked
him more openly; and once when he happened to be where he was, addressed
himself to the rest of the company in these words:--"Certainly,
gentlemen, by what may be conjectured from the studies of this young man,
it is very likely that when he shall have attained the age that permits
him to be present in the assemblies of the people, if any important
affair come to be debated there, he will not fail to give his judgment of
it; and in my opinion he would introduce his harangue by a very pleasant
exordium, if he should begin with giving them to understand that he had
never learnt anything of any man whatsoever; he must address himself to
them in words to this purpose:--

"'Gentlemen, I have never been taught anything, I never frequented the
conversation of men of parts, I never gave myself the trouble to look out
for a master that was able to instruct me. On the contrary, gentlemen, I
have not only had an aversion to learn from others, but I should even
have been very sorry to have it believed I had done so; nevertheless, I
will venture to tell you what chance shall suggest to me in this present
occasion.' At this rate they who present themselves to be received
physicians might introduce a like discourse as thus:--'Gentlemen, I have
never had any master to teach me this science; for, indeed, I would never
learn it, nor even have the repute of having learnt it; nevertheless,
admit me a physician, and I will endeavour to become learned in the art
by making experiments on your own bodies.'"

All the company fell a-laughing at this pleasant preface, and from that
time Euthydemus never avoided Socrates' company as he had done before;
but he never offered to speak, believing that his silence would be an
argument of his modesty. Socrates, being desirous to rally him out of
that mistaken notion, spoke to him in this manner:--

"I wonder that they who desire to learn to play upon the lute, or to ride
well, do not endeavour to learn it alone by themselves; but that they
look out for masters, resolved to do everything they bid them, and to
believe all they say, there being no other way to arrive at perfection in
those arts; and that they who hope one day to govern the Republ