would think as much of his friend, but because they
thought they advanced in virtue by my conversation.

"If I were to live longer, perhaps I should fall into the inconveniences
of old age: perhaps my sight should grow dim, my hearing fail me, my
judgment become weak, and I should have more trouble to learn, more to
retain what I had learnt; perhaps, too, after all, I should find myself
incapable of doing the good I had done before. And if, to complete my
misery, I should have no sense of my wretchedness, would not life be a
burden to me? And, on the other hand, say I had a sense of it, would it
not afflict me beyond measure? As things now stand, if I die innocent
the shame will fall on those who are the cause of my death, since all
sort of iniquity is attended with shame. But who will ever blame me
because others have not confessed my innocence, nor done me justice? Past
experience lets us see that they who suffer injustice, and they who
commit it, leave not a like reputation behind them after their death. And
thus, if I die on this occasion, I am most certain that posterity will
more honour my memory than theirs who condemn me; for it will be said of
me, that I never did any wrong, never gave any ill advice to any man; but
that I laboured all my life long to excite to virtue those who frequented
me."

This was the answer that Socrates gave to Hermogenes, and to several
others. In a word, all good men who knew Socrates daily regret his loss
to this very hour, reflecting on the advantage and improvement they made
in his company.

For my own part, having found him to be the man I have described, that is
to say, so pious as to do nothing without the advice of the Deity; so
just as never to have in the least injured any man, and to have done very
signal services to many; so chaste and temperate as never to have
preferred delight and pleasure before modesty and honesty; so prudent as
never to have mistaken in the discernment of good and evil, and never to
have had need of the advice of others, to form a right judgment of
either; moreover, most capable to deliberate and resolve in all sorts of
affairs, most capable to examine into men, to reprehend them for their
vices, and to excite them to virtue; having, I say, found all these
perfections in Socrates, I have always esteemed him the most virtuous and
most happy of all men; and if any one be not of my opinion, let him take
the pains to compare him with other men, a