Any one, I believe, who constantly recalls these and the like examples, will cease to take a pleasure in chattering. But—speaking for myself—there is a story of a certain slave which greatly discourages me, when I reflect how hard it is to be so careful of our words as to make sure of our purpose. The orator Pupius Piso, not wishing to be troubled, ordered his slaves to talk only in answer to questions, and not a word more. Subsequently, being anxious to welcome Clodius in his official position, he gave orders for him to be invited to dinner, and prepared what was, of course, a splendid banquet. When the hour arrived, the other guests were all present and waiting for [Sidenote: E] Clodius. The slave who regularly carried the invitations was repeatedly sent out to see whether he was on his way. When evening came and he was given up in despair, Piso said to the slave, ‘Of course you took him the invitation?’ ‘I did,’ he answered. ‘Then why has he not appeared?’ ‘Because he refused.’ ‘Then why did you not tell me so at once?’ ‘Because you did not ask me that question.’ So much for the slave at Rome, whereas at Athens he will tell his master while digging _What terms are named i’ the treaty_, so great in all things is the force of habituation. To habituation let us now turn. [Sidenote: F] We cannot check the babbler by taking, as it were, a grip on the reins. The malady can only be overcome by habit. In the first place, therefore, when questions are asked of your neighbours, train yourself to keep silent until they have all failed to answer. _Counsel hath other ends than running hath_, says Sophocles, and so has speech or answer. In running, the victor is the man who comes in first, but here the case is different. If another makes a satisfactory reply, the proper course is to lend approval and a word of support, and so win credit for good [Sidenote: 512] feeling. If he fails, there is nothing invidious or inopportune in giving the information which he does not possess, or in supplementing his deficiencies. But above all things let us be on our guard, when a question is put to another person, that we do not anticipate him and take the answer out of his mouth. In any case in which a request is made of another it is, of course, improper for us to push him aside and offer our own services. By doing so we shall appear to be casting a slur on both parties; as if the one were incapable of performing what is asked, and as if the other did not know the right quarter from which to get what he asks for. But it is especially in connexion with answers to questions that such impudent forwardness is an outrage on [Sidenote: B] manners. To give the answer before the person questioned has time, implies the remark, ‘What do you want _him_ for?‘, or ‘What does _he_ know?‘, or, ‘When _I_ am present, nobody else should be asked that question.’