Cri. From what source shall we learn them? Soc. You need not go farther than Homer to learn that which the Sirens sang to Odysseus, (9) the first words of which run, I think, as follows: Hither, come hither, thou famous man, Odysseus, great glory of the Achaeans! (9) "Od." xii. 184. Cri. And did the magic words of this spell serve for all men alike? Had the Sirens only to utter this one incantation, and was every listener constrained to stay? Soc. No; this was the incantation reserved for souls athirst for fame, of virtue emulous. Cri. Which is as much as to say, we must suit the incantation to the listener, so that when he hears the words he shall not think that the enchanter is laughing at him in his sleeve. I cannot certainly conceive a method better calculated to excite hatred and repulsion than to go to some one who knows that he is small and ugly and a weakling, and to breathe in his ears the flattering tale that he is beautiful and tall and stalwart. But do you know any other love-charms, Socrates? Soc. I cannot say that I do; but I have heard that Pericles (10) was skilled in not a few, which he poured into the ear of our city and won her love. (10) See above, I. ii. 40; "Symp." viii. 39. Cri. And how did Themistocles (11) win our city's love? (11) See below, III. vi. 2; IV. ii. 2. Soc. Ah, that was not by incantation at all. What he did was to encircle our city with an amulet of saving virtue. (12) (12) See Herod. vii. 143, "the wooden wall"; Thuc. i. 93, "'the walls' of Athens." Cri. You would imply, Socrates, would you not, that if we want to win the love of any good man we need to be good ourselves in speech and action? And did you imagine (replied Socrates) that it was possible for a bad man to make good friends? Cri. Why, I could fancy I had seen some sorry speech-monger who was fast friends with a great and noble statesman; or again, some born commander and general who was boon companion with fellows quite incapable of generalship. (13) (13) Or, "Why, yes, when I see some base orator fast friends with a great leader of the people; or, again, some fellow incapable of generalship a comrade to the greatest captains of his age." Soc. But in reference to the point we were discussing, may I ask whether you know of any one who can attach a useful friend to himself without being of use in return? (14) Can service ally in friendship with disservice? (14) Add, "Can service ally in friendship with disservice? Must there not be a reciprocity of service to make friendship lasting?" Cri. In good sooth no. But now, granted it is impossible for a base man to be friends with the beautiful and noble, (14) I am concerned at once to discover if one who is himself of a beautiful and noble character can, with a wave of the hand, as it were, attach himself in friendship to every other beautiful and noble nature. (14) {kalous kagathous}.