Nic. Heavens! you have good reason to be proud; with me it is just the opposite. When any of my friends are doing well, they take good care to turn their backs on me, (80) but if ever it goes ill with them, they claim relationship by birth, (81) and will not let their long-lost cousin out of sight. (80) Or, "they take good care to get out of my way," "they hold aloof from me entirely." (81) Or, "produce the family-pedigree and claim me for a cousin." Cf. Lucian v., "Tim." 49; Ter. "Phorm." ii. 33, 45. Charm. Well, well! and you, sir (turning to the Syracusan), what do you pride yourself upon? No doubt, upon the boy? The Syr. Not I, indeed; I am terribly afraid concerning him. It is plain enough to me that certain people are contriving for his ruin. (82) (82) {diaphtheirai} = (1) to destroy, make away with; (2) to ruin and corrupt, seduce by bribes or otherwise. Good gracious! (83) (Socrates exclaimed, when he heard that), what crime can they conceive your boy is guilty of that they should wish to make an end of him? (83) Lit. "Heracles!" "Zounds!" The Syr. I do not say they want to murder him, but wheedle him away with bribes to pass his nights with them. Soc. And if that happened, you on your side, it appears, believe the boy will be corrupted? The Syr. Beyond all shadow of a doubt, most villainously. Soc. And you, of course, you never dream of such a thing. You don't spend nights with him? The Syr. Of course I do, all night and every night. Soc. By Hera, what a mighty piece of luck (84) for you--to be so happily compounded, of such flesh and blood. You alone can't injure those who sleep beside you. You have every right, it seems, to boast of your own flesh, if nothing else. (84) Cf. Plat. "Symp." 217 A. The Syr. Nay, in sooth, it is not on that I pride myself. Soc. Well, on what then? The Syr. Why, on the silly fools who come and see my puppet show. (85) I live on them. (85) "My marionettes." Cf. Herod. ii. 48; Lucian lxxii., "De Syr. d." 16; Aristot. "de Mund." 6. Phil. Ah yes! and that explains how the other day I heard you praying to the gods to grant you, wheresoe'er you chance to be, great store of corn and wine, but dearth of wits. (86) (86) Or, "of fruits abundance, but of wits a famine." Cf. Plat. "Rep." 546 A. His prayer resembles that of the thievish trader in Ovid, "Fast." v. 675 foll., "Grant me to-day my daily... fraud!" but in spite of himself (like Dogberry), he seems to pray to the gods to "write him down an ass"! Pass on (said Callias); now it is your turn, Socrates. What have you to say to justify your choice? How can you boast of so discredited an art? (87) (87) Sc. "the hold-door trade." He answered: Let us first decide (88) what are the duties of the good go-between; (89) and please to answer every question without hesitating; let us know the points to which we mutually assent. (90) Are you agreed to that?