Page:Xenophon by Alexander Grant.djvu/117

Rh the gods, and that his aim was, in this point, to make some approach to the divine perfection. With regard to taking money for his instructions, he said that there were two things, either of which to sell was prostitution—namely, personal beauty and wisdom. "Those who sell their wisdom for money to any that will buy, men call 'Sophists,' or, as it were, a sort of male demi-monde; whereas whoso, by imparting knowledge to another whom he sees well qualified to learn, binds that other to himself as a friend, does what is befitting to a good citizen and a gentleman. Some men," continued Socrates, "have a fancy for a fine horse, or a dog, or a bird; what I fancy and take delight in is friends of a superior kind. If I know anything, I teach it to them; I send them to any one by whom I think they may be improved. In common with them, I turn over and explore the treasures of the wise men of old which have been left written in books, and if we find anything good we pick it out, and we think it a great gain if we can be beneficial to one another." This pleasing picture of the Socratic circle of friends may be taken as a set-off against what has been said above of the annoying character of the sage's public disputations. Xenophon tells us that when Socrates found any man really wishing to learn, he desisted from vexing him with difficulties, and did his best to assist his inquiries. We may note also the severe retort upon the taunts of Antiphon, in the way in which the Sophists are, as if incidentally, characterised.

Some of the conversations of Socrates, as they are related in the 'Memorabilia' appear less calculated to