nsure　of　the　pursuit；　Socrates；　whether　coming　from　him　or　from　others；　appears　to　me　to　be　undeserved；　but　as　to　the　impropriety　of　holding　a　public　discussion　with　such　men；　there；　I　confess　that；　in　my　opinion；　he　was　in　the　right。
  SOCRATES：　　O　Crito；　they　are　marvellous　men；　but　what　was　I　going　to　say？　　First　of　all　let　me　know；What　manner　of　man　was　he　who　came　up　to　you　and　censured　philosophy；　was　he　an　orator　who　himself　practises　in　the　courts；　or　an　instructor　of　orators；　who　makes　the　speeches　with　which　they　do　battle？
  CRITO：　　He　was　certainly　not　an　orator；　and　I　doubt　whether　he　had　ever　been　into　court；　but　they　say　that　he　knows　the　business；　and　is　a　clever　man；　and　composes　wonderful　speeches。
  SOCRATES：　　Now　I　understand；　Crito；　he　is　one　of　an　amphibious　class；　whom　I　was　on　the　point　of　mentioningone　of　those　whom　Prodicus　describes　as　on　the　border…ground　between　philosophers　and　statesmenthey　think　that　they　are　the　wisest　of　all　men；　and　that　they　are　generally　esteemed　the　wisest；　nothing　but　the　rivalry　of　the　philosophers　stands　in　their　way；　and　they　are　of　the　opinion　that　if　they　can　prove　the　philosophers　to　be　good　for　nothing；　no　one　will　dispute　their　title　to　the　palm　of　wisdom；　for　that　they　are　themselves　really　the　wisest；　although　they　are　apt　to　be　mauled　by　Euthydemus　and　his　friends；　when　they　get　hold　of　them　in　conversation。　　This　opinion　which　they　entertain　of　their　own　wisdom　is　very　natural；　for　they　have　a　certain　amount　of　philosophy；　and　a　certain　amount　of　political　wisdom；　there　is　reason　in　what　they　say；　for　they　argue　that　they　have　just　enough　of　both；　and　so　they　keep　out　of　the　way　of　all　risks　and　conflicts　and　reap　the　fruits　of　their　wisdom。
  CRITO：　　What　do　you　say　of　them；　Socrates？　　There　is　certainly　something　specious　in　that　notion　of　theirs。
  SOCRATES：　　Yes；　Crito；　there　is　more　speciousness　than　truth；　they　cannot　be　made　to　understand　the　nature　of　intermediates。　　For　all　persons　or　things；　which　are　intermediate　between　two　other　things；　and　participate　in　both　of　themif　one　of　these　two　things　is　good　and　the　other　evil；　are　better　than　the　one　and　worse　than　the　other；　but　if　they　are　in　a　mean　between　two　good　things　which　do　not　tend　to　the　same　end；　they　fall　short　of　either　of　their　component　elements　in　the　attainment　of　their　ends。　　Only　in　the　case　when　the　two　component　elements　which　do　not　tend　to　the　same　end　are　evil　is　the　participant　better　than　either。　　Now；　if　philosophy　and　political　action　are　both　good；　but　tend　to　different　ends；　and　they　participate　in　both；　and　are　in　a　mean　between　them；　then　they　are　talking　nonsense；　for　they　are　worse　than　either；　or；　if　the　one　be　good　and　the　other　evil；　they　are　better　than　the　one　and　worse　than　the　other；　only　on　the　supposition　that　they　are　both　evil　could　there　be　any　truth　in　what　they　say。　　I　do　not　think　that　they　will　admit　that　their　two　pursuits　are　either　wholly　or　partly　evil；　but　the　truth　is；　that　these　philosopher…　politicians　who　aim　at　both　fall　short　of　both　in　the　attainment　of　their　respective　ends；　and　are　really　third；　although　they　would　like　to　stand　first。　　There　is　no　need；　however；　to　be　angry　at　this　ambition　of　theirs　which　may　be　forgiven；　for　every　man　ought　to　be　loved　who　says　and　manfully　pursues　and　works　out　anything　which　is　at　all　like　wisdom：　　at　the　same　time　we　shall　do　well　to　see　them　as　they　really　are。
  CRITO：　　I　have　often　told　you；　Socrates；　that　I　am　in　a　constant　difficulty　about　my　two　sons。　　What　am　I　to　do　with　them？　　There　is　no　hurry　about　the　younger　one；　who　is　only　a　child；　but　the　other；　Critobulus；　is　getting　on；　and　needs　some　one　who　will　improve　him。　　I　cannot　help　thinking；　when　I　hear　you　talk；　that　there　is　a　sort　of　madness　in　many　of　our　anxieties　about　our　children：in　the　first　place；　about　marrying　a　wife　of　good　family　to　be　the　mother　of　them；　and　then　about　heaping　up　money　for　them　and　yet　taking　no　care　about　their　education。　　But　then　again；　when　I　contemplate　any　of　those　who　pretend　to　educate　others；　I　am　amazed。　　To　me；　if　I　am　to　confess　the　truth；　they　all　seem　to　be　such　outrageous　beings：　　so　that　I　do　not　know　how　I　can　advise　the　youth　to　study　philosophy。
  SOCRATES：　　Dear　Crito；　do　you　not　know　that　in　every　profession　the　inferior　sort　are　numerous　and　good　for　nothing；　and　the　good　are　few　and　beyond　all　price：　　for　example；　are　not　gymnastic　and　rhetoric　and　money…　making　and　the　art　of　the　general；　noble　arts？
  CRITO：　　Certainly　they　are；　in　my　judgment。
  SOCRATES：　　Well；　and　do　you　not　see　that　in　each　of　these　arts　the　many　are　ridiculous　performers？
  CRITO：　　Yes；　indeed；　that　is　very　true。
  SOCRATES：　　And　will　you　on　this　account　shun　all　these　pursuits　yourself　and　refuse　to　allow　them　to　your　son？
  CRITO：　　That　would　not　be　reasonable；　Socrates。
  SOCRATES：　　Do　you　then　be　reasonable；　Crito；　and　do　not　mind　whether　the　teachers　of　philosophy　are　good　or　bad；　but　think　only　of　philosophy　herself。　　Try　and　examine　her　well　and　truly；　and　if　she　be　evil　seek　to　turn　away　all　men　from　her；　and　not　your　sons　only；　but　if　she　be　what　I　believe　that　she　is；　then　follow　her　and　serve　her；　you　and　your　house；　as　the　saying　is；　and　be　of　good　cheer。
  End