Perhaps, I said, about half, or possibly, altogether, right, if
their meaning were rightly apprehended by us. For the more a bad man
has to do with a bad man, and the more nearly he is brought into
contact with him, the more he will be likely to hate him, for he
injures him; and injurer and injured cannot be friends. Is not that
true?
Yes, he said.
Then one half of the saying is untrue, if the wicked are like one
another?
That is true.
But the real meaning of the saying, as I imagine, is, that, the good
are like one another, friends to one another; and that the bad, as
is often said of them, are never at unity with one another or with
themselves; for they are passionate and restless, and anything which
is at variance and enmity with itself is not likely to be in union
or harmony with any other thing. Do you not agree?
Yes, I do.
Then, my friend, those who say that the like is friendly to the like
mean to intimate, if I rightly apprehend them, that the good only is
the friend of the good, and of him only; but that the evil never
attains to any real friendship, either with good or evil. Do you
agree?
He nodded assent.
Then now we know how to answer the question "Who are friends? for
the argument declares "That the good are friends.
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