Banquet

Soc. Well, then, you consider it the function of a good procurer to render the man or the woman whom he is serving attractive to his or her associates?All. Certainly.Soc. Now, one thing that contributes to rendering a person attractive is a comely arrangement of hair and clothing, is it not?All. Certainly.

This, also, we know, do we not, that it is in a man’s power to use the one pair of eyes to express both friendship and hostility?Certainly.And again, it is possible to speak both modestly and boldly with the same voice?Certainly.Moreover, are there not words that create ill feeling and others that conduce to friendliness?Certainly.

Now the good procurer would teach only the words that tend to make one attractive, would he not?Certainly.Which one would be the better? he continued, the one who could make people attractive to a single person or the one who could make them attractive to many? This question brought a division; some said, Clearly the one who could make them attractive to a great many; the others merely repeated, Certainly.

Remarking that they were all of one mind on this point as on the others, he went on: If a person could render people attractive to the entire community, would he not satisfy the requirements of the ideal procurer?Indubitably, they all said. And so, if one could produce men of this type out of his clients, he would be entitled to feel proud of his profession and to receive a high remuneration, would he not?