Book 7
19
nevertheless the legal sort of useful friendship is not given to recrimination. The legal method of discharging the obligation is a matter of money, for that serves as a measure of equality; but the moral method is voluntary. Hence in some places there is a law prohibiting friendly associates of this sort from actions as to their voluntary contracts—rightly, since it is not natural for good men to go to law,Or, adopting another conjectural emendation, since it is natural for good men to be just of their own accord. and these men make their contracts as good men and as dealing with trustworthy people.
20
And in fact in this sort of friendship the recriminations are doubtful on both sides—what line of accusation each party will take, inasmuch as their confidence was of a moral kind and not merely legal.Solomon renders It is uncertain how either will recriminate on the other, seeing that they trust each other, not in a limited legal way but on the basis of their characters. But the Greek text may be questioned.
