Book 7
2
If a man is a friend and virtuous, perhapsOr, altering the punctuation with Fritsche, is a friend and virtuous equally. it is not over-difficult, provided one does not exaggerate the one factor and underrate the other, benefiting him greatly as friend but only slightly as good. But in other cases many problems arise, for instance, if A was a friend but is going not to be and B is going to be but is not now, or if A became one but is not one now and B is one now but was not and is going not to be. But the former problemSee the first sentence of the chapter. is more difficult.
3
For possibly there is something in the lines of Euripides Eur. Fr. 882 (Nauck).: Prithee take words as thy just pay for words, But he, that gave a deed, a deed shall have; Eur. Fr. 882 (Nauck) and it is not one’s duty to give everything to one’s father, but there are other things that one ought to give to one’s mother, although the father is the superior; for even to Zeus not all the sacrifices are offered, nor does he have all the honors but some particular ones.
