244 PHILEMON.

the old man, ‘“‘as you love me, don’t have anything
to do with the worthless fellows who are to be found
everywhere nowadays. This is an awful time that
we are living in. I know it well; there is robbing
and lying everywhere; nothing is sacred to these
fellows. I can’t sleep for thinking of it. I posi-
tively weep to think that I have lived to see such
days. My dear son, do mind what I say to you. Do
as I do; that is the good, old-fashioned way of living ;
keep to that, and you'll never get into trouble.”

Lysiteles. “My dear father, I have always felt
that, freeman as I was, I could not do better than be
your slave.”

Philto, “The great question with a young man is
this: are his inclinations to master him, or is he to
master his inclinations? If you get the better in
this conflict, it will be all right with you; if you are
worsted, it will be all wrong.”

Lys. “JT have always done my best to keep myself
from harm. I have shunned bad companions; I
have kept good hours; I have avoided anything that
could vex you; I have followed your precepts to the
utmost of my power.”

Phil. “Don’t reckon up your goodness in that
fashion. My days are pretty well over; it is you
whom these things concern, and I take it that a
really honest man is never very well satisfied with
himself.”

Lysiteles now saw that his protestations of filial.