15
Then it is no news to any one that other professions slave habitually, and get just one or two holidays a month; States keep some monthly and some yearly festivals; these are their times of enjoyment. But the sponger has thirty festivals a month; every day is a red-letter day with him.
16
Once more, success in the other arts presupposes a diet as abstemious as any invalid’s; eat and drink to your heart’s content, and you make no progress in your studies.
17
Other arts, again, are useless to their professor unless he has his plant; you cannot play the flute if you have not one to play; lyrical music requires a lyre, horsemanship a horse. But of ours one of the excellences and conveniences is that no instrument is required for its exercise.
18
Other arts we pay, this we are paid, to learn.
19
Further, while the rest have their teachers, no one teaches sponging; it is a gift from Heaven, as Socrates said of poetry.
20
Then do not forget that, while the others have to be suspended during a journey or a voyage, this may be in full swing under those circumstances too.
21
Tychiades No doubt about that.
21
Simon Another point that strikes me is that other arts feel the need of this one, but not vice versa.
21
Tychiades Well, but is the appropriation of what belongs to others no offence?
21
Simon Of course it is.
21
Tychiades Well, the sponger does that; why is he privileged to offend?
22
Simon Ah, I know nothing about that. But now look here: you know how common and mean are the beginnings of the other arts; that of sponging, on the contrary, is noble. Friendship, that theme of the encomiast, is neither more nor less, you will find, than the beginning of sponging.
22
Tychiades How do you make that out?
