350e
δημηγορεῖν ἄν με φαίης. ἢ οὖν ἔα με εἰπεῖν ὅσα βούλομαι, ἤ, εἰ βούλει ἐρωτᾶν, ἐρώτα: ἐγὼ δέ σοι, ὥσπερ ταῖς γραυσὶν ταῖς τοὺς μύθους λεγούσαις, “εἶεν” ἐρῶ καὶ κατανεύσομαι καὶ ἀνανεύσομαι.
μηδαμῶς, ἦν δ' ἐγώ, παρά γε τὴν σαυτοῦ δόξαν.
ὥστε σοί, ἔφη, ἀρέσκειν, ἐπειδήπερ οὐκ ἐᾷς λέγειν. καίτοι τί ἄλλο βούλει;
οὐδὲν μὰ Δία, ἦν δ' ἐγώ, ἀλλ' εἴπερ τοῦτο ποιήσεις, ποίει: ἐγὼ δὲ ἐρωτήσω.
ἐρώτα δή.
τοῦτο τοίνυν ἐρωτῶ, ὅπερ ἄρτι, ἵνα καὶ ἑξῆς διασκεψώμεθα
350e
but if I were to
attempt to state it, I know very well that you would say that I was
delivering a harangue.
Either then allow me to speak at such
length as I desire,
or, if you prefer to ask
questions, go on questioning and I, as we do for old wives
telling their tales, will say 'Very good' and will nod assent and
dissent.” “No, no,” said I, “not
counter to your own belief.” “Yes, to please
you,” he said, “since you don't allow me freedom of
speech. And yet what more do you want?” “Nothing,
indeed,” said I; “but if this is what you propose to do,
do it and I will ask the questions.” “Ask on,
then.” “This, then, is the question I ask, the same as
before, so that our inquiry may proceed in sequence.