Theseus: O ye sons of men, victims of a thousand idle errors, why
teach your countless crafts, why scheme and seek to find a way for
everything, while one thing ye know not nor ever yet have made your
prize, a way to teach them wisdom whose souls are void of sense?
Hippolytus: A very master in his craft the man, who can force fools
to be wise! But these ill-timed subtleties of thine, father, make
me fear thy tongue is running wild through trouble.
Theseus: Fie upon thee! man needs should have some certain test set
up to try his friends, some touchstone of their hearts, to know each
friend whether he be true or false; all men should have two voices,
one the voice of honesty, expediency's the other, so would honesty
confute its knavish opposite, and then we could not be deceived.
Hippolytus: Say, hath some friend been slandering me and hath he still
thine ear? and I, though guiltless, banned? I am amazed, for thy random,
frantic words fill me with wild alarm.
Studies
