And yet again:
Each segment of a sugar-cane
Beyond the tip, is sweeter;
The friendship of the good is so—
The other kind grows bitter.
Now I assure you that I am upright. Besides, I will reassure you by taking oaths."
But Gold replied: "I have no confidence in your oaths. There is a saying:
Though a foe be bound by oaths,
Trust him none the more:
Indra struck the demon down,
Spite of oaths galore.
And again:
Even gods must try to lull
Foes with measures mild:
Indra, soothing Diti first,
Smote her unborn child.
Through a narrow crevice slip
Enemies who gloat,
Bringing slow destruction, like
Water in a boat.
If, relying on their means,
Men confide in foes,
Or in wives whose love is lost,
Life abruptly goes."
To this Swift found no rejoinder, and he thought: "What an eminent intelligence he has in the field of social ethics! Yet for that very reason I crave his friendship." And he said:
