Tyc. Think of the address of your letters—Simon the Sponger!
Si. Simon the Sponger, Dion the Philosopher. I shall like mine as well as he his.
Tyc. Well, well, your taste in titles concerns me very little. Come now to the next absurdity.
Si. Which is——?
Tyc. The getting it entered on the list of arts. When any one asks what the art is, how do we describe it? Letters we know, Medicine we know; Sponging?
Si. My own opinion is, that it has an exceptionally good right to the name of art. If you care to listen, I will explain, though I have not got this properly into shape, as I remarked before.
Tyc. Oh, a brief exposition will do, provided it is true.
Si. I think, if you agree, we had better examine Art generically first; that will enable us to go into the question whether the specific arts really belong under it.
Tyc. Well, what is Art? Of course you know that?
Si. Quite well.