Sometimes, too, the very man who is helped must even be deceived in order that he may have assistance, and yet not know from whom he has received it. There is a story that Arcesilaus had a friend who, though he was poor, concealed his poverty; when, however, the man fell ill and, being unwilling to reveal even this, lacked money for the necessities of life, Arcesilaus decided that he must assist him in secret; and so, without the other’s knowledge, he slipped a purse under his pillow in order that the fellow who was so uselessly reserved might find, rather than receive, what he needed. “What, then? — shall a man not know from whom he has received?” In the first place, he must not know, if an element of the benefit is just that fact; then, again, I shall do much else for him I shall bestow upon him many gifts, and from these he may guess the author of the first one; lastly, while he will not know that he has received a gift, I shall know that I have given one. “That is not enough,” you say. That is not enough if you are thinking of making an investment; but if a gift, you will give in the manner that will bring most advantage to the recipient. You will be content to have yourself your witness; otherwise your pleasure comes, not from doing a favor, but from being seen to do a favor. “I want the man at least to know!” Then it is a debtor that you are looking for. “I want the man at least to know!” What? if it is more to his advantage, more to his honor, more to his pleasure not to know, will you not shift your position? “I want him to know!” So, then, you will not save a man’s life in the dark? I do not deny that, whenever circumstances permit, we should have regard for the pleasure we get from the willingness of the recipient; but, if he needs, and yet is ashamed, to be helped, if what we bestow gives offense unless it is concealed — then I do not put my good deed into the gazette2! Of course I am careful not to reveal to him that the gift came from me, since it is a first and indispensable requirement, never to reproach a man with a benefit, nay, even to remind him of it. For, in the case of a benefit, this is a binding rule for the two who are concerned — the one should straightway forget that it was given, the other should never forget that it was received.