Make them swear an oath and ask about his true ways and conduct, for some friends of the enemy are also sitting in your gathering.

This couplet offers a clever and cautious warning amidst the warmth of a social gathering. The poet alerts the listener that not everyone sitting in their inner circle is genuinely devoted; some attendees secretly harbor loyalty to the rival or enemy. To extract the raw truth about the adversary's true nature, one must place them under solemn oath, reminding us how betrayal often sits disguised as polite friendship in the very places we feel safest.