the memorabilia-第10章

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else　of　heat。　People　only　wear　boots　and　shoes　in　order　not　to　gall
their　feet　and　be　prevented　walking。　Now　I　ask　you；　have　you　ever
noticed　that　I　keep　more　within　doors　than　others　on　account　of　the
cold？　Have　you　ever　seen　me　battling　with　any　one　for　shade　on　account
of　the　heat？　Do　you　not　know　that　even　a　weakling　by　nature　may；　by
dint　of　exercise　and　practice；　come　to　outdo　a　giant　who　neglects　his
body？　He　will　beat　him　in　the　particular　point　of　training；　and　bear
the　strain　more　easily。　But　you　apparently　will　not　have　it　that　I；
who　am　for　ever　training　myself　to　endure　this；　that；　and　the　other
thing　which　may　befall　the　body；　can　brave　all　hardships　more　easily
than　yourself　for　instance；　who　perhaps　are　not　so　practised。　And　to
escape　slavery　to　the　belly　or　to　sleep　or　lechery；　can　you　suggest
more　effective　means　than　the　possession　of　some　powerful　attraction；
some　counter…charm　which　shall　gladden　not　only　in　the　using；　but　by
the　hope　enkindled　of　its　lasting　usefulness？　And　yet　this　you　do
know；　joy　is　not　to　him　who　feels　that　he　is　doing　well　in　nothingit
belongs　to　one　who　is　persuaded　that　things　are　progressing　with　him；
be　it　tillage　or　the　working　of　a　vessel；＇4＇　or　any　of　the　thousand
and　one　things　on　which　a　man　may　chance　to　be　employed。　To　him　it　is
given　to　rejoice　as　he　reflects；　〃I　am　doing　well。〃　But　is　the
pleasured　derived　from　all　these　put　together　half　as　joyous　as　the
consciousness　of　becoming　better　oneself；　of　acquiring　better　and
better　friends？　That；　for　my　part；　is　the　belief　I　continue　to
cherish。

＇4＇　〃The　business　of　a　shipowner　or　skipper。〃

Again；　if　it　be　a　question　of　helping　one's　friends　or　country；　which
of　the　two　will　have　the　larger　leisure　to　devote　to　these　objectshe
who　leads　the　life　which　I　lead　to…day；　or　he　who　lives　in　the　style
which　you　deem　so　fortunate？　Which　of　the　two　will　adopt　a　soldier's
life　more　easilythe　man　who　cannot　get　on　without　expensive　living；
or　he　to　whom　whatever　comes　to　hand　suffices？　Which　will　be　the
readier　to　capitulate　and　cry　〃mercy〃　in　a　siegethe　man　of　elaborate
wants；　or　he　who　can　get　along　happily　with　the　readiest　things　to
hand？　You；　Antiphon；　would　seem　to　suggest　that　happiness　consists　of
luxury　and　extravagance；　I　hold　a　different　creed。　To　have　no　wants　at
all　is；　to　my　mind；　an　attribute　of　Godhead；＇5＇　to　have　as　few　wants
as　possible　the　nearest　approach　to　Godhead；　and　as　that　which　is
divine　is　mightiest；　so　that　is　next　mightiest　which　comes　closest　to
the　divine。

＇5＇　Cf。　Aristot。　〃Eth。　N。〃　x。　viii。　1。

Returning　to　the　charge　at　another　time；　this　same　Antiphon　engaged
Socrates　in　conversation　thus。

Ant。　Socrates；　for　my　part；　I　believe　you　to　be　a　good　and　upright
man；　but　for　your　wisdom　I　cannot　say　much。　I　fancy　you　would　hardly
dispute　the　verdict　yourself；　since；　as　I　remark；　you　do　not　ask　a
money　payment　for　your　society；　and　yet　if　it　were　your　cloak　now；　or
your　house；　or　any　other　of　your　possessions；　you　would　set　some　value
upon　it；　and　never　dream；　I　will　not　say　of　parting　with　it　gratis；
but　of　exchanging　it　for　less　than　its　worth。　A　plain　proof；　to　my
mind；　that　if　you　thought　your　society　worth　anything；　you　would　ask
for　it　not　less　than　its　equivalent　in　gold。＇6＇　Hence　the　conclusion
to　which　I　have　come；　as　already　stated：　good　and　upright　you　may　be；
since　you　do　not　cheat　people　from　pure　selfishness；　but　wise　you
cannot　be；　since　your　knowledge　is　not　worth　a　cent。

＇6＇　Or　rather　〃money；〃　lit。　〃silver。〃

To　this　onslaught　Socrates：　Antiphon；　it　is　a　tenet　which　we　cling　to
that　beauty　and　wisdom　have　this　in　common；　that　there　is　a　fair　way
and　a　foul　way　in　which　to　dispose　of　them。　The　vendor　of　beauty
purchases　an　evil　name；　but　supposing　the　same　person　have　discerned　a
soul　of　beauty　in　his　lover　and　makes　that　man　his　friend；　we　regard
his　choice　as　sensible。＇7＇　So　is　it　with　wisdom；　he　who　sells　it　for
money　to　the　first　bidder　we　name　a　sophist；＇8＇　as　though　one　should
say　a　man　who　prostitutes　his　wisdom；　but　if　the　same　man；　discerning
the　noble　nature　of　another；　shall　teach　that　other　every　good　thing；
and　make　him　his　friend；　of　such　a　one　we　say　he　does　that　which　it　is
the　duty　of　every　good　citizen　of　gentle　soul　to　do。　In　accordance
with　this　theory；　I　too；　Antiphon；　having　my　tastes；　even　as　another
finds　pleasure　in　his　horse　and　his　hounds；＇9＇　and　another　in　his
fighting　cocks；　so　I　too　take　my　pleasure　in　good　friends；　and　if　I
have　any　good　thing　myself　I　teach　it　them；　or　I　commend　them　to
others　by　whom　I　think　they　will　be　helped　forwards　on　the　path　of
virtue。　The　treasures　also　of　the　wise　of　old；　written　and　bequeathed
in　their　books；＇10＇　I　unfold　and　peruse　in　common　with　my　friends。　If
our　eye　light　upon　any　good　thing　we　cull　it　eagerly；　and　regard　it　as
great　gain　if　we　may　but　grow　in　friendship　with　one　another。

＇7＇　Add　〃and　a　sign　of　modesty；〃　｛sophrona　nomizomen｝。

＇8＇　｛sophistas｝。　See　Grote；　〃H。　G。〃　viii。　482　foll。；　〃Hunting；〃　xi。
　　　　foll。

＇9＇　Cf。　Plat。　〃Lys。〃　211　E。

＇10＇　Cf。　〃Symp。〃　iv。　27。

As　I　listened　to　this　talk　I　could　not　but　reflect　that　he；　the
master；　was　a　person　to　be　envied；　and　that　we；　his　hearers；　were
being　led　by　him　to　beauty　and　nobility　of　soul。

Again　on　some　occasion　the　same　Antiphon　asked　Socrates　how　he
expected　to　make　politicians　of　others　when；　even　if　he　had　the
knowledge；　he　did　not　engage　in　politics　himself。

Socrates　replied：　I　will　put　to　you　a　question；　Antiphon：　Which　were
the　more　statesmanlike　proceeding；　to　practise　politics　myself　single…
handed；　or　to　devote　myself　to　making　as　many　others　as　possible　fit
to　engage　in　that　pursuit？


VII

Let　us　here　turn　and　consider　whether　by　deterring　his　associates　from
quackery　and　false　seeming　he　did　not　directly　stimulate　them　to　the
pursuit　of　virtue。＇1＇　He　used　often　to　say　there　was　no　better　road　to
renown　than　the　one　by　which　a　man　became　good　at　that　wherein　he
desired　to　be　reputed　good。＇2＇　The　truth　of　the　concept　he　enforced　as
follows：　〃Let　us　reflect　on　what　a　man　would　be　driven　to　do　who
wanted　to　be　thought　a　good　flute　player；　without　really　being　so。　He
would　be　forced　to　imitate　the　good　flute　player　in　the　externals　of
his　art；　would　he　not？　and　first　or　all；　seeing　that　these　artists
always　have　a　splendid　equipment；＇3＇　and　travel　about　with　a　long
train　of　attendants；　he　must　have　the　same；　in　the　next　place；　they
can　command　the　plaudits　of　a　multitude；　he　therefore　must　pack　a
conclave　of　clackers。　But　one　thing　is　clear：　nothing　must　induce　him
to　give　a　performance；　or　he　will　be　exposed　at　once；　and　find　himself
a　laughing…stock　not　only　as　a　sorry　sort　of　flute　player；　but　as　a
wretched　imposter。　And　now　he　has　a　host　of　expenses　to　meet；　and　not
one　advantage　to　be　reaped；　and　worse　than　all　his　evil　reputation。
What　is　left　him　but　to　lead　a　life　stale　and　unprofitable；　the　scorn
and　mockery　of　men？　Let　us　try　another　case。　Suppose　a　man　wished　to
be　thought　a　good　general　or　a　good　pilot；　though　he　were　really
nothing　of　the　sort；　let　us　picture　to　our　minds　how　it　will　fare　with
him。　Of　two　misfortunes　one：　either　with　a　strong　desire　to　be　thought
proficient　in　these　matters；　he　will　fail　to　get　others　to　agree　with
him；　which　will　be　bad　enough；　or　he　will　succeed；　with　worse　result；
since　it　stands　to　reason　that　anyone　appointed　to　work　a　vessel　or
lead　an　army　without　the　requisite　knowledge　will　speedily　ruin　a
number　of　people　whom　he　least　desires　to　hurt；　and　will　make　but　a
sorry　exit　from　the　stage　himself。〃　Thus　first　by　one　instance　and
then　another　would　he　demonstrate　the　unprofitableness　of　trying　to
appear　rich；　or　courageous；　or　strong；　without　really　being　the　thing
pretended。　〃You　are　sure　sooner　or　later　to　have　commands　laid　upon
you　beyond　your　power　to　execute；　and　failing　just　where　you　are
credited　with　capacity；　the　world　will　give　you　no　commiseration。〃　〃I
call　that　man　a　cheat；　and　a　great　cheat　too；〃　he　would　say；　〃who　gets
money　or　goods　out　of　some　one　by　persuasion；　and　defrauds　him；　but　of
all　imposters　he　surely　is　the　biggest　who　can　delude　people　into
thinki