the memorabilia-第16章

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known　to　man；　only　you　chose　to　conceal　your　knowledge　all　the　while；
or　is　it　that　you　shrink　from　taking　the　first　step　because　of　the
scandal　you　will　cause　by　kindly　advances　to　your　brother？　And　yet　it
is　commonly　held　to　redound　to　a　man's　praise　to　have　outstripped　an
enemy　in　mischief　or　a　friend　in　kindness。　Now　if　it　seemed　to　me　that
Chaerephon　were　better　fitted　to　lead　the　way　towards　this
friendship；＇5＇　I　should　have　tried　to　persuade　him　to　take　the　first
step　in　winning　your　affection；　but　now　I　am　persuaded　the　first　move
belongs　to　you；　and　to　you　the　final　victory。

＇5＇　Reading　｛pros　ten　philian｝；　or　if　｛phusin｝；　transl。　〃natural
　　　　disposition。〃

Chaer。　A　startling　announcement；　Socrates；　from　your　lips；　and　most
unlike　you；　to　bid　me　the　younger　take　precedence　of　my　elder　brother。
Why；　it　is　contrary　to　the　universal　custom　of　mankind；　who　look　to
the　elder　to　take　the　lead　in　everything；　whether　as　a　speaker　or　an
actor。

Soc。　How　so？　Is　it　not　the　custom　everywhere　for　the　younger　to　step
aside　when　he　meets　his　elder　in　the　street　and　to　give　him　place？　Is
he　not　expected　to　get　up　and　offer　him　his　seat；　to　pay　him　the
honour　of　a　soft　couch；＇6＇　to　yield　him　precedence　in　argument？

＇6＇　Lit。　〃with　a　soft　bed；〃　or；　as　we　say；　〃the　best　bedroom。〃

My　good　fellow；　do　not　stand　shilly…shallying；＇7＇　but　put　out　your
hand　caressingly；　and　you　will　see　the　worthy　soul　will　respond　at
once　with　alacrity。　Do　you　not　note　your　brother's　character；　proud
and　frank　and　sensitive　to　honour？　He　is　not　a　mean　and　sorry　rascal
to　be　caught　by　a　bribeno　better　way　indeed　for　such　riff…raff。　No！
gentle　natures　need　a　finer　treatment。　You　can　best　hope　to　work　on
them　by　affection。

＇7＇　Or；　〃have　no　fears；　essay　a　soothing　treatment。〃

Chaer。　But　suppose　I　do；　and　suppose　that；　for　all　my　attempts；　he
shows　no　change　for　the　better？

Soc。　At　the　worst　you　will　have　shown　yourself　to　be　a　good；　honest；
brotherly　man；　and　he　will　appear　as　a　sorry　creature　on　whom　kindness
is　wasted。　But　nothing　of　the　sort　is　going　to　happen；　as　I
conjecture。　My　belief　is　that　as　soon　as　he　hears　your　challenge；　he
will　embrace　the　contest；　pricked　on　by　emulous　pride；　he　will　insist
upon　getting　the　better　of　you　in　kindness　of　word　and　deed。

At　present　you　two　are　in　the　condition　of　two　hands　formed　by　God　to
help　each　other；　but　which　have　let　go　their　business　and　have　turned
to　hindering　one　another　all　they　can。　You　are　a　pair　of　feet
fashioned　on　the　Divine　plan　to　work　together；　but　which　have
neglected　this　in　order　to　trammel　each　other's　gait。　Now　is　it　not
insensate　stupidity＇8＇　to　use　for　injury　what　was　meant　for　advantage？
And　yet　in　fashioning　two　brothers　God　intends　them；　methinks；　to　be
of　more　benefit　to　one　another　than　either　two　hands；　or　two　feet；　or
two　eyes；　or　any　other　of　those　pairs　which　belong　to　man　from　his
birth。＇9＇　Consider　how　powerless　these　hands　of　ours　if　called　upon　to
combine　their　action　at　two　points　more　than　a　single　fathom's　length
apart；＇10＇　and　these　feet　could　not　stretch　asunder＇11＇　even　a　bare
fathom；　and　these　eyes；　for　all　the　wide…reaching　range　we　claim　for
them；　are　incapable　of　seeing　simultaneously　the　back　and　front　of　an
object　at　even　closer　quarters。　But　a　pair　of　brothers；　linked　in
bonds　of　amity；　can　work　each　for　the　other's　good；　though　seas　divide
them。＇12＇

＇8＇　〃Boorishness　verging　upon　monomania。〃

＇9＇　〃With　which　man　is　endowed　at　birth。〃

＇10＇　〃More　than　an　'arms'…stretch'　asunder。〃

＇11＇　Lit。　〃reach　at　one　stretch　two　objects；　even　over　that　small
　　　　distance。〃

＇12＇　〃Though　leagues　separate　them。〃


IV

I　have　at　another　time　heard　him　discourse　on　the　kindred　theme　of
friendship　in　language　well　calculated；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　to　help　a
man　to　choose　and　also　to　use　his　friends　aright。

He　（Socrates）　had　often　heard　the　remark　made　that　of　all　possessions
there　is　none　equal　to　that　of　a　good　and　sincere　friend；　but；　in
spite　of　this　assertion；　the　mass　of　people；　as　far　as　he　could　see；
concerned　themselves　about　nothing　so　little　as　the　acquisition　of
friends。　Houses；　and　fields；　and　slaves；　and　cattle；　and　furniture　of
all　sorts　（he　said）　they　were　at　pains　to　acquire；　and　they　strove
hard　to　keep　what　they　had　got；　but　to　procure　for　themselves　this
greatest　of　all　blessings；　as　they　admitted　a　friend　to　be；　or　to　keep
the　friends　whom　they　already　possessed；　not　one　man　in　a　hundred　ever
gave　himself　a　thought。　It　was　noticeable；　in　the　case　of　a　sickness
befalling　a　man's　friend　and　one　of　his　own　household　simultaneously；
the　promptness　with　which　the　master　would　fetch　the　doctor　to　his
domestic；　and　take　every　precaution　necessary　for　his　recovery；　with
much　expenditure　of　pains；　but　meanwhile　little　account　would　be　taken
of　the　friend　in　like　condition；　and　if　both　should　die；　he　will　show
signs　of　deep　annoyance　at　the　death　of　his　domestic；　which；　as　he
reflects；　is　a　positive　loss　to　him；　but　as　regards　his　friend　his
position　is　in　no　wise　materially　affected；　and　thus；　though　he　would
never　dream　of　leaving　his　other　possessions　disregarded　and　ill　cared
for；　friendship's　mute　appeal　is　met　with　flat　indifference。＇1＇

＇1＇　Or；　〃the　cry　of　a　friend　for　careful　tending　falls　on　deaf　ears。〃

Or　to　take　（said　he）　a　crowning　instance：＇2＇　with　regard　to　ordinary
possessions；　however　multifarious　these　may　be；　most　people　are　at
least　acquainted　with　their　number；　but　if　you　ask　a　man　to　enumerate
his　friends；　who　are　not　so　very　many　after　all　perhaps；　he　cannot；　or
if；　to　oblige　the　inquirer；　he　essays　to　make　a　list；　he　will
presently　retract　the　names　of　some　whom　he　had　previously
included。＇3＇　Such　is　the　amount　of　thought　which　people　bestow　upon
their　friends。

＇2＇　Or；　〃Nor　had　he　failed　to　observe　another　striking　contrast。〃　Cf。
　　　　Cic。　〃Lael。〃　17；　Diog。　Laert。　ii。　30。

＇3＇　i。e。　〃like　a　chess…player　recalling　a　move。〃

And　yet　what　thing　else　may　a　man　call　his　own　is　comparable　to　this
one　best　possession！　what　rather　will　not　serve　by　contrast　to　enhance
the　value　of　an　honest　friend！　Think　of　a　horse　or　a　yoke　of　oxen；
they　have　their　worth；　but　who　shall　gauge　the　worth　of　a　worthy
friend？　Kindlier　and　more　constant　than　the　faithfullest　of　slaves
this　is　that　possession　best　named　all…serviceable。＇4＇　Consider　what
the　post　is　that　he　assigns　himself！　to　meet　and　supplement　what　is
lacking　to　the　welfare　of　his　friends；　to　promote　their　private　and
their　public　interests；　is　his　concern。　Is　there　need　of　kindly　action
in　any　quarter？　he　will　throw　in　the　full　weight　of　his　support。　Does
some　terror　confound？　he　is　at　hand　to　help　and　defend　by　expenditure
of　money　and　of　energy；＇5＇　by　appeals　to　reason　or　resort　to　force。
His　the　privilege　alike　to　gladden　the　prosperous　in　the　hour　of
success　and　to　sustain　their　footing　who　have　well…nigh　slipped。　All
that　the　hands　of　a　man　may　minister；　all　that　the　eyes　of　each　are
swift　to　see；　the　ears　to　hear；　and　the　feet　to　compass；　he　with　his
helpful　arts　will　not　fall　short　of。　Nay；　not　seldom　that　which　a　man
has　failed　to　accomplish　for　himself；　has　missed　seeing　or　hearing　or
attaining；　a　friend　acting　in　behalf　of　friend　will　achieve
vicariously。　And　yet；　albeit　to　try　and　tend　a　tree　for　the　sake　of
its　fruit　is　not　uncommon；　this　copious　mine　of　wealththis　friend
attracts　only　a　lazy　and　listless　attention　on　the　part　of　more　than
half　the　world。

＇4＇　〃A　vessel　fit　for　all　work　indeed　is　this　friend。〃　Cf。　Ar。　〃Ach。〃
　　　　936；　｛pagkhreston　aggos　estai｝；　like　the　〃leather　bottel。〃

＇5＇　Or；　〃by　dint　of　his　diplomacy。〃


V

I　remember　listening　to　another　argument　of　his；　the　effect　of　which
would　be　to　promote　self…examination。　The　listener　must　needs　be
brought　to　ask　himself；　〃Of　what　worth　am　I　to　my　friends？〃　It
happened　thus。　One　of　those　who　were　with　him　was　neglectful；　as　he
noted；　of　a　friend　who　was　at　the　pinch　of　poverty　（Antisthenes）。＇1＇
Accordingly；　in　the　presence　of　the　negligent　person　and　of　several
others；　he　proceeded　to　question　the　sufferer。

＇1＇　Antisthenes；　〃cynicorum　et　stoicorum　parens。〃　Cic。　〃de　Or。〃　iii。
　　　　17；　〃