the memorabilia-第18章

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Soc。　Ah；　that　was　not　by　incantation　at　all。　What　he　did　was　to
encircle　our　city　with　an　amulet　of　saving　virtue。＇12＇

＇12＇　See　Herod。　vii。　143；　〃the　wooden　wall〃；　Thuc。　i。　93；　〃'the　walls'
　　　　of　Athens。〃

Cri。　You　would　imply；　Socrates；　would　you　not；　that　if　we　want　to　win
the　love　of　any　good　man　we　need　to　be　good　ourselves　in　speech　and
action？

And　did　you　imagine　（replied　Socrates）　that　it　was　possible　for　a　bad
man　to　make　good　friends？

Cri。　Why；　I　could　fancy　I　had　seen　some　sorry　speech…monger　who　was
fast　friends　with　a　great　and　noble　statesman；　or　again；　some　born
commander　and　general　who　was　boon　companion　with　fellows　quite
incapable　of　generalship。＇13＇

＇13＇　Or；　〃Why；　yes；　when　I　see　some　base　orator　fast　friends　with　a
　　　　great　leader　of　the　people；　or；　again；　some　fellow　incapable　of
　　　　generalship　a　comrade　to　the　greatest　captains　of　his　age。〃

Soc。　But　in　reference　to　the　point　we　were　discussing；　may　I　ask
whether　you　know　of　any　one　who　can　attach　a　useful　friend　to　himself
without　being　of　use　in　return？＇14＇　Can　service　ally　in　friendship
with　disservice？

＇14＇　Add；　〃Can　service　ally　in　friendship　with　disservice？　Must　there
　　　　not　be　a　reciprocity　of　service　to　make　friendship　lasting？〃

Cri。　In　good　sooth　no。　But　now；　granted　it　is　impossible　for　a　base
man　to　be　friends　with　the　beautiful　and　noble；＇14＇　I　am　concerned　at
once　to　discover　if　one　who　is　himself　of　a　beautiful　and　noble
character　can；　with　a　wave　of　the　hand；　as　it　were；　attach　himself　in
friendship　to　every　other　beautiful　and　noble　nature。

＇14＇　｛kalous　kagathous｝。

Soc。　What　perplexes　and　confounds　you；　Critobulus；　is　the　fact　that　so
often　men　of　noble　conduct；　with　souls　aloof　from　baseness；　are　not
friends　but　rather　at　strife　and　discord　with　one　another；　and　deal
more　harshly　by　one　another　than　they　would　by　the　most　good…for…
nothing　of　mankind。

Cri。　Yes；　and　this　holds　true　not　of　private　persons　only；　but　states；
the　most　eager　to　pursue　a　noble　policy　and　to　repudiate　a　base　one；
are　frequently　in　hostile　relation　to　one　another。　As　I　reason　on
these　things　my　heart　fails　me；　and　the　question；　how　friends　are　to
be　acquired；　fills　me　with　despondency。　The　bad；　as　I　see；　cannot　be
friends　with　one　another。　For　how　can　such　people；　the　ungrateful；　or
reckless；　or　covetous；　or　faithless；　or　incontinent；　adhere　together
as　friends？　Without　hesitation　I　set　down　the　bad　as　born　to　be　foes
not　friends；　and　as　bearing　the　birthmark　of　internecine　hate。　But
then　again；　as　you　suggest；　no　more　can　these　same　people　harmonise　in
friendship　with　the　good。　For　how　should　they　who　do　evil　be　friends
with　those　who　hate　all　evil…doing？　And　if；　last　of　all；　they　that
cultivate　virtue　are　torn　by　party　strife　in　their　struggle　for　the
headship　of　the　states；　envying　one　another；　hating　one　another；　who
are　left　to　be　friends？　where　shall　goodwill　and　faithfulness　be　found
among　men？

Soc。　The　fact　is　there　is　some　subtlety　in　the　texture　of　these
things。＇15＇　Seeds　of　love　are　implanted　in　man　by　nature。　Men　have
need　of　one　another；　feel　pity；　help　each　other　by　united　efforts；　and
in　recognition　of　the　fact　show　mutual　gratitude。　But　there　are　seeds
of　war　implanted　also。　The　same　objects　being　regarded　as　beautiful　or
agreeable　by　all　alike；　they　do　battle　for　their　possession；　a　spirit
of　disunion＇16＇　enters；　and　the　parties　range　themselves　in　adverse
camps。　Discord　and　anger　sound　a　note　of　war：　the　passion　of　more…
having；　staunchless　avarice；　threatens　hostility；　and　envy　is　a
hateful　fiend。＇17＇

＇15＇　i。e。　a　cunning　intertwining　of　the　threads　of　warp　and　woof。

＇16＇　Cf。　Shelley；　〃The　devil　of　disunion　in　their　souls。〃

＇17＇　The　diction　is　poetical。

But　nevertheless；　through　all　opposing　barriers　friendship　steals　her
way　and　binds　together　the　beautiful　and　good　among　mankind。＇18＇　Such
is　their　virtue　that　they　would　rather　possess　scant　means　painlessly
than　wield　an　empire　won　by　war。　In　spite　of　hunger　and　thirst　they
will　share　their　meat　and　drink　without　a　pang。　Not　bloom　of　lusty
youth；　nor　love's　delights　can　warp　their　self…control；　nor　will　they
be　tempted　to　cause　pain　where　pain　should　be　unknown。　It　is　theirs
not　merely　to　eschew　all　greed　of　riches；　not　merely　to　make　a　just
and　lawful　distribution　of　wealth；　but　to　supply　what　is　lacking　to
the　needs　of　one　another。　Theirs　it　is　to　compose　strife　and　discord
not　in　painless　oblivion　simply；　but　to　the　general　advantage。　Theirs
also　to　hinder　such　extravagance　of　anger　as　shall　entail　remorse
hereafter。　And　as　to　envy　they　will　make　a　clean　sweep　and　clearance
of　it：　the　good　things　which　a　man　possesses　shall　be　also　the
property　of　his　friends；　and　the　goods　which　they　possess　are　to　be
looked　upon　as　his。　Where　then　is　the　improbability　that　the　beautiful
and　noble　should　be　sharers　in　the　honours＇19＇　of　the　state　not　only
without　injury；　but　even　to　their　mutual　advantage？

＇18＇　Or；　as　we　say；　〃the　elite　of　human　kind。〃

＇19＇　〃And　the　offices。〃

They　indeed　who　covet　and　desire　the　honours　and　offices　in　a　state
for　the　sake　of　the　liberty　thereby　given　them　to　embezzle　the　public
moneys；　to　deal　violently　by　their　fellow…creatures；　and　to　batten　in
luxury　themselves；　may　well　be　regarded　as　unjust　and　villainous
persons　incapable　of　harmony　with　one　another。　But　if　a　man　desire　to
obtain　these　selfsame　honours　in　order　that；　being　himself　secure
against　wrong…doing；　he　may　be　able　to　assist　his　friends　in　what　is
right；　and；　raised　to　a　high　position；＇20＇　may　essay　to　confer　some
blessing　on　the　land　of　his　fathers；　what　is　there　to　hinder　him　from
working　in　harmony　with　some　other　of　a　like　spirit？　Will　he；　with　the
〃beautiful　and　noble〃　at　his　side；　be　less　able　to　aid　his　friends？　or
will　his　power　to　benfit　the　community　be　shortened　because　the　flower
of　that　community　are　fellow…workers　in　that　work？　Why；　even　in　the
contests　of　the　games　it　is　obvious　that　if　it　were　possible　for　the
stoutest　combatants　to　combine　against　the　weakest；　the　chosen　band
would　come　off　victors　in　every　bout；　and　would　carry　off　all　the
prizes。　This　indeed　is　against　the　rules　of　the　actual　arena；　but　in
the　field　of　politics；　where　the　beautiful　and　good　hold　empery；　and
there　is　nought　to　hinder　any　from　combining　with　whomsoever　a　man　may
choose　to　benefit　the　state；　it　will　be　a　clear　gain；　will　it　not；　for
any　one　engaged　in　state　affairs　to　make　the　best　men　his　friends；
whereby　he　will　find　partners　and　co…operators　in　his　aims　instead　of
rivals　and　antagonists？　And　this　at　least　is　obvious：　in　case　of
foreign　war　a　man　will　need　allies；　but　all　the　more　if　in　the　ranks
opposed　to　him　should　stand　the　flower　of　the　enemy。＇21＇　Moreover；
those　who　are　willing　to　fight　your　battles　must　be　kindly　dealt　with；
that　goodwill　may　quicken　to　enthusiasm；　and　one　good　man＇22＇　is
better　worth　your　benefiting　that　a　dozen　knaves；　since　a　little
kindness　goes　a　long　way　with　the　good；　but　with　the　base　the　more　you
give　them　the　more　they　ask　for。

＇20＇　〃As　archon；〃　or　〃raised　to　rule。〃

＇21＇　Lit。　〃the　beautiful　and　good。〃

＇22＇　Or；　〃the　best；　though　few；　are　better　worth　your　benefiting　than
　　　　the　many　base。〃

So　keep　a　good　heart；　Critobulus；　only　try　to　become　good　yourself；
and　when　you　have　attained；　set　to　your　hand　to　capture　the　beautiful
and　good。　Perhaps　I　may　be　able　to　give　you　some　help　in　this　quest；
being　myself　an　adept　in　Love's　lore。＇23＇　No　matter　who　it　is　for　whom
my　heart　is　aflame；　in　an　instant　my　whole　soul　is　eager　to　leap
forth。　With　vehemence　I　speed　to　the　mark。　I；　who　love；　demand　to　be
loved　again；　this　desire　in　me　must　be　met　by　counter　desire　in　him；
this　thirst　for　his　society　by　thirst　reciprocal　for　mine。　And　these
will　be　your　needs　also；　I　foresee；　whenever　you　are　seized　with
longing　to　contract　a　friendship。　Do　not　hide　from　me；　therefore；　whom
you　would　choose　as　a　friend；　since；　owing　to　the　pains　I　take　to
please　him　who　pleases　me；　I　am　not　altogether　unversed；　I　fancy；　in
the　art　of　catching　men。＇24＇

＇23＇　〃An　authority　in　matters　of　love。〃　Cf。　Plat。　〃Symp。〃　177　D；　Xen。
　　　　〃Symp。〃