the memorabilia-第49章

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essayed　to　give　my　thoughts　to　the　defence　which　I　am　to　make　before
the　court；　the　divinity＇10＇　has　opposed　me。〃　And　when　he　（Hermogenes）
exclaimed；　〃How　strange！〃〃Do　you　find　it　strange〃　（he　continued）；
〃that　to　the　Godhead　it　should　appear　better　for　me　to　close　my　life
at　once？　Do　you　not　know　that　up　to　the　present　moment　there　is　no　man
whom　I　can　admit　to　have　spent　a　better　or　happier　life　than　mine。
Since　theirs　I　regard　as　the　best　of　lives　who　study　best　to　become　as
good　as　may　be；　and　theirs　the　happiest　who　have　the　liveliest　sense
of　growth　in　goodness；　and　such；　hitherto；　is　the　happy　fortune　which
I　perceive　to　have　fallen　to　my　lot。　To　such　conclusion　I　have　come；
not　only　in　accidental　intercourse　with　others；　but　by　a　strict
comparison　drawn　between　myself　and　others；　and　in　this　faith　I
continue　to　this　day；　and　not　I　only；　but　my　friends　continue　in　a
like　persuasion　with　regard　to　me；　not　for　the　lame　reason　that　they
are　my　friends　and　love　me　（or　else　would　others　have　been　in　like
case　as　regards　their　friends）；　but　because　they　are　persuaded　that　by
being　with　me　they　will　attain　to　their　full　height　of　goodness。　But；
if　I　am　destined　to　prolong　my　days；　maybe　I　shall　be　enforced　to　pay
in　full　the　penalties　of　old　ageto　see　and　hear　less　keenly；　to　fail
in　intellectual　force；　and　to　leave　school；　as　it　were；　more　of　a
dunce　than　when　I　came；　less　learned　and　more　forgetfulin　a　word；　I
shall　fall　from　my　high　estate；　and　daily　grow　worse　in　that　wherein
aforetime　I　excelled。　But　indeed；　were　it　possible　to　remain
unconscious　of　the　change；　the　life　left　would　scarcely　be　worth
living；　but　given　that　there　is　a　consciousness　of　the　change；　then
must　the　existence　left　to　live　be　found　by　comparison　insipid；
joyless；　a　death　in　life；　devoid　of　life's　charm。　But　indeed；　if　it　is
reserved　for　me　to　die　unjustly；　then　on　those　who　unjustly　slay　me
lies　the　shame　＇since；　given　injustice　is　base；　how　can　any　unjust
action　whatsoever　fail　of　baseness？＇＇11＇　But　for　me　what　disgrace　is
it　that　others　should　fail　of　a　just　decision　and　right　acts
concerning　me？　。　。　。　I　see　before　me　a　long　line　of　predecessors　on
this　road；　and　I　mark　the　reputation　also　among　posterity　which　they
have　left。＇12＇　I　note　how　it　varies　according　as　they　did　or　suffered
wrong；　and　for　myself　I　know　that　I　too；　although　I　die　to…day；　shall
obtain　from　mankind　a　consideration　far　different　from　that　which　will
be　accorded　to　those　who　put　me　to　death。　I　know　that　undying　witness
will　be　borne　me　to　this　effect；　that　I　never　at　any　time　did　wrong　to
any　man；　or　made　him　a　worse　man；　but　ever　tried　to　make　those　better
who　were　with　me。〃

＇8＇　See　above；　II。　x。　3；　〃Symp。〃　i。　3；　iii。　14；　iv。　47　foll。；　vi。　2；
　　　　〃Apol。〃　2；　Plat。　〃Crat。〃　384。

＇9＇　See　above；　I。　i。　1。

＇10＇　｛to　daimonion｝〃the　divine　（voice）。〃

＇11＇　This　passage　also　may；　perhaps；　be　regarded　as　spurious。

＇12＇　Or；　〃There　floats　before　my　eyes　a　vision　of　the　many　who　have
　　　　gone　this　same　gate。　I　note　their　legacies　of　fame　among
　　　　posterity。〃

Such　are　the　words　which　he　spoke　in　conversation　with　Hermogenes　and
the　rest。　But　amongst　those　who　knew　Socrates　and　recognised　what
manner　of　man　he　was；　all　who　make　virtue　and　perfection　their　pursuit
still　to　this　day　cease　not　to　lament　his　loss　with　bitterest　regret；
as　for　one　who　helped　them　in　the　pursuit　of　virtue　as　none　else
could。

To　me；　personally；　he　was　what　I　have　myself　endeavoured　to　describe：
so　pious　and　devoutly　religious＇13＇　that　he　would　take　no　step　apart
from　the　will　of　heaven；　so　just　and　upright　that　he　never　did　even　a
trifling　injury　to　any　living　soul；　so　self…controlled；　so　temperate；
that　he　never　at　any　time　chose　the　sweeter　in　place　of　the　better；　so
sensible；　and　wise；　and　prudent　that　in　distinguishing　the　better　from
the　worse　he　never　erred；　nor　had　he　need　of　any　helper；　but　for　the
knowledge　of　these　matters；　his　judgment　was　at　once　infallible　and
self…sufficing。　Capable　of　reasonably　setting　forth　and　defining　moral
questions；＇14＇　he　was　also　able　to　test　others；　and　where　they　erred；
to　cross…examine　and　convict　them；　and　so　to　impel　and　guide　them　in
the　path　of　virtue　and　noble　manhood。　With　these　characteristics；　he
seemed　to　be　the　very　impersonation　of　human　perfection　and
happiness。＇15＇

＇13＇　Or；　〃of　such　piety　and　religious　devotedness　。　。　。　of　such
　　　　rectitude　。　。　。　of　such　sobreity　and　self…control　。　。　。　of　such
　　　　sound　sense　and　wisdom　。　。　。〃

＇14＇　Or；　〃gifted　with　an　ability　logically　to　set　forth　and　to　define
　　　　moral　subtleties。〃

＇15＇　Or；　〃I　look　upon　him　as　at　once　the　best　and　happiest　of　men。〃

Such　is　our　estimate。　If　the　verdict　fail　to　satisfy　I　would　ask　those
who　disagree　with　it　to　place　the　character　of　any　other　side　by　side
with　this　delineation；　and　then　pass　sentence。







End