lycurgus-第2章

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importunities　and　assurances　of　friendship；　persuaded　to　go　over　to
Lacedaemon；　where；　though　by　his　outward　appearance　and　his　own
profession　he　seemed　to　be　no　other　than　a　lyric　poet；　in　reality　he
performed　the　part　of　one　of　the　ablest　lawgivers　in　the　world。　The
very　songs　which　he　composed　were　exhortations　to　obedience　and
concord；　and　the　very　measure　and　cadence　of　the　verse；　conveying
impressions　of　order　and　tranquillity；　had　so　great　an　influence　on
the　minds　of　the　listeners；　that　they　were　insensibly　softened　and
civilized；　insomuch　that　they　renounced　their　private　feuds　and
animosities；　and　were　reunited　in　a　common　admiration　of　virtue。　So
that　it　may　truly　be　said　that　Thales　prepared　the　way　for　the
discipline　introduced　by　Lycurgus。
　　From　Crete　he　sailed　to　Asia；　with　design；　as　is　said；　to　examine
the　difference　betwixt　the　manners　and　rules　of　life　of　the　Cretans；
which　were　very　sober　and　temperate；　and　those　of　the　Ionians；　a
people　of　sumptuous　and　delicate　habits；　and　so　to　form　a　judgment；
just　as　physicians　do　by　comparing　healthy　and　diseased　bodies。　Here
he　had　the　first　sight　of　Homer's　works；　in　the　hands；　we　may　suppose；
of　the　posterity　of　Creophylus；　and；　having　observed　that　the　few
loose　expressions　and　actions　of　ill　example　which　are　to　be　found
in　his　poems　were　much　outweighed　by　serious　lessons　of　state　and
rules　of　morality；　he　set　himself　eagerly　to　transcribe　and　digest
them　into　order；　as　thinking　they　would　be　of　good　use　in　his　own
country。　They　had；　indeed；　already　obtained　some　slight　repute　among
the　Greeks；　and　scattered　portions；　as　chance　conveyed　them；　were　in
the　hands　of　individuals；　but　Lycurgus　first　made　them　really　known。
　　The　Egyptians　say　that　he　took　a　voyage　into　Egypt；　and　that；
being　much　taken　with　their　way　of　separating　the　soldiery　from　the
rest　of　the　nation；　he　transferred　it　from　them　to　Sparta；　a　removal
from　contact　with　those　employed　in　low　and　mechanical　occupations
giving　high　refinement　and　beauty　to　the　state。　Some　Greek　writers
also　record　this。　But　as　for　his　voyages　into　Spain；　Africa　and　the
Indies；　and　his　conferences　there　with　the　Gymnosophists；　the　whole
relation；　as　far　as　I　can　find；　rests　on　the　single　credit　of　the
Spartan　Aristocrates；　the　son　of　Hipparchus。
　　Lycurgus　was　much　missed　at　Sparta；　and　often　sent　for；　〃for　kings
indeed　we　have；〃　they　said；　〃who　wear　the　marks　and　assume　the
titles　of　royalty；　but　as　for　the　qualities　of　their　minds；　they
have　nothing　by　which　they　are　to　be　distinguished　from　their
subjects；　adding；　that　in　him　alone　was　the　true　foundation　of
sovereignty　to　be　seen；　a　nature　made　to　rule；　and　a　genius　to　gain
obedience。　Nor　were　the　kings　themselves　averse　to　see　him　back；　for
they　looked　upon　his　presence　as　a　bulwark　against　the　insolence　of
the　people。
　　Things　being　in　this　posture　at　his　return；　he　applied　himself；
without　loss　of　time；　to　a　thorough　reformation；　and　resolved　to
change　the　whole　face　of　the　commonwealth；　for　what　could　a　few
particular　laws　and　a　partial　alteration　avail？　He　must　act　as　wise
physicians　do；　in　the　case　of　one　who　labours　under　a　complication
of　diseases；　by　force　of　medicines　reduce　and　exhaust　him；　change
his　whole　temperament；　and　then　set　him　upon　a　totally　new　regimen
of　diet。　Having　thus　projected　things；　away　he　goes　to　Delphi　to
consult　Apollo　there；　which　having　done；　and　offered　his　sacrifice；　he
returned　with　that　renowned　oracle；　in　which　he　is　called　beloved　of
God；　and　rather　God　than　man；　that　his　prayers　were　heard；　that　his
laws　should　be　the　best；　and　the　commonwealth　which　observed　them
the　most　famous　in　the　world。　Encouraged　by　these　things　he　set
himself　to　bring　over　to　his　side　the　leading　men　of　Sparta；　exhorting
them　to　give　him　a　helping　hand　in　his　great　undertaking；　he　broke
it　first　to　his　particular　friends；　and　then　by　degrees；　gained
others；　and　animated　them　all　to　put　his　design　in　execution。　When
things　were　ripe　for　action；　he　gave　orders　to　thirty　of　the　principal
men　of　Sparta　to　be　ready　armed　at　the　market…place　by　break　of　day；
to　the　end　that　he　might　strike　a　terror　into　the　opposite　party。
Hermippus　hath　set　down　the　names　of　twenty　of　the　most　eminent　of
them；　but　the　name　of　him　whom　Lycurgus　most　confided　in；　and　who
was　of　most　use　to　him；　both　in　making　his　laws　and　putting　them　in
execution　was　Arthmiadas。　Things　growing　to　a　tumult；　King
Charilaus；　apprehending　that　it　was　a　conspiracy　against　his　person；
took　sanctuary　in　the　temple　of　Minerva　of　the　Brazen　House；　but；
being　soon　after　undeceived；　and　having　taken　an　oath　of　them　that
they　had　no　designs　against　him；　he　quitted　his　refuge；　and　himself
also　entered　into　the　confederacy　with　them；　of　so　gentle　and　flexible
a　disposition　he　was；　to　which　Archelaus；　his　brother…king；　alluded；
when；　hearing　him　extolled　for　his　goodness；　he　said；　〃Who　can　say
he　is　anything　but　good？　he　is　so　even　to　the　bad。〃
　　Amongst　the　many　changes　and　alterations　which　Lycurgus　made；　the
first　and　of　greatest　importance　was　the　establishment　of　the
senate；　which　having　a　power　equal　to　the　king's　in　matters　of　great
consequence；　and；　as　Plato　expresses　it；　allaying　and　qualifying　the
fiery　genius　of　the　royal　office；　gave　steadiness　and　safety　to　the
commonwealth。　For　the　state；　which　before　had　no　firm　basis　to　stand
upon；　but　leaned　one　while　towards　an　absolute　monarchy；　when　the
kings　had　the　upper　hand；　and　another　while　towards　a　pure
democracy；　when　the　people　had　the　better；　found　in　this　establishment
of　the　senate　a　central　weight；　like　ballast　in　a　ship；　which　always
kept　things　in　a　just　equilibrium；　the　twenty…eight　always　adhering　to
the　kings　so　far　as　to　resist　democracy；　and　on　the　other　hand；
supporting　the　people　against　the　establishment　of　absolute
monarchy。　As　for　the　determinate　number　of　twenty…eight；　Aristotle
states；　that　it　so　fell　out　because　two　of　the　original　associates；
for　want　of　courage；　fell　off　from　the　enterprise；　but　Sphaerus
assures　us　that　there　were　but　twenty…eight　of　the　confederates　at
first；　perhaps　there　is　some　mystery　in　the　number；　which　consists
of　seven　multiplied　by　four；　and　is　the　first　of　perfect　numbers　after
six；　being；　as　that　is；　equal　to　all　its　parts。　For　my　part；　I　believe
Lycurgus　fixed　upon　the　number　of　twenty…eight；　that；　the　two　kings
being　reckoned　amongst　them；　they　might　be　thirty　in　all。　So　eagerly
set　was　he　upon　this　establishment；　that　he　took　the　trouble　to　obtain
an　oracle　about　it　from　Delphi；　the　Rhetra；　which　runs　thus：　〃After
that　you　have　built　a　temple　to　Jupiter　Helianius；　and　to　Minerva
Hellania；　and　after　that　you　have　phyle'd　the　people　into　phyles；
and　obe'd　them　into　obes；　you　shall　establish　a　council　of　thirty
elders；　the　leaders　included；　and　shall；　from　time　to　time；　apellazein
the　people　betwixt　Babyca　and　Cnacion；　there　propound　and　put　to　the
vote。　The　commons　have　the　final　voice　and　decision。〃　By　phyles　and
obes　are　meant　the　divisions　of　the　people；　by　the　leaders；　the　two
kings；　apellazein；　referring　to　the　Pythian　Apollo；　signifies　to
assemble；　Babyca　and　Cnacion　they　now　call　Oenus；　Aristotle　says
Cnacion　is　a　river；　and　Babyca　a　bridge。　Betwixt　this　Babyca　and
Cnacion；　their　assemblies　were　held；　for　they　had　no　council…house
or　building　to　meet　in。　Lycurgus　was　of　opinion　that　ornaments　were　so
far　from　advantaging　them　in　their　counsels；　that　they　were　rather
an　hindrance；　by　diverting　their　attention　from　the　business　before
them　to　statues　and　pictures；　and　roofs　curiously　fretted；　the　usual
embellishments　of　such　places　amongst　the　other　Greeks。　The　people
then　being　thus　assembled　in　the　open　air；　it　was　not　allowed　to　any
one　of　their　order　to　give　his　advice；　but　only　either　to　ratify　or
reject　what　should　be　propounded　to　them　by　the　king　or　senate。　But
because　it　fell　out　afterwards　that　the　people；　by　adding　or
omitting　words；　distorted　and　perverted　the　sense　of　propositions；
Kings　Polydorus　and　Theopompus　inserted　into　the　Rhetra；　or　grand
covenant；　the　following　clause：　〃That　if　the　people　decide　crookedly
it　should　be　lawful　for　the　elders　and　lead