lycurgus-第6章

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his　citizens　begot　by　the　first…comers；　but　by　the　best　men　that　could
be　found；　the　laws　of　other　nations　seemed　to　him　very　absurd　and
inconsistent；　where　people　would　be　so　solicitous　for　their　dogs　and
horses　as　to　exert　interest　and　to　pay　money　to　procure　fine　breeding；
and　yet　kept　their　wives　shut　up；　to　be　made　mothers　only　by
themselves；　who　might　be　foolish；　infirm；　or　diseased；　as　if　it　were
not　apparent　that　children　of　a　bad　breed　would　prove　their　bad
qualities　first　upon　those　who　kept　and　were　rearing　them；　and
well…born　children；　in　like　manner；　their　good　qualities。　These
regulations；　founded　on　natural　and　social　grounds；　were　certainly
so　far　from　that　scandalous　liberty　which　was　afterwards　charged
upon　their　women；　that　they　knew　not　what　adultery　meant。　It　is
told；　for　instance；　of　Geradas；　a　very　ancient　Spartan；　that；　being
asked　by　a　stranger　what　punishment　their　law　had　appointed　for
adulterers；　he　answered；　〃There　are　no　adulterers　in　our　country。〃
〃But；〃　replied　the　stranger；　〃suppose　there　were？〃　〃Then；〃　answered
he；　〃the　offender　would　have　to　give　the　plaintiff　a　bull　with　a
neck　so　long　as　that　he　might　drink　from　the　top　of　Taygetus　of　the
Eurotas　river　below　it。〃　The　man；　surprised　at　this；　said；　〃Why；
'tis　impossible　to　find　such　a　bull。〃　Geradas　smilingly　replied；　〃'Tis
as　possible　as　to　find　an　adulterer　in　Sparta。〃　So　much　I　had　to　say
of　their　marriages。
　　Nor　was　it　in　the　power　of　the　father　to　dispose　of　the　child　as
he　thought　fit；　he　was　obliged　to　carry　it　before　certain　triers　at
a　place　called　Lesche；　these　were　some　of　the　elders　of　the　tribe　to
which　the　child　belonged；　their　business　it　was　carefully　to　view
the　infant；　and；　if　they　found　it　stout　and　well　made；　they　gave　order
for　its　rearing；　and　allotted　to　it　one　of　the　nine　thousand　shares　of
land　above　mentioned　for　its　maintenance；　but；　if　they　found　it　puny
and　ill…shaped；　ordered　it　to　be　taken　to　what　was　called　the
Apothetae；　a　sort　of　chasm　under　Taygetus；　as　thinking　it　neither
for　the　good　of　the　child　itself；　nor　for　the　public　interest；　that　it
should　be　brought　up；　if　it　did　not；　from　the　very　outset；　appear　made
to　be　healthy　and　vigorous。　Upon　the　same　account；　the　women　did　not
bathe　the　new…born　children　with　water；　as　is　the　custom　in　all
other　countries；　but　with　wine；　to　prove　the　temper　and　complexion
of　their　bodies；　from　a　notion　they　had　that　epileptic　and　weakly
children　faint　and　waste　away　upon　their　being　thus　bathed　while；　on
the　contrary；　those　of　a　strong　and　vigorous　habit　acquire　firmness
and　get　a　temper　by　it；　like　steel。　There　was　much　care　and　art；
too；　used　by　the　nurses；　they　had　no　swaddling　bands；　the　children
grew　up　free　and　unconstrained　in　limb　and　form；　and　not　dainty　and
fanciful　about　their　food；　not　afraid　in　the　dark；　or　of　being　left
alone；　and　without　peevishness；　or　ill…humour；　or　crying。　Upon　this
account　Spartan　nurses　were　often　bought　up；　or　hired　by　people　of
other　countries；　and　it　is　recorded　that　she　who　suckled　Alcibiades
was　a　Spartan；　who；　however；　if　fortunate　in　his　nurse；　was　not　so
in　his　preceptor；　his　guardian；　Pericles；　as　Plato　tells　us；　chose　a
servant　for　that　office　called　Zopyrus；　no　better　than　any　common
slave。
　　Lycurgus　was　of　another　mind；　he　would　not　have　masters　bought　out
of　the　market　for　his　young　Spartans；　nor　such　as　should　sell　their
pains；　nor　was　it　lawful；　indeed；　for　the　father　himself　to　breed　up
the　children　after　his　own　fancy；　but　as　soon　as　they　were　seven　years
old　they　were　to　be　enrolled　in　certain　companies　and　classes；　where
they　all　lived　under　the　same　order　and　discipline；　doing　their
exercises　and　taking　their　play　together。　Of　these；　he　who　showed
the　most　conduct　and　courage　was　made　captain；　they　had　their　eyes
always　upon　him；　obeyed　his　orders；　and　underwent　patiently　whatsoever
punishment　he　inflicted；　so　that　the　whole　course　of　their　education
was　one　continued　exercise　of　a　ready　and　perfect　obedience。　The　old
men；　too；　were　spectators　of　their　performances；　and　often　raised
quarrels　and　disputes　among　them；　to　have　a　good　opportunity　of
finding　out　their　different　characters；　and　of　seeing　which　would　be
valiant；　which　a　coward；　when　they　should　come　to　more　dangerous
encounters。　Reading　and　writing　they　gave　them；　just　enough　to　serve
their　turn；　their　chief　care　was　to　make　them　good　subjects；　and　to
teach　them　to　endure　pain　and　conquer　in　battle。　To　this　end；　as
they　grew　in　years；　their　discipline　was　proportionately　increased；
their　heads　were　close…clipped；　they　were　accustomed　to　go　barefoot；
and　for　the　most　part　to　play　naked。
　　After　they　were　twelve　years　old；　they　were　no　longer　allowed　to
wear　any　undergarments；　they　had　one　coat　to　serve　them　a　year；
their　bodies　were　hard　and　dry；　with　but　little　acquaintance　of
baths　and　unguents；　these　human　indulgences　they　were　allowed　only
on　some　few　particular　days　in　the　year。　They　lodged　together　in
little　bands　upon　beds　made　of　the　rushes　which　grew　by　the　banks　of
the　river　Eurotas；　which　they　were　to　break　off　with　their　hands
without　a　knife；　if　it　were　winter；　they　mingled　some　thistle…down
with　their　rushes；　which　it　was　thought　had　the　property　of　giving
warmth。　By　the　time　they　were　come　to　this　age　there　was　not　any　of
the　more　hopeful　boys　who　had　not　a　lover　to　bear　him　company。　The　old
men；　too；　had　an　eye　upon　them；　coming　often　to　the　grounds　to　hear
and　see　them　contend　either　in　wit　or　strength　with　one　another；　and
this　as　seriously　and　with　as　much　concern　as　if　they　were　their
fathers；　their　tutors；　or　their　magistrates；　so　that　there　scarcely
was　any　time　or　place　without　some　one　present　to　put　them　in　mind
of　their　duty；　and　punish　them　if　they　had　neglected　it。
　　Besides　all　this；　there　was　always　one　of　the　best　and　honestest　men
in　the　city　appointed　to　undertake　the　charge　and　governance　of
them；　he　again　arranged　them　into　their　several　bands；　and　set　over
each　of　them　for　their　captain　the　most　temperate　and　boldest　of　those
they　called　Irens；　who　were　usually　twenty　years　old；　two　years　out　of
the　boys；　and　the　oldest　of　the　boys；　again；　were　Mell…Irens；　as
much　as　to　say；　who　would　shortly　be　men。　This　young　man；　therefore；
was　their　captain　when　they　fought　and　their　master　at　home；　using
them　for　the　offices　of　his　house；　sending　the　eldest　of　them　to　fetch
wood；　and　the　weaker　and　less　able　to　gather　salads　and　herbs；　and
these　they　must　either　go　without　or　steal；　which　they　did　by　creeping
into　the　gardens；　or　conveying　themselves　cunningly　and　closely　into
the　eating…houses；　if　they　were　taken　in　the　fact；　they　were　whipped
without　mercy；　for　thieving　so　ill　and　awkwardly。　They　stole；　too；　all
other　meat　they　could　lay　their　hands　on；　looking　out　and　watching　all
opportunities；　when　people　were　asleep　or　more　careless　than　usual。　If
they　were　caught；　they　were　not　only　punished　with　whipping；　but
hunger；　too；　being　reduced　to　their　ordinary　allowance；　which　was
but　very　slender；　and　so　contrived　on　purpose；　that　they　might　set
about　to　help　themselves；　and　be　forced　to　exercise　their　energy　and
address。　This　was　the　principal　design　of　their　hard　fare；　there　was
another　not　inconsiderable；　that　they　might　grow　taller；　for　the　vital
spirits；　not　being　overburdened　and　oppressed　by　too　great　a
quantity　of　nourishment；　which　necessarily　discharges　itself　into
thickness　and　breadth；　do；　by　their　natural　lightness；　rise；　and　the
body；　giving　and　yielding　because　it　is　pliant；　grows　in　height。　The
same　thing　seems；　also；　to　conduce　to　beauty　of　shape；　a　dry　and
lean　habit　is　a　better　subject　for　nature's　configuration；　which　the
gross　and　over…fed　are　too　heavy　to　submit　to　properly。　Just　as　we
find　that　women　who　take　physic　whilst　they　are　with　child；　bear
leaner　and　smaller　but　better…shaped　and　prettier　children；　the
material　they　come　of　having　been　more　pliable　and　easily　moulded。　The
reason；　however；　I　leave　others　to　determine。
　　To　return　from　whence　we　have　digressed。　So　seriously　did　the
Lacedaemonian　children　go　about　their　stealing；　that　a　youth；　having
stolen　a　young　fox　and　hid　it　under　hi