treatises on friendship and old age-第13章

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you　in　good　time　before　it　arrives；　by　what　methods　we　may　most
easily　acquire　the　strength　to　support　the　burden　of　advancing　age。

_Cato_。　I　will　do　so　without　doubt；　Laelius；　especially　if；　as　you
say；　it　will　be　agreeable　to　you　both。


_Laelius_　We　do　wish　very　much；　Cato；　if　it　is　no　trouble　to　you；
to　be　allowed　to　see　the　nature　of　the　bourne　which　you　have
reached　after　completing　a　long　journey；　as　it　were；　upon　which　we
too　are　bound　to　embark。

3。　_Cato_。　　I　will　do　the　best　I　can；　Laelius。　　It　has　often　been　my
fortune　to　bear　the　complaints　of　my　contemporaries…like　will　to
like；　you　know；　according　to　the　old　proverb…complaints　to　which
men　like　C。　Salinator　and　Sp。　Albinus；　who　were　of　consular　rank
and　about　my　time；　used　to　give　vent。　They　were；　first；　that　they
had　lost　the　pleasures　of　the　senses；　without　which　they　did　not
regard　life　as　life　at　all；　and；　secondly；　that　they　were　neglected　by
those　from　whom　they　had　been　used　to　receive　attentions。　Such
men　appear　to　me　to　lay　the　blame　on　the　wrong　thing。　　For　if　it
had　been　the　fault　of　old　age；　then　these　same　misfortunes　would
have　befallen　me　and　all　other　men　of　advanced　years。　　But　I　have
known　many　of　them　who　never　said　a　word　of　complaint　against
old　age；　for　they　were　only　too　glad　to　be　freed　from　the　bondage
of　passion；　and　were　not　at　all　looked　down　upon　by　their　friends。
The　fact　is　that　the　blame　for　all　complaints　of　that　kind　is　to　be
charged　to　character；　not　to　a　particular　time　of　life。　For　old　men
who　are　reasonable　and　neither　cross…grained　nor　churlish　find　old
age　tolerable　enough：　whereas　unreason　and　churlishness　cause
uneasiness　at　every　time　of　life。

_Laelius_　　It　is　as　you　say；　Cato。　　But　perhaps　some　one　may
suggest　that　it　is　your　large　means；　wealth；　and　high　position　that
make　you　think　old　age　tolerable：　whereas　such　good　fortune　only
falls　to　few。

_Cato_。　　There　is　something　in　that；　Laelius；　but　by　no　means　all。　
For　instance；　the　story　is　told　of　the　answer　of　Themistocles　in　a
wrangle　with　a　certain　Seriphian；　who　asserted　that　he　owed　his
brilliant　position　to　the　reputation　of　his　country；　not　to　his　own。　
〃If　I　had　been　a　Seriphian；〃　said　he；　〃even　I　should　never　have　been
famous；　nor　would　you　if　you　had　been　an　Athenian。　　Something
like　this　may　be　said　of　old　age。　For　the　philosopher　himself　could
not　find　old　age　easy　to　bear　in　the　depths　of　poverty；　nor　the　fool
feel　it　anything　but　a　burden　though　he　were　a　millionaire。　　You
may　he　sure；　my　dear　Scipio　and　Laelius；　that　the　arms　best
adapted　to　old　age　are　culture　and　the　active　exercise　of　the
virtues。　　For　if　they　have　been　maintained　at　every　period…if　one
has　lived　much　as　well　as　long…the　harvest　they　produce　is
wonderful；　not　only　because　they　never　fail　us　even　in　our　last　days
（though　that　in　itself　is　supremely　important）；　but　also　because　the
consciousness　of　a　well…spent　life　and　the　recollection　of　many
virtuous　actions　are　exceedingly　delightful。

4。　Take　the　case　of　Q。　Fabius　Maximus；　the　man；　I　mean；　who
recovered　Tarentum。　　When　I　was　a　young　man　and　he　an　old　one；
I　was　as　much　attached　to　him　as　if　he　had　been　my　contemporary。　
For　that　great　man　5　serious　dignity　was　tempered　by　courteous
manners；　nor　had　old　age　made　any　change　in　his　character。　　True；
he　was　not　exactly　an　old　man　when　my　devotion　to　him　began；　yet
he　was　nevertheless　well　on　in　life；　for　his　first　consulship　fell　in
the　year　after　my　birth。　　When　quite　a　stripling　I　went　with　him　in
his　fourth　consulship　as　a　soldier　in　the　ranks；　on　the　expedition
against　Capua；　and　in　the　fifth　year　after　that　against　Tarentum。　
Four　years　after　that　I　was　elected　Quaestor；　holding　office　in　the
consulship　of　Tuditanus　and　Cethegus；　in　which　year；　indeed；　he　as
a　very　old　man　spoke　in　favour　of　the　Cincian　law　〃on　gifts　and
fees。〃

Now　this　man　conducted　wars　with　all　the　spirit　of　youth　when　he
was　far　advanced　in　life；　and　by　his　persistence　gradually　wearied
out　Hannibal；　when　rioting　in　all　the　confidence　of　youth。　　How
brilliant　are　those　lines　of　my　friend　Ennius　on　him！

For　us；　down　beaten　by　the　storms　of　fate；
One　man　by　wise　delays　restored　the　State。
Praise　or　dispraise　moved　not　his　constant　mood；
True　to　his　purpose；　to　his　country's　good！
Down　ever…lengthening　avenues　of　fame
Thus　shines　and　shall　shine　still　his　glorious　name。

Again　what　vigilance；　what　profound　skill　did　he　show　in　the
capture　of　Tarentum！　　It　was　indeed　in　my　hearing　that　he　made
the　famous　retort　to　Salinator；　who　had　retreated　into　the　citadel
after　losing　the　town：　〃It　was　owing　to　me；　Quintus　Fabius；　that
you　retook　Tarentum。〃　Quite　so；〃　he　replied　with　a　laugh；　〃for　had
you　not　lost　it；　I　should　never　have　recovered　it。〃　Nor　was　he　less
eminent　in　civil　life　than　in　war。　　In　his　second　consulship；　though
his　colleague　would　not　move　in　the　matter；　he　resisted　as　long　as
he　could　the　proposal　of　the　tribune　C。　Flaminius　to　divide　the
territory　of　the　Picenians　and　Gauls　in　free　allotments　in　defiance
of　a　resolution　of　the　Senate。　　Again；　though　he　was　an　augur；　he
ventured　to　say　that　whatever　was　done　in　the　interests　of　the　State
was　done　with　the　best　possible　auspices；　that　any　laws　proposed
against　its　interest　were　proposed　against　the　auspices。　I　was
cognisant　of　much　that　was　admirable　in　that　great　man；　but
nothing　struck　me　with　greater　astonishment　than　the　way　in　which
he　bore　the　death　of　his　son…a　man　of　brilliant　character　and　who
had　been　consul。　His　funeral　speech　over　him　is　in　wide
circulation；　and　when　we　read　it；　is　there　any　philosopher　of　whom
we　do　not　think　meanly？　Nor　in　truth　was　he　only　great　in　the　light
of　day　and　in　the　sight　of　his　fellow…citizens；　he　was　still　more
eminent　in　private　and　at　home。　　What　a　wealth　of　conversation！
What　weighty　maxims！　　What　a　wide　acquaintance　with　ancient
history！　What　an　accurate　knowledge　of　the　science　of　augury！　For
a　Roman；　too；　he　had　a　great　tincture　of　letters。　　He　had　a　tenacious
memory　for　military　history　of　every　sort；　whether　of　Roman　or
foreign　wars。　And　I　used　at　that　time　to　enjoy　his　conversation　with
a　passionate　eagerness；　as　though　I　already　divined；　what　actually
turned　out　to　be　the　case；　that　when　he　died　there　would　be　no　one
to　teach　me　anything。

5。　What　then　is　the　purpose　of　such　a　long　disquisition　on
Maximus？　It　is　because　you　now　see　that　an　old　age　like　his　cannot
conscientiously　be　called　unhappy。　Yet　it　is　after　all　true　that
everybody　cannot　be　a　Scipio　or　a　Maximus；　with　stormings　of
cities；　with　battles　by　land　and　sea；　with　wars　in　which　they
themselves　commanded；　and　with　triumphs　to　recall。　Besides　this
there　is　a　quiet；　pure；　and　cultivated　life　which　produces　a　calm
and　gentle　old　age；　such　as　we　have　been　told　Plato's　was；　who
died　at　his　writing…desk　in　his　eighty…first　year；　or　like　that　of
Isocrates；　who　says　that　he　wrote　the　book　called　The　Panegyric　in
his　ninety…fourth　year；　and　who　lived　for　five　years　afterwards；
while　his　master　Gorgias　of　Leontini　completed　a　hundred　and
seven　years　without　ever　relaxing　his　diligence　or　giving　up　work。　
When　some　one　asked　him　why　he　consented　to　remain　so　long
alive…〃　I　have　no　fault；〃　said　he；　〃to　find　with　old　age。〃　That　was　a
noble　answer；　and　worthy　of　a　scholar。　For　fools　impute　their　own
frailties　and　guilt　to　old　age；　contrary　to　the　practice　of　Enniu9；
whom　I　mentioned　just　now。　In　the　lines…

Like　some　brave　steed　that　oft　before
The　Olympic　wreath　of　victory　bore；
Now　by　the　weight　of　years　oppressed；
Forgets　the　race；　and　takes　his　rest…

he　compares　his　own　old　age　to　that　of　a　high…spirited　and
successfal　race…horse。　And　him　indeed　you　may　very　well
remember。　　For　the　present　consuls　Titus　Flamininus　and　Manius
Acilius　were　elected　in　the　nineteenth　year　after　his　death；　and　his
death　occurred　in　the　consulship　of　Caepio　and　Philippus；　the
latter　consul　for　the　second　time：　in　which　year　I；　then　sixty…six
years　old；　spoke　in　favour　of　the　Voconian　law　in　a　voice　that　was
still　strong　and　with　lungs　still　sound；　while　be；　though　seventy
years　old；　supported　two　burdens　considered　the　heaviest