treatises on friendship and old age-第14章

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still　strong　and　with　lungs　still　sound；　while　be；　though　seventy
years　old；　supported　two　burdens　considered　the　heaviest　of
all…poverty　and　old　age…in　such　a　way　as　to　be　all　but　fond　of　them。

The　fact　is　that　when　I　come　to　think　it　over；　I　find　that　there　are
four　reasons　for　old　age　being　thought　unhappy：
First；　that　it　withdraws　us　from　active　employments；　second；　that　it
enfeebles　the　body；　third；　that　it　deprives　us　of　nearly　all　physical
pleasures；　fourth；　that　it　is　the　next　step　to　death。　　Of　each　of　these
reasons；　if　you　will　allow　me；　let　us　examine　the　force　and　justice
separately。

6。　OLD　AGE　WITHDRAWS　US　FROM　ACTIVE
EMPLOYMENTS。　From　which　of　them？　　Do　you　mean　from　thosc
carried　on　by　youth　and　bodily　strength？　　Are　there　then　no　old
men's　employments　to　be　after　all　conducted　by　the　intellect；　even
when　bodies　are　weak？　　So　then　Q。　Maximus　did　nothing；　nor　L。
Aemilius…our　father；　Scipio；　and　my　excellent　son's　father…in…law！　
So　with　other　old　men…the　Fabricii；　the　Guru　and　Coruncanii…when
they　were　supporting　the　State　by　their　advice　and　influence；　they
were　doing　nothing！　To　old　age　Appius　Claudius　had　the
additional　disadvantage　of　being　blind；　yet　it　was　he　who；　when
the　Senate　was　inclining　towards　a　peace　with　Pyrrhus　and　was　for
making　a　treaty；　did　not　hesitate　to　say　what　Ennius　has　embalmed
in　the　verses：

Whither　have　swerved　the　souls　so　firm　of　yore？
Is　sense　grown　senseless？　Can　feet　stand　no　more？

And　so　on　in　a　tone　of　the　most　passionate　vehemence。　You　know
the　poem；　and　the　speech　of　Appius　himself　is　extant。　Now；　he
delivered　it　seventeen　years　after　his　second　consulship；　there
having　been　an　interval　of　ten　years　between　the　two　consulships；
and　he　having　been　censor　before　his　previous　consulship。　　This
will　show　you　that　at　the　time　of　the　war　with　Pyrrhus　he　was　a
very　old　man。　Yet　this　is　the　story　handed　down　to　us。

There　is　therefore　nothing　in　the　arguments　of　those　who　say　that
old　age　takes　no　part　in　public　business。　They　are　like　men　who
would　say　that　a　steersman　docs　nothing　in　sailing　a　ship；　because；
while　some　of　the　crew　are　climbing　the　masts；　others　hurrying　up
and　down　the　gangways；　others　pumping　out　the　bilge　water；　he
sits　quietly　in　the　stern　holding　the　tiller。　　He　does　not　do　what
young　men　do；　nevertheless　he　does　what　is　much　more　important
and　better。　　The　great　affairs　of　life　are　not　performed　by　physical
strength；　or　activity；　or　nimbleness　of　body；　but　by　deliberation；
character；　expression　of　opinion。　Of　these　old　age　is　not　only　not
deprived；　but；　as　a　rule；　has　them　in　a　greater　degree。　Unless　by
any　chance　I；　who　as　a　soldier　in　the　ranks；　as　military　tribune；　as
legate；　and　as　consul　have　been　employed　in　various　kinds　of　war；
now　appear　to　you　to　be　idle　because　not　actively　engaged　in　war。
But　I　enjoin　upon　the　Senate　what　is　to　be　done；　and　how。
Carthage　has　long　been　harbouring　evil　designs；　and　I　accordingly
proclaim　war　against　her　in　good　time。　　I　shall　never　cease　to
entertain　fears　about　her　till　I　bear　of　her　having　been　levelled　with
the　ground。　　The　glory　of　doing　that　I　pray　that　the　immortal　gods
may　reserve　for　you；　Scipio；　so　that　you　may　complete　the　task
begun　by　your　grand…father；　now　dead　more　than　thirty…two　years
ago；　though　all　years　to　come　will　keep　that　great　man's　memory
green。　He　died　in　the　year　before　my　censorship；　nine　years　after
my　consulship；　having　been　returned　consul　for　the　second　time　in
my　own　consulship。　　If　then　he　had　lived　to　his　hundredth　year；
would　he　have　regretted　having　lived　to　be　old？　For　he　would　of
course　not　have　been　practising　rapid　marches；　nor　dashing　on　a
foe；　nor　hurling　spears　from　a　distance；　nor　using　swords　at　close
quarters…but　only　counsel；　reason；　and　senatorial　eloquence。　And　if
those　qualities　had　not　resided　in　us　_seniors_；　our　ancestors
would　never　have　called　their　supreme　council　a　Senate。　　At
Sparta；　indeed；　those　who　hold　the　highest　magistracies　are　in
accordance　with　the　fact　actually　called　〃elders。〃　　But　if　you　will
take　the　trouble　to　read　or　listen　to　foreign　history；　you　will　find
that　the　mightiest　States　have　been　brought　into　peril　by　young
men；　have　been　supported　and　restored　by　old。　The　question
occurs　in　the　poet　Naevius's　_Sport_：

Pray；　who　are　those　who　brought　your　State　
With　such　despatch　to　meet　its　fate？

There　is　a　long　answer；　but　this　is　the　chief　point：

A　crop　of　brand…new　orators　we　grew；
And　foolish；　paltry　lads　who　thought　they　knew。

For　of　course　rashness　is　the　note　of　youth；　prudence　of　old　age。

7。　But；　it　is　said；　memory　dwindles。　No　doubt；　unless　you　keep　it　in
practice；　or　if　you　happen　to　be　somewhat　dull　by　nature。　
Themistocles　had　the　names　of　all　his　fellow…citizens　by　heart。　　Do
you　imagine　that　in　his　old　age　he　used　to　address　Aristides　as
Lysimachus？　　For　my　part；　I　know　not　only　the　present　generation；
but　their　fathers　also；　and　their　grandfathers。　Nor　have　I　any　fear　of
losing　my　memory　by　reading　tombstones；　according　to　the　vulgar
superstition。　　　On　the　contrary；　by　reading　them　I　renew　my
memory　of　those　who　are　dead　and　gone。　Nor；　in　point　of　fact；
have　I　ever　heard　of　any　old　man　forgetting　where　he　had　hidden
his　money。　　They　remember　everything　that　interests　them：　when
to　answer　to　their　bail；　business　appointments；　who　owes　them
money；　and　to　whom　they　owe
it。　　What　about　lawyers；　pontiffs；　augurs；　philosophers；　when　old？　
What　a　multitude　of　things　they　remember！　Old　men　retain　their
intellects　well　enough；　if　only　they　keep　their　minds　active　and
fully　employed。　　Nor　is　that　the　case　only　with　men　of　high
position　and　great　office：
it　applies　equally　to　private　life　and　peaceful　pursuits。　Sophocles
composed　tragedies　to　extreme　old　age；　and　being　believed　to
neglect　the　care　of　his　property　owing　to　his　devotion　to　his　art；　his
sons　brought　him　into　court　to　get　a　judicial　decision　depriving
him　of　the　management　of　his　property　on　the　ground　of　weak
intellect…just　as　in　our　law　it　is　customary　to　deprive　a
paterfamilias　of　the　management　of　his　property　if　he　is
squandering　it。　There…upon　the　old　poet　is　said　to　have　read　to　the
judges　the　play　he　had　on　hand　and　had　just　composed…the
_Oedipus　Coloneus_…and　to　have　asked　them　whether　they　thought
that　the　work　of　a　man　of　weak　intellect。　After　the　reading　he　was
acquitted　by　the　jury。　　Did　old　age　then　compel　this　man　to　become
silent　in　his　particular　art；　or　Homer；　Hesiod；　Simonides；　or
Isocrates　and　Gorgias　whom　I　mentioned　before；　or　the　founders　of
schools　of　philosophy；　Pythagoras；　Democritus；　Plato；　Xenocrates；
or　later　Zeno　and　Cleanthus；　or　Diogenes　the　Stoic；　whom　you　too
saw　at　Rome？　Is　it　not　rather　the　case　with　all　these　that　the　active
pursuit　of　study　only　ended　with　life？

But；　to　pass　over　these　sublime　studies；　I　can　name　some　rustic
Romans　from　the　Sabine　district；　neighbours　and　friends　of　my
own；　without　whose　presence　farm　work　of　importance　is　scarcely
ever　performed…whether　sowing；　or　harvesting　or　storing　crops。
And　yet　in　other　things　this　s'　less　surprising；　for　no　one　is　so　old
as　to　think　that　he　may　not　live　a　year。　But　they　bestow　their　labour
on　what　they　know　does　not　affect　them　in　any　case：

He　plants　his　trees　to　serve　a　race　to　come；

as　our　poet　Statius　says　in　his　Comrades。　　Nor　indeed　would　a
farmer；　however　old；　hesitate　to　answer　any　one　who　asked　him　for
whom　he　was　planting：　〃For　the　immortal　gods；　whose　will　it　was
that　I　should　not　merely　receive　these　things　from　my　ancestors；
but　should　also　hand　them　on　to　the　next　generation。〃

8。　That　remark　about　the　old　man　is　better　than　the　following：

If　age　brought　nothing　worse　than　this；
It　were　enough　to　mar　our　bliss；
That　he　who　bides　for　many　years
Sees　much　to　shun　and　much　for　tears。

Yes；　and　perhaps　much　that　gives　him　pleasure　too。　　Besides；　as　to
subjects　for　tears；　he　often　comes　upon　them　in　youth　as　well。

A　still　more　questionable　sentiment　in　the　same　Caecilius　is：

No　greater　misery　can　of　age　be　told
Than　this：　be　sure；　the　young　dislike　the　old。

Delight　in　them　is　nearer　the　mark　than　dislike。　　For　Just　as