treatises on friendship and old age-第15章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Than　this：　be　sure；　the　young　dislike　the　old。

Delight　in　them　is　nearer　the　mark　than　dislike。　　For　Just　as　old
men；　if　they　are　wise；　take　pleasure　in　the　society　of　young　men　of
good　parts；　and　as　old　age　is　rendered　less　dreary　for　those　who　are
courted　and　liked　by　the　youth；　so　also　do　young　men　find　pleasure
in　the　maxims　of　the　old；　by　which　they　are　drawn　to　the　pursuit　of
excellence。　　Nor　do　I　perceive　that　you　find　my　society　less
pleasant　than　I　do　yours。　　But　this　is　enough　to　show　you　how；　so
far　from　being　listless　and　sluggish；　old　age　is　even　a　busy　time；
always　doing　and　attempting　something；　of　course　of　the　same
nature　as　each　man's　taste　had　been　in　the　previous　part　of　his　life。
Nay；　do　not　some　even　add　to　their　stock　of　learning？　　We　see
Solon；　for　instance；　boasting　in　his　poems　that　he　grows　old　〃daily
learning　something　new。〃　　Or　again　in　my　own　case；　it　was　only
when　an　old　man　that　I　became　acquainted　with　Greek　literature；
which　in　fact　I　absorbed　with　such　avidity…in　my　yearning　to
quench；　as　it　were；　a　long…continued　thirst…that　I　became
acquainted　with　the　very　facts　which　you　see　me　now　using　as
precedents。　　When　I　heard　what　Socrates　had　done　about　the　lyre　I
should　have　liked　for　my　part　to　have　done　that　too；　for　the
ancients　used　to　learn　the　lyre　but；　at　any　rate；　I　worked　hard　at
literature。

9。　Nor；　again；　do　I　now　MISS　THE　BODILY　STRENGTH　　OF　A
YOUNG　MAN　（for　that　was　the　second　point　as　to　the
disadvantages　of　old　age）　any　more　than　as　a　young　man　I　missed
the　strength　of　a　bull　or　an　elephant。　　You　should　use　what　you
have；　and　whatever　you　may　chance　to　be　doing；　do　it　with　all　your
might。　　What　could　be　weaker　than　Milo　of　Croton's　exclamation？
When　in　his　old　age　he　was　watching　some　athletes　practising　in
the　course；　he　is　said　to　have　looked　at　his　arms　and　to　have
exclaimed　with　tears　in　his　eyes：　〃Ah　well！　these　are　now　as　good
as　dead。〃　Not　a　bit　more　so　than　yourself；　you　trifler！　　For　at　no
time　were　you　made　famous　by　your　real　self；　but　by　chest　and
biceps。　　Sext。　Aelius　never　gave　vent　to　such　a　remark；　nor；　many
years　before　him；　Titus　Coruncanius；　nor；　more　recently；　P。
Crassus…all　of　them　learned　juris…consults　in　active　practice；　whose
knowledge　of　their　profession　was　maintained　to　their　last　breath。　I
am　afraid　an　orator　does　lose　vigour　by　old　age；　for　his　art　is　not　a
matter　of　the　intellect　alone；　but　of　lungs　and　bodily　strength。　
Though　as　a　rule　that　musical　ring　in　the　voice　even　gains　in
brilliance　in　a　certain　way　as　one　grows　old…certainly　I　have　not　yet
lost　it；　and　you　see　my　years。　　Yet　after　all　the　style　of　speech
suitable　to　an　old　man　is　the　quiet　and　unemotional；　and　it　often
happens　that　the　chastened　and　calm　delivery　of　an　old　man
eloquent　secures　a　hearing。　If　you　cannot　attain　to　that　yourself；
you　might　still　instruct　a　Scipio　and　a　Laelius。　　For　what　is　more
charming　than　old　age　surrounded　by　the　enthusiasm　of　youth？
Shall　we　not　allow　old　age　even　the　strength　to　teach　the　young；　to
train　and　equip　them　for　all　the　duties　of　life？　And　what　can　be　a
nobler　employment？　For　my　part；　I　used　to　think　Publius　and
Gnaeus　Scipio　and　your　two　grandfathers；　L。　Aemilius　and　P。
Africanus；　fortunate　men　when　I　saw　them　with　a　company　of
young　nobles　about　them。　　Nor　should　we　think　any　teachers　of　the
fine　arts　otherwise　than　happy；　however　much　their　bodily　forces
may　have　decayed　and　failed。　　And　yet　that　same　failure　of　the
bodily　forces　is　more　often　brought　about　by　the　vices　of　youth
than　of　old　age；　for　a　dissolute　and　intemperate　youth　hands　down
the　body　to　old　age　in　a　worn…out　state。　Xenophon's　Cyrus；　for
instance；　in　his　discourse　delivered　on　his　death…bed　and　at　a　very
advanced　age；　says　that　he　never　perceived　his　old　age　to　have
become　weaker　than　his　youth　had　been。　　I　remember　as　a　boy
Lucius　Metellus；　who　having　been　created　Pontifex　Maximus　four
years　after　his　second　consul…ship；　held　that　office　twenty…two
years；　enjoying　such　excellent　strength　of　body　in　the　very　last
hours　of　his　life　as　not　to　miss　his　youth。　　I　need　not　speak　of
myself；　though　that　indeed　is　an　old　man's　way　and　is　generally
allowed　to　my　time　of　life。　　Don't　you　see　in　Homer　how　frequently
Nestor　talks　of　his　own　good　qualities？　For　he　was　living　through　a
third　generation；　nor　had　he　any　reason　to　fear　that　upon　saying
what　was　true　about　himself　he　should　appear　either　over　vain　or
talkative。　For；　as　Homer　says；　〃from　his　lips　flowed　discourse
sweeter　than　honey；〃　for　which　sweet　breath　he　wanted　no　bodily
strength。　And　yet；　after　all；　the　famous　leader　of　the　Greeks
nowhere　wishes　to　have　ten　men　like　Ajax；　but　like　Nestor：　if　he
could　get　them；　he　feels　no　doubt　of　Troy　shortly　falling。

10。　But　to　return　to　my　own　case：　I　am　in　my　eighty…fourth　year。　　I
could　wish　that　I　had　been　able　to　make　the　same　boast　as　Cyrus；
but；　after　all；　I　can　say　this：　I　am　not　indeed　as　vigorous　as　I　was　as
a　private　soldier　in　the　Punic　war；　or　as　quaestor　in　the　same　war；
or　as　consul　in　Spain；　and　four　years　later　when　as　a　military
tribune　I　took　part　in　the　engagement　at　Thermopylae　under　the
consul　Manius　Acilius　Glabrio；　but　yet；　as　you　see；　old　age　has　not
entirely　destroyed　my　muscles；　has　not　quite　brought　me　to　the
ground。　The　Senate…house　does　not　find　all　my　vigour　gone；　nor
the　rostra；　nor　my　friends；　nor　my　clients；　nor　my　foreign　guests。
For　I　have　never　given　in　to　that　ancient　and　much…praised　proverb：

Old　when　young
Is　old　for　long。

For　myself；　I　had　rather　be　an　old　man　a　somewhat　shorter　time
than　an　old　man　_before_　my　time。　Accordingly；　no　one　up　to　the
present　has　wished　to　see　me；　to　whom　I　have　been　denied　as
engaged。　But；　it　may　be　said；　I　have　less　strength　than　either　of
you。　　Neither　have　you　the　strength　of　the　centurion　T。　Pontius：　is
he　the　more　eminent　man　on　that　account？　　Let　there　be　only　a
proper　husbanding　of　strength；　and　let　each　man　proportion　his
efforts　to　his　powers。　　Such　an　one　will　assuredly　not　be　possessed
with　any　great　regret　for　his　loss　of　strength。　At　Olympia　Milo　is
said　to　have　stepped　into　the　course　carrying　a　live　ox　on　his
shoulders。　Which　then　of　the　two　would　you　prefer　to　have　given
to　you…bodily　strength　like　that；　or　intellectual　strength　like　that　of
Pythagoras？　In　fine；　enjoy　that　blessing　when　you　have　it；　when　it
is　gone；　don't　wish　it　back…unless　we　are　to　think　that　young　men
should　wish　their　childhood　back；　and　those　somewhat　older　their
youth！　The　course　of　life　is　fixed；　and　nature　admits　of　its　being
run　but　in　one　way；　and　only　once；　and　to　each　part　of　our　life
there　is　something　specially　seasonable；　so　that　the　feebleness　of
children；　as　well　as　the　high　spirit　of　youth；　the　soberness　of
maturer　years；　and　the　ripe　wisdom　of　old　age…all　have　a　certain
natural　advantage　which　should　be　secured　in　its　proper　season。　I
think　you　are　informed；　Scipio；　what　your　grandfather's　foreign
friend　Masinissa　does　to　this　day；　though　ninety　years　old。　　When
he　has　once　begun　a　journey　on　foot　he　does　not　mount　his　horse　at
all；　when　on　horseback　he　never　gets　off　his　horse。　　By　no　rain　or
cold　can　he　be　induced　to　cover　his　head。　　His　body　is　absolutely
free　from　unhealthy　humours；　and　so　he　still　performs　all　the
duties　and　functions　of　a　king。　　Active　exercise；　therefore；　and
temperance　can　preserve　some　part　of　one's　former　strength　even
in　old　age。

11。　Bodily　strength　is　wanting　to　old　age；　but　neither　is　bodily
strength　demanded　from　old　men。　Therefore；　both　by　law　and
custom；　men　of　my　time　of　life　are　exempt　from　those　duties
which　cannot　be　supported　without　bodily　strength。　Accordingly
not　only　are　we　not　forced　to　do　what　we　cannot　do；　we　are　not
even　obliged　to　do　as　much　as　we　can。　　But；　it　will　be　said；　many
old　men　are　so　feeble　that　they　cannot　perform　any　duty　in　life　of
any　sort　or　kind。　That　is　not　a　weakness　to　be　set　down　as　peculiar
to　61d　age：
it　is　one　shared　by　ill　health。　　How　feeble　was　the　son　of　P。
Africanus；　who　adopted　you！　　What　weak　health　he　had；　or　rather
no　health　at　all！　　If　that　had　not　been　the　case；　we　should　have　had
in　him　a　second　bril