treatises on friendship and old age-第17章

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to　resist　its　charms；…for　Plato；　with　happy　inspiration；　calls
pleasure　〃vice's　bait；〃　because　of　course　men　are　caught　by　it　as
fish　by　a　hook；…yet；　although　old　age　has　to　abstain　from
extravagant　banquets；　it　is　still　capable　of　enjoying　modest
festivities。　As　a　boy　I　often　used　to　see　Gaius　Duilius　the　son　of
Marcus；　then　an　old　mali；　returning　from　a　dinner…party。　He
thoroughly　enjoyed　the　frequent　use　of　torch　and　flute…player；
distinctions　which　he　had　assumed　though　unprecedented　in　the
case　of　a　private　person。　It　was　the　privilege　of　his　glory。　　But　why
mention　others？　I　will　come　back　to　my　own　case。　To　begin　with；　I
have　always　remained　a　member　of　a　〃club　〃…clubs；　you　know；
were　established　in　my　quaestorship　on　the　reception　of　the　Magna
Mater　from　Ida。　　So　I　used　to　dine　at　their　feast　with　the　members
of　my　club…on　the　whole　with　moderation；　though　there　was　a
certain　warmth　of　temperament　natural　to　my　time　of　life；　but　as
that　advances　there　is　a　daily　decrease　of　all　excitement。　　Nor　was
I；　in　fact；　ever　wont　to　measure　my　enjoyment　even　of　these
banquets　by　the　physical　pleasures　they　gave　more　than　by　the
gathering　and　conversation　of　friends。　For　it　was　a　good　idea　of　our
ancestors　to　style　the　presence　of　guests　at　a　dinner…table…seeing
that　it　implied　a　community　of　enjoyment…a　_convivium_；　〃a　living
together。〃　It　is　a　better　term　than　the　Greek　words　which　mean　〃a
drinking　together；〃　or；　〃an　eating　together。〃　For　they　would　seem
to　give　the　preference　to　what　is　really　the　least　important　part　of
it。

14。　For　myself；　owing　to　the　pleasure　I　take　in　conversation；　I
enjoy　even　banquets　that　begin　early　in　the　afternoon；　and　not　only
in　company　with　my　contemporaries…of　whom　very　few
survive…but　also　with　men　of　your　age　and　with　yourselves。　　I　am
thankful　to　old　age；　which　has　increased　my　avidity　for
conversation；　while　it　has　removed　that　for　eating　and　drinking。　
But　if　anyone　does　enjoy　these…not　to　seem　to　have　proclaimed　war
against　all　pleasure　without　exception；　which　is　perhaps　a　feeling
inspired　by　nature…I　fail　to　perceive　even　in　these　very　pleasures
that　old　age　is　entirely　without　the　power　of　appreciation。　For
myself；　I　take　delight　even　in　the　old…fashioned　appointment　of
master　of　the　feast；　and　in　the　arrangement　of　the　conversation；
which　according　to　ancestral　custom　is　begun　from　the　last　place
on　the　left…hand　couch　when　the　wine　is　brought　in；　as　also　in　the
cups　which；　as　in　Xenophon's　banquet；　are　small　and　filled　by
driblets；　and　in　the　contrivance　for　cooling　in　summer；　and　for
warming　hy　the　winter　sun　or　winter　fire。　　These　things　I　keep　up
even　among　my　Sabine　countrymen；　and　every　day　have　a　full
dinner…party　of　neighbours；　which　we　prolong　as　far　into　the　night
as　we　can　with　varied　conversation。

But　you　may　urge…there　is　not　the　same　tingling　sensation　of
pleasure　in　old　men。　No　doubt；　but　neither　do　they　miss　it　so
much。　　For　nothing　gives　you　uneasiness　which　you　do　not　miss。
That　was　a　fine　answer　of　Sophocles　to　a　man　who　asked　him；
when　in　extreme　old　age；　whether　he　was　still　a　lover。　　〃Heaven
forbid！〃　he　replied；　〃I　was　only　too　glad　to　escape　from　that；　as
though　from　a　boorish　and　insane　master。〃　　To　men　indeed　who
are　keen　after　such　things　it　may　possibly　appear　disagreeable　and
uncomfortable　to　be　without　them；　but　to　jaded　appetites　it　is
pleasanter　to　lack　than　to　enjoy。　　However；　he　cannot　be　said　to
lack　who　does　not　want：　my　contention　is　that　not　to　want　is　the
pleasanter　thing。

But　even　granting　that　youth　enjoys　these　pleasures　with　more
zest；　　in　the　first　place；　　they　are　insignificant　things　to　enjoy；　as　I
have　said；　and　it＇　the　second　place；　such　as　age　is　not　entirely
without；　if　it　does　not　possess　them　in　profusion。　　Just　as　a　man
gets　greater　pleasure　from　Ambivius　Turpio　if　seated　in　the　front
row　at　the　theatre　than　if　he　was　in　the　last；　yet；　after　all；　the　man
in　the　last　row　does　get　pleasure；　so　youth；　because　it　looks　at
pleasures　at　closer　quarters；　perhaps　enjoys　itself　more；　yet　even
old　age；　looking　at　them　from　a　distance；　does　enjoy　itself　well
enough。　　Why；　what　blessings　are　these…that　the　soul；　having
served　its　time；　so　to　speak；　in　the　campaigns　of　desire　and
ambition；　rivalry　and　hatred；　and　all　the　passions；　should　live　in　its
own　thoughts；　and；　as　the　expression　goes；　should　dwell　apart！　
Indeed；　if　it　has　in　store　any　of　what　I　may　call　the　food　of　study
and　philosophy；　nothing　can　be　pleasanter　than　an　old　age　of
leisure。　　We　were　witnesses　to　C。　Gallus…a　friend　of　your　father's；
Scipio…intent　to　the　day　of　his　death　on　mapping　out　the　sky　and
land。　　How　often　did　the　light　surprise　him　while　still　working　out
a　problem　begun　during　the　night！　How　often　did　night　find　him
busy　on　what　he　had　begun　at　dawn！　　How　he　delighted　in
predicting　for　us　solar　and　lunar　eclipses　long　before　they
occurred！　　Or　again　in　studies　of　a　lighter　nature；　though　still
requiring　keenness　of　intellect；　what　pleasure　Naevius　took　in　his
_Punic　War_！　Plautus　in　his　_Truculentus_　and　_Pseudolus_！　I
even　saw　Livius　Andronicus；　who；　having　produced　a　play　six
years　before　I　was　born…in　the　consulship　of　Cento　and
Tuditanus…lived　till　I　had　become　a　young　man。　　Why　speak　of
Publius　Licinius　Crassus's　devotion　to　pontifical　and　civil　law；　or
of　the　Publius　Scipio　of　the　present　time；　who　within　these　last　few
days　has　been　created　Pontifex　Maximus？　And　yet　I　have　seen　all
whom　I　have　mentioned　ardent　in　these　pursuits　when　old　men。
Then　there　is　Marcus　Cethegus；　whom　Ennius　justly　called
〃Persuasion's　Marrow　〃…with　what　enthusiasm　did　we　see　him
exert　himself　in　oratory　even　when　quite　old！　　What　pleasures　are
there　'n　feasts；　games；　or　mistresses　comparable　to　pleasures　such
as　these？　And　they　are　all　tastes；　too；　connected　with　learning；
which　in　men　of　sense　and　good　education　grow　with　their　growth。　
It　is　indeed　an　honourable　sentiment　which　Solon　expresses　in　a
verse　which　I　have　quoted　before…that　he　grew　old　learning　many　a
fresh　lesson　every　day。　Than　that　intellectual　pleasure　none
certainly　can　be　greater。

15。　　I　come　now　to　the　pleasures　of　the　farmer；　in　which　＇　take
amazing　delight。　　These　are　not　hindered　by　any　extent　of　old　age；
and　seem　to　me　to　approach　nearest　to'　the　ideal　wise　man's　life。
For　he　has　to　deal　with　the　earth；　which　never　refuses　its
obedience；　nor　ever　returns　what　it　has　received　without　usury；
sometimes；　indeed；　with　less；　but　generally　with　greater　interest。　
For　my　part；　however。　it　is　not　merely　the　thing　produced；　but　the
earth's　own　force　and　natural　productiveness　that　delight　me。　　For　
received　in　its　bosom　the　seed　scattered　broadcast　upon　it；
softened　and　broken　up；　she　first　keeps　it　concealed　therein　（hence
the　harrowing　which　accomplishes　this　gets　its　name　from　a　word
meaning　〃to　hide〃）；　next；　when　it　has　been　warmed　by　her　heat
and　close　pressure；　she　splits　it　open　and　draws　from　it　the
greenery　of　the　blade。　This；　supported　by　the　fibres　of　the　root；
little　by　little　grows　up；　and　held　upright　by　its　jointed　stalk　is
enclosed　in　sheaths；　as　being　still　immature。　　When　it　has　emerged
from　them　it　produces　an　ear　of　corn　arranged　in　order；　and　is
defended　against　the　pecking　of　the　smaller　birds　by　a　regular
palisade　of　spikes。

Need　I　mention　the　starting；　planting；　and　growth　of　vines？　I　can
never　have　too　much　of　this　pleasure…to　let　you　into　the　secret　of
what　gives　my　old　age　repose　and　amusement。　　For　I　say　nothing
here　of　the　natural　force　which　all　things　propagated　from　the
earth　possess…the　earth　which　from　that　tiny　grain　in　a　fig；　or　the
grape…stone　in　a　grape；　or　the　most　minute　seeds　of　the　other
cereals　and　plants；　produces　such　huge　trunks　and　boughs。
Mallet…shoots；　slips；　cuttings；　quicksets；　layers…are　they　not　enough
to　fill　anyone　with　delight　and　astonishment？　The　vine　by　nature　is
apt　to　fall；　and　unless　supported　drops　down　to　the　earth；　yet　in
order　to　keep　itself　upright　it　embraces　whatever　it　reaches　with　its
tendrils　as　though　they　were　hands。　　Then　as　it　creeps　on；
spreading　itself　in　intricate　and　wild　profusion；　the　dresser's　art
prunes　it