treatises on friendship and old age-第19章

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also。　　In　fact；　old　age；　especially　when　it　has　enjoyed　honours；　has
an　influence　worth　all　the　pleasures　of　youth　put　together。

18。　But　throughout　my　discourse　remember　that　my　panegyric
applies　to　an　old　age　that　has　been　established　on　foundations　laid
by　youth。　　From　which　may　be　deduced　what　I　once　said　with
universal　applause；　that　it　was　a　wretched　old　age　that　had　to
defend　itself　by　speech。　　Neither　white　hairs　nor　wrinkles　can　at
once　claim　influence　in　themselves：　it　is　the　honourable　conduct　of
earlier　days　that　is　rewarded　by　possessing　influence　at　the　last。　
Even　things　generally　regarded　as　trifling　and　matters　of
course…being　saluted；　being　courted；　having　way　made　for　one；
people　rising　when　one　approaches；　being　escorted　to　and　from　the
forum；　being　referred　to　for　advice…all　these　are　marks　of　respect；
observed　among　us　and　in　other　States…always　most　sedulously
where　the　moral　tone　is　highest。　　They　say　that　Lysander　the
Spartan；　whom　I　have　mentioned　before；　used　to　remark　that
Sparta　was　the　most　dignified　home　for　old　age；　for　that　nowhere
was　more　respect　paid　to　years；　no…where　was　old　age　held　in
higher　honour。　　Nay；　the　story　is　told　of　how　when　a　man　of
advanced　years　came　into　the　theatre　at　Athens　when　the　games
were　going　on；　no　place　was　given　him　anywhere　in　that　large
assembly　by　his　own　countrymen；　but　when　he　came　near　the
Lacedaemonians；　who　as　ambassadors　had　a　fixed　place　assigned
to　them；　they　rose　as　one　man　out　of　respect　for　him；　and　gave　the
veteran　a　seat。　　When　they　were　greeted　with　rounds　of　applause
from　the　whole　audience；　one　of　them　remarked：

〃The　Athenians　know　what　is　right；　but　will　not　do　it。〃　There　are
many　excellent　rules　in　our　augural　college；　but　among　the　best　is
one　which　affects　our　subject…that　precedence　in　speech　goes　by
seniority；　and　augurs　who　are　older　are　preferred　only　to　those　who
have　held　higher　office；　but　even　to　those　who　are　actually　in
possession　of　imperium。　What　then　are　the　physical　pleasures　to　be
compared　with　the　reward　of　influence？　Those　who　have
employed　it　with　distinction　appear　to　me　to　have　played　the
drama　of　life　to　its　end；　and　not　to　have　broken　down　in　the　last　act
like　unpractised　players。

But；　it　will　be　said；　old　men　are　fretful；　fidgety；　ill…tempered；　and
disagreeable。　　If　you　come　to　that；　they　are　also　avaricious。　　But
these　are　faults　of　character；　not　of　the　time　of　life。　And；　after　all；
fretfulness　and　the　other　faults　I　mentioned　admit　of　some
excuse…not；　indeed；　a　complete　one；　but　one　that　may　possibly　pass
muster：　they　think　them…selves　neglected；　looked　down　upon；
mocked；　　Besides　with　bodily　weakness　every　rub　is　a　source　of
pain。　Yet　all　these　faults　are　softened　both　by　good　character　and
good　education。　Illustrations　of　this　may　be　found　in　real　life；　as
also　on　the　stage　in　the　case　of　the　brothers　in　the　_Adeiphi_。　What
harshness　in　the　one；　what　gracious　manners　in　the　other　　The　fact
is　that；　just　as　it　is　not　every　wine；　so　it　is　not　every　life；　that　turns
sour　from　keeping；　　Serious　gravity　I　approve　of　in　old　age；　but；　as
in　other　things；　it　must　be　within　due　limits：　bitterness　I　can　in　no
case　approve。　What　the　object　of　senile　avarice　may　be　I　cannot
conceive。　For　can　there　be　anything　more　absurd　than　to　seek　more
journey　money；　the　less　there　remains　of　the　journey？

19。　There　remains　the　fourth　reason；　which　more　than　anything
else　appears　to　torment　men　of　my　age　and　keep　them　in　a
flutter…THE　NEARNESS　OF　DEATH；　which；　it　must　be　allowed；
cannot　be　far　from　an　old　man。　　But　what　a　poor　dotard　must　he　be
who　has　not　learnt　in　the　course　of　so　long　a　life　that　death　is　not　a
thing　to　be　feared？　　Death；　that　is　either　to　be　totally　disregarded；　if
it　entirely　extinguishes　the　soul；　or　is　even　to　be　desired；　if　it　brings
him　where　he　is　to　exist　forever。　A　third　alternative；　at　any　rate；
cannot　possibly　be　discovered。　Why　then　should　I　be　afraid　if　I　am
destined　either　not　to　be　miserable　after　death　or　even　to　be　happy？
After　all；　who　is　such　a　fool　as　to　feel　certain…however　young　he
may　be…that　he　will　be　alive　in　the　evening？　　Nay；　that　time　of　life
has　many　more　chances　of　death　than　ours；　Young　men　more
easily　contract　diseases；　their　illnesses　are　more　serious；　their
treatment　has　to　be　more　severe。　Accordingly；　only　a　few　arrive　at
old　age。　　If　that　were　not　so；　life　would　be　conducted　better　and
more　wisely；　for　it　is　in　old　men　that　thought；　reason；　and　prudence
are　to　be　found；　and　if　there　had　been　no　old　men；　States　would
never　have　existed　at　all。　　But　I　return　to　the　subject　of　the
imminence　of　death。　What　sort　of　charge　is　this　against　old　age；
when　you　see　that　it　is　shared　by　youth？　I　had　reason　in　the　case　of
my　excellent　son…as　you　had；　Scipio；　in　that　of　your　brothers；　who
were　expected　to　attain　the　highest　honours…to　realise　that　death　is
common　to　every　time　of　life。　Yes；　you　will　say；　but　a　young　man
expects　to　live　long；　an　old　man　cannot　expect　to　do　so。　　Well；　he
is　a　fool　to　expect　it。　　For　what　can　be　more　foolish　than　to　regard
the　uncertain　as　certain；　the　false　as　true？　〃An　old　man　has　nothing
even　to　hope。〃　　Ah；　but　it　is　just　there　that　he　is　in　a　better　position
than　a　young　man；　since　what　the　latter　only　hopes　he　has
obtained。　　The　one　wishes　to　live　long；　the　other　has　lived　long。

And　yet；　good　heaven！　what　is　〃long〃　in　a　man's　life？　For　grant　the
utmost　limit：　let　us　expect　an　age　like　that　of　the　King　of　the
Tartessi。　　For　there　was；　as　I　find　recorded；　a　certain　Agathonius　at
Gades　who　reigned　eighty　years　and　lived　a　hundred　and　twenty。　
But　to　my　mind　nothing　seems　even　long　in　which　there　is　any
〃last；〃　for　when　that　arrives；　then　all　the　past　has　slipped　away…only
that　remains　to　which　you　have　attained　by　virtue　and　righteous
actions。　Hours　indeed；　and　days　and　months　and　years　depart；　nor
does　past　time　ever　return；　nor　can　the　future　be　known。　　Whatever
time　each　is　granted　for　life；　with　that　he　is　bound　to　be　content。
An　actor；　in　order　to　earn　approval；　is　not　bound　to　perform　the
play　from　beginning　to　end；　let　him　only　satisfy　the　audience　in
whatever　act　he　appears。　　Nor　need　a　wise　man　go　on　to　the
concluding　〃plaudite。〃　　For　a　short　term　of　life　is　long　enough　for
living　well　and　honourably。　But　if　you　go　farther；　you　have　no
more　right　to　grumble　than　farmers　do　because　the　charm　of　the
spring　season　is　past　and　the　summer　and　autumn　have　come。　　For
the　word　〃spring〃　in　a　way　suggests　youth；　and　points　to　the
harvest　to　be：　the　other　seasons　are　suited　for　the　reaping　and
storing　of　the　crops。　Now　the　harvest　of　old　age　is；　as　I　have　often
said；　the　memory　and　rich　store　of　blessings　laid　up　in　easier　life。
Again；　all　things　that　accord　with　nature　are　to　be　counted　as　good。　
But　what　can　be　more　in　accordance　with　nature　than　for　old　men
to　die？　A　thing；　indeed；　which　also　beliefs　young　men；　though
nature　revolts　and　fights　against　it。　Accordingly；　the　death　of
young　men　seems　to　me　like　putting　out　a　great　fire　with　a　deluge
of　water；　but　old　men　die　like　a　fire　going　out　because　it　has　burnt
down　of　its　own　nature　without　artificial　means。　　Again；　just　as
apples　when　unripe　are　torn　from　trees；　but　when　ripe　and　mellow
drop　down；　so　it　is　violence　that　takes　life　from　young　men；
ripeness　from　old。　　This　ripeness　is　so　delightful　to　me；　that；　as　I
approach　nearer　to　death；　I　seem　as　it　were　to　be　sighting　land；　and
to　be　coming　to　port　at　last　after　a　long　voyage。

20。　Again；　there　is　no　fixed　borderline　for　old　age；　and　you　are
making　a　good　and　proper　use　of　it　as　long　as　you　can　satisfy　the
call　of　duty　and　disregard　death。　　The　result　of　this　is；　that　old　age
is　even　more　confident　and　courageous　than　youth。　That　is　the
meaning　of　Solon's　answer　to　the　tyrant　Pisistratus。　When　the　latter
asked　him　what　he　relied　upon　in　opposing　him　with　such
boldness；　he　is　said　to　have　replied；　〃On　my　old　age。〃　　But　that　end
of　life　is　the　best；　when；　without　the　intellect　or　senses　being
impaired；　Nature　herself　takes　to　pieces　her　own　handiwork　which
she　also　put　together。　Just　as　the　builder　of　a　ship　or　a　house　can
break　th