the seventh letter-第10章

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the　evils　which　have　since　taken　place。　For　if　Dionysios　had


restored　to　Dion　his　property　or　been　reconciled　with　him　on　any


terms；　none　of　these　things　would　have　happened；　so　far　as　human


foresight　can　foretell。　Dion　would　have　easily　been　kept　in　check　by


my　wishes　and　influence。　But　now；　rushing　upon　one　another；　they


have　caused　universal　disaster。


　　Dion's　aspiration　however　was　the　same　that　I　should　say　my　own　or


that　of　any　other　right…minded　man　ought　to　be。　With　regard　to　his　own


power；　his　friends　and　his　country　the　ideal　of　such　a　man　would　be　to


win　the　greatest　power　and　honour　by　rendering　the　greatest


services。　And　this　end　is　not　attained　if　a　man　gets　riches　for


himself；　his　supporters　and　his　country；　by　forming　plots　and


getting　together　conspirators；　being　all　the　while　a　poor　creature；


not　master　of　himself；　overcome　by　the　cowardice　which　fears　to


fight　against　pleasures；　nor　is　it　attained　if　he　goes　on　to　kill


the　men　of　substance；　whom　he　speaks　of　as　the　enemy；　and　to　plunder


their　possessions；　and　invites　his　confederates　and　supporters　to　do


the　same；　with　the　object　that　no　one　shall　say　that　it　is　his


fault；　if　he　complains　of　being　poor。　The　same　is　true　if　anyone


renders　services　of　this　kind　to　the　State　and　receives　honours　from


her　for　distributing　by　decrees　the　property　of　the　few　among　the


many…or　if；　being　in　charge　the　affairs　of　a　great　State　which　rules


over　many　small　ones；　he　unjustly　appropriates　to　his　own　State　the


possessions　of　the　small　ones。　For　neither　a　Dion　nor　any　other　man


will；　with　his　eyes　open；　make　his　way　by　steps　like　these　to　a


power　which　will　be　fraught　with　destruction　to　himself　and　his


descendants　for　all　time；　but　he　will　advance　towards　constitutional


government　and　the　framing　of　the　justest　and　best　laws；　reaching


these　ends　without　executions　and　murders　even　on　the　smallest　scale。


　　This　course　Dion　actually　followed；　thinking　it　preferable　to　suffer


iniquitous　deeds　rather　than　to　do　them；　but；　while　taking　precautions


against　them；　he　nevertheless；　when　he　had　reached　the　climax　of


victory　over　his　enemies；　took　a　false　step　and　fell；　a　catastrophe


not　at　all　surprising。　For　a　man　of　piety；　temperance　and　wisdom；　when


dealing　with　the　impious；　would　not　be　entirely　blind　to　the　character


of　such　men；　but　it　would　perhaps　not　be　surprising　if　he　suffered　the


catastrophe　that　might　befall　a　good　ship's　captain；　who　would　not


be　entirely　unaware　of　the　approach　of　a　storm；　but　might　be　unaware


of　its　extraordinary　and　startling　violence；　and　might　therefore　be


overwhelmed　by　its　force。　The　same　thing　caused　Dion's　downfall。　For


he　was　not　unaware　that　his　assailants　were　thoroughly　bad　men；　but　he


was　unaware　how　high　a　pitch　of　infatuation　and　of　general


wickedness　and　greed　they　had　reached。　This　was　the　cause　of　his


downfall；　which　has　involved　Sicily　in　countless　sorrows。


　　As　to　the　steps　which　should　be　taken　after　the　events　which　I


have　now　related；　my　advice　has　been　given　pretty　fully　and　may　be


regarded　as　finished；　and　if　you　ask　my　reasons　for　recounting　the


story　of　my　second　journey　to　Sicily；　it　seemed　to　me　essential　that


an　account　of　it　must　be　given　because　of　the　strange　and


paradoxical　character　of　the　incidents。　If　in　this　present　account


of　them　they　appear　to　anyone　more　intelligible；　and　seem　to　anyone　to


show　sufficient　grounds　in　view　of　the　circumstances；　the　present


statement　is　adequate　and　not　too　lengthy。








　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…THE　END…


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