the seventh letter-第3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！


me　to　depart　unaccompanied；　and　would　not　have　promptly　seized　me


and　taken　me　back　to　Dionysios；　especially　since　a　statement　had　now


been　circulated　contradicting　the　previous　rumours　and　giving　out　that


Dionysios　was　becoming　extraordinarily　attached　to　Plato。　What　were


the　facts　about　this　attachment？　I　must　tell　the　truth。　As　time　went


on；　and　as　intercourse　made　him　acquainted　with　my　disposition　and


character；　he　did　become　more　and　more　attached　to　me；　and　wished　me


to　praise　him　more　than　I　praised　Dion；　and　to　look　upon　him　as　more


specially　my　friend　than　Dion；　and　he　was　extraordinarily　eager


about　this　sort　of　thing。　But　when　confronted　with　the　one　way　in


which　this　might　have　been　done；　if　it　was　to　be　done　at　all；　he


shrank　from　coming　into　close　and　intimate　relations　with　me　as　a


pupil　and　listener　to　my　discourses　on　philosophy；　fearing　the


danger　suggested　by　mischief…makers；　that　he　might　be　ensnared；　and　so


Dion　would　prove　to　have　accomplished　all　his　object。　I　endured　all


this　patiently；　retaining　the　purpose　with　which　I　had　come　and　the


hope　that　he　might　come　to　desire　the　philosophic　life。　But　his


resistance　prevailed　against　me。


　　The　time　of　my　first　visit　to　Sicily　and　my　stay　there　was　taken


up　with　all　these　incidents。　On　a　later　occasion　I　left　home　and　again


came　on　an　urgent　summons　from　Dionysios。　But　before　giving　the


motives　and　particulars　of　my　conduct　then　and　showing　how　suitable


and　right　it　was；　I　must　first；　in　order　that　I　may　not　treat　as　the


main　point　what　is　only　a　side　issue；　give　you　my　advice　as　to　what


your　acts　should　be　in　the　present　position　of　affairs；　afterwards；　to


satisfy　those　who　put　the　question　why　I　came　a　second　time；　I　will


deal　fully　with　the　facts　about　my　second　visit；　what　I　have　now　to


say　is　this。


　　He　who　advises　a　sick　man；　whose　manner　of　life　is　prejudicial　to


health；　is　clearly　bound　first　of　all　to　change　his　patient's　manner


of　life；　and　if　the　patient　is　willing　to　obey　him；　he　may　go　on　to


give　him　other　advice。　But　if　he　is　not　willing；　I　shall　consider


one　who　declines　to　advise　such　a　patient　to　be　a　man　and　a　physician；


and　one　who　gives　in　to　him　to　be　unmanly　and　unprofessional。　In　the


same　way　with　regard　to　a　State；　whether　it　be　under　a　single　ruler　or


more　than　one；　if；　while　the　government　is　being　carried　on


methodically　and　in　a　right　course；　it　asks　advice　about　any　details


of　policy；　it　is　the　part　of　a　wise　man　to　advise　such　people。　But


when　men　are　travelling　altogether　outside　the　path　of　right


government　and　flatly　refuse　to　move　in　the　right　path；　and　start　by


giving　notice　to　their　adviser　that　he　must　leave　the　government　alone


and　make　no　change　in　it　under　penalty　of　death…if　such　men　should


order　their　counsellors　to　pander　to　their　wishes　and　desires　and　to


advise　them　in　what　way　their　object　may　most　readily　and　easily　be


once　for　all　accomplished；　I　should　consider　as　unmanly　one　who


accepts　the　duty　of　giving　such　forms　of　advice；　and　one　who　refuses


it　to　be　a　true　man。


　　Holding　these　views；　whenever　anyone　consults　me　about　any　of　the


weightiest　matters　affecting　his　own　life；　as；　for　instance；　the


acquisition　of　property　or　the　proper　treatment　of　body　or　mind；　if　it


seems　to　me　that　his　daily　life　rests　on　any　system；　or　if　he　seems


likely　to　listen　to　advice　about　the　things　on　which　he　consults　me；　I


advise　him　with　readiness；　and　do　not　content　myself　with　giving　him　a


merely　perfunctory　answer。　But　if　a　man　does　not　consult　me　at　all；　or


evidently　does　not　intend　to　follow　my　advice；　I　do　not　take　the


initiative　in　advising　such　a　man；　and　will　not　use　compulsion　to　him；


even　if　he　be　my　own　son。　I　would　advise　a　slave　under　such


circumstances；　and　would　use　compulsion　to　him　if　he　were　unwilling。


To　a　father　or　mother　I　do　not　think　that　piety　allows　one　to　offer


compulsion；　unless　they　are　suffering　from　an　attack　of　insanity；


and　if　they　are　following　any　regular　habits　of　life　which　please　them


but　do　not　please　me；　I　would　not　offend　them　by　offering　useless；


advice；　nor　would　I　flatter　them　or　truckle　to　them；　providing　them


with　the　means　of　satisfying　desires　which　I　myself　would　sooner　die


than　cherish。　The　wise　man　should　go　through　life　with　the　same


attitude　of　mind　towards　his　country。　If　she　should　appear　to　him　to


be　following　a　policy　which　is　not　a　good　one；　he　should　say　so；


provided　that　his　words　are　not　likely　either　to　fall　on　deaf　ears


or　to　lead　to　the　loss　of　his　own　life。　But　force　against　his　native


land　he　should　not　use　in　order　to　bring　about　a　change　of


constitution；　when　it　is　not　possible　for　the　best　constitution　to


be　introduced　without　driving　men　into　exile　or　putting　them　to　death；


he　should　keep　quiet　and　offer　up　prayers　for　his　own　welfare　and


for　that　of　his　country。


　　These　are　the　principles　in　accordance　with　which　I　should　advise


you；　as　also；　jointly　with　Dion；　I　advised　Dionysios；　bidding　him　in


the　first　place　to　live　his　daily　life　in　a　way　that　would　make　him　as


far　as　possible　master　of　himself　and　able　to　gain　faithful　friends


and　supporters；　in　order　that　he　might　not　have　the　same　experience　as


his　father。　For　his　father；　having　taken　under　his　rule　many　great


cities　of　Sicily　which　had　been　utterly　destroyed　by　the　barbarians；


was　not　able　to　found　them　afresh　and　to　establish　in　them　trustworthy


governments　carried　on　by　his　own　supporters；　either　by　men　who　had　no


ties　of　blood　with　him；　or　by　his　brothers　whom　he　had　brought　up　when


they　were　younger；　and　had　raised　from　humble　station　to　high　office


and　from　poverty　to　immense　wealth。　Not　one　of　these　was　he　able　to


work　upon　by　persuasion；　instruction；　services　and　ties　of　kindred；　so


as　to　make　him　a　partner　in　his　rule；　and　he　showed　himself　inferior


to　Darius　with　a　sevenfold　inferiority。　For　Darius　did　not　put　his


trust　in　brothers　or　in　men　whom　he　had　brought　up；　but　only　in　his


confederates　in　the　overthrow　of　the　Mede　and　Eunuch；　and　to　these


he　assigned　portions　of　his　empire；　seven　in　number；　each　of　them


greater　than　all　Sicily；　and　they　were　faithful　to　him　and　did　not


attack　either　him　or　one　another。　Thus　he　showed　a　pattern　of　what　the


good　lawgiver　and　king　ought　to　be；　for　he　drew　up　laws　by　which　he


has　secured　the　Persian　empire　in　safety　down　to　the　present　time。


　　Again；　to　give　another　instance；　the　Athenians　took　under　their　rule


very　many　cities　not　founded　by　themselves；　which　had　been　hard　hit　by


the　barbarians　but　were　still　in　existence；　and　maintained　their


rule　over　these　for　seventy　years；　because　they　had　in　each　them　men


whom　they　could　trust。　But　Dionysios；　who　had　gathered　the　whole　of


Sicily　into　a　single　city；　and　was　so　clever　that　he　trusted　no　one；


only　secured　his　own　safety　with　great　difficulty。　For　he　was　badly


off　for　trustworthy　friends；　and　there　is　no　surer　criterion　of　virtue


and　vice　than　this；　whether　a　man　is　or　is　not　destitute　of　such


friends。


　　This；　then；　was　the　advice　which　Dion　and　I　gave　to　Dionysios；


since；　owing　to　bringing　up　which　he　had　received　from　his　father；


he　had　had　no　advantages　in　the　way　of　education　or　of　suitable


lessons；　in　the　first　place。。。；　and；　in　the　second　place；　that；


after　starting　in　this　way；　he　should　make　friends　of　others　among　his


connections　who　were　of　the　same　age　and　were　in　sympathy　with　his


pursuit　of　virtue；　but　above　all　that　he　should　be　in　harmony　with


himself；　for　this　it　was　of　which　he　was　remarkably　in　need。　This　we


did　not　say　in　plain　words；　for　that　would　not　have　been　safe；　but


in　covert　language　we　maintained　that　every　man　in　this　way　would　save


both　himself　and　those　whom　he　was　leading；　and　if　he　did　not　follow


this　path；　he　would　do　just　the　opposite　of　this。　And　after　proceeding


on　the　course　which　we　described；　and　making　himself　a　wise　and


temperate　man；　if　he　were　then　to　found　again　the　cities　of　Sicily


which　had　been　laid　waste；　a