the comparison of numa with lycurgus-第2章

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them　under　Romulus　as　a　sort　of　atonement　for　the　violence　done　to
them；　nevertheless；　great　modesty　was　enjoined　upon　them；　all　busy
intermeddling　forbidden；　sobriety　insisted　on；　and　silence　made
habitual。　Wine　they　were　not　to　touch　at　all；　nor　to　speak；　except
in　their　husband's　company；　even　on　the　most　ordinary　subjects。　So
that　once　when　a　woman　had　the　confidence　to　plead　her　own　cause　in
a　court　of　judicature；　the　senate；　it　is　said；　sent　to　inquire　of
the　oracle　what　the　prodigy　did　portend；　and；　indeed；　their　general
good　behaviour　and　submissiveness　is　justly　proved　by　the　record　of
those　that　were　otherwise；　for　as　the　Greek　historians　record　in　their
annals　the　names　of　those　who　first　unsheathed　the　sword　of　civil　war；
or　murdered　their　brothers；　or　were　parricides；　or　killed　their
mothers；　so　the　Roman　writers　report　it　as　the　first　example；　that
Spurius　Carvilius　divorced　his　wife；　being　a　case　that　never　before
happened；　in　the　space　of　two　hundred　and　thirty　years　from　the
foundation　of　the　city；　and　that　one　Thalaea；　the　wife　of　Pinarius；
had　a　quarrel　（the　first　instance　of　the　kind）　with　her　mother…in…law；
Gegania；　in　the　reign　of　Tarquinius　Superbus；　so　successful　was　the
legislator　in　securing　order　and　good　conduct　in　the　marriage
relation。　Their　respective　regulations　for　marrying　the　young　women
are　in　accordance　with　those　for　their　education。　Lycurgus　made　them
brides　when　they　were　of　full　age　and　inclination　for　it。　Intercourse；
where　nature　was　thus　consulted；　would　produce；　he　thought；　love　and
tenderness；　instead　of　the　dislike　and　fear　attending　an　unnatural
compulsion；　and　their　bodies；　also；　would　be　better　able　to　bear　the
trials　of　breeding　and　of　bearing　children；　in　his　judgment　the　one
end　of　marriage。
　　The　Romans；　on　the　other　hand；　gave　their　daughters　in　marriage　as
early　as　twelve　years　old；　or　even　under；　thus　the　thought　their
bodies　alike　and　minds　would　be　delivered　to　the　future　husband　pure
and　undefiled。　The　way　of　Lycurgus　seems　the　more　natural　with　a
view　to　the　birth　of　children；　the　other；　looking　to　a　life　to　be
spent　together；　is　more　moral。　However；　the　rules　which　Lycurgus
drew　up　for　superintendence　of　children；　their　collection　into
companies；　their　discipline　and　association；　as　also　his　exact
regulations　for　their　meals；　exercises；　and　sports；　argue　Numa　no　more
than　an　ordinary　lawgiver。　Numa　left　the　whole　matter　simply　to　be
decided　by　the　parent's　wishes　or　necessities；　he　might；　if　he
pleased；　make　his　son　a　husbandman　or　carpenter；　coppersmith　or
musician；　as　if　it　were　of　no　importance　for　them　to　be　directed　and
trained　up　from　the　beginning　to　one　and　the　same　common　end；　or　as
though　it　would　do　for　them　to　be　like　passengers　on　shipboard；
brought　thither　each　for　his　own　ends　and　by　his　own　choice；　uniting
to　act　for　the　common　good　only　in　time　of　danger　upon　occasion　of
their　private　fears；　in　general　looking　simply　to　their　own　interest。
　　We　may　forbear；　indeed；　to　blame　common　legislators；　who　may　be
deficient　in　power　or　knowledge。　But　when　a　wise　man　like　Numa　had
received　the　sovereignty　over　a　new　and　docile　people；　was　there
anything　that　would　better　deserve　his　attention　than　the　education　of
children；　and　the　training　up　of　the　young；　not　to　contrariety　and
discordance　of　character；　but　to　the　unity　of　the　common　model　of
virtue；　to　which　from　their　cradle　they　should　have　been　formed　and
moulded？　One　benefit　among　many　that　Lycurgus　obtained　by　his　course
was　the　permanence　which　it　secured　to　his　laws。　The　obligation　of
oaths　to　preserve　them　would　have　availed　but　little；　if　he　had　not；
by　discipline　and　education；　infused　them　into　the　children's
characters；　and　imbued　their　whole　early　life　with　a　love　of　his
government。　The　result　was　that　the　main　points　and　fundamentals　of
his　legislation　continued　for　above　five　hundred　years；　like　some　deep
and　thoroughly　ingrained　tincture；　retaining　their　hold　upon　the
nation。　But　Numa's　whole　design　and　aim；　the　continuance　of　peace
and　goodwill；　on　his　death　vanished　with　him；　no　sooner　did　he
expire　his　last　breath　than　the　gates　of　Janus's　temple　flew　wide
open；　and；　as　if　war　had；　indeed；　been　kept　and　caged　up　within
those　walls；　it　rushed　forth　to　fill　all　Italy　with　blood　and
slaughter；　and　thus　that　best　and　justest　fabric　of　things　was　of　no
long　continuance；　because　it　wanted　that　cement　which　should　have　kept
all　together；　education。　What；　then；　some　may　say；　has　not　Rome　been
advanced　and　bettered　by　her　wars？　A　question　that　will　need　a　long
answer；　if　it　is　to　be　one　to　satisfy　men　who　take　the　better　to
consist　in　riches；　luxury；　and　dominion；　rather　than　in　security；
gentleness；　and　that　independence　which　is　accompanied　by　justice。
However；　it　makes　much　for　Lycurgus；　that；　after　the　Romans　had
deserted　the　doctrine　and　discipline　of　Numa；　their　empire　grew　and
their　power　increased　so　much；　whereas　so　soon　as　the　Lacedaemonians
fell　from　the　institutions　of　Lycurgus；　they　sank　from　the　highest
to　the　lowest　state；　and；　after　forfeiting　their　supremacy　over　the
rest　of　Greece；　were　themselves　in　danger　of　absolute　extirpation。
Thus　much；　meantime；　was　peculiarly　signal　and　almost　divine　in　the
circumstances　of　Numa；　that　he　was　an　alien；　and　yet　courted　to　come
and　accept　a　kingdom；　the　frame　of　which　though　he　entirely　altered；
yet　he　performed　it　by　mere　persuasion；　and　ruled　a　city　that　as　yet
had　scarce　become　one　city；　without　recurring　to　arms　or　any
violence　（such　as　Lycurgus　used；　supporting　himself　by　the　aid　of
the　nobler　citizens　against　the　commonalty）；　but；　by　mere　force　of
wisdom　and　justice；　established　union　and　harmony　amongst　all。





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