the miscellaneous writings and speeches-1-第30章

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than　Xenophon　himself。　Deceived　by　the　distance　of　time；　they　seem　to　consider　all　the　Classics　as　contemporaries；　just　as　I　have　known　people　in　England；　deceived　by　the　distance　of　place；　take　it　for　granted　that　all　persons　who　live　in　India　are　neighbours；　and　ask　an　inhabitant　of　Bombay　about　the　health　of　an　acquaintance　at　Calcutta。　　It　is　to　be　hoped　that　no　barbarian　deluge　will　ever　again　pass　over　Europe。　　But　should　such　a　calamity　happen；　it　seems　not　improbable　that　some　future　Rollin　or　Gillies　will　compile　a　history　of　England　from　Miss　Porter's　Scottish　Chiefs；　Miss　Lee's　Recess；　and　Sir　Nathaniel　Wraxall's　Memoirs。

It　is　surely　time　that　ancient　literature　should　be　examined　in　a　different　manner；　without　pedantical　prepossessions；　but　with　a　just　allowance；　at　the　same　time；　for　the　difference　of　circumstances　and　manners。　　I　am　far　from　pretending　to　the　knowledge　or　ability　which　such　a　task　would　require。　　All　that　I　mean　to　offer　is　a　collection　of　desultory　remarks　upon　a　most　interesting　portion　of　Greek　literature。

It　may　be　doubted　whether　any　compositions　which　have　ever　been　produced　in　the　world　are　equally　perfect　in　their　kind　with　the　great　Athenian　orations。　　Genius　is　subject　to　the　same　laws　which　regulate　the　production　of　cotton　and　molasses。　　The　supply　adjusts　itself　to　the　demand。　　The　quantity　may　be　diminished　by　restrictions；　and　multiplied　by　bounties。　　The　singular　excellence　to　which　eloquence　attained　at　Athens　is　to　be　mainly　attributed　to　the　influence　which　it　exerted　there。　　In　turbulent　times；　under　a　constitution　purely　democratic；　among　a　people　educated　exactly　to　that　point　at　which　men　are　most　susceptible　of　strong　and　sudden　impressions；　acute；　but　not　sound　reasoners；　warm　in　their　feelings；　unfixed　in　their　principles；　and　passionate　admirers　of　fine　composition；　oratory　received　such　encouragement　as　it　has　never　since　obtained。

The　taste　and　knowledge　of　the　Athenian　people　was　a　favourite　object　of　the　contemptuous　derision　of　Samuel　Johnson；　a　man　who　knew　nothing　of　Greek　literature　beyond　the　common　school…books；　and　who　seems　to　have　brought　to　what　he　had　read　scarcely　more　than　the　discernment　of　a　common　school…boy。　　He　used　to　assert；　with　that　arrogant　absurdity　which；　in　spite　of　his　great　abilities　and　virtues；　renders　him；　perhaps　the　most　ridiculous　character　in　literary　history；　that　Demosthenes　spoke　to　a　people　of　brutes；to　a　barbarous　people；that　there　could　have　been　no　civilisation　before　the　invention　of　printing。　　Johnson　was　a　keen　but　a　very　narrow…minded　observer　of　mankind。　　He　perpetually　confounded　their　general　nature　with　their　particular　circumstances。　　He　knew　London　intimately。　　The　sagacity　of　his　remarks　on　its　society　is　perfectly　astonishing。　　But　Fleet　Street　was　the　world　to　him。　　He　saw　that　Londoners　who　did　not　read　were　profoundly　ignorant；　and　he　inferred　that　a　Greek；　who　had　few　or　no　books；　must　have　been　as　uninformed　as　one　of　Mr　Thrale's　draymen。

There　seems　to　be；　on　the　contrary；　every　reason　to　believe；　that；　in　general　intelligence；　the　Athenian　populace　far　surpassed　the　lower　orders　of　any　community　that　has　ever　existed。　　It　must　be　considered；　that　to　be　a　citizen　was　to　be　a　legislator；a　soldier；a　judge；one　upon　whose　voice　might　depend　the　fate　of　the　wealthiest　tributary　state；　of　the　most　eminent　public　man。　　The　lowest　offices；　both　of　agriculture　and　of　trade；　were；　in　common；　performed　by　slaves。　　The　commonwealth　supplied　its　meanest　members　with　the　support　of　life；　the　opportunity　of　leisure；　and　the　means　of　amusement。　　Books　were　indeed　few：　　but　they　were　excellent；　and　they　were　accurately　known。　　It　is　not　by　turning　over　libraries；　but　by　repeatedly　perusing　and　intently　contemplating　a　few　great　models；　that　the　mind　is　best　disciplined。　　A　man　of　letters　must　now　read　much　that　he　soon　forgets；　and　much　from　which　he　learns　nothing　worthy　to　be　remembered。　　The　best　works　employ；　in　general；　but　a　small　portion　of　his　time。　　Demosthenes　is　said　to　have　transcribed　six　times　the　history　of　Thucydides。　　If　he　had　been　a　young　politician　of　the　present　age；　he　might　in　the　same　space　of　time　have　skimmed　innumerable　newspapers　and　pamphlets。　　I　do　not　condemn　that　desultory　mode　of　study　which　the　state　of　things；　in　our　day；　renders　a　matter　of　necessity。　　But　I　may　be　allowed　to　doubt　whether　the　changes　on　which　the　admirers　of　modern　institutions　delight　to　dwell　have　improved　our　condition　so　much　in　reality　as　in　appearance。　　Rumford；　it　is　said；　proposed　to　the　Elector　of　Bavaria　a　scheme　for　feeding　his　soldiers　at　a　much　cheaper　rate　than　formerly。　　His　plan　was　simply　to　compel　them　to　masticate　their　food　thoroughly。　　A　small　quantity；　thus　eaten；　would；　according　to　that　famous　projector；　afford　more　sustenance　than　a　large　meal　hastily　devoured。　　I　do　not　know　how　Rumford's　proposition　was　received；　but　to　the　mind；　I　believe；　it　will　be　found　more　nutritious　to　digest　a　page　than　to　devour　a　volume。

Books；　however；　were　the　least　part　of　the　education　of　an　Athenian　citizen。　　Let　us；　for　a　moment；　transport　ourselves　in　thought；　to　that　glorious　city。　　Let　us　imagine　that　we　are　entering　its　gates；　in　the　time　of　its　power　and　glory。　　A　crowd　is　assembled　round　a　portico。　　All　are　gazing　with　delight　at　the　entablature；　for　Phidias　is　putting　up　the　frieze。　　We　turn　into　another　street；　a　rhapsodist　is　reciting　there：　　men；　women；　children　are　thronging　round　him：　　the　tears　are　running　down　their　cheeks：　　their　eyes　are　fixed：　　their　very　breath　is　still；　for　he　is　telling　how　Priam　fell　at　the　feet　of　Achilles；　and　kissed　those　hands；the　terriblethe　murderous；which　had　slain　so　many　of　his　sons。　（kai　kuse　cheiras；　deinas；　anorophonous；　ai　oi　poleas　ktanon　uias。）

We　enter　the　public　place；　there　is　a　ring　of　youths；　all　leaning　forward；　with　sparkling　eyes；　and　gestures　of　expectation。　Socrates　is　pitted　against　the　famous　atheist；　from　Ionia；　and　has　just　brought　him　to　a　contradiction　in　terms。　　But　we　are　interrupted。　　The　herald　is　crying〃Room　for　the　Prytanes。〃　　The　general　assembly　is　to　meet。　　The　people　are　swarming　in　on　every　side。　　Proclamation　is　made〃Who　wishes　to　speak？〃　　There　is　a　shout；　and　a　clapping　of　hands：　　Pericles　is　mounting　the　stand。　Then　for　a　play　of　Sophocles；　and　away　to　sup　with　Aspasia。　　I　know　of　no　modern　university　which　has　so　excellent　a　system　of　education。

Knowledge　thus　acquired　and　opinions　thus　formed　were；　indeed；　likely　to　be；　in　some　respects；　defective。　　Propositions　which　are　advanced　in　discourse　generally　result　from　a　partial　view　of　the　question；　and　cannot　be　kept　under　examination　long　enough　to　be　corrected。　　Men　of　great　conversational　powers　almost　universally　practise　a　sort　of　lively　sophistry　and　exaggeration；　which　deceives；　for　the　moment；　both　themselves　and　their　auditors。　　Thus　we　see　doctrines；　which　cannot　bear　a　close　inspection；　triumph　perpetually　in　drawing…rooms；　in　debating　societies；　and　even　in　legislative　or　judicial　assemblies。　　To　the　conversational　education　of　the　Athenians　I　am　inclined　to　attribute　the　great　looseness　of　reasoning　which　is　remarkable　in　most　of　their　scientific　writings。　　Even　the　most　illogical　of　modern　writers　would　stand　perfectly　aghast　at　the　puerile　fallacies　which　seem　to　have　deluded　some　of　the　greatest　men　of　antiquity。　　Sir　Thomas　Lethbridge　would　stare　at　the　political　economy　of　Xenophon；　and　the　author　of　〃Soirees　de　Petersbourg〃　would　be　ashamed　of　some　of　the　metaphysical　arguments　of　Plato。　But　the　very　circumstances　which　retarded　the　growth　of　science　were　peculiarly　favourable　to　the　cultivation　of　eloquence。　　From　the　early　habit　of　taking　a　share　in　animated　discussion　the　intelligent　student　would　derive　that　readiness　of　resource；　that　copiousness　of　language；　and　that　knowledge　of　the　temper　and　understanding　of　an　audience；　which　are　far　more　valuable　to　an　orator　than　the　greatest　logical　powers。

Horace　has　prettily　compared　poems　to　those　paintings　of　which　the　effect　varies　as　the　spectator　changes　his　stand。　　The　same　remark　applies　with　at　least　equal　justice　to　speeches。　　They　must　be　read　with　the　temper　of　those　to　whom　they　were