phaedrus-第17章

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of　old　age；　by　himself；　or　by　any　other　old　man　who　is　treading　the



same　path。　He　will　rejoice　in　beholding　their　tender　growth；　and　while



others　are　refreshing　their　souls　with　banqueting　and　the　like；　this



will　be　the　pastime　in　which　his　days　are　spent。



　　Phaedr。　A　pastime；　Socrates；　as　noble　as　the　other　is　ignoble；　the



pastime　of　a　man　who　can　be　amused　by　serious　talk；　and　can



discourse　merrily　about　justice　and　the　like。



　　Soc。　True；　Phaedrus。　But　nobler　far　is　the　serious　pursuit　of　the



dialectician；　who；　finding　a　congenial　soul；　by　the　help　of　science



sows　and　plants　therein　words　which　are　able　to　help　themselves　and



him　who　planted　them；　and　are　not　unfruitful；　but　have　in　them　a



seed　which　others　brought　up　in　different　soils　render　immortal；



making　the　possessors　of　it　happy　to　the　utmost　extent　of　human



happiness。



　　Phaedr。　Far　nobler；　certainly。



　　Soc。　And　now；　Phaedrus；　having　agreed　upon　the　premises　we　decide



about　the　conclusion。



　　Phaedr。　About　what　conclusion？



　　Soc。　About　Lysias；　whom　we　censured；　and　his　art　of　writing；　and　his



discourses；　and　the　rhetorical　skill　or　want　of　skill　which　was



shown　in　them…these　are　the　questions　which　we　sought　to　determine；



and　they　brought　us　to　this　point。　And　I　think　that　we　are　now



pretty　well　informed　about　the　nature　of　art　and　its　opposite。



　　Phaedr。　Yes；　I　think　with　you；　but　I　wish　that　you　would　repeat　what



was　said。



　　Soc。　Until　a　man　knows　the　truth　of　the　several　particulars　of　which



he　is　writing　or　speaking；　and　is　able　to　define　them　as　they　are；　and



having　defined　them　again　to　divide　them　until　they　can　be　no　longer



divided；　and　until　in　like　manner　he　is　able　to　discern　the　nature



of　the　soul；　and　discover　the　different　modes　of　discourse　which　are



adapted　to　different　natures；　and　to　arrange　and　dispose　them　in



such　a　way　that　the　simple　form　of　speech　may　be　addressed　to　the



simpler　nature；　and　the　complex　and　composite　to　the　more　complex



nature…until　he　has　accomplished　all　this；　he　will　be　unable　to　handle



arguments　according　to　rules　of　art；　as　far　as　their　nature　allows



them　to　be　subjected　to　art；　either　for　the　purpose　of　teaching　or



persuading；…such　is　the　view　which　is　implied　in　the　whole　preceding



argument。



　　Phaedr。　Yes；　that　was　our　view；　certainly。



　　Soc。　Secondly；　as　to　the　censure　which　was　passed　on　the　speaking　or



writing　of　discourses；　and　how　they　might　be　rightly　or　wrongly



censured…did　not　our　previous　argument　show？…



　　Phaedr。　Show　what？



　　Soc。　That　whether　Lysias　or　any　other　writer　that　ever　was　or　will



be；　whether　private　man　or　statesman；　proposes　laws　and　so　becomes　the



author　of　a　political　treatise；　fancying　that　there　is　any　great



certainty　and　clearness　in　his　performance；　the　fact　of　his　so　writing



is　only　a　disgrace　to　him；　whatever　men　may　say。　For　not　to　know　the



nature　of　justice　and　injustice；　and　good　and　evil；　and　not　to　be　able



to　distinguish　the　dream　from　the　reality；　cannot　in　truth　be



otherwise　than　disgraceful　to　him；　even　though　he　have　the　applause　of



the　whole　world。



　　Phaedr。　Certainly。



　　Soc。　But　he　who　thinks　that　in　the　written　word　there　is　necessarily



much　which　is　not　serious；　and　that　neither　poetry　nor　prose；　spoken



or　written；　is　of　any　great　value；　if；　like　the　compositions　of　the



rhapsodes；　they　are　only　recited　in　order　to　be　believed；　and　not　with



any　view　to　criticism　or　instruction；　and　who　thinks　that　even　the



best　of　writings　are　but　a　reminiscence　of　what　we　know；　and　that　only



in　principles　of　justice　and　goodness　and　nobility　taught　and



communicated　orally　for　the　sake　of　instruction　and　graven　in　the



soul；　which　is　the　true　way　of　writing；　is　there　clearness　and



perfection　and　seriousness；　and　that　such　principles　are　a　man's　own



and　his　legitimate　offspring；…being；　in　the　first　place；　the　word



which　he　finds　in　his　own　bosom；　secondly；　the　brethren　and



descendants　and　relations　of　his　others；…and　who　cares　for　them　and　no



others…this　is　the　right　sort　of　man；　and　you　and　I；　Phaedrus；　would



pray　that　we　may　become　like　him。



　　Phaedr。　That　is　most　assuredly　my　desire　and　prayer。



　　Soc。　And　now　the　play　is　played　out；　and　of　rhetoric　enough。　Go



and　tell　Lysias　that　to　the　fountain　and　school　of　the　Nymphs　we



went　down；　and　were　bidden　by　them　to　convey　a　message　to　him　and　to



other　composers　of　speeches…to　Homer　and　other　writers　of　poems；



whether　set　to　music　or　not；　and　to　Solon　and　others　who　have　composed



writings　in　the　form　of　political　discourses　which　they　would　term



laws…to　all　of　them　we　are　to　say　that　if　their　compositions　are　based



on　knowledge　of　the　truth；　and　they　can　defend　or　prove　them；　when



they　are　put　to　the　test；　by　spoken　arguments；　which　leave　their



writings　poor　in　comparison　of　them；　then　they　are　to　be　called；　not



only　poets；　orators；　legislators；　but　are　worthy　of　a　higher　name；



befitting　the　serious　pursuit　of　their　life。



　　Phaedr。　What　name　would　you　assign　to　them？



　　Soc。　Wise；　I　may　not　call　them；　for　that　is　a　great　name　which



belongs　to　God　alone；…lovers　of　wisdom　or　philosophers　is　their　modest



and　befitting　title。



　　Phaedr。　Very　suitable。



　　Soc。　And　he　who　cannot　rise　above　his　own　compilations　and



compositions；　which　he　has　been　long　patching；　and　piecing；　adding



some　and　taking　away　some；　may　be　justly　called　poet　or　speech…maker



or　law…maker。



　　Phaedr。　Certainly。



　　Soc。　Now　go　and　tell　this　to　your　companion。



　　Phaedr。　But　there　is　also　a　friend　of　yours　who　ought　not　to　be



forgotten。



　　Soc。　Who　is　he？



　　Phaedr。　Isocrates　the　fair：…What　message　will　you　send　to　him；　and



how　shall　we　describe　him？



　　Soc。　Isocrates　is　still　young；　Phaedrus；　but　I　am　willing　to



hazard　a　prophecy　concerning　him。



　　Phaedr。　What　would　you　prophesy？



　　Soc。　I　think　that　he　has　a　genius　which　soars　above　the　orations



of　Lysias；　and　that　his　character　is　cast　in　a　finer　mould。　My



impression　of　him　is　that　he　will　marvelously　improve　as　he　grows



older；　and　that　all　former　rhetoricians　will　be　as　children　in



comparison　of　him。　And　I　believe　that　he　will　not　be　satisfied　with



rhetoric；　but　that　there　is　in　him　a　divine　inspiration　which　will



lead　him　to　things　higher　still。　For　he　has　an　element　of　philosophy



in　his　nature。　This　is　the　message　of　the　gods　dwelling　in　this　place；



and　which　I　will　myself　deliver　to　Isocrates；　who　is　my　delight；　and



do　you　give　the　other　to　Lysias；　who　is　yours。



　　Phaedr。　I　will；　and　now　as　the　heat　is　abated　let　us　depart。



　　Soc。　Should　we　not　offer　up　a　prayer　first　of　all　to　the　local



deities？



　　Phaedr。　By　all　means。



　　Soc。　Beloved　Pan；　and　all　ye　other　gods　who　haunt　this　place；　give



me　beauty　in　the　inward　soul；　and　may　the　outward　and　inward　man　be　at



one。　May　I　reckon　the　wise　to　be　the　wealthy；　and　may　I　have　such　a



quantity　of　gold　as　a　temperate　man　and　he　only　can　bear　and



carry。…Anything　more？　The　prayer；　I　think；　is　enough　for　me。



　　Phaedr。　Ask　the　same　for　me；　for　friends　should　have　all　things　in



common。



　　Soc。　Let　us　go。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…THE　END…



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