phaedrus-第3章

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arises　not　from　passion；　but　from　other　associations。　Further；　if　we



ought　to　shower　favours　on　those　who　are　the　most　eager　suitors；…on



that　principle；　we　ought　always　to　do　good；　not　to　the　most



virtuous；　but　to　the　most　needy；　for　they　are　the　persons　who　will



be　most　relieved；　and　will　therefore　be　the　most　grateful；　and　when



you　make　a　feast　you　should　invite　not　your　friend；　but　the　beggar　and



the　empty　soul；　for　they　will　love　you；　and　attend　you；　and　come　about



your　doors；　and　will　be　the　best　pleased；　and　the　most　grateful；　and



will　invoke　many　a　blessing　on　your　head。　Yet　surely　you　ought　not



to　be　granting　favours　to　those　who　besiege　you　with　prayer；　but　to



those　who　are　best　able　to　reward　you；　nor　to　the　lover　only；　but　to



those　who　are　worthy　of　love；　nor　to　those　who　will　enjoy　the　bloom　of



your　youth；　but　to　those　who　will　share　their　possessions　with　you



in　age；　nor　to　those　who；　having　succeeded；　will　glory　in　their



success　to　others；　but　to　those　who　will　be　modest　and　tell　no



tales；　nor　to　those　who　care　about　you　for　a　moment　only；　but　to　those



who　will　continue　your　friends　through　life；　nor　to　those　who；　when



their　passion　is　over；　will　pick　a　quarrel　with　you；　but　rather　to



those　who；　when　the　charm　of　youth　has　left　you；　will　show　their　own



virtue。　Remember　what　I　have　said；　and　consider　yet　this　further



point：　friends　admonish　the　lover　under　the　idea　that　his　way　of



life　is　bad；　but　no　one　of　his　kindred　ever　yet　censured　the



non…lover；　or　thought　that　he　was　ill…advised　about　his　own　interests。



　　〃Perhaps　you　will　ask　me　whether　I　propose　that　you　should　indulge



every　non…lover。　To　which　I　reply　that　not　even　the　lover　would　advise



you　to　indulge　all　lovers；　for　the　indiscriminate　favour　is　less



esteemed　by　the　rational　recipient；　and　less　easily　hidden　by　him



who　would　escape　the　censure　of　the　world。　Now　love　ought　to　be　for



the　advantage　of　both　parties；　and　for　the　injury　of　neither。



　　〃I　believe　that　I　have　said　enough；　but　if　there　is　anything　more



which　you　desire　or　which　in　your　opinion　needs　to　be　supplied；　ask



and　I　will　answer。〃



　　Now；　Socrates；　what　do　you　think？　Is　not　the　discourse　excellent；



more　especially　in　the　matter　of　the　language？



　　Soc。　Yes；　quite　admirable；　the　effect　on　me　was　ravishing。　And



this　I　owe　to　you；　Phaedrus；　for　I　observed　you　while　reading　to　be　in



an　ecstasy；　and　thinking　that　you　are　more　experienced　in　these



matters　than　I　am；　I　followed　your　example；　and；　like　you；　my　divine



darling；　I　became　inspired　with　a　phrenzy。



　　Phaedr。　Indeed；　you　are　pleased　to　be　merry。



　　Soc。　Do　you　mean　that　I　am　not　in　earnest？



　　Phaedr。　Now　don't　talk　in　that　way；　Socrates；　but　let　me　have　your



real　opinion；　I　adjure　you；　by　Zeus；　the　god　of　friendship；　to　tell　me



whether　you　think　that　any　Hellene　could　have　said　more　or　spoken



better　on　the　same　subject。



　　Soc。　Well；　but　are　you　and　I　expected　to　praise　the　sentiments　of



the　author；　or　only　the　clearness；　and　roundness；　and　finish；　and



tournure　of　the　language？　As　to　the　first　I　willingly　submit　to　your



better　judgment；　for　I　am　not　worthy　to　form　an　opinion；　having　only



attended　to　the　rhetorical　manner；　and　I　was　doubting　whether　this



could　have　been　defended　even　by　Lysias　himself；　I　thought；　though　I



speak　under　correction；　that　he　repeated　himself　two　or　three　times；



either　from　want　of　words　or　from　want　of　pains；　and　also；　he　appeared



to　me　ostentatiously　to　exult　in　showing　how　well　he　could　say　the



same　thing　in　two　or　three　ways。



　　Phaedr。　Nonsense；　Socrates；　what　you　call　repetition　was　the



especial　merit　of　the　speech；　for　he　omitted　no　topic　of　which　the



subject　rightly　allowed；　and　I　do　not　think　that　any　one　could　have



spoken　better　or　more　exhaustively。



　　Soc。　There　I　cannot　go　along　with　you。　Ancient　sages；　men　and　women；



who　have　spoken　and　written　of　these　things；　would　rise　up　in　judgment



against　me；　if　out　of　complaisance　I　assented　to　you。



　　Phaedr。　Who　are　they；　and　where　did　you　hear　anything　better　than



this？



　　Soc。　I　am　sure　that　I　must　have　heard；　but　at　this　moment　I　do　not



remember　from　whom；　perhaps　from　Sappho　the　fair；　or　Anacreon　the



wise；　or；　possibly；　from　a　prose　writer。　Why　do　I　say　so？　Why；　because



I　perceive　that　my　bosom　is　full；　and　that　I　could　make　another　speech



as　good　as　that　of　Lysias；　and　different。　Now　I　am　certain　that　this



is　not　an　invention　of　my　own；　who　am　well　aware　that　I　know



nothing；　and　therefore　I　can　only　infer　that　I　have　been　filled



through　the　cars；　like　a　pitcher；　from　the　waters　of　another；　though　I



have　actually　forgotten　in　my　stupidity　who　was　my　informant。



　　Phaedr。　That　is　grand：…but　never　mind　where　you　beard　the



discourse　or　from　whom；　let　that　be　a　mystery　not　to　be　divulged



even　at　my　earnest　desire。　Only；　as　you　say；　promise　to　make　another



and　better　oration；　equal　in　length　and　entirely　new；　on　the　same



subject；　and　I；　like　the　nine　Archons；　will　promise　to　set　up　a　golden



image　at　Delphi；　not　only　of　myself；　but　of　you；　and　as　large　as　life。



　　Soc。　You　are　a　dear　golden　ass　if　you　suppose　me　to　mean　that　Lysias



has　altogether　missed　the　mark；　and　that　I　can　make　a　speech　from



which　all　his　arguments　are　to　be　excluded。　The　worst　of　authors



will　say　something　which　is　to　the　point。　Who；　for　example；　could



speak　on　this　thesis　of　yours　without　praising　the　discretion　of　the



non…lover　and　blaming　the　indiscretion　of　the　lover？　These　are　the



commonplaces　of　the　subject　which　must　come　in　（for　what　else　is　there



to　be　said？）　and　must　be　allowed　and　excused；　the　only　merit　is　in　the



arrangement　of　them；　for　there　can　be　none　in　the　invention；　but



when　you　leave　the　commonplaces；　then　there　may　be　some　originality。



　　Phaedr。　I　admit　that　there　is　reason　in　what　you　say；　and　I　too　will



be　reasonable；　and　will　allow　you　to　start　with　the　premiss　that　the



lover　is　more　disordered　in　his　wits　than　the　non…lover；　if　in　what



remains　you　make　a　longer　and　better　speech　than　Lysias；　and　use　other



arguments；　then　I　say　again；　that　a　statue　you　shall　have　of　beaten



gold；　and　take　your　place　by　the　colossal　offerings　of　the　Cypselids



at　Olympia。



　　Soc。　How　profoundly　in　earnest　is　the　lover；　because　to　tease　him



I　lay　a　finger　upon　his　love！　And　so；　Phaedrus；　you　really　imagine



that　I　am　going　to　improve　upon　the　ingenuity　of　Lysias？



　　Phaedr。　There　I　have　you　as　you　had　me；　and　you　must　just　speak



〃as　you　best　can。〃　Do　not　let　us　exchange　〃tu　quoque〃　as　in　a　farce；



or　compel　me　to　say　to　you　as　you　said　to　me；　〃I　know　Socrates　as　well



as　I　know　myself；　and　he　was　wanting　to；　speak；　but　he　gave　himself



airs。〃　Rather　I　would　have　you　consider　that　from　this　place　we　stir



not　until　you　have　unbosomed　yourself　of　the　speech；　for　here　are　we



all　alone；　and　I　am　stronger；　remember；　and　younger　than　you…Wherefore



perpend；　and　do　not　compel　me　to　use　violence。



　　Soc。　But；　my　sweet　Phaedrus；　how　ridiculous　it　would　be　of　me　to



compete　with　Lysias　in　an　extempore　speech！　He　is　a　master　in　his



art　and　I　am　an　untaught　man。



　　Phaedr。　You　see　how　matters　stand；　and　therefore　let　there　be　no



more　pretences；　for；　indeed；　I　know　the　word　that　is　irresistible。



　　Soc。　Then　don't　say　it。



　　Phaedr。　Yes；　but　I　will；　and　my　word　shall　be　an　oath。　〃I　say；　or



rather　swear〃…but　what　god　will　be　witness　of　my　oath？…〃By　this



plane…tree　I　swear；　that　unless　you　repeat　the　discourse　here　in　the



face　of　this　very　plane…tree；　I　will　never　tell　you　another；　never　let



you　have　word　of　another！