phaedrus-第9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！





strait　and　excitement；　and　in　her　madness　can　neither　sleep　by　night



nor　abide　in　her　place　by　day。　And　wherever　she　thinks　that　she　will



behold　the　beautiful　one；　thither　in　her　desire　she　runs。　And　when　she



has　seen　him；　and　bathed　herself　in　the　waters　of　beauty；　her



constraint　is　loosened；　and　she　is　refreshed；　and　has　no　more　pangs



and　pains；　and　this　is　the　sweetest　of　all　pleasures　at　the　time；



and　is　the　reason　why　the　soul　of　the　lover　will　never　forsake　his



beautiful　one；　whom　he　esteems　above　all；　he　has　forgotten　mother



and　brethren　and　companions；　and　he　thinks　nothing　of　the　neglect



and　loss　of　his　property；　the　rules　and　proprieties　of　life；　on



which　he　formerly　prided　himself；　he　now　despises；　and　is　ready　to



sleep　like　a　servant；　wherever　he　is　allowed；　as　near　as　he　can　to　his



desired　one；　who　is　the　object　of　his　worship；　and　the　physician　who



can　alone　assuage　the　greatness　of　his　pain。　And　this　state；　my　dear



imaginary　youth　to　whom　I　am　talking；　is　by　men　called　love；　and　among



the　gods　has　a　name　at　which　you；　in　your　simplicity；　may　be



inclined　to　mock；　there　are　two　lines　in　the　apocryphal　writings　of



Homer　in　which　the　name　occurs。　One　of　them　is　rather　outrageous；



and　not　altogether　metrical。　They　are　as　follows：







　　　Mortals　call　him　fluttering　love；



　　　But　the　immortals　call　him　winged　one；



　　　Because　the　growing　of　wings　is　a　necessity　to　him。







You　may　believe　this；　but　not　unless　you　like。　At　any　rate　the　loves



of　lovers　and　their　causes　are　such　as　I　have　described。



　　Now　the　lover　who　is　taken　to　be　the　attendant　of　Zeus　is　better



able　to　bear　the　winged　god；　and　can　endure　a　heavier　burden；　but



the　attendants　and　companions　of　Ares；　when　under　the　influence　of



love；　if　they　fancy　that　they　have　been　at　all　wronged；　are　ready　to



kill　and　put　an　end　to　themselves　and　their　beloved。　And　he　who



follows　in　the　train　of　any　other　god；　while　he　is　unspoiled　and　the



impression　lasts；　honours　and　imitates　him；　as　far　as　he　is　able；



and　after　the　manner　of　his　god　he　behaves　in　his　intercourse　with　his



beloved　and　with　the　rest　of　the　world　during　the　first　period　of



his　earthly　existence。　Every　one　chooses　his　love　from　the　ranks　of



beauty　according　to　his　character；　and　this　he　makes　his　god；　and



fashions　and　adorns　as　a　sort　of　image　which　he　is　to　fall　down　and



worship。　The　followers　of　Zeus　desire　that　their　beloved　should　have　a



soul　like　him；　and　therefore　they　seek　out　some　one　of　a　philosophical



and　imperial　nature；　and　when　they　have　found　him　and　loved　him；



they　do　all　they　can　to　confirm　such　a　nature　in　him；　and　if　they　have



no　experience　of　such　a　disposition　hitherto；　they　learn　of　any　one



who　can　teach　them；　and　themselves　follow　in　the　same　way。　And　they



have　the　less　difficulty　in　finding　the　nature　of　their　own　god　in



themselves；　because　they　have　been　compelled　to　gaze　intensely　on　him；



their　recollection　clings　to　him；　and　they　become　possessed　of　him；



and　receive　from　him　their　character　and　disposition；　so　far　as　man



can　participate　in　God。　The　qualities　of　their　god　they　attribute　to



the　beloved；　wherefore　they　love　him　all　the　more；　and　if；　like　the



Bacchic　Nymphs；　they　draw　inspiration　from　Zeus；　they　pour　out　their



own　fountain　upon　him；　wanting　to　make　him　as　like　as　possible　to



their　own　god。　But　those　who　are　the　followers　of　Here　seek　a　royal



love；　and　when　they　have　found　him　they　do　just　the　same　with　him；　and



in　like　manner　the　followers　of　Apollo；　and　of　every　other　god　walking



in　the　ways　of　their　god；　seek　a　love　who　is　to　be　made　like　him



whom　they　serve；　and　when　they　have　found　him；　they　themselves　imitate



their　god；　and　persuade　their　love　to　do　the　same；　and　educate　him



into　the　manner　and　nature　of　the　god　as　far　as　they　each　can；　for



no　feelings　of　envy　or　jealousy　are　entertained　by　them　towards



their　beloved；　but　they　do　their　utmost　to　create　in　him　the



greatest　likeness　of　themselves　and　of　the　god　whom　they　honour。



Thus　fair　and　blissful　to　the　beloved　is　the　desire　of　the　inspired



lover；　and　the　initiation　of　which　I　speak　into　the　mysteries　of



true　love；　if　he　be　captured　by　the　lover　and　their　purpose　is



effected。　Now　the　beloved　is　taken　captive　in　the　following　manner：…



　　As　I　said　at　the　beginning　of　this　tale；　I　divided　each　soul　into



three…two　horses　and　a　charioteer；　and　one　of　the　horses　was　good



and　the　other　bad：　the　division　may　remain；　but　I　have　not　yet



explained　in　what　the　goodness　or　badness　of　either　consists；　and　to



that　I　will　proceed。　The　right…hand　horse　is　upright　and　cleanly　made；



he　has　a　lofty　neck　and　an　aquiline　nose；　his　colour　is　white；　and　his



eyes　dark；　he　is　a　lover　of　honour　and　modesty　and　temperance；　and　the



follower　of　true　glory；　he　needs　no　touch　of　the　whip；　but　is　guided



by　word　and　admonition　only。　The　other　is　a　crooked　lumbering



animal；　put　together　anyhow；　he　has　a　short　thick　neck；　he　is



flat…faced　and　of　a　dark　colour；　with　grey　eyes　and　blood…red



complexion；　the　mate　of　insolence　and　pride；　shag…eared　and　deaf；



hardly　yielding　to　whip　and　spur。　Now　when　the　charioteer　beholds



the　vision　of　love；　and　has　his　whole　soul　warmed　through　sense；　and



is　full　of　the　prickings　and　ticklings　of　desire；　the　obedient



steed；　then　as　always　under　the　government　of　shame；　refrains　from



leaping　on　the　beloved；　but　the　other；　heedless　of　the　pricks　and　of



the　blows　of　the　whip；　plunges　and　runs　away；　giving　all　manner　of



trouble　to　his　companion　and　the　charioteer；　whom　he　forces　to



approach　the　beloved　and　to　remember　the　joys　of　love。　They　at　first



indignantly　oppose　him　and　will　not　be　urged　on　to　do　terrible　and



unlawful　deeds；　but　at　last；　when　he　persists　in　plaguing　them；　they



yield　and　agree　to　do　as　he　bids　them。



　　And　now　they　are　at　the　spot　and　behold　the　flashing　beauty　of　the



beloved；　which　when　the　charioteer　sees；　his　memory　is　carried　to



the　true　beauty；　whom　he　beholds　in　company　with　Modesty　like　an　image



placed　upon　a　holy　pedestal。　He　sees　her；　but　he　is　afraid　and　falls



backwards　in　adoration；　and　by　his　fall　is　compelled　to　pull　back



the　reins　with　such　violence　as　to　bring　both　the　steeds　on　their



haunches；　the　one　willing　and　unresisting；　the　unruly　one　very



unwilling；　and　when　they　have　gone　back　a　little；　the　one　is



overcome　with　shame　and　wonder；　and　his　whole　soul　is　bathed　in



perspiration；　the　other；　when　the　pain　is　over　which　the　bridle　and



the　fall　had　given　him；　having　with　difficulty　taken　breath；　is　full



of　wrath　and　reproaches；　which　he　heaps　upon　the　charioteer　and　his



fellow…steed；　for　want　of　courage　and　manhood；　declaring　that　they



have　been　false　to　their　agreement　and　guilty　of　desertion。　Again　they



refuse；　and　again　he　urges　them　on；　and　will　scarce　yield　to　their



prayer　that　he　would　wait　until　another　time。　When　the　appointed



hour　comes；　they　make　as　if　they　had　forgotten；　and　he　reminds　them；



fighting　and　neighing　and　dragging　them　on；　until　at　length　he；　on　the



same　thoughts　intent；　forces　them　to　draw　near　again。　And　when　they



are　near　he　stoops　his　head　and　puts　up　his　tail；　and　takes　the　bit　in



his　teeth。　and　pulls　shamelessly。　Then　the　charioteer　is。　worse　off



than　ever；　he　falls　back　like　a　racer　at　the　barrier；　and　with　a　still



more　violent　wrench　drags　the　bit　out　of　the　teeth　of　the　wild　steed



and　covers　his　abusive　tongue　and…jaws　with　blood；　and　forces　his　legs



and　haunches　to　the　ground　and　punishes　him　sorely。　And　when　this



has　happened　several　times　and　the　villain　has　ceased　from　his