cyropaedia-第16章

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the　attendant　had　handed　round　the　first；　beginning　with　myself。　So
when　he　came　in　again；　I　told　him　to　begin　at　the　other　end　of　the
board；　and　serve　the　company　in　that　order。　＇3＇　But　I　was　greeted　by　a
yell　from　the　centre：　one　of　these　men　who　was　sitting　there　bawled
out；　'Equality　indeed！　There's　not　much　of　it　here；　if　we　who　sit　in
the　middle　are　never　served　first　at　all！'　It　nettled　me　that　they
should　fancy　themselves　treated　worse　than　we；　so　I　called　him　up　at
once　and　made　him　sit　beside　me。　And　I　am　bound　to　say　he　obeyed　that
order　with　the　most　exemplary　alacrity。　But　when　the　dish　came　round
to　us；　we　found；　not　unnaturally；　since　we　were　the　last　to　be　served；
that　only　a　few　scraps　were　left。　At　this　my　man　fell　into　the　deepest
dudgeon；　and　made　no　attempt　to　conceal　it；　muttering　to　himself；
'Just　like　my　ill…luck！　To　be　invited　here　just　now　and　never　before！'
＇4＇　I　tried　to　comfort　him。　'Never　mind；'　I　said；　'presently　the
servant　will　begin　again　with　us；　and　then　you　will　help　yourself
first　and　you　can　take　the　biggest　piece。'　Just　then　the　third　course；
and；　as　it　proved；　the　last；　came　round；　and　so　the　poor　fellow　took
his　helping；　but　as　he　did　so　it　struck　him　that　the　piece　he　had
chosen　first　was　too　small；　and　he　put　it　back；　meaning　to　pick　out
another。　But　the　carver；　thinking　he　had　changed　his　mind　and　did　not
want　any　more；　passed　on　to　the　next　man　before　he　had　time　to　secure
his　second　slice。　＇5＇　At　this　our　friend　took　his　loss　so　hard　that　he
only　made　matters　worse：　his　third　course　was　clean　gone；　and　now　in
his　rage　and　his　bad　luck　he　somehow　managed　to　overset　the　gravy；
which　was　all　that　remained　to　him。　The　captain　next　to　us　seeing　how
matters　stood　rubbed　his　hands　with　glee　and　went　into　peals　of
laughter。　And；〃　said　Hystaspas；　〃I　took　refuge　in　a　fit　of　coughing
myself；　for　really　I　could　not　have　controlled　my　laughter。　There；
Cyrus；〃　said　he；　〃that　is　a　specimen　of　our　new　comrades；　as　nearly　as
I　can　draw　his　portrait。〃

＇6＇　The　description；　as　may　be　guessed；　was　greeted　with　shouts　of
laughter；　and　then　another　brigadier　took　up　the　word：　〃Well；　Cyrus；〃
said　he；　〃our　friend　here　has　certainly　met　with　an　absolute　boor：　my
own　experience　is　somewhat　different。　You　remember　the　admonitions　you
gave　us　when　you　dismissed　the　regiments；　and　how　you　bade　each　of　us
instruct　his　own　men　in　the　lessons　we　had　learnt　from　you。　Well；　I；
like　the　rest　of　us；　went　off　at　once　and　set　about　instructing　one　of
the　companies　under　me。　I　posted　the　captain　in　front　with　a　fine
young　fellow　behind　him；　and　after　them　the　others　in　the　order　I
thought　best；　I　took　my　stand　facing　them　all；　and　waited；　with　my
eyes　fixed　on　the　captain；　until　I　thought　the　right　moment　had　come；
and　then　I　gave　the　order　to　advance。　＇7＇　And　what　must　my　fine　fellow
do　but　get　in　front　of　the　captain　and　march　off　ahead　of　the　whole
troop。　I　cried　out；　'You；　sir；　what　are　you　doing？'　'Advancing　as　you
ordered。'　'I　never　ordered　you　to　advance　alone；'　I　retorted；　'the
order　was　given　to　the　whole　company。'　At　which　he　turned　right　round
and　addressed　the　ranks：　'Don't　you　hear　the　officer　abusing　you？　The
orders　are　for　all　to　advance！'　Whereupon　the　rest　of　them　marched
right　past　their　captain　and　up　to　me。　＇8＇　Of　course　the　captain
called　them　back；　and　they　began　to　grumble　and　growl：　'Which　of　the
two　are　we　to　obey？　One　tells　us　to　advance；　the　other　won't　let　us
move。'

〃Well；　I　had　to　take　the　whole　matter　very　quietly　and　begin　again
from　the　beginning；　posting　the　company　as　they　were；　and　explaining
that　no　one　in　the　rear　was　to　move　until　the　front　rank　man　led　off：
all　they　had　to　do　was　to　follow　the　man　in　front。　＇9＇　As　I　was
speaking；　up　came　a　friend　of　mine；　he　was　going　off　to　Persia；　and
had　come　to　ask　me　for　a　letter　I　had　written　home。　So　I　turned　to　the
captain　who　happened　to　know　where　I　had　left　the　letter　lying；　and
bade　him　fetch　it　for　me。　Off　he　ran；　and　off　ran　my　young　fellow　at
his　heels；　breast…plate；　battle…axe；　and　all。　The　rest　of　the　company
thought　they　were　bound　to　follow　suit；　joined　in　the　race；　and
brought　my　letter　back　in　style。　That　is　how　my　company；　you　see；
carries　out　your　instructions　to　the　full。〃

＇10＇　He　paused；　and　the　listeners　laughed　to　their　hearts'　content；　as
well　as　they　might；　over　the　triumphant　entry　of　the　letter　under　its
armed　escort。　Then　Cyrus　spoke：

〃Now　heaven　be　praised！　A　fine　set　they　are；　these　new　friends　of
ours；　a　most　rare　race！　So　grateful　are　they　for　any　little　act　of
courtesy；　you　may　win　a　hundred　hearts　by　a　dish　of　meat！　And　so
docile；　some　of　them　must　needs　obey　an　order　before　they　have
understood　it！　For　my　part　I　can　only　pray　to　be　blest　with　an　army
like　them　all。〃

＇11＇　Thus　he　joined　in　the　mirth；　but　he　turned　the　laughter　to　the
praise　of　his　new　recruits。

Then　one　of　the　company；　a　brigadier　called　Agla？tadas；　a　somewhat
sour…tempered　man；　turned　to　him　and　said：

〃Cyrus；　do　you　really　think　the　tales　they　tell　are　true？〃

〃Certainly；〃　he　answered；　〃why　should　they　say　what　is　false？〃

〃Why；〃　repeated　the　other；　〃simply　to　raise　a　laugh；　and　make　a　brag
like　the　impostors　that　they　are。〃　＇12＇　But　Cyrus　cut　him　short；
〃Hush！　hush！　You　must　not　use　such　ugly　names。　Let　me　tell　you　what　an
impostor　is。　He　is　a　man　who　claims　to　be　wealthier　or　braver　than　he
is　in　fact；　and　who　undertakes　what　he　can　never　carry　out；　and　all
this　for　the　sake　of　gain。　But　he　who　contrives　mirth　for　his　friends；
not　for　his　own　profit；　or　his　hearers'　loss；　or　to　injure　any　man；
surely；　if　we　must　needs　give　him　a　name；　we　ought　to　call　him　a　man
of　taste　and　breeding　and　a　messenger　of　wit。〃

＇13＇　Such　was　the　defence　of　Cyrus　in　behalf　of　the　merrymakers。　And
the　officer　who　had　begun　the　jest　turned　to　Agla？tadas　and　said：

〃Just　think；　my　dear　sir；　if　we　had　tried　to　make　you　weep！　What　fault
you　would　have　found　with　us！　Suppose　we　had　been　like　the　ballad…
singers　and　story…tellers　who　put　in　lamentable　tales　in　the　hope　of
reducing　their　audience　to　tears！　What　would　you　have　said　about　us
then？　Why；　even　now；　when　you　know　we　only　wish　to　amuse　you；　not　to
make　you　suffer；　you　must　needs　hold　us　up　to　shame。〃

＇14＇　〃And　is　not　the　shame　justified？〃　Agla？tadas　replied。　〃The　man
who　sets　himself　to　make　his　fellows　laugh　does　far　less　for　them　than
he　who　makes　them　weep。　If　you　will　but　think；　you　will　admit　that
what　I　say　is　true。　It　is　through　tears　our　fathers　teach　self…control
unto　their　sons；　and　our　tutors　sound　learning　to　their　scholars；　and
the　laws　themselves　lead　the　grown　man　to　righteousness　by　putting　him
to　sit　in　the　place　of　penitence。　But　your　mirth…makers；　can　you　say
they　benefit　the　body　or　edify　the　soul？　Can　smiles　make　a　man　a
better　master　or　a　better　citizen？　Can　he　learn　economy　or
statesmanship　from　a　grin？〃

＇15＇　But　Hystaspas　answered　back：

〃Take　my　advice；　Agla？tadas；　pluck　up　heart　and　spend　this　precious
gift　of　yours　on　your　enemies：　make　them　sit　in　the　seat　of　the
sorrowful；　and　fling　away　on　us；　your　friends；　that　vile　and　worthless
laughter。　You　must　have　an　ample　store　of　it　in　reserve：　it　cannot　be
said　you　have　squandered　it　on　yourself；　or　ever　wasted　a　smile　on
friend　or　foreigner　if　you　could　help　it。　So　you　have　no　excuse　to　be
niggardly　now；　and　cannot　refuse　us　a　smile。〃

〃I　see；〃　said　Agla？tadas；　〃you　are　trying　to　get　a　laugh　out　of　me；
are　you　not？〃

But　the　brigadier　interposed；　〃Then　he　is　a　fool　for　his　pains；　my
friend：　one　might　strike　fire　out　of　you；　perhaps；　but　not　a　laugh；
not　a　laugh。〃

＇16＇　At　this　sally　all　the　others　shouted　with　glee；　and　even
Agla？tadas　could　not　help　himself：　he　smiled。

And　Cyrus；　seeing　the　sombre　face　light　up　said：

〃Brigadier；　you　are　very　wrong　to　corrupt　so　virtuous　a　man；　luring
him　to　laughter；　and　that　too　when　he　is　the　sworn　foe　of　gaiety。〃

So　they　talked　and　jested。　＇17＇　And　then　Chrysantas　began　on　another
theme。

＇18＇　〃Cyrus；〃　he　said；　〃and　gentlemen　all；　I　cannot　help　seeing　that
within　our　ranks　are　men　of　every　kind；　some　better　and　some　worse；
and　yet　if　anything　is　won