cyropaedia-第64章

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weak　and　cowardly；　Cyrus　was　not　disposed　to　accept　it。　He　studied　the
indications　to　be　observed　in　animals：　a　vicious　horse；　if　gelded；
will　cease　to　bite　and　be　restive；　but　he　will　charge　as　gallantly　as
ever；　a　bull　that　has　been　cut　will　become　less　fierce　and　less
intractable；　but　he　will　not　lose　his　strength；　he　will　be　as　good　as
ever　for　work；　castration　may　cure　a　dog　of　deserting　his　master；　but
it　will　not　ruin　him　as　a　watch…dog　or　spoil　him　for　the　chase。　＇63＇
So；　too；　with　men；　when　cut　off　from　this　passion；　they　become
gentler；　no　doubt；　but　not　less　quick　to　obey；　not　less　daring　as
horsemen；　not　less　skilful　with　the　javelin；　not　less　eager　for
honour。　＇64＇　In　war　and　in　the　chase　they　show　plainly　enough　that　the
fire　of　ambition　is　still　burning　in　their　hearts。　And　they　have　stood
the　last　test　of　loyalty　in　the　downfall　of　their　masters。　No　men　have
shown　more　faithfulness　than　eunuchs　when　ruin　has　fallen　on　their
lords。　＇65＇　In　bodily　strength；　perhaps；　the　eunuchs　seem　to　be
lacking；　but　steel　is　a　great　leveller；　and　makes　the　weak　man　equal
to　the　strong　in　war。　Holding　this　in　mind；　Cyrus　resolved　that　his
personal　attendants；　from　his　doorkeepers　onwards；　should　be　eunuchs
one　and　all。

＇66＇　This　guard；　however；　he　felt　was　hardly　sufficient　against　the
multitude　of　enemies；　and　he　asked　himself　whom　he　could　choose　among
the　rest。　＇67＇　He　remembered　how　his　Persians　led　the　sorriest　of
lives　at　home　owing　to　their　poverty；　working　long　and　hard　on　the
niggard　soil；　and　he　felt　sure　they　were　the　men　who　would　most　value
the　life　at　his　court。　＇68＇　Accordingly　he　selected　ten　thousand
lancers　from　among　them；　to　keep　guard　round　the　palace；　night　and
day；　whenever　he　was　at　home；　and　to　march　beside　him　whenever　he　went
abroad。　＇69＇　Moreover；　he　felt　that　Babylon　must　always　have　an
adequate　garrison；　whether　he　was　in　the　country　or　not；　and　therefore
he　stationed　a　considerable　body　of　troops　in　the　city；　and　he　bade
the　Babylonians　provide　their　pay；　his　object　being　to　make　the
citizens　helpless；　and　therefore　humble　and　submissive。　＇70＇　This
royal　guard　that　he　established　there；　and　the　city　guard　for　Babylon；
survive　to　this　day　unaltered。

Lastly；　as　he　pondered　how　the　whole　empire　was　to　be　kept　together；
and　possibly　another　added　to　it；　he　felt　convinced　that　his
mercenaries　did　not　make　up　for　the　smallness　of　their　numbers　by
their　superiority　to　the　subject　peoples。　Therefore　he　must　keep
together　those　brave　warriors；　to　whom　with　heaven's　help　the　victory
was　due；　and　he　must　take　all　care　that　they　did　not　lose　their
valour；　hardihood；　and　skill。　＇71＇　To　avoid　the　appearance　of
dictating　to　them　and　to　bring　it　about　that　they　should　see　for
themselves　it　was　best　to　stay　with　him　and　remember　their　valour　and
their　training；　he　called　a　council　of　the　Peers　and　of　the　leading
men　who　seemed　to　him　most　worthy　of　sharing　their　dangers　and　their
rewards。　＇72＇　And　when　they　were　met　he　began：

〃Gentlemen；　my　friends　and　allies；　we　owe　the　utmost　thanks　to　the
gods　because　they　have　given　us　what　we　believed　that　we　deserved。　We
are　masters　to…day　of　a　great　country　and　a　good；　and　those　who　till
it　will　support　us；　we　have　houses　of　our　own；　and　all　the　furniture
that　is　in　them　is　ours。　＇73＇　For　you　need　not　think　that　what　you
hold　belongs　to　others。　It　is　an　eternal　law　the　wide　world　over；　that
when　a　city　is　taken　in　war；　the　citizens；　their　persons；　and　all
their　property　fall　into　the　hands　of　the　conquerors。　It　is　not　by
injustice；　therefore；　that　you　hold　what　you　have　taken；　rather　it　is
through　your　own　human　kindness　that　the　citizens　are　allowed　to　keep
whatever　they　do　retain。

＇74＇　〃Yet　I　foresee　that　if　we　betake　ourselves　to　the　life　of
indolence　and　luxury；　the　life　of　the　degenerate　who　think　that　labour
is　the　worst　of　evils　and　freedom　from　toil　the　height　of　happiness；
the　day　will　come；　and　speedily；　when　we　shall　be　unworthy　of
ourselves；　and　with　the　loss　of　honour　will　come　the　loss　of　wealth。
＇75＇　Once　to　have　been　valiant　is　not　enough；　no　man　can　keep　his
valour　unless　he　watch　over　it　to　the　end。　As　the　arts　decay　through
neglect；　as　the　body；　once　healthy　and　alert；　will　grow　weak　through
sloth　and　indolence；　even　so　the　powers　of　the　spirit；　temperance；
self…control；　and　courage；　if　we　grow　slack　in　training；　fall　back
once　more　to　rottenness　and　death。　＇76＇　We　must　watch　ourselves；　we
must　not　surrender　to　the　sweetness　of　the　day。　It　is　a　great　work；
methinks；　to　found　an　empire；　but　a　far　greater　to　keep　it　safe。　To
seize　it　may　be　the　fruit　of　daring　and　daring　only；　but　to　hold　it　is
impossible　without　self…restraint　and　self…command　and　endless　care。
＇77＇　We　must　not　forget　this；　we　must　train　ourselves　in　virtue　from
now　henceforward　with　even　greater　diligence　than　before　we　won　this
glory；　remembering　that　the　more　a　man　possesses；　the　more　there　are
to　envy　him；　to　plot　against　him；　and　be　his　enemies；　above　all　when
the　wealth　he　wins　and　the　services　he　receives　are　yielded　by
reluctant　hands。　But　the　gods；　we　need　not　doubt；　will　be　upon　our
side；　we　have　not　triumphed　through　injustice；　we　were　not　the
aggressors；　it　was　we　who　were　attacked　and　we　avenged　ourselves。　＇78＇
The　gods　are　with　us；　I　say；　but　next　to　that　supreme　support　there　is
a　defence　we　must　provide　out　of　our　own　powers　alone；　and　that　is　the
righteous　claim　to　rule　our　subjects　because　we　are　better　men　than
they。　Needs　must　that　we　share　with　our　slaves　in　heat　and　cold　and
food　and　drink　and　toil　and　slumber；　and　we　must　strive　to　prove　our
superiority　even　in　such　things　as　these；　and　first　in　these。　＇79＇　But
in　the　science　of　war　and　the　art　of　it　we　can　admit　no　share；　those
whom　we　mean　to　make　our　labourers　and　our　tributaries　can　have　no
part　in　that；　we　will　set　ourselves　to　defraud　them　there；　we　know
that　such　exercises　are　the　very　tools　of　freedom　and　happiness；　given
by　the　gods　to　mortal　men。　We　have　taken　their　arms　away　from　our
slaves；　and　we　must　never　lay　our　own　aside；　knowing　well　that　the
nearer　the　sword…hilt　the　closer　the　heart's　desire。　So。　Does　any　man
ask　himself　what　profit　he　has　gained　from　the　fulfilment　of　his
dreams；　if　he　must　still　endure；　still　undergo　hunger　and　thirst　and
toil　and　trouble　and　care？　Let　him　learn　the　lesson　that　a　man's
enjoyment　of　all　good　things　is　in　exact　proportion　to　the　pains　he
has　undergone　to　gain　them。　Toil　is　the　seasoning　of　delight；　without
desire　and　longing；　no　dish；　however　costly；　could　be　sweet。　＇81＇　Yes；
if　some　spirit　were　to　set　before　us　what　men　desire　most；　and　we　were
left　to　add　for　ourselves　that　final　touch　of　sweetness；　I　say　that　we
could　only　gain　above　the　poorest　of　the　poor　in　so　far　as　we　could
bring　hunger　for　the　most　delicious　foods；　and　thirst　for　the　richest
wines；　and　weariness　to　make　us　woo　the　deepest　slumber。　＇82＇
Therefore；　we　must　strain　every　nerve　to　win　and　to　keep　manhood　and
nobleness；　so　that　we　may　gain　that　satisfaction　which　is　the　sweetest
and　the　best；　and　be　saved　from　the　bitterest　of　sorrows；　since　to
fail　of　good　altogether　is　not　so　hard　as　to　lose　the　good　that　has
once　been　ours。　＇83＇　And　let　us　ask　ourselves　what　excuse　we　could
offer　for　being　unworthy　of　our　past。　Shall　we　say　it　is　because　we
have　won　an　empire？　Surely　it　is　hardly　fitting　that　the　ruler　should
be　baser　than　the　ruled。　Or　is　it　that　we　seem　to　be　happier　to…day
than　heretofore？　Is　cowardice；　then；　an　adjunct　of　happiness？　Or　is　it
simply　because　we　have　slaves　and　must　punish　them　if　they　do　wrong？
But　by　what　right　can　a　man；　who　is　bad　himself；　punish　others　for
badness　or　stupidity？　＇84＇　Remember；　too；　that　we　have　arranged　for
the　maintenance　of　a　whole　multitude；　to　guard　our　persons　and　our
houses；　and　it　would　be　shameful　for　us　to　depend　for　safety　on　the
weapons　of　others　and　refuse　to　carry　weapons　for　ourselves。　Surely　we
ought　to　know　that　there　can　be　no　defence　so　strong　as　a　man's　own
gallantry。　Courage　should　be　our　companion　all　our　days。　For　if　virtue
leave　us；　nothing　else　whatever　can　go　well　with　us。　＇85＇　What；　then；
would　I　have　you　do？