cyropaedia-第67章

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truants　would　appear　at　once　crying　out　that　they　had　been　robbed。
＇18＇　But　somehow　for　many　days　Cyrus　could　never　find　leisure　to　hear
their　complaints；　and　when　he　did　listen　he　took　care　to　defer
judgment　for　many　more。　＇19＇　This　was　one　way　he　had　of　teaching　them
to　attend；　another　was　to　assign　the　lightest　and　most　profitable
tasks　to　those　who　were　punctual；　and　a　third　to　give　nothing　whatever
to　the　offenders。　＇20＇　But　the　most　effective　of　all；　for　those　who
paid　no　heed　to　gentler　measures；　was　to　deprive　the　truant　of　what　he
possessed　and　bestow　it　on　him　who　would　come　when　he　was　needed。　By
this　process　Cyrus　gave　up　a　useless　friend　and　gained　a　serviceable
one。　To　this　day　the　king　sends　for　and　seeks　out　those　who　do　not
present　themselves　when　they　should。

＇21＇　Such　was　his　method　with　the　truants；　with　those　who　came　forward
he　felt；　since　he　was　their　rightful　leader；　that　he　could　best　incite
them　to　noble　deeds　by　trying　to　show　that　he　himself　had　all　the
virtues　that　became　a　man。　＇22＇　He　believed　that　men　do　grow　better
through　written　laws；　and　he　held　that　the　good　ruler　is　a　living　law
with　eyes　that　see；　inasmuch　as　he　is　competent　to　guide　and　also　to
detect　the　sinner　and　chastise　him。　＇23＇　Thus　he　took　pains　to　show
that　he　was　the　more　assiduous　in　his　service　to　the　gods　the　higher
his　fortunes　rose。　It　was　at　this　time　that　the　Persian　priests；　the
Magians；　were　first　established　as　an　order；　and　always　at　break　of
day　Cyrus　chanted　a　hymn　and　sacrificed　to　such　of　the　gods　as　they
might　name。　＇24＇　And　the　ordinances　he　established　service　to　this　day
at　the　court　of　the　reigning　king。　These　were　the　first　matters　in
which　the　Persians　set　themselves　to　copy　their　prince；　feeling　their
own　fortune　would　be　the　higher　if　they　did　reverence　to　the　gods；
following　the　man　who　was　fortune's　favourite　and　their　own　monarch。
At　the　same　time；　no　doubt；　they　thought　they　would　please　Cyrus　by
this。　＇25＇　On　his　side　Cyrus　looked　on　the　piety　of　his　subjects　as　a
blessing　to　himself；　reckoning　as　they　do　who　prefer　to　sail　in　the
company　of　pious　men　rather　than　with　those　who　are　suspected　of
wicked　deeds；　and　he　reckoned　further　that　if　all　his　partners　were
god…fearing；　they　would　be　the　less　prone　to　crime　against　each　other
or　against　himself；　for　he　knew　he　was　the　benefactor　of　his　fellows。
＇26＇　And　by　showing　plainly　his　own　deep　desire　never　to　be　unfair　to
friend　or　fellow…combatant　or　ally；　but　always　to　fix　his　eyes　on
justice　and　rectitude；　he　believed　he　could　induce　others　to　keep　from
base　actions　and　walk　in　the　paths　of　righteousness。　＇27＇　And　he　would
bring　more　modesty；　he　hoped；　into　the　hearts　of　all　men　if　it　were
plain　that　he　himself　reverenced　all　the　world　and　would　never　say　a
shameful　word　to　any　man　or　woman　or　do　a　shameful　deed。　＇28＇　He
looked　for　this　because　he　saw　that；　apart　from　kings　and　governors
who　may　be　supposed　to　inspire　fear；　men　will　reverence　the　modest　and
not　the　shameless；　and　modesty　in　women　will　inspire　modesty　in　the
men　who　behold　them。　＇29＇　And　his　people；　he　thought；　would　learn　to
obey　if　it　were　plain　that　he　honoured　frank　and　prompt　obedience　even
above　virtues　that　made　a　grander　show　and　were　harder　to　attain。　＇30＇
Such　was　his　belief；　and　his　practice　went　with　it　to　the　end。　His　own
temperance　and　the　knowledge　of　it　made　others　more　temperate。　When
they　saw　moderation　and　self…control　in　the　man　who　above　all　others
had　licence　to　be　insolent；　lesser　men　were　the　more　ready　to　abjure
all　insolence　of　their　own。　＇31＇　But　there　was　this　difference；　Cyrus
held；　between　modesty　and　self…control：　the　modest　man　will　do　nothing
shameful　in　the　light　of　day；　but　the　man　of　self…control　nothing
base；　not　even　in　secret。　＇32＇　Self…restrain；　he　believed；　would　best
be　cultivated　if　he　made　men　see　in　himself　one　who　could　not　be
dragged　from　the　pursuit　of　virtue　by　the　pleasure　of　the　moment；　one
who　chose　to　toil　first　for　the　happy…hearted　joys　that　go　hand…in…
hand　with　beauty　and　nobleness。　＇33＇　Thus；　being　the　man　he　was；　he
established　at　his　gates　a　stately　company；　where　the　lower　gave　place
to　the　higher；　and　they　in　their　turn　showed　reverence　to　each　other；
and　courtesy；　and　perfect　harmony。　Among　them　all　there　was　never　a
cry　of　anger　to　be　heard；　nor　a　burst　of　insolent　laughter；　to　look　at
them　was　to　know　that　they　lived　for　honour　and　loveliness。

＇34＇　Such　was　the　life　at　the　palace…gates；　and　to　practise　his　nobles
in　martial　exercises　he　would　lead　them　out　to　the　hunt　whenever　he
thought　it　well；　holding　the　chase　to　be　the　best　training　for　war　and
the　surest　way　to　excellence　in　horsemanship。　＇35＇　A　man　learns　to
keep　his　seat；　no　matter　what　the　ground　may　be；　as　he　follows　the
flying　quarry；　learns　to　hurl　and　strike　on　horseback　in　his　eagerness
to　bring　down　the　game　and　win　applause。　＇36＇　And　here；　above　all；　was
the　field　in　which　to　inure　his　colleagues　to　toil　and　hardship　and
cold　and　heat　and　hunger　and　thirst。　Thus　to　this　day　the　Persian
monarch　and　his　court　spend　their　leisure　in　the　chase。　＇37＇　From　all
that　has　been　said；　it　is　clear　Cyrus　was　convinced　that　no　one　has　a
right　to　rule　who　is　not　superior　to　his　subjects；　and　he　held　that　by
imposing　such　exercises　as　these　on　those　about　him；　he　would　lead
them　to　self…control　and　bring　to　perfection　the　art　and　discipline　of
war。　＇38＇　Accordingly　he　would　put　himself　at　the　head　of　the　hunting…
parties　and　take　them　out　himself　unless　he　was　bound　to　stay　at　home；
and；　if　he　was；　he　would　hunt　in　his　parks　among　the　wild　creatures　he
had　reared。　He　would　never　touch　the　evening　meal　himself　until　he　had
sweated　for　it；　nor　give　his　horses　their　corn　until　they　had　been
exercised；　and　he　would　invite　his　own　mace…bearers　to　join　him　in　the
chase。　＇39＇　Therefore　he　excelled　in　all　knightly　accomplishments；　he
and　those　about　him；　because　of　their　constant　practice。　Such　was　the
example　he　set　before　his　friends。　But　he　also　kept　his　eye　on　others；
and　would　single　out　those　who　worshipped　noble　deeds；　and　reward　them
with　gifts；　and　high　commands；　and　seats　at　festivals；　and　every　kind
of　honour。　And　thus　their　hearts　were　filled　with　ambition；　and　every
man　longed　to　outdo　his　fellows　in　the　eyes　of　Cyrus。

＇40＇　But　we　seem　to　learn　also　that　Cyrus　thought　it　necessary　for　the
ruler　not　only　to　surpass　his　subjects　by　his　own　native　worth；　but
also　to　charm　them　through　deception　and　artifice。　At　any　rate　he
adopted　the　Median　dress；　and　persuaded　his　comrades　to　do　likewise；
he　thought　it　concealed　any　bodily　defect；　enhancing　the　beauty　and
stature　of　the　wearer。　＇41＇　The　shoe；　for　instance；　was　so　devised
that　a　sole　could　be　added　without　notice；　and　the　man　would　seem
taller　than　he　really　was。　So　also　Cyrus　encouraged　the　use　of
ointments　to　make　the　eyes　more　brilliant　and　pigments　to　make　the
skin　look　fairer。　＇42＇　And　he　trained　his　courtiers　never　to　spit　or
blow　the　nose　in　public　or　turn　aside　to　stare　at　anything；　they　were
to　keep　the　stately　air　of　persons　whom　nothing　can　surprise。　These
were　all　means　to　one　end；　to　make　it　impossible　for　the　subjects　to
despise　their　rulers。

＇43＇　Thus　he　moulded　the　men　he　considered　worthy　of　command　by　his
own　example；　by　the　training　he　gave　them；　and　by　the　dignity　of　his
own　leadership。　But　the　treatment　of　those　he　prepared　for　slavery　was
widely　different。　Not　one　of　them　would　he　incite　to　any　noble　toil；
he　would　not　even　let　them　carry　arms；　and　he　was　careful　that　they
should　never　lack　food　or　drink　in　any　manly　sort。　＇44＇　When　the
beaters　drove　the　wild　creatures　into　the　plain　he　would　allow　food　to
be　brought　for　the　servants；　but　not　for　the　free　men；　on　a　march　he
would　lead　the　slaves　to　the　water…springs　as　he　led　the　beasts　of
burden。　Or　when　it　was　the　hour　of　breakfast　he　would　wait　himself
till　they　had　taken　a　snatch　of　food　and　stayed　their　wolfish　hunger；
and　the　end　of　it　was　they　called　him　their　father　even　as　the　nobles
did；　because　he　cared　for　them；　but　the　object　of　his　care　was　to　keep
them　slaves　for　ever。

＇45＇　Thus　he　secured　the　safety　of　the　Persi