pericles-第6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！


as　tame　and　gentle　and　familiar　as　formerly　with　the　populace；　so　as
readily　to　yield　to　their　pleasures　and　to　comply　with　the　desires
of　the　multitude；　as　a　steersman　shifts　with　the　winds。　Quitting
that　loose；　remiss；　and；　in　some　cases；　licentious　court　of　the
popular　will；　he　turned　those　soft　and　flowery　modulations　to　the
austerity　of　aristocratical　and　regal　rule；　and　employing　this
uprightly　and　undeviatingly　for　the　country's　best　interests；　he　was
able　generally　to　lead　the　people　along；　with　their　own　wills　and
consents；　by　persuading　and　showing　them　what　was　to　be　done；　and
sometimes；　too；　urging　and　pressing　them　forward　extremely　against
their　will；　he　made　them；　whether　they　would　or　no；　yield　submission
to　what　was　for　their　advantage。　In　which；　to　say　the　truth；　he　did
but　like　a　skilful　physician；　who；　in　a　complicated　and　chronic
disease；　as　he　sees　occasion；　at　one　while　allows　his　patient　the
moderate　use　of　such　things　as　please　him；　at　another　while　gives
him　keen　pains　and　drug　to　work　the　cure。　For　there　arising　and
growing　up；　as　was　natural；　all　manner　of　distempered　feelings　among　a
people　which　had　so　vast　a　command　and　dominion；　he　alone；　as　a
great　master；　knowing　how　to　handle　and　deal　fitly　with　each　one　of
them；　and；　in　an　especial　manner；　making　that　use　of　hopes　and
fears；　as　his　two　chief　rudders；　with　the　one　to　check　the　career　of
their　confidence　at　any　time；　with　the　other　to　raise　them　up　and
cheer　them　when　under　any　discouragement；　plainly　showed　by　this；　that
rhetoric；　or　the　art　of　speaking；　is；　in　Plato's　language；　the
government　of　the　souls　of　men；　and　that　her　chief　business　is　to
address　the　affections　and　passions；　which　are　as　it　were　the
strings　and　keys　to　the　soul；　and　require　a　skilful　and　careful
touch　to　be　played　on　as　they　should　be。　The　source　of　this
predominance　was　not　barely　his　power　of　language；　but；　as
Thucydides　assures　us；　the　reputation　of　his　life；　and　the
confidence　felt　in　his　character；　his　manifest　freedom　from　every　kind
of　corruption；　and　superiority　to　all　considerations　of　money。
Notwithstanding　he　had　made　the　city　of　Athens；　which　was　great　of
itself；　as　great　and　rich　as　can　be　imagined；　and　though　he　were
himself　in　power　and　interest　more　than　equal　to　many　kings　and
absolute　rulers；　who　some　of　them　also　bequeathed　by　will　their
power　to　their　children；　he；　for　his　part；　did　not　make　the
patrimony　his　father　left　him　greater　than　it　was　by　one　drachma。
　　Thucydides；　indeed；　gives　a　plain　statement　of　the　greatness　of
his　power；　and　the　comic　poets；　in　their　spiteful　manner；　more　than
hint　at　it；　styling　his　companions　and　friends　the　new
Pisistratidae；　and　calling　on　him　to　abjure　any　intention　of
usurpation；　as　one　whose　eminence　was　too　great　to　be　any　longer
proportionable　to　and　compatible　with　a　democracy　or　popular
government。　And　Teleclides　says　the　Athenians　had　surrendered　up　to
him…

　　〃The　tribute　of　the　cities；　and　with　them；　the　cities　too；
　　　　　to　do　with　them　as　he　pleases；　and　undo；
　　　To　build　up；　if　he　likes；　stone　walls　around　a　town；　and　again；
　　　　　if　so　he　likes；　to　pull　them　down；
　　　Their　treaties　and　alliances；　power；　empire；　peace；　and　war；
　　　　　their　wealth　and　their　success　forever　more。〃

　　Nor　was　all　this　the　luck　of　some　happy　occasion；　nor　was　it　the
mere　bloom　and　grace　of　a　policy　that　flourished　for　a　season；　but
having　for　forty　years　together　maintained　the　first　place　among
statesmen　such　as　Ephialtes　and　Leocrates　and　Myronides　and　Cimon
and　Tolmides　and　Thucydides　were；　after　the　defeat　and　banishment　of
Thucydides；　for　no　less　than　fifteen　years　longer；　in　the　exercise
of　one　continuous　unintermitted　command　in　the　office；　to　which　he　was
annually　re…elected；　of　General；　he　preserved　his　integrity　unspotted；
though　otherwise　he　was　not　altogether　idle　or　careless　in　looking
after　his　pecuniary　advantage；　his　paternal　estate；　which　of　right
belonged　to　him；　he　so　ordered　that　it　might　neither　through
negligence　he　wasted　or　lessened；　nor　yet；　being　so　full　of　business
as　he　was；　cost　him　any　great　trouble　or　time　with　taking　care　of
it；　and　put　it　into　such　a　way　of　management　as　he　thought　to　be　the
most　easy　for　himself；　and　the　most　exact。　All　his　yearly　products　and
profits　he　sold　together　in　a　lump；　and　supplied　his　household　needs
afterwards　by　buying　everything　that　he　or　his　family　wanted　out　of
the　market。　Upon　which　account；　his　children；　when　they　grew　to　age；
were　not　well　pleased　with　his　management；　and　the　women　that　lived
with　him　were　treated　with　little　cost；　and　complained　of　his　way　of
housekeeping；　where　everything　was　ordered　and　set　down　from　day　to
day；　and　reduced　to　the　greatest　exactness；　since　there　was　not　there；
as　is　usual　in　a　great　family　and　a　plentiful　estate；　anything　to
spare；　or　over　and　above；　but　all　that　went　out　or　came　in；　all
disbursements　and　all　receipts；　proceeded　as　it　were　by　number　and
measure。　His　manager　in　all　this　was　a　single　servant；　Evangelus　by
name；　a　man　either　naturally　gifted　or　instructed　by　Pericles　so　as　to
excel　every　one　in　this　art　of　domestic　economy。
　　All　this；　in　truth；　was　very　little　in　harmony　with　Anaxagoras's
wisdom；　if；　indeed；　it　be　true　that　he；　by　a　kind　of　divine　impulse
and　greatness　of　spirit；　voluntarily　quitted　his　house；　and　left　his
land　to　lie　fallow　and　to　be　grazed　by　sheep　like　a　common。　But　the
life　of　a　contemplative　philosopher　and　that　of　an　active　statesman
are；　I　presume；　not　the　same　thing；　for　the　one　merely　employs；　upon
great　and　good　objects　of　thought；　an　intelligence　that　requires　no
aid　of　instruments　nor　supply　of　any　external　materials；　whereas　the
other；　who　tempers　and　applies　his　virtue　to　human　uses；　may　have
occasion　for　affluence；　not　as　a　matter　of　necessity；　but　as　a　noble
thing；　which　was　Pericles's　case；　who　relieved　numerous　poor　citizens。
　　However；　there　is　a　story　that　Anaxagoras　himself；　while　Pericles
was　taken　up　with　public　affairs；　lay　neglected；　and　that；　now　being
grown　old；　he　wrapped　himself　up　with　a　resolution　to　die　for　want
of　food；　which　being　by　chance　brought　to　Pericles's　ear；　he　was
horror…struck；　and　instantly　ran　thither；　and　used　all　the　arguments
and　entreaties　he　could　to　him；　lamenting　not　so　much　Anaxagoras's
condition　as　his　own；　should　he　lose　such　a　counsellor　as　he　had　found
him　to　be；　and　that；　upon　this；　Anaxagoras　unfolded　his　robe；　and
showing　himself；　made　answer：　〃Pericles；〃　said　he；　〃even　those　who
have　occasion　for　a　lamp　supply　it　with　oil。〃
　　The　Lacedaemonians　beginning　to　show　themselves　troubled　at　the
growth　of　the　Athenian　power；　Pericles；　on　the　other　hand；　to
elevate　the　people's　spirit　yet　more；　and　to　raise　them　to　the　thought
of　great　actions；　proposed　a　decree；　to　summon　all　the　Greeks　in　what；
part　soever；　whether　of　Europe　or　Asia；　every　city；　little　as　well
as　great；　to　send　their　deputies　to　Athens　to　a　general　assembly；　or
convention；　there　to　consult　and　advise　concerning　the　Greek　temples
which　the　barbarians　had　burnt　down；　and　the　sacrifices　which　were　due
from　them　upon　vows　they　had　made　to　their　gods　for　the　safety　of
Greece　when　they　fought　against　the　barbarians；　and　also　concerning
the　navigation　of　the　sea；　that　they　might　henceforward　pass　to　and
fro　and　trade　securely　and　be　at　peace　among　themselves。
　　Upon　this　errand　there　were　twenty　men；　of　such　as　were　above
fifty　years　of　age；　sent　by　commission；　five　to　summon　the　Ionians　and
Dorians　in　Asia；　and　the　islanders　as　far　as　Lesbos　and　Rhodes；　five
to　visit　all　the　places　in　the　Hellespont　and　Thrace；　up　to　Byzantium；
and　other　five　besides　these　to　go　to　Boeotia　and　Phocis　and
Peloponnesus；　and　from　hence　to　pass　through　the　Locrians　over　to
the　neighbouring　continent　as　far　as　Acarnania　and　Ambracia；　and　the
rest　to　take　their　course　through　Euboea　to　the　Oetaeans　and　the
Malian　Gulf；　and　to　the　Achaeans　of　Phthiotis　and　the　Thessalians；　all
of　them　to　treat　with　the　people　as　they　passed；　and　persuade　them
to　come　and　take　their　part　in　the　debates　for　settling　the　peace
and　jointly　regulating　the　affairs　of　Greece。
　　Nothing　was　effected；