euthydemus-第14章

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ant；　and　fell　to　praising　and　admiring　of　them。　　What　marvellous　dexterity　of　wit；　I　said；　enabled　you　to　acquire　this　great　perfection　in　such　a　short　time？　　There　is　much；　indeed；　to　admire　in　your　words；　Euthydemus　and　Dionysodorus；　but　there　is　nothing　that　I　admire　more　than　your　magnanimous　disregard　of　any　opinionwhether　of　the　many；　or　of　the　grave　and　reverend　seigniorsyou　regard　only　those　who　are　like　yourselves。　　And　I　do　verily　believe　that　there　are　few　who　are　like　you；　and　who　would　approve　of　such　arguments；　the　majority　of　mankind　are　so　ignorant　of　their　value；　that　they　would　be　more　ashamed　of　employing　them　in　the　refutation　of　others　than　of　being　refuted　by　them。　　I　must　further　express　my　approval　of　your　kind　and　public…spirited　denial　of　all　differences；　whether　of　good　and　evil；　white　or　black；　or　any　other；　the　result　of　which　is　that；　as　you　say；　every　mouth　is　sewn　up；　not　excepting　your　own；　which　graciously　follows　the　example　of　others；　and　thus　all　ground　of　offence　is　taken　away。　　But　what　appears　to　me　to　be　more　than　all　is；　that　this　art　and　invention　of　yours　has　been　so　admirably　contrived　by　you；　that　in　a　very　short　time　it　can　be　imparted　to　any　one。　　I　observed　that　Ctesippus　learned　to　imitate　you　in　no　time。　　Now　this　quickness　of　attainment　is　an　excellent　thing；　but　at　the　same　time　I　would　advise　you　not　to　have　any　more　public　entertainments；　there　is　a　danger　that　men　may　undervalue　an　art　which　they　have　so　easy　an　opportunity　of　acquiring；　the　exhibition　would　be　best　of　all；　if　the　discussion　were　confined　to　your　two　selves；　but　if　there　must　be　an　audience；　let　him　only　be　present　who　is　willing　to　pay　a　handsome　fee；you　should　be　careful　of　this；and　if　you　are　wise；　you　will　also　bid　your　disciples　discourse　with　no　man　but　you　and　themselves。　　For　only　what　is　rare　is　valuable；　and　'water；'　which；　as　Pindar　says；　is　the　'best　of　all　things；'　is　also　the　cheapest。　　And　now　I　have　only　to　request　that　you　will　receive　Cleinias　and　me　among　your　pupils。

Such　was　the　discussion；　Crito；　and　after　a　few　more　words　had　passed　between　us　we　went　away。　　I　hope　that　you　will　come　to　them　with　me；　since　they　say　that　they　are　able　to　teach　any　one　who　will　give　them　money；　no　age　or　want　of　capacity　is　an　impediment。　　And　I　must　repeat　one　thing　which　they　said；　for　your　especial　benefit；that　the　learning　of　their　art　did　not　at　all　interfere　with　the　business　of　money…making。

CRITO：　　Truly；　Socrates；　though　I　am　curious　and　ready　to　learn；　yet　I　fear　that　I　am　not　like…minded　with　Euthydemus；　but　one　of　the　other　sort；　who；　as　you　were　saying；　would　rather　be　refuted　by　such　arguments　than　use　them　in　refutation　of　others。　　And　though　I　may　appear　ridiculous　in　venturing　to　advise　you；　I　think　that　you　may　as　well　hear　what　was　said　to　me　by　a　man　of　very　considerable　pretensionshe　was　a　professor　of　legal　oratory　who　came　away　from　you　while　I　was　walking　up　and　down。　　'Crito；'　said　he　to　me；　'are　you　giving　no　attention　to　these　wise　men？'　　'No；　indeed；'　I　said　to　him；　'I　could　not　get　within　hearing　of　themthere　was　such　a　crowd。'　　'You　would　have　heard　something　worth　hearing　if　you　had。'　　'What　was　that？'　I　said。　　'You　would　have　heard　the　greatest　masters　of　the　art　of　rhetoric　discoursing。'　　'And　what　did　you　think　of　them？'　I　said。　　'What　did　I　think　of　them？'　he　said：'theirs　was　the　sort　of　discourse　which　anybody　might　hear　from　men　who　were　playing　the　fool；　and　making　much　ado　about　nothing。'　　That　was　the　expression　which　he　used。　　'Surely；'　I　said；　'philosophy　is　a　charming　thing。'　　'Charming！'　he　said；　'what　simplicity！　philosophy　is　nought；　and　I　think　that　if　you　had　been　present　you　would　have　been　ashamed　of　your　friendhis　conduct　was　so　very　strange　in　placing　himself　at　the　mercy　of　men　who　care　not　what　they　say；　and　fasten　upon　every　word。　　And　these；　as　I　was　telling　you；　are　supposed　to　be　the　most　eminent　professors　of　their　time。　　But　the　truth　is；　Crito；　that　the　study　itself　and　the　men　themselves　are　utterly　mean　and　ridiculous。'　　Now　censure　of　the　pursuit；　Socrates；　whether　coming　from　him　or　from　others；　appears　to　me　to　be　undeserved；　but　as　to　the　impropriety　of　holding　a　public　discussion　with　such　men；　there；　I　confess　that；　in　my　opinion；　he　was　in　the　right。

SOCRATES：　　O　Crito；　they　are　marvellous　men；　but　what　was　I　going　to　say？　　First　of　all　let　me　know；What　manner　of　man　was　he　who　came　up　to　you　and　censured　philosophy；　was　he　an　orator　who　himself　practises　in　the　courts；　or　an　instructor　of　orators；　who　makes　the　speeches　with　which　they　do　battle？

CRITO：　　He　was　certainly　not　an　orator；　and　I　doubt　whether　he　had　ever　been　into　court；　but　they　say　that　he　knows　the　business；　and　is　a　clever　man；　and　composes　wonderful　speeches。

SOCRATES：　　Now　I　understand；　Crito；　he　is　one　of　an　amphibious　class；　whom　I　was　on　the　point　of　mentioningone　of　those　whom　Prodicus　describes　as　on　the　border…ground　between　philosophers　and　statesmenthey　think　that　they　are　the　wisest　of　all　men；　and　that　they　are　generally　esteemed　the　wisest；　nothing　but　the　rivalry　of　the　philosophers　stands　in　their　way；　and　they　are　of　the　opinion　that　if　they　can　prove　the　philosophers　to　be　good　for　nothing；　no　one　will　dispute　their　title　to　the　palm　of　wisdom；　for　that　they　are　themselves　really　the　wisest；　although　they　are　apt　to　be　mauled　by　Euthydemus　and　his　friends；　when　they　get　hold　of　them　in　conversation。　　This　opinion　which　they　entertain　of　their　own　wisdom　is　very　natural；　for　they　have　a　certain　amount　of　philosophy；　and　a　certain　amount　of　political　wisdom；　there　is　reason　in　what　they　say；　for　they　argue　that　they　have　just　enough　of　both；　and　so　they　keep　out　of　the　way　of　all　risks　and　conflicts　and　reap　the　fruits　of　their　wisdom。

CRITO：　　What　do　you　say　of　them；　Socrates？　　There　is　certainly　something　specious　in　that　notion　of　theirs。

SOCRATES：　　Yes；　Crito；　there　is　more　speciousness　than　truth；　they　cannot　be　made　to　understand　the　nature　of　intermediates。　　For　all　persons　or　things；　which　are　intermediate　between　two　other　things；　and　participate　in　both　of　themif　one　of　these　two　things　is　good　and　the　other　evil；　are　better　than　the　one　and　worse　than　the　other；　but　if　they　are　in　a　mean　between　two　good　things　which　do　not　tend　to　the　same　end；　they　fall　short　of　either　of　their　component　elements　in　the　attainment　of　their　ends。　　Only　in　the　case　when　the　two　component　elements　which　do　not　tend　to　the　same　end　are　evil　is　the　participant　better　than　either。　　Now；　if　philosophy　and　political　action　are　both　good；　but　tend　to　different　ends；　and　they　participate　in　both；　and　are　in　a　mean　between　them；　then　they　are　talking　nonsense；　for　they　are　worse　than　either；　or；　if　the　one　be　good　and　the　other　evil；　they　are　better　than　the　one　and　worse　than　the　other；　only　on　the　supposition　that　they　are　both　evil　could　there　be　any　truth　in　what　they　say。　　I　do　not　think　that　they　will　admit　that　their　two　pursuits　are　either　wholly　or　partly　evil；　but　the　truth　is；　that　these　philosopher…　politicians　who　aim　at　both　fall　short　of　both　in　the　attainment　of　their　respective　ends；　and　are　really　third；　although　they　would　like　to　stand　first。　　There　is　no　need；　however；　to　be　angry　at　this　ambition　of　theirs　which　may　be　forgiven；　for　every　man　ought　to　be　loved　who　says　and　manfully　pursues　and　works　out　anything　which　is　at　all　like　wisdom：　　at　the　same　time　we　shall　do　well　to　see　them　as　they　really　are。

CRITO：　　I　have　often　told　you；　Socrates；　that　I　am　in　a　constant　difficulty　about　my　two　sons。　　What　am　I　to　do　with　them？　　There　is　no　hurry　about　the　younger　one；　who　is　only　a　child；　but　the　other；　Critobulus；　is　getting　on；　and　needs　some　one　who　will　improve　him。　　I　cannot　help　thinking；　when　I　hear　you　talk；　that　there　is　a　sort　of　madness　in　many　of　our　anxieties　about　our　children：in　the　first　place；　about　marrying　a　wife　of　good　family　to　be　the　mother　of　them；　and　then　about　heaping　up　money　for　them　and　yet　taking　no　care　about　their　education。　　But　then　again；　when　I　contemplate　any　of　those　who　pretend　to　educate　others；　I　am　amazed。　　To　me；　if　I　am　to　confess　the　truth；　they　all　seem　to　be　such　outrageous　beings