the seventh letter-第3节

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give　him　other　advice。　But　if　he　is　not　willing；　I　shall　consider


one　who　declines　to　advise　such　a　patient　to　be　a　man　and　a　physician；


and　one　who　gives　in　to　him　to　be　unmanly　and　unprofessional。　In　the


same　way　with　regard　to　a　State；　whether　it　be　under　a　single　ruler　or


more　than　one；　if；　while　the　government　is　being　carried　on


methodically　and　in　a　right　course；　it　asks　advice　about　any　details


of　policy；　it　is　the　part　of　a　wise　man　to　advise　such　people。　But


when　men　are　travelling　altogether　outside　the　path　of　right


government　and　flatly　refuse　to　move　in　the　right　path；　and　start　by


giving　notice　to　their　adviser　that　he　must　leave　the　government　alone


and　make　no　change　in　it　under　penalty　of　death…if　such　men　should


order　their　counsellors　to　pander　to　their　wishes　and　desires　and　to


advise　them　in　what　way　their　object　may　most　readily　and　easily　be


once　for　all　accomplished；　I　should　consider　as　unmanly　one　who


accepts　the　duty　of　giving　such　forms　of　advice；　and　one　who　refuses


it　to　be　a　true　man。


　　Holding　these　views；　whenever　anyone　consults　me　about　any　of　the


weightiest　matters　affecting　his　own　life；　as；　for　instance；　the


acquisition　of　property　or　the　proper　treatment　of　body　or　mind；　if　it


seems　to　me　that　his　daily　life　rests　on　any　system；　or　if　he　seems


likely　to　listen　to　advice　about　the　things　on　which　he　consults　me；　I


advise　him　with　readiness；　and　do　not　content　myself　with　giving　him　a


merely　perfunctory　answer。　But　if　a　man　does　not　consult　me　at　all；　or


evidently　does　not　intend　to　follow　my　advice；　I　do　not　take　the


initiative　in　advising　such　a　man；　and　will　not　use　compulsion　to　him；


even　if　he　be　my　own　son。　I　would　advise　a　slave　under　such


circumstances；　and　would　use　compulsion　to　him　if　he　were　unwilling。


To　a　father　or　mother　I　do　not　think　that　piety　allows　one　to　offer


compulsion；　unless　they　are　suffering　from　an　attack　of　insanity；


and　if　they　are　following　any　regular　habits　of　life　which　please　them


but　do　not　please　me；　I　would　not　offend　them　by　offering　useless；


advice；　nor　would　I　flatter　them　or　truckle　to　them；　providing　them


with　the　means　of　satisfying　desires　which　I　myself　would　sooner　die


than　cherish。　The　wise　man　should　go　through　life　with　the　same


attitude　of　mind　towards　his　country。　If　she　should　appear　to　him　to


be　following　a　policy　which　is　not　a　good　one；　he　should　say　so；


provided　that　his　words　are　not　likely　either　to　fall　on　deaf　ears


or　to　lead　to　the　loss　of　his　own　life。　But　force　against　his　native


land　he　should　not　use　in　order　to　bring　about　a　change　of


constitution；　when　it　is　not　possible　for　the　best　constitution　to


be　introduced　without　driving　men　into　exile　or　putting　them　to　death；


he　should　keep　quiet　and　offer　up　prayers　for　his　own　welfare　and


for　that　of　his　country。


　　These　are　the　principles　in　accordance　with　which　I　should　advise


you；　as　also；　jointly　with　Dion；　I　advised　Dionysios；　bidding　him　in


the　first　place　to　live　his　daily　life　in　a　way　that　would　make　him　as


far　as　possible　master　of　himself　and　able　to　gain　faithful　friends


and　supporters；　in　order　that　he　might　not　have　the　same　experience　as


his　father。　For　his　father；　having　taken　under　his　rule　many　great


cities　of　Sicily　which　had　been　utterly　destroyed　by　the　barbarians；


was　not　able　to　found　them　afresh　and　to　establish　in　them　trustworthy


governments　carried　on　by　his　own　supporters；　either　by　men　who　had　no


ties　of　blood　with　him；　or　by　his　brothers　whom　he　had　brought　up　when


they　were　younger；　and　had　raised　from　humble　station　to　high　office


and　from　poverty　to　immense　wealth。　Not　one　of　these　was　he　able　to


work　upon　by　persuasion；　instruction；　services　and　ties　of　kindred；　so


as　to　make　him　a　partner　in　his　rule；　and　he　showed　himself　inferior


to　Darius　with　a　sevenfold　inferiority。　For　Darius　did　not　put　his


trust　in　brothers　or　in　men　whom　he　had　brought　up；　but　only　in　his


confederates　in　the　overthrow　of　the　Mede　and　Eunuch；　and　to　these


he　assigned　portions　of　his　empire；　seven　in　number；　each　of　them


greater　than　all　Sicily；　and　they　were　faithful　to　him　and　did　not


attack　either　him　or　one　another。　Thus　he　showed　a　pattern　of　what　the


good　lawgiver　and　king　ought　to　be；　for　he　drew　up　laws　by　which　he


has　secured　the　Persian　empire　in　safety　down　to　the　present　time。


　　Again；　to　give　another　instance；　the　Athenians　took　under　their　rule


very　many　cities　not　founded　by　themselves；　which　had　been　hard　hit　by


the　barbarians　but　were　still　in　existence；　and　maintained　their


rule　over　these　for　seventy　years；　because　they　had　in　each　them　men


whom　they　could　trust。　But　Dionysios；　who　had　gathered　the　whole　of


Sicily　into　a　single　city；　and　was　so　clever　that　he　trusted　no　one；


only　secured　his　own　safety　with　great　difficulty。　For　he　was　badly


off　for　trustworthy　friends；　and　there　is　no　surer　criterion　of　virtue


and　vice　than　this；　whether　a　man　is　or　is　not　destitute　of　such


friends。


　　This；　then；　was　the　advice　which　Dion　and　I　gave　to　Dionysios；


since；　owing　to　bringing　up　which　he　had　received　from　his　father；


he　had　had　no　advantages　in　the　way　of　education　or　of　suitable


lessons；　in　the　first　place。。。；　and；　in　the　second　place；　that；


after　starting　in　this　way；　he　should　make　friends　of　others　among　his


connections　who　were　of　the　same　age　and　were　in　sympathy　with　his


pursuit　of　virtue；　but　above　all　that　he　should　be　in　harmony　with


himself；　for　this　it　was　of　which　he　was　remarkably　in　need。　This　we


did　not　say　in　plain　words；　for　that　would　not　have　been　safe；　but


in　covert　language　we　maintained　that　every　man　in　this　way　would　save


both　himself　and　those　whom　he　was　leading；　and　if　he　did　not　follow


this　path；　he　would　do　just　the　opposite　of　this。　And　after　proceeding


on　the　course　which　we　described；　and　making　himself　a　wise　and


temperate　man；　if　he　were　then　to　found　again　the　cities　of　Sicily


which　had　been　laid　waste；　and　bind　them　together　by　laws　and


constitutions；　so　as　to　be　loyal　to　him　and　to　one　another　in　their


resistance　to　the　attacks　of　the　barbarians；　he　would；　we　told　him；


make　his　father's　empire　not　merely　double　what　it　was　but　many


times　greater。　For；　if　these　things　were　done；　his　way　would　be


clear　to　a　more　complete　subjugation　of　the　Carthaginians　than　that


which　befell　them　in　Gelon's　time；　whereas　in　our　own　day　his　father


had　followed　the　opposite　course　of　levying　attribute　for　the


barbarians。　This　was　the　language　and　these　the　exhortations　given


by　us；　the　conspirators　against　Dionysios　according　to　the　charges


circulated　from　various　sources…charges　which；　prevailing　as　they


did　with　Dionysios；　caused　the　expulsion　of　Dion　and　reduced　me　to　a


state　of　apprehension。　But　when…to　summarise　great　events　which


happened　in　no　great　time…Dion　returned　from　the　Peloponnese　and


Athens；　his　advice　to　Dionysios　took　the　form　of　action。


　　To　proceed…when　Dion　had　twice　over　delivered　the　city　and


restored　it　to　the　citizens；　the　Syracusans　went　through　the　same


changes　of　feeling　towards　him　as　Dionysios　had　gone　through；　when


Dion　attempted　first　to　educate　him　and　train　him　to　be　a　sovereign


worthy　of　supreme　power　and；　when　that　was　done；　to　be　his　coadjutor


in　all　the　details　of　his　career。　Dionysios　listened　to　those　who


circulated　slanders　to　the　effect　that　Dion　was　aiming　at　the


tyranny　in　all　the　steps　which　he　took　at　that　time　his　intention


being　that　Dionysios；　when　his　mind　had　fallen　under　the　spell　of


culture；　should　neglect　the　government　and　leave　it　in　his　hands；


and　that　he　should　then　appropriate　it　for　himself　and　treacherously


depose　Dionysios。　These　slanders　were　victorious　on　that　occasion；


they　were　so　once　more　when　circulated　among　the　Syracusans；　winning　a


victory　which　took　an　extraordinary　course　and　proved　disgraceful　to


its　authors。　The　story　of　what　then　took　place　is　one　which　deserves


careful　attention　on　the　part　of　those　who　are　inviting　me　to　deal


with　the　present　situation。


　　I；　an　Athenian　and　friend　of　Dion；　came　as　his　ally　to　the　court


of　Dionysios；　in　order　that　I　might　create　good　will　in　place　of　a


state　war；　in　my　conflict　with　the　authors　of　these　slanders　I　was


worsted。　When　Dionysios　tried　to　persuade　me　by　offers　of　honours


and　wealth　to　attach　myself　to　him；　and　with　a　view　to　giving　a　decent


colour　to　Dion's　expulsion　a　witness　and　friend　on　his　side；　he　failed


completely　in　his　attempt。　Later　on；　when　Dion　returned　from　exile；　he


took　with　him　from　Athens　two　brothers；　who　had　been　his　friends；


not　from　community　in　philosophic　study；　but　with　the　ordinary


companionship　common　among　most　friends；　which　they　form　as　the　result


of　relations　of　hospitality　and　the　intercourse　which　occurs　when


one　man　initiates　the　other　in　the　mysteries。　It　was　from　this　kind　of


intercourse　and　from　services　connected　with　his　return　that　these　two


helpers　in　his　restoration　became　his　companions。　Hav