the seventh letter-第5节

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！


mature　years；　who　have　children　and　wives　at　home；　and；　as　far　as


possible；　a　long　line　of　ancestors　of　good　repute；　and　all　must　be


possessed　of　sufficient　property。　For　a　city　of　ten　thousand


householders　their　numbers　should　be　fifty；　that　is　enough。　These　they


must　induce　to　come　from　their　own　homes　by　entreaties　and　the　promise


of　the　highest　honours；　and　having　induced　them　to　come　they　must


entreat　and　command　them　to　draw　up　laws　after　binding　themselves　by


oath　to　show　no　partiality　either　to　conquerors　or　to　conquered；　but


to　give　equal　and　common　rights　to　the　whole　State。


　　When　laws　have　been　enacted；　what　everything　then　hinges　on　is　this。


If　the　conquerors　show　more　obedience　to　the　laws　than　the


conquered；　the　whole　State　will　be　full　of　security　and　happiness；　and


there　will　be　an　escape　from　all　your　troubles。　But　if　they　do　not；


then　do　not　summon　me　or　any　other　helper　to　aid　you　against　those　who


do　not　obey　the　counsel　I　now　give　you。　For　this　course　is　akin　to


that　which　Dion　and　I　attempted　to　carry　out　with　our　hearts　set　on


the　welfare　of　Syracuse。　It　is　indeed　a　second　best　course。　The


first　and　best　was　that　scheme　of　welfare　to　all　mankind　which　we


attempted　to　carry　out　with　the　co…operation　of　Dionysios；　but　some


chance；　mightier　than　men；　brought　it　to　nothing。　Do　you　now；　with


good　fortune　attending　you　and　with　Heaven's　help；　try　to　bring　your


efforts　to　a　happier　issue。


　　Let　this　be　the　end　of　my　advice　and　injunction　and　of　the　narrative


of　my　first　visit　to　Dionysios。　Whoever　wishes　may　next　hear　of　my


second　journey　and　voyage；　and　learn　that　it　was　a　reasonable　and


suitable　proceeding。　My　first　period　of　residence　in　Sicily　was


occupied　in　the　way　which　I　related　before　giving　my　advice　to　the


relatives　and　friends　of　Dion。　After　those　events　I　persuaded


Dionysios　by　such　arguments　as　I　could　to　let　me　go；　and　we　made　an


agreement　as　to　what　should　be　done　when　peace　was　made；　for　at　that


time　there　was　a　state　of　war　in　Sicily。　Dionysios　said　that；　when


he　had　put　the　affairs　of　his　empire　in　a　position　of　greater　safety


for　himself；　he　would　send　for　Dion　and　me　again；　and　he　desired


that　Dion　should　regard　what　had　befallen　him　not　as　an　exile；　but


as　a　change　of　residence。　I　agreed　to　come　again　on　these　conditions。


　　When　peace　had　been　made；　he　began　sending　for　me；　he　requested　that


Dion　should　wait　for　another　year；　but　begged　that　I　should　by　all


means　come。　Dion　now　kept　urging　and　entreating　me　to　go。　For


persistent　rumours　came　from　Sicily　that　Dionysios　was　now　once　more


possessed　by　an　extraordinary　desire　for　philosophy。　For　this　reason


Dion　pressed　me　urgently　not　to　decline　his　invitation。　But　though　I


was　well　aware　that　as　regards　philosophy　such　symptoms　were　not


uncommon　in　young　men；　still　it　seemed　to　me　safer　at　that　time　to


part　company　altogether　with　Dion　and　Dionysios；　and　I　offended　both


of　them　by　replying　that　I　was　an　old　man；　and　that　the　steps　now


being　taken　were　quite　at　variance　with　the　previous　agreement。


　　After　this；　it　seems；　Archytes　came　to　the　court　of　Dionysios。


Before　my　departure　I　had　brought　him　and　his　Tarentine　circle　into


friendly　relations　with　Dionysios。　There　were　some　others　in


Syracuse　who　had　received　some　instruction　from　Dion；　and　others　had


learnt　from　these；　getting　their　heads　full　of　erroneous　teaching　on


philosophical　questions。　These；　it　seems；　were　attempting　to　hold


discussions　with　Dionysios　on　questions　connected　with　such


subjects；　in　the　idea　that　he　had　been　fully　instructed　in　my　views。


Now　is　not　at　all　devoid　of　natural　gifts　for　learning；　and　he　has　a


great　craving　for　honour　and　glory。　What　was　said　probably　pleased


him；　and　he　felt　some　shame　when　it　became　clear　that　he　had　not　taken


advantage　of　my　teaching　during　my　visit。　For　these　reasons　he


conceived　a　desire　for　more　definite　instruction；　and　his　love　of


glory　was　an　additional　incentive　to　him。　The　real　reasons　why　he


had　learnt　nothing　during　my　previous　visit　have　just　been　set　forth


in　the　preceding　narrative。　Accordingly；　now　that　I　was　safe　at　home


and　had　refused　his　second　invitation；　as　I　just　now　related；


Dionysios　seems　to　have　felt　all　manner　of　anxiety　lest　certain　people


should　suppose　that　I　was　unwilling　to　visit　him　again　because　I　had


formed　a　poor　opinion　of　his　natural　gifts　and　character；　and　because；


knowing　as　I　did　his　manner　of　life；　I　disapproved　of　it。


　　It　is　right　for　me　to　speak　the　truth；　and　make　no　complaint　if


anyone；　after　hearing　the　facts；　forms　a　poor　opinion　of　my


philosophy；　and　thinks　that　the　tyrant　was　in　the　right。　Dionysios　now


invited　me　for　the　third　time；　sending　a　trireme　to　ensure　me


comfort　on　the　voyage；　he　sent　also　Archedemos…one　of　those　who　had


spent　some　time　with　Archytes；　and　of　whom　he　supposed　that　I　had　a


higher　opinion　than　of　any　of　the　Sicilian　Greeks…and；　with　him；　other


men　of　repute　in　Sicily。　These　all　brought　the　same　report；　that


Dionysios　had　made　progress　in　philosophy。　He　also　sent　a　very　long


letter；　knowing　as　he　did　my　relations　with　Dion　and　Dion's


eagerness　also　that　I　should　take　ship　and　go　to　Syracuse。　The


letter　was　framed　in　its　opening　sentences　to　meet　all　these


conditions；　and　the　tenor　of　it　was　as　follows：　〃Dionysios　to


Plato；〃　here　followed　the　customary　greeting　and　immediately　after


it　he　said；　〃If　in　compliance　with　our　request　you　come　now；　in　the


first　place；　Dion's　affairs　will　be　dealt　with　in　whatever　way　you


yourself　desire；　I　know　that　you　will　desire　what　is　reasonable；　and　I


shall　consent　to　it。　But　if　not；　none　of　Dion's　affairs　will　have


results　in　accordance　with　your　wishes；　with　regard　either　to　Dion


himself　or　to　other　matters。〃　This　he　said　in　these　words；　the　rest　it


would　be　tedious　and　inopportune　to　quote。　Other　letters　arrived


from　Archytes　and　the　Tarentines；　praising　the　philosophical　studies


of　Dionysios　and　saying　that；　if　I　did　not　now　come；　I　should　cause


a　complete　rupture　in　their　friendship　with　Dionysios；　which　had


been　brought　about　by　me　and　was　of　no　small　importance　to　their


political　interests。


　　When　this　invitation　came　to　me　at　that　time　in　such　terms；　and


those　who　had　come　from　Sicily　and　Italy　were　trying　to　drag　me


thither；　while　my　friends　at　Athens　were　literally　pushing　me　out　with


their　urgent　entreaties；　it　was　the　same　old　tale…that　I　must　not


betray　Dion　and　my　Tarentine　friends　and　supporters。　Also　I　myself　had


a　lurking　feeling　that　there　was　nothing　surprising　in　the　fact　that　a


young　man；　quick　to　learn；　hearing　talk　of　the　great　truths　of


philosophy；　should　feel　a　craving　for　the　higher　life。　I　thought


therefore　that　I　must　put　the　matter　definitely　to　the　test　to　see


whether　his　desire　was　genuine　or　the　reverse；　and　on　no　account　leave


such　an　impulse　unaided　nor　make　myself　responsible　for　such　a　deep


and　real　disgrace；　if　the　reports　brought　by　anyone　were　really


true。　So　blindfolding　myself　with　this　reflection；　I　set　out；　with


many　fears　and　with　no　very　favourable　anticipations；　as　was　natural


enough。　However；　I　went；　and　my　action　on　this　occasion　at　any　rate


was　really　a　case　of　〃the　third　to　the　Preserver；〃　for　I　had　the


good　fortune　to　return　safely；　and　for　this　I　must；　next　to　the　God；


thank　Dionysios；　because；　though　many　wished　to　make　an　end　of　me；


he　prevented　them　and　paid　some　proper　respect　to　my　situation。


　　On　my　arrival；　I　thought　that　first　I　must　put　to　the　test　the


question　whether　Dionysios　had　really　been　kindled　with　the　fire　of


philosophy；　or　whether　all　the　reports　which　had　come　to　Athens　were


empty　rumours。　Now　there　is　a　way　of　putting　such　things　to　the　test


which　is　not　to　be　despised　and　is　well　suited　to　monarchs；　especially


to　those　who　have　got　their　heads　full　of　erroneous　teaching；　which


immediately　my　arrival　I　found　to　be　very　much　the　case　with


Dionysios。　One　should　show　such　men　what　philosophy　is　in　all　its


extent；　what　their　range　of　studies　is　by　which　it　is　approached；


and　how　much　labour　it　involves。　For　the　man　who　has　heard　this；　if　he


has　the　true　philosophic　spirit　and　that　godlike　temperament　which


makes　him　a　kin　to　philosophy　and　worthy　of　it；　thinks　that　he　has


been　told　of　a　marvellous　road　lying　before　him；　that　he　must


forthwith　press　on　with　all　his　strength；　and　that　life　is　not　worth


living　if　he　does　anything　else。　After　this　he　uses　to　the　full　his


own　powers　and　those　of　his　guide　in　the　path；　and　relaxes　not　his


efforts；　till　he　has　either　reached　the　end　of　the　whole　course　of


study　or　gained　such　power　that　he　is　not　incapable　of　directing　his


steps　without　the　aid　of　a　guide。　This　is　the　spirit　and　these　are　the


thoughts　by　which　such　a　man　guides　his　life；　carrying　out　his　work；


whatever　his　occupation　may　be；　but　throughout　it　all　ever　cleaving　to


philosophy　and　to　such　rules　of　diet　in　his　daily　life　as　will　give


him　inward　sobriety　and　therewith　qui