the seventh letter-第7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！


Therefore；　if　men　are　not　by　nature　kinship　allied　to　justice　and


all　other　things　that　are　honourable；　though　they　may　be　good　at


learning　and　remembering　other　knowledge　of　various　kinds…or　if　they


have　the　kinship　but　are　slow　learners　and　have　no　memory…none　of


all　these　will　ever　learn　to　the　full　the　truth　about　virtue　and　vice。


For　both　must　be　learnt　together；　and　together　also　must　be　learnt；　by


complete　and　long　continued　study；　as　I　said　at　the　beginning；　the


true　and　the　false　about　all　that　has　real　being。　After　much　effort；


as　names；　definitions；　sights；　and　other　data　of　sense；　are　brought


into　contact　and　friction　one　with　another；　in　the　course　of


scrutiny　and　kindly　testing　by　men　who　proceed　by　question　and


answer　without　ill　will；　with　a　sudden　flash　there　shines　forth


understanding　about　every　problem；　and　an　intelligence　whose　efforts


reach　the　furthest　limits　of　human　powers。　Therefore　every　man　of


worth；　when　dealing　with　matters　of　worth；　will　be　far　from　exposing


them　to　ill　feeling　and　misunderstanding　among　men　by　committing


them　to　writing。　In　one　word；　then；　it　may　be　known　from　this　that；　if


one　sees　written　treatises　composed　by　anyone；　either　the　laws　of　a


lawgiver；　or　in　any　other　form　whatever；　these　are　not　for　that　man


the　things　of　most　worth；　if　he　is　a　man　of　worth；　but　that　his


treasures　are　laid　up　in　the　fairest　spot　that　he　possesses。　But　if


these　things　were　worked　at　by　him　as　things　of　real　worth；　and


committed　to　writing；　then　surely；　not　gods；　but　men　〃have


themselves　bereft　him　of　his　wits。〃


　　Anyone　who　has　followed　this　discourse　and　digression　will　know　well


that；　if　Dionysios　or　anyone　else；　great　or　small；　has　written　a


treatise　on　the　highest　matters　and　the　first　principles　of　things；　he


has；　so　I　say；　neither　heard　nor　learnt　any　sound　teaching　about　the


subject　of　his　treatise；　otherwise；　he　would　have　had　the　same


reverence　for　it；　which　I　have；　and　would　have　shrunk　from　putting


it　forth　into　a　world　of　discord　and　uncomeliness。　For　he　wrote　it；


not　as　an　aid　to　memory…since　there　is　no　risk　of　forgetting　it；　if


a　man's　soul　has　once　laid　hold　of　it；　for　it　is　expressed　in　the


shortest　of　statements…but　if　he　wrote　it　at　all；　it　was　from　a　mean


craving　for　honour；　either　putting　it　forth　as　his　own　invention；　or


to　figure　as　a　man　possessed　of　culture；　of　which　he　was　not　worthy；


if　his　heart　was　set　on　the　credit　of　possessing　it。　If　then　Dionysios


gained　this　culture　from　the　one　lesson　which　he　had　from　me；　we　may


perhaps　grant　him　the　possession　of　it；　though　how　he　acquired


it…God　wot；　as　the　Theban　says；　for　I　gave　him　the　teaching；　which　I


have　described；　on　that　one　occasion　and　never　again。


　　The　next　point　which　requires　to　be　made　clear　to　anyone　who


wishes　to　discover　how　things　really　happened；　is　the　reason　why　it


came　about　that　I　did　not　continue　my　teaching　in　a　second　and　third


lesson　and　yet　oftener。　Does　Dionysios；　after　a　single　lesson；　believe


himself　to　know　the　matter；　and　has　he　an　adequate　knowledge　of　it；


either　as　having　discovered　it　for　himself　or　learnt　it　before　from


others；　or　does　he　believe　my　teaching　to　be　worthless；　or；　thirdly；


to　be　beyond　his　range　and　too　great　for　him；　and　himself　to　be　really


unable　to　live　as　one　who　gives　his　mind　to　wisdom　and　virtue？　For


if　he　thinks　it　worthless；　he　will　have　to　contend　with　many　who　say


the　opposite；　and　who　would　be　held　in　far　higher　repute　as　judges


than　Dionysios；　if　on　the　other　hand；　he　thinks　he　has　discovered　or


learnt　the　things　and　that　they　are　worth　having　as　part　of　a


liberal　education；　how　could　he；　unless　he　is　an　extraordinary　person；


have　so　recklessly　dishonoured　the　master　who　has　led　the　way　in　these


subjects？　How　he　dishonoured　him；　I　will　now　state。


　　Up　to　this　time　he　had　allowed　Dion　to　remain　in　possession　of　his


property　and　to　receive　the　income　from　it。　But　not　long　after　the


foregoing　events；　as　if　he　had　entirely　forgotten　his　letter　to　that


effect；　he　no　longer　allowed　Dion's　trustees　to　send　him　remittances


to　the　Peloponnese；　on　the　pretence　that　the　owner　of　the　property　was


not　Dion　but　Dion's　son；　his　own　nephew；　of　whom　he　himself　was


legally　the　trustee。　These　were　the　actual　facts　which　occurred　up


to　the　point　which　we　have　reached。　They　had　opened　my　eyes　as　to


the　value　of　Dionysios'　desire　for　philosophy；　and　I　had　every　right


to　complain；　whether　I　wished　to　do　so　or　not。　Now　by　this　time　it　was


summer　and　the　season　for　sea　voyages；　therefore　I　decided　that　I　must


not　be　vexed　with　Dionysios　rather　than　with　myself　and　those　who


had　forced　me　to　come　for　the　third　time　into　the　strait　of　Scylla；





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　that　once　again　I　might


　　　　　　　　　To　fell　Charybdis　measure　back　my　course；





but　must　tell　Dionysios　that　it　was　impossible　for　me　to　remain


after　this　outrage　had　been　put　upon　Dion。　He　tried　to　soothe　me　and


begged　me　to　remain；　not　thinking　it　desirable　for　himself　that　I


should　arrive　post　haste　in　person　as　the　bearer　of　such　tidings。　When


his　entreaties　produced　no　effect；　he　promised　that　he　himself　would


provide　me　with　transport。　For　my　intention　was　to　embark　on　one　of


the　trading　ships　and　sail　away；　being　indignant　and　thinking　it　my


duty　to　face　all　dangers；　in　case　I　was　prevented　from　going…since


plainly　and　obviously　I　was　doing　no　wrong；　but　was　the　party　wronged。


　　Seeing　me　not　at　all　inclined　to　stay；　he　devised　the　following


scheme　to　make　me　stay　during　that　sading　season。　On　the　next　day　he


came　to　me　and　made　a　plausible　proposal：　〃Let　us　put　an　end；〃　he


said；　〃to　these　constant　quarrels　between　you　and　me　about　Dion　and


his　affairs。　For　your　sake　I　will　do　this　for　Dion。　I　require　him　to


take　his　own　property　and　reside　in　the　Peloponnese；　not　as　an


exile；　but　on　the　understanding　that　it　is　open　for　him　to　migrate


here；　when　this　step　has　the　joint　approval　of　himself；　me；　and　you


his　friends；　and　this　shall　be　open　to　him　on　the　understanding　that


he　does　not　plot　against　me。　You　and　your　friends　and　Dion's　friends


here　must　be　sureties　for　him　in　this；　and　he　must　give　you


security。　Let　the　funds　which　he　receives　be　deposited　in　the


Peloponnese　and　at　Athens；　with　persons　approved　by　you；　and　let


Dion　enjoy　the　income　from　them　but　have　no　power　to　take　them　out


of　deposit　without　the　approval　of　you　and　your　friends。　For　I　have　no


great　confidence　in　him；　that；　if　he　has　this　property　at　his


disposal；　he　will　act　justly　towards　me；　for　it　will　be　no　small


amount；　but　I　have　more　confidence　in　you　and　your　friends。　See　if


this　satisfies　you；　and　on　these　conditions　remain　for　the　present


year；　and　at　the　next　season　you　shall　depart　taking　the　property　with


you。　I　am　quite　sure　that　Dion　will　be　grateful　to　you；　if　you


accomplish　so　much　on　his　behalf。〃


　　When　I　heard　this　proposal　I　was　vexed；　but　after　reflection　said


I　would　let　him　know　my　view　of　it　on　the　following　day。　We　agreed


to　that　effect　for　the　moment；　and　afterwards　when　I　was　by　myself　I


pondered　the　matter　in　much　distress。　The　first　reflection　that　came


up；　leading　the　way　in　my　self…communing；　was　this：　〃Come　suppose　that


Dionysios　intends　to　do　none　of　the　things　which　he　has　mentioned；　but


that；　after　my　departure；　he　writes　a　plausible　letter　to　Dion；　and


orders　several　of　his　creatures　to　write　to　the　same　effect；　telling


him　of　the　proposal　which　he　has　now　made　to　me；　making　out　that　he


was　willing　to　do　what　he　proposed；　but　that　I　refused　and


completely　neglected　Dion's　interests。　Further；　suppose　that　he　is　not


willing　to　allow　my　departure；　and　without　giving　personal　orders　to


any　of　the　merchants；　makes　it　clear；　as　he　easily　can；　to　all　that　he


not　wish　me　to　sail；　will　anyone　consent　to　take　me　as　a　passenger；


when　I　leave　the　house：　of　Dionysios？〃


　　For　in　addition　to　my　other　troubles；　I　was　lodging　at　that　time


in　the　garden　which　surround　his　house；　from　which　even　the　gatekeeper


would　have　refused　to　let　me　go；　unless　an　order　had　been　sent　to


him　from　Dionysios。　〃Suppose　however　that　I　wait　for　the　year；　I　shall


be　able　to　write　word　of　these　things　to　Dion；　stating　the　position　in


which　I　am；　and　the　steps　which　I　am　trying　to　take。　And　if


Dionysios　does　any　of　the　things　which　he　says；　I　shall　have


accomplished　something　that　is　not　altogether　to　be　sneered　at；　for


Dion's　property　is；　at　a　fair　estimate；　perhaps　not　less　than　a


hundred　talents。　If　however　the　prospect　which　I　see　looming　in　the


future　takes　the　course　which　may　reasonably　be　expected；　I　know　not


what　I　shall　do　with　myself。　Still　it　is　perhaps　necessary　to　go　on


working　for　a　year；　and　to　attempt　to　prove　by　actual　fact　the


machinations　of　Dionysios。〃


　　Having　come　to　this　decision；　on　the　following　day　I　said　to


Dionysios；　〃I　have　decided　to　remain。　But；〃　I　continued；　〃I　must　ask


that　you　will　not　regard　me　as　empowered　to　act　for　Dion；　but　will


along　with