the miscellaneous writings and speeches-1-第9节

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him。

ALCIBIADES。　I　wish　that　he　had　trod　upon　you。　　Come；　come；　Chariclea；　we　shall　soon　return；　and　then

CHARICLEA。　Yes；　then　indeed。

ALCIBIADES。　Yes；　then　Then　for　revels；　then　for　dances；　Tender　whispers；　melting　glances。　Peasants；　pluck　your　richest　fruits：　Minstrels；　sound　your　sweetest　flutes：　Come　in　laughing　crowds　to　greet　us；　Dark…eyed　daughters　of　Miletus；　Bring　the　myrtles；　bring　the　dice；　Floods　of　Chian；　hills　of　spice。

SPEUSIPPUS。　Whose　lines　are　those；　Alcibiades？

ALCIBIADES。　My　own。　　Think　you；　because　I　do　not　shut　myself　up　to　meditate；　and　drink　water；　and　eat　herbs；　that　I　cannot　write　verses？　　By　Apollo；　if　I　did　not　spend　my　days　in　politics；　and　my　nights　in　revelry；　I　should　have　made　Sophocles　tremble。　　But　now　I　never　go　beyond　a　little　song　like　this；　and　never　invoke　any　Muse　but　Chariclea。　　But　come；　Speusippus；　sing。　　You　are　a　professed　poet。　　Let　us　have　some　of　your　verses。

SPEUSIPPUS。　My　verses！　　How　can　you　talk　so？　　I　a　professed　poet！

ALCIBIADES。　Oh；　content　you；　sweet　Speusippus。　　We　all　know　your　designs　upon　the　tragic　honours。　　Come；　sing。　　A　chorus　of　your　new　play。

SPEUSIPPUS。　Nay；　nay

HIPPOMACHUS。　When　a　guest　who　is　asked　to　sing　at　a　Persian　banquet　refuses

SPEUSIPPUS。　In　the　name　of　Bacchus

ALCIBIADES。　I　am　absolute。　　Sing。

SPEUSIPPUS。　Well；　then；　I　will　sing　you　a　chorus；　which；　I　think；　is　a　tolerable　imitation　of　Euripides。

CHARICLEA。　Of　Euripides？Not　a　word。

ALCIBIADES。　Why　so；　sweet　Chariclea？

CHARICLEA。　Would　you　have　me　betray　my　sex？　　Would　you　have　me　forget　his　Phaedras　and　Sthenoboeas？　　No　if　I　ever　suffer　any　lines　of　that　woman…hater；　or　his　imitators；　to　be　sung　in　my　presence；　may　I　sell　herbs　（The　mother　of　Euripides　was　a　herb…woman。　　This　was　a　favourite　topic　of　Aristophanes。）　like　his　mother；　and　wear　rags　like　his　Telephus。　　（The　hero　of　one　of　the　lost　plays　of　Euripides；　who　appears　to　have　been　brought　upon　the　stage　in　the　garb　of　a　beggar。　　See　Aristophanes；　Acharn。　430；　and　in　other　places。）

ALCIBIADES。　Then；　sweet　Chariclea；　since　you　have　silenced　Speusippus；　you　shall　sing　yourself。

CHARICLEA。　What　shall　I　sing？

ALCIBIADES。　Nay；　choose　for　yourself。

CHARICLEA。　Then　I　will　sing　an　old　Ionian　hymn；　which　is　chanted　every　spring　at　the　feast　of　Venus；　near　Miletus。　　I　used　to　sing　it　in　my　own　country　when　I　was　a　child；　andah；　Alcibiades！

ALCIBIADES。　Dear　Chariclea；　you　shall　sing　something　else。　　This　distresses　you。

CHARICLEA。　No　hand　me　the　lyre：no　matter。　　You　will　hear　the　song　to　disadvantage。　　But　if　it　were　sung　as　I　have　heard　it　sung：if　this　were　a　beautiful　morning　in　spring；　and　if　we　were　standing　on　a　woody　promontory；　with　the　sea；　and　the　white　sails；　and　the　blue　Cyclades　beneath　us；and　the　portico　of　a　temple　peeping　through　the　trees　on　a　huge　peak　above　our　heads；and　thousands　of　people；　with　myrtles　in　their　hands；　thronging　up　the　winding　path；　their　gay　dresses　and　garlands　disappearing　and　emerging　by　turns　as　they　passed　round　the　angles　of　the　rock；then　perhaps…　…

ALCIBIADES。　Now；　by　Venus　herself；　sweet　lady；　where　you　are　we　shall　lack　neither　sun；　nor　flowers；　nor　spring；　nor　temple；　nor　goddess。

CHARICLEA。　　（Sings。）　Let　this　sunny　hour　be　given；　Venus；　unto　love　and　mirth：　Smiles　like　thine　are　in　the　heaven；　Bloom　like　thine　is　on　the　earth；　And　the　tinkling　of　the　fountains；　And　the　murmurs　of　the　sea；　And　the　echoes　from　the　mountains；　Speak　of　youth；　and　hope；　and　thee。

By　whate'er　of　soft　expression　Thou　hast　taught　to　lovers'　eyes；　Faint　denial；　slow　confession；　Glowing　cheeks　and　stifled　sighs；　By　the　pleasure　and　the　pain；　By　the　follies　and　the　wiles；　Pouting　fondness；　sweet　disdain；　Happy　tears　and　mournful　smiles；

Come　with　music　floating　o'er　thee；　Come　with　violets　springing　round：　Let　the　Graces　dance　before　thee；　All　their　golden　zones　unbound；　Now　in　sport　their　faces　hiding；　Now；　with　slender　fingers　fair；　From　their　laughing　eyes　dividing　The　long　curls　of　rose…crowned　hair。

ALCIBIADES。　Sweetly　sung；　but　mournfully；　Chariclea；　for　which　I　would　chide　you；　but　that　I　am　sad　myself。　　More　wine　there。　　I　wish　to　all　the　gods　that　I　had　fairly　sailed　from　Athens。

CHARICLEA。　And　from　me；　Alcibiades？

ALCIBIADES。　Yes；　from　you；　dear　lady。　　The　days　which　immediately　precede　separation　are　the　most　melancholy　of　our　lives。

CHARICLEA。　Except　those　which　immediately　follow　it。

ALCIBIADES。　No；　when　I　cease　to　see　you；　other　objects　may　compel　my　attention；　but　can　I　be　near　you　without　thinking　how　lovely　you　are；　and　how　soon　I　must　leave　you？

HIPPOMACHUS。　Ay；　travelling　soon　puts　such　thoughts　out　of　men's　heads。

CALLICLES。　A　battle　is　the　best　remedy　for　them。

CHARICLEA。　A　battle；　I　should　think；　might　supply　their　place　with　others　as　unpleasant。

CALLICLES。　No。　　The　preparations　are　rather　disagreeable　to　a　novice。　　But　as　soon　as　the　fighting　begins；　by　Jupiter；　it　is　a　noble　time；　men　trampling；shields　clashing；spears　breaking；and　the　poean　roaring　louder　than　all。

CHARICLEA。　But　what　if　you　are　killed？

CALLICLES。　What　indeed？　　You　must　ask　Speusippus　that　question。　　He　is　a　philosopher。

ALCIBIADES。　Yes；　and　the　greatest　of　philosophers；　if　he　can　answer　it。

SPEUSIPPUS。　Pythagoras　is　of　opinion

HIPPOMACHUS。　Pythagoras　stole　that　and　all　his　other　opinions　from　Asia　and　Egypt。　　The　transmigration　of　the　soul　and　the　vegetable　diet　are　derived　from　India。　　I　met　a　Brachman　in　Sogdiana

CALLICLES。　All　nonsense！

CHARICLEA。　What　think　you；　Alcibiades？

ALCIBIADES。　I　think　that；　if　the　doctrine　be　true；　your　spirit　will　be　transfused　into　one　of　the　doves　who　carry　（Homer's　Odyssey；　xii。　63。）　ambrosia　to　the　gods　or　verses　to　the　mistresses　of　poets。　Do　you　remember　Anacreon's　lines？　　How　should　you　like　such　an　office？

CHARICLEA。　If　I　were　to　be　your　dove；　Alcibiades；　and　you　would　treat　me　as　Anacreon　treated　his；　and　let　me　nestle　in　your　breast　and　drink　from　your　cup；　I　would　submit　even　to　carry　your　love…letters　to　other　ladies。

CALLICLES。　What；　in　the　name　of　Jupiter；　is　the　use　of　all　these　speculations　about　death？　　Socrates　once　（See　the　close　of　Plato's　Gorgias。）　lectured　me　upon　it　the　best　part　of　a　day。　　I　have　hated　the　sight　of　him　ever　since。　　Such　things　may　suit　an　old　sophist　when　he　is　fasting；　but　in　the　midst　of　wine　and　music

HIPPOMACHUS。　I　differ　from　you。　　The　enlightened　Egyptians　bring　skeletons　into　their　banquets；　in　order　to　remind　their　guests　to　make　the　most　of　their　life　while　they　have　it。

CALLICLES。　I　want　neither　skeleton　nor　sophist　to　teach　me　that　lesson。　More　wine；　I　pray　you；　and　less　wisdom。　　If　you　must　believe　something　which　you　never　can　know；　why　not　be　contented　with　the　long　stories　about　the　other　world　which　are　told　us　when　we　are　initiated　at　the　Eleusinian　mysteries？　　（The　scene　which　follows　is　founded　upon　history。　　Thucydides　tells　us；　in　his　sixth　book；　that　about　this　time　Alcibiades　was　suspected　of　having　assisted　at　a　mock　celebration　of　these　famous　mysteries。　　It　was　the　opinion　of　the　vulgar　among　the　Athenians　that　extraordinary　privileges　were　granted　in　the　other　world　to　alt　who　had　been　initiated。）

CHARICLEA。　And　what　are　those　stories？

ALCIBIADES。　Are　not　you　initiated；　Chariclea？

CHARICLEA。　No；　my　mother　was　a　Lydian；　a　barbarian；　and　therefore

ALCIBIADES。　I　understand。　　Now　the　curse　of　Venus　on　the　fools　who　made　so　hateful　a　law！　　Speusippus；　does　not　your　friend　Euripides　（The　right　of　Euripides　to　this　line　is　somewhat　disputable。　　See　Aristophanes；　Plutus；　1152。）　say

〃The　land　where　thou　art　prosperous　is　thy　country？〃

Surely　we　ought　to　say　to　every　lady

〃The　land　where　thou　art　pretty　is　thy　country。〃

Besides；　to　exclude　foreign　beauties　from　the　chorus　of　the　initiated　in　the　Elysian　fields　is　less　cruel　to　them　than　to　ourselves。　　Chariclea；　you　shall　be　initiated。

CHARICLEA。　When？

ALCIBIADES。　Now。

CHARICLEA。　Where？

ALCIBIADES。　Here。

CHARICLEA。　Delightful！

SPEUSIPPUS。　But　there　must　be　an　interval　of　a　year　between　the　purification　and　the　initiation。

ALCIBIADES。　We　will　suppose　all　that。

SPEUSIPPUS。　And　nine　days　of　rigid　mortification　of　the　senses。

ALCIBIADES。　We　will　suppose　that　too。　　I　am　sure　it　was　supposed；　with　as　little　reason；　when　I　was　initiated。

SPEUSIPPUS。　But　you　are　sworn　to　secrecy。

ALCIBIADES。　You　a　sophist；　and　talk　of　oaths！　　You　a　pupil　of　Euripides；　and　forget　his　maxims！

〃My　lips　have　sworn　it；　but　my　mind　is　free。〃　　（See　Euripides：　Hippolytus；　608。　　For　the　jesuitical　morality　of　this　line　Euripides　is　bitterly　attacked　by　the　comic　poet。）

SPEUSIPPUS。　But　Alcibiades

ALCIBIADES。　What！　　Are　you　afraid　of　Ceres　and　Proserpine？

SPEUSIPPUS。　NobutbutIthat　is　Ibut　it　is　best　to　be　safeI　mean　Suppose　there　should　be　something　in　it。

ALCIBIADES。　Now；　by　Mercury；　I　shall　die　with　laughing。　　O　Speusippus。　Speusippus！　　Go　back　to　your　old　father。　　Dig　vineyards；　and　judge　causes；　and　be　a　respectable　citizen。　　But　never；　while　you　live；　again　dream　of　being　a　philosopher。

SPEUSIPPUS。　Nay；　I　was　only

ALCIBIADES。　A　pupil　of　Gorgias　and　Melesigenes　afraid　of　Tartarus！　　In　what　region　of　the　infernal　world　do　you　expect　your