statesman-第4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！


true　and　unimpeachable？　Were　we　right　in　selecting　him　out　of　ten

thousand　other　claimants　to　be　the　shepherd　and　rearer　of　the　human

flock？

　　Y。　Soc。　Surely　not。

　　Str。　Had　we　not　reason　just　to　now　apprehend；　that　although　we　may

have　described　a　sort　of　royal　form；　we　have　not　as　yet　accurately

worked　out　the　true　image　of　the　Statesman？　and　that　we　cannot

reveal　him　as　he　truly　is　in　his　own　nature；　until　we　have

disengaged　and　separated　him　from　those　who　bang　about　him　and　claim

to　share　in　his　prerogatives？

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　And　that；　Socrates；　is　what　we　must　do；　if　we　do　not　mean　to

bring　disgrace　upon　the　argument　at　its　close。

　　Y。　Soc。　We　must　certainly　avoid　that。

　　Str。　Then　let　us　make　a　new　beginning；　and　travel　by　a　different

road。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　road？

　　Str。　I　think　that　we　may　have　a　little　amusement；　there　is　a

famous　tale；　of　which　a　good　portion　may　with　advantage　be　

interwoven；

and　then　we　may　resume　our　series　of　divisions；　and　proceed　

in　the　old

path　until　we　arrive　at　the　desired　summit。　Shall　we　do　as　I　say？

　　Y。　Soc。　By　all　means。

　　Str。　Listen；　then；　to　a　tale　which　a　child　would　love　to　hear；　and

you　are　not　too　old　for　childish　amusement。

　　Y。　Soc。　Let　me　hear。

　　Str。　There　did　really　happen；　and　will　again　happen；　like　

many　other

events　of　which　ancient　tradition　has　preserved　the　record；　the

portent　which　is　traditionally　said　to　have　occurred　in　the　

quarrel　of

Atreus　and　Thyestes。　You　have　heard　no　doubt；　and　remember　what　they

say　happened　at　that　time？

　　Y。　Soc。　I　suppose　you　to　mean　the　token　of　the　birth　of　the　golden

lamb。

　　Str。　No；　not　that；　but　another　part　of　the　story；　which　tells　how

the　sun　and　the　stars　once　rose　in　the　west；　and　set　in　the　east；

and　that　the　god　reversed　their　motion；　and　gave　them　that　which

they　now　have　as　a　testimony　to　the　right　of　Atreus。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　there　is　that　legend　also。

　　Str。　Again；　we　have　been　often　told　of　the　reign　of　Cronos。

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　very　often。

　　Str。　Did　you　ever　hear　that　the　men　of　former　times　were

earthborn；　and　not　begotten　of　one　another？

　　Y。　Soc。　Yes；　that　is　another　old　tradition。

　　Str。　All　these　stories；　and　ten　thousand　others　which　are　

still　more

wonderful；　have　a　common　origin；　many　of　them　have　been　lost　in　the

lapse　of　ages；　or　are　repeated　only　in　a　disconnected　form；　but　the

origin　of　them　is　what　no　one　has　told；　and　may　as　well　be　told　now；

for　the　tale　is　suited　to　throw　light　on　the　nature　of　the　king。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　good；　and　I　hope　that　you　will　give　the　whole　story；

and　leave　out　nothing。

　　Str。　Listen；　then。　There　is　a　time　when　God　himself　guides　

and　helps

to　roll　the　world　in　its　course；　and　there　is　a　time；　on　the

completion　of　a　certain　cycle；　when　he　lets　go；　and　the　world　being

a　living　creature；　and　having　originally　received　intelligence　from

its　author　and　creator　turns　about　and　by　an　inherent　necessity

revolves　in　the　opposite　direction。

　　Y。　Soc。　Why　is　that？

　　Str。　Why；　because　only　the　most　divine　things　of　all　remain　ever

unchanged　and　the　same；　and　body　is　not　included　in　this　

class。　Heaven

and　the　universe；　as　we　have　termed　them；　although　they　have　been

endowed　by　the　Creator　with　many　glories；　partake　of　a　bodily

nature；　and　therefore　cannot　be　entirely　free　from　perturbation。　But

their　motion　is；　as　far　as　possible；　single　and　in　the　same　

place；　and

of　the　same　kind；　and　is　therefore　only　subject　to　a　reversal；　which

is　the　least　alteration　possible。　For　the　lord　of　all　moving　

things　is

alone　able　to　move　of　himself；　and　to　think　that　he　moves　them　at

one　time　in　one　direction　and　at　another　time　in　another　is　

blasphemy。

Hence　we　must　not　say　that　the　world　is　either　self…moved　always；　or

all　made　to　go　round　by　God　in　two　opposite　courses；　or　that　

two　Gods；

having　opposite　purposes；　make　it　move　round。　But　as　I　have　already

said　（and　this　is　the　only　remaining　alternative）　the　world　is

guided　at　one　time　by　an　external　power　which　is　divine　and　receives

fresh　life　and　immortality　from　the　renewing　hand　of　the　Creator；

and　again；　when　let　go；　moves　spontaneously；　being　set　free　at　such

a　time　as　to　have；　during　infinite　cycles　of　years；　a　reverse

movement：　this　is　due　to　its　perfect　balance；　to　its　vast　

size；　and　to

the　fact　that　it　turns　on　the　smallest　pivot。

　　Y。　Soc。　Your　account　of　the　world　seems　to　be　very　reasonable

indeed。

　　Str。　Let　us　now　reflect　and　try　to　gather　from　what　has　been　said

the　nature　of　the　phenomenon　which　we　affirmed　to　be　the　cause　of

all　these　wonders。　It　is　this。

　　Y。　Soc。　What？

　　Str。　The　reversal　which　takes　place　from　time　to　time　of　the

motion　of　the　universe。

　　Y。　Soc。　How　is　that　the　cause？

　　Str。　Of　all　changes　of　the　heavenly　motions；　we　may　

consider　this　to

be　the　greatest　and　most　complete。

　　Y。　Soc。　I　should　imagine　so。

　　Str。　And　it　may　be　supposed　to　result　in　the　greatest　

changes　to　the

human　beings　who　are　the　inhabitants　of　the　world　at　the　time。

　　Y。　Soc。　Such　changes　would　naturally　occur。

　　Str。　And　animals；　as　we　know；　survive　with　difficulty　great　and

serious　changes　of　many　different　kinds　when　they　come　upon　them　at

once。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　Hence　there　necessarily　occurs　a　great　destruction　of　them；

which　extends　also　to…the　life　of　man；　few　survivors　of　the　race　are

left；　and　those　who　remain　become　the　subjects　of　several　novel　and

remarkable　phenomena；　and　of　one　in　particular；　which　takes　place　at

the　time　when　the　transition　is　made　to　the　cycle　opposite　to　that

in　which　we　are　now　living。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　is　it？

　　Str。　The　life　of　all　animals　first　came　to　a　standstill；　and　the

mortal　nature　ceased　to　be　or　look　older；　and　was　then　reversed　and

grew　young　and　delicate；　the　white　locks　of　the　aged　darkened　again；

and　the　cheeks　the　bearded　man　became　smooth；　and　recovered　their

former　bloom；　the　bodies　of　youths　in　their　prime　grew　softer　and

smaller；　continually　by　day　and　night　returning　and　becoming

assimilated　to　the　nature　of　a　newly…born　child　in　mind　as　well　as

body；　in　the　succeeding　stage　they　wasted　away　and　wholly　

disappeared。

And　the　bodies　of　those　who　died　by　violence　at　that　time　quickly

passed　through　the　like　changes；　and　in　a　few　days　were　no　more　seen。

　　Y。　Soc。　Then　how；　Stranger；　were　the　animals　created　in　those

days；　and　in　what　way　were　they　begotten　of　one　another？

　　Str。　It　is　evident；　Socrates；　that　there　was　no　such　thing　in　the

then　order　of　nature　as　the　procreation　of　animals　from　one　another；

the　earth…born　race；　of　which　we　hear　in　story；　was　the　one　which

existed　in　those　days…they　rose　again　from　the　ground；　and　of　this

tradition；　which　is　now…a…days　often　unduly　discredited；　our

ancestors；　who　were　nearest　in　point　of　time　to　the　end　of　the　last

period　and　came　into　being　at　the　beginning　of　this；　are　to　us　the

heralds。　And　mark　how　consistent　the　sequel　of　the　tale　is；　after

the　return　of　age　to　youth；　follows　the　return　of　the　dead；　who　are

lying　in　the　earth；　to　life；　simultaneously　with　the　reversal　of　the

world　the　wheel　of　their　generation　has　been　turned　back；　

and　they　are

put　together　and　rise　and　live　in　the　opposite　order；　unless　God　has

carried　any　of　them　away　to　some　other　lot。　According　to　this

tradition　they　of　necessity　sprang　from　the　earth　and　have　

the　name　of

earth…born；　and　so　the　above　legend　clings　to　them。

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly　that　is　quite　consistent　with　what　has　preceded；

but　tell　me；　was　the　life　which　you　said　existed　in　the　reign　of

Cronos　in　that　cycle　of　the　world；　or　in　this？　For　the　change　in　the

course　of　the　stars　and　the　sun　must　have　occurred　in　both。

　　Str。　I　see　that　you　enter　into　my　meaning；…no；　that　blessed　and

spontaneous　life　does　not　belong　to　the　present　cycle　of　the　world；

but　to　the　previous　one；　in　which　God　superintended　the　whole

revolution　of　the　universe；　and　the　several　parts　the　universe　were

distributed　under　the　rule。　certain　inferior　deities；　as　is　

the　way　in

some　places　still　There　were　demigods；　who　were　the　shepherds　of　the

various　species　and　herds　of　animals；　and　each　one　was　in　

all　respects

sufficient　for　those　of　whom　he　was　the　shepherd；　neither　was　there

any　violence；　or　devouring　of　one　another　or　war　or　quarrel　among

them；　and　I　might　tell　of　ten　thousand　other　blessings；　

which　belonged

to　that　dispensation。　The　reason　why　the　life　of　man　was；　as　

tradition

says；　spontaneous；　is　as　follows：　In　those　days　God　himself　was

their　shepherd；　and　ruled　over　them；　just　as　man；　over　them；　

who　is　by

comparison　a　divine　being；　still　rules　over　the　lower　animals。　Under

him　there　were　no　forms　of　government　or　separate　possession　of

women　and　children；　for　all　men　rose　again　from　the　earth；　having　no

memory；　of　the　past。　And　although　they　had　nothing　of　this　sort；　the

earth　gave　them　fruits　in　abundance；　which　grew　on　trees　and　shrubs

unbidden；　and　were　not　planted　by　the　hand　of　man。　And　they　dwelt

naked；　and　mostly　in　the　open　air；　for　the　temperature　of　their

seasons；　w