lycurgus-第6节

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the　river　Eurotas；　which　they　were　to　break　off　with　their　hands
without　a　knife；　if　it　were　winter；　they　mingled　some　thistle…down
with　their　rushes；　which　it　was　thought　had　the　property　of　giving
warmth。　By　the　time　they　were　come　to　this　age　there　was　not　any　of
the　more　hopeful　boys　who　had　not　a　lover　to　bear　him　company。　The　old
men；　too；　had　an　eye　upon　them；　coming　often　to　the　grounds　to　hear
and　see　them　contend　either　in　wit　or　strength　with　one　another；　and
this　as　seriously　and　with　as　much　concern　as　if　they　were　their
fathers；　their　tutors；　or　their　magistrates；　so　that　there　scarcely
was　any　time　or　place　without　some　one　present　to　put　them　in　mind
of　their　duty；　and　punish　them　if　they　had　neglected　it。
　　Besides　all　this；　there　was　always　one　of　the　best　and　honestest　men
in　the　city　appointed　to　undertake　the　charge　and　governance　of
them；　he　again　arranged　them　into　their　several　bands；　and　set　over
each　of　them　for　their　captain　the　most　temperate　and　boldest　of　those
they　called　Irens；　who　were　usually　twenty　years　old；　two　years　out　of
the　boys；　and　the　oldest　of　the　boys；　again；　were　Mell…Irens；　as
much　as　to　say；　who　would　shortly　be　men。　This　young　man；　therefore；
was　their　captain　when　they　fought　and　their　master　at　home；　using
them　for　the　offices　of　his　house；　sending　the　eldest　of　them　to　fetch
wood；　and　the　weaker　and　less　able　to　gather　salads　and　herbs；　and
these　they　must　either　go　without　or　steal；　which　they　did　by　creeping
into　the　gardens；　or　conveying　themselves　cunningly　and　closely　into
the　eating…houses；　if　they　were　taken　in　the　fact；　they　were　whipped
without　mercy；　for　thieving　so　ill　and　awkwardly。　They　stole；　too；　all
other　meat　they　could　lay　their　hands　on；　looking　out　and　watching　all
opportunities；　when　people　were　asleep　or　more　careless　than　usual。　If
they　were　caught；　they　were　not　only　punished　with　whipping；　but
hunger；　too；　being　reduced　to　their　ordinary　allowance；　which　was
but　very　slender；　and　so　contrived　on　purpose；　that　they　might　set
about　to　help　themselves；　and　be　forced　to　exercise　their　energy　and
address。　This　was　the　principal　design　of　their　hard　fare；　there　was
another　not　inconsiderable；　that　they　might　grow　taller；　for　the　vital
spirits；　not　being　overburdened　and　oppressed　by　too　great　a
quantity　of　nourishment；　which　necessarily　discharges　itself　into
thickness　and　breadth；　do；　by　their　natural　lightness；　rise；　and　the
body；　giving　and　yielding　because　it　is　pliant；　grows　in　height。　The
same　thing　seems；　also；　to　conduce　to　beauty　of　shape；　a　dry　and
lean　habit　is　a　better　subject　for　nature's　configuration；　which　the
gross　and　over…fed　are　too　heavy　to　submit　to　properly。　Just　as　we
find　that　women　who　take　physic　whilst　they　are　with　child；　bear
leaner　and　smaller　but　better…shaped　and　prettier　children；　the
material　they　come　of　having　been　more　pliable　and　easily　moulded。　The
reason；　however；　I　leave　others　to　determine。
　　To　return　from　whence　we　have　digressed。　So　seriously　did　the
Lacedaemonian　children　go　about　their　stealing；　that　a　youth；　having
stolen　a　young　fox　and　hid　it　under　his　coat；　suffered　it　to　tear
out　his　very　bowels　with　its　teeth　and　claws　and　died　upon　the
place；　rather　than　let　it　be　seen。　What　is　practised　to　this　very
day　in　Lacedaemon　is　enough　to　gain　credit　to　this　story；　for　I　myself
have　seen　several　of　the　youths　endure　whipping　to　death　at　the　foot
of　the　altar　of　Diana　surnamed　Orthia。
　　The　Iren；　or　under…master；　used　to　stay　a　little　with　them　after
supper；　and　one　of　them　he　bade　to　sing　a　song；　to　another　he　put　a
question　which　required　an　advised　and　deliberate　answer；　for　example；
Who　was　the　best　man　in　the　city？　What　he　thought　of　such　an　action　of
such　a　man？　They　used　them　thus　early　to　pass　a　right　judgment　upon
persons　and　things；　and　to　inform　themselves　of　the　abilities　or
defects　of　their　countrymen。　If　they　had　not　an　answer　ready　to　the
question；　Who　was　a　good　or　who　an　ill…reputed　citizen；　they　were
looked　upon　as　of　a　dull　and　careless　disposition；　and　to　have
little　or　no　sense　of　virtue　and　honour；　besides　this；　they　were　to
give　a　good　reason　for　what　they　said；　and　in　as　few　words　and　as
comprehensive　as　might　be；　he　that　failed　of　this；　or　answered　not
to　the　purpose；　had　his　thumb　bit　by　the　master。　Sometimes　the　Iren
did　this　in　the　presence　of　the　old　men　and　magistrates；　that　they
might　see　whether　he　punished　them　justly　and　in　due　measure　or　not；
and　when　he　did　amiss；　they　would　not　reprove　him　before　the　boys；
but；　when　they　were　gone；　he　was　called　to　an　account　and　underwent
correction；　if　he　had　run　far　into　either　of　the　extremes　of
indulgence　or　severity。
　　Their　lovers　and　favourers；　too；　had　a　share　in　the　young　boy's
honour　or　disgrace；　and　there　goes　a　story　that　one　of　them　was
fined　by　the　magistrate；　because　the　lad　whom　he　loved　cried　out
effeminately　as　he　was　fighting。　And　though　this　sort　of　love　was　so
approved　among　them；　that　the　most　virtuous　matrons　would　make
professions　of　it　to　young　girls；　yet　rivalry　did　not　exist；　and　if
several　men's　fancies　met　in　one　person；　it　was　rather　the　beginning
of　an　intimate　friendship；　whilst　they　all　jointly　conspired　to　render
the　object　of　their　effection　as　accomplished　as　possible。
　　They　taught　them；　also；　to　speak　with　a　natural　and　graceful
raillery；　and　to　comprehend　much　matter　of　thought　in　few　words。　For
Lycurgus；　who　ordered；　as　we　saw；　that　a　great　piece　of　money　should
be　but　of　an　inconsiderable　value；　on　the　contrary　would　allow　no
discourse　to　be　current　which　did　not　contain　in　few　words　a　great
deal　of　useful　and　curious　sense；　children　in　Sparta；　by　a　habit　of
long　silence；　came　to　give　just　and　sententious　answers；　for；
indeed；　as　loose　and　incontinent　livers　are　seldom　fathers　of　many
children；　so　loose　and　incontinent　talkers　seldom　originate　many
sensible　words。　King　Agis；　when　some　Athenian　laughed　at　their　short
swords；　and　said　that　the　jugglers　on　the　stage　swallowed　them　with
ease；　answered　him；　〃We　find　them　long　enough　to　reach　our　enemies
with；〃　and　as　their　swords　were　short　and　sharp；　so；　it　seems　to　me；
were　their　sayings。　They　reach　the　point　and　arrest　the　attention　of
the　hearers　better　than　any。　Lycurgus　himself　seems　to　have　been　short
and　sententious；　if　we　may　trust　the　anecdotes　of　him；　as　appears　by
his　answer　to　one　who　by　all　means　would　set　up　a　democracy　in
Lacedaemon。　〃Begin；　friend；〃　said　he；　〃and　set　it　up　in　your
family。〃　Another　asked　him　why　he　allowed　of　such　mean　and　trivial
sacrifices　to　the　gods。　He　replied；　〃That　we　may　always　have　something
to　offer　to　them。〃　Being　asked　what　sort　of　martial　exercises　or
combats　he　approved　of；　he　answered；　〃All　sorts；　except　that　in
which　you　stretch　out　your　hands。〃　Similar　answers；　addressed　to　his
countrymen　by　letter；　are　ascribed　to　him；　as；　being　consulted　how
they　might　best　oppose　an　invasion　of　their　enemies；　he　returned
this　answer；　〃By　continuing　poor；　and　not　coveting　each　man　to　be
greater　than　his　fellow。〃　Being　consulted　again　whether　it　were
requisite　to　enclose　the　city　with　a　wall；　he　sent　them　word；　〃The
city　is　well　fortified　which　hath　a　wall　of　men　instead　of　brick。〃　But
whether　these　letters　are　counterfeit　or　not　is　not　easy　to　determine。
　　Of　their　dislike　to　talkativeness；　the　following　apophthegms　are
evidence。　King　Leonidas　said　to　one　who　held　him　in　discourse　upon
some　useful　matter；　but　not　in　due　time　and　place；　〃Much　to　the
purpose；　Sir；　elsewhere。〃　King　Charilaus；　the　nephew　of　Lycurgus；
being　asked　why　his　uncle　had　made　so　few　laws；　answered；　〃Men　of
few　words　require　but　few　laws。〃　When　one；　named　Hecataeus　the
sophist；　because　that；　being　invited　to　the　public　table；　he　had　not
spoken　one　word　all　supper…time；　Archidamidas　answered　in　his
vindication；　〃He　who　knows　how　to　speak；　knows　also　when。〃
　　The　sharp　and　yet　not　ungraceful　retorts　which　I　mentioned　may　be
instanced　as　follows。　Demaratus；　being　asked　in　a　troublesome　manner
by　an　importunate　fellow；　Who　was　the　best　man　in　Lacedaemon？　answered
at　last；　〃He；　Sir；　that　is　the　least　like　you。〃　Some；　in　company　where
Agis　was；　much　extolled　the　Eleans　for　their　just　and　honourable
management　of　the　Olympic　games；　〃Indeed；〃　said　Agis；　〃they　are　highly
to　be　commended　if　they　can　do　justice　one　day　in　five　years。〃
Theopompus　answered　a　stranger　who　talked　much　of　his　affection　to　the
Lacedaemonians；　and　said　that　his　countrymen　called　him　Philolacon
（a　lover　of　the　Lacedaemonians）；　that　it　had　been　more　for　his
honour　if　they　had　called　him　Philopolites　（a　lover　of　his　own
countrymen）。　And　Plistoanax；　the　son　of　Pausanias；　when　an　orator　of
Athens　said　the　Lacedaemonians　had　no　learning；　told　him；　〃You　say
true；　Sir；　we　alone　of　all　the　Greeks　have　learned　none　of　your　bad
qualities。〃　One　asked　Archidamidas　what　number　there　might　be　of　the
Spartans；　he　answered：　〃Enough；　Sir；　to　keep　out　wicked　men。〃
　　We　may　see　their　character；　too；　in　their　very　jests。　For　they　did
not　throw　them　out　at　random；　but　the　very　wit　of　them　was　grounded
upon　something　or　other　worth　thinking　about。　For　instance；　one；　being
asked　to　go