treatises on friendship and old age-第14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！


tribune　I　took　part　in　the　engagement　at　Thermopylae　under　the
consul　Manius　Acilius　Glabrio；　but　yet；　as　you　see；　old　age　has　not
entirely　destroyed　my　muscles；　has　not　quite　brought　me　to　the
ground。　The　Senate…house　does　not　find　all　my　vigour　gone；　nor
the　rostra；　nor　my　friends；　nor　my　clients；　nor　my　foreign　guests。
For　I　have　never　given　in　to　that　ancient　and　much…praised　proverb：

Old　when　young
Is　old　for　long。

For　myself；　I　had　rather　be　an　old　man　a　somewhat　shorter　time
than　an　old　man　_before_　my　time。　Accordingly；　no　one　up　to　the
present　has　wished　to　see　me；　to　whom　I　have　been　denied　as
engaged。　But；　it　may　be　said；　I　have　less　strength　than　either　of
you。　　Neither　have　you　the　strength　of　the　centurion　T。　Pontius：　is
he　the　more　eminent　man　on　that　account？　　Let　there　be　only　a
proper　husbanding　of　strength；　and　let　each　man　proportion　his
efforts　to　his　powers。　　Such　an　one　will　assuredly　not　be　possessed
with　any　great　regret　for　his　loss　of　strength。　At　Olympia　Milo　is
said　to　have　stepped　into　the　course　carrying　a　live　ox　on　his
shoulders。　Which　then　of　the　two　would　you　prefer　to　have　given
to　you…bodily　strength　like　that；　or　intellectual　strength　like　that　of
Pythagoras？　In　fine；　enjoy　that　blessing　when　you　have　it；　when　it
is　gone；　don't　wish　it　back…unless　we　are　to　think　that　young　men
should　wish　their　childhood　back；　and　those　somewhat　older　their
youth！　The　course　of　life　is　fixed；　and　nature　admits　of　its　being
run　but　in　one　way；　and　only　once；　and　to　each　part　of　our　life
there　is　something　specially　seasonable；　so　that　the　feebleness　of
children；　as　well　as　the　high　spirit　of　youth；　the　soberness　of
maturer　years；　and　the　ripe　wisdom　of　old　age…all　have　a　certain
natural　advantage　which　should　be　secured　in　its　proper　season。　I
think　you　are　informed；　Scipio；　what　your　grandfather's　foreign
friend　Masinissa　does　to　this　day；　though　ninety　years　old。　　When
he　has　once　begun　a　journey　on　foot　he　does　not　mount　his　horse　at
all；　when　on　horseback　he　never　gets　off　his　horse。　　By　no　rain　or
cold　can　he　be　induced　to　cover　his　head。　　His　body　is　absolutely
free　from　unhealthy　humours；　and　so　he　still　performs　all　the
duties　and　functions　of　a　king。　　Active　exercise；　therefore；　and
temperance　can　preserve　some　part　of　one's　former　strength　even
in　old　age。

11。　Bodily　strength　is　wanting　to　old　age；　but　neither　is　bodily
strength　demanded　from　old　men。　Therefore；　both　by　law　and
custom；　men　of　my　time　of　life　are　exempt　from　those　duties
which　cannot　be　supported　without　bodily　strength。　Accordingly
not　only　are　we　not　forced　to　do　what　we　cannot　do；　we　are　not
even　obliged　to　do　as　much　as　we　can。　　But；　it　will　be　said；　many
old　men　are　so　feeble　that　they　cannot　perform　any　duty　in　life　of
any　sort　or　kind。　That　is　not　a　weakness　to　be　set　down　as　peculiar
to　61d　age：
it　is　one　shared　by　ill　health。　　How　feeble　was　the　son　of　P。
Africanus；　who　adopted　you！　　What　weak　health　he　had；　or　rather
no　health　at　all！　　If　that　had　not　been　the　case；　we　should　have　had
in　him　a　second　brilliant　light　in　the　political　horizon；　for　he　had
added　a　wider　cultivation　to　his　father's　greatness　of　spirit。　　What
wonder；　then；　that　old　men　are　eventually　feeble；　when　even　young
men　cannot　escape　it？　My　dear　Laelius　and　Scipio；　we　must　stand
up　against　old　age　and　make　up　for　its　drawbacks　by　taking　pains。
We　must　fight　it　as　we　should　an　illness。　We　must　look　after　our
health；　use　moderate　exercise；　take　just　enough　food　and　drink　to
recruit；　but　not　to　overload；　our　strength。　　Nor　is　it　the　body　alone
that　must　be　supported；　but　the　intellect　and　soul　much　more。　　For
they　are　like　lamps：　unless　you　feed　them　with　oil；　they　too　go　out
from　old　age。　Again；　the　body　is　apt　to　get　gross　from　exercise；　but
the　intellect　becomes　nimbler　by　exercising　itself。　For　what
Caecilius　means　by　〃old　dotards　of　the　comic　stage　〃　are　the
credulous；　the　forgetful；　and　the　slipshod。　These　are　faults　that　do
not　attach　to　old　age　as　such；　but　to　a　sluggish；　spiritless；　and
sleepy　old　age。　Young　men　are　more　frequently　wanton　and
dissolute　than　old　men；　but　yet；　as　it　is　not　all　young　men　that　are
so；　but　the　bad　set　among　them；　even　so　senile　folly…usually　called
imbecility…applies　to　old　men　of　unsound　character；　not　to　all。　
Appius　governed　four　sturdy　sons；　five　daughters；　that　great
establishment；　and　all　those　clients；　though　he　was　both　old　and
blind。　For　he　kept　his　mind　at　full　stretch　like　a　how；　and　never
gave　in　to　old　age　by　growing　slack。　　He　maintained　not　merely　an
influence；　but　an　absolute　command　over　his　family：　his　slaves
feared　him；　his　sons　were　in　awe　of　him；　all　loved　him。　In　that
family；　indeed；　ancestral　custom　and　discipline　were　in　full　vigour。　
The　fact　is　that　old　age　is　respectable　just　as　long　as　it　asserts
itself；　maintains　its　proper　rights；　and　is　not　enslaved　to　any　one。　
For　as　I　admire　a　young　man　who　has　something　of　the　old　man　in
him；　so　do　I　an　old　one　who　has　something　of　a　young　man。　The
man　who　aims　at　this　may　possibly　become　old　in　body…in　mind　he
never　will。　I　am　now　engaged　in　composing　the　seventh　book　of
my　_Origins_。　I　collect　all　the　records　of　antiquity。　　The　speeches
delivered　in　all　the　celebrated　cases　which　I　have　defended　I　am　at
this　particular　time　getting　into　shape　for　publication。　I　am　writing
treatises　on　augural；　pontifical；　and　civil　law。　I　am；　besides；
studying　hard　at　Greek；　and　after　the　manner　of　the
Pythagoreans…to　keep　my　memory　in　working　order…I　repeat　in　the
evening　whatever　I　have　said；　heard；　or　done　in　the　course　of　each
day。　　These　are　the　exercises　of　the　intellect；　these　the　training
grounds　of　the　mind：　while　I　sweat　and　labour　on　these　I　don't
much　feel　the　loss　of　bodily　strength。　I　appear　in　court　for　my
friends；　I　frequently　attend　the　Senate　and　bring　motions　before　it
on　my　own　responsibility；　prepared　after　deep　and　long　reflection。
And　these　I　support　by　my　intellectual；　not　my　bodily　forces。　And
if　I　were　not　strong　enough　to　do　these　things；　yet　I　should　enjoy
my　sofa…imagining　the　very　operations　which　I　was　now　unable　to
perform。　　But　what　makes　me　capable　of　doing　this　is　my　past　life。
For　a　man　who　is　always　living　in　the　midst　of　these　studies　and
labours　does　not　perceive　when　old　age　creeps　upon　him。　Thus；　by
slow　and　imperceptible　degrees　life　draws　to　its　end。　There　is　no
sudden　breakage；　it　just　slowly　goes　out。

12。　The　third　charge　against　old　age　is　that　it　LACKS　SENSUAL
PLEASURES。　　What　a　splendid　service　does　old　age　render；　if　it
takes　from　us　the　greatest　blot　of　youth！　　Listen；　my　dear　young
friends；　to　a　speech　of　Archytas　of　Tarentum；　among　the　greatest
and　most　illustrious　of　men；　which　was　put　into　my　hands　when　as
a　young　man　I　was　at　Tarentum　with　Q。　Maximus。　〃No　more
deadly　curse　than　sensual　pleasure　has　been　inflicted　on　mankind
by　nature；　to　gratify　which　our　wanton　appetites　are　roused　beyond
all　prudence　or　restraint。　　It　is　a　fruitful　source　of　treasons；
revolutions；　secret　communications　with　the　enemy。　　In　fact；　there
is　no　crime；　no　evil　deed；　to　which　the　appetite　for　sensual
pleasures　does　not　impel　us。　　Fornications　and　adulteries；　and
every　abomination　of　that　kind；　are　brought　about　by　the
enticements　of　pleasure　and　by　them　alone。　Intellect　is　the　best　gift
of　nature　or　God：　to　this　divine　gift　and　endowment　there　is
nothing　so　inimical　as　pleasure。　For　when　appetite　is　our　master；
there　is　no　place　for　self…control；　nor　where　pleasure　reigns
supreme　can　virtue　hold　its　ground。　To　see　this　more　vividly；
imagine　a　man　excited　to　the　highest　conceivable　pitch　of　sensual
pleasure。　It　can　be　doubtful　to　no　one　that　such　a　person；　so　long　as
he　is　under　the　influence　of　such　excitation　of　the　senses；　will　be
unable　to　use　to　any　purpose　either　intellect；　reason；　or　thought。　
Therefore　nothing　can　be　so　execrable　and　so　fatal　as　pleasure；
since；　when　more　than　ordinarily　violent　and　lasting；　it　darkens　all
the　light　of　the　soul。〃

These　were　the　words　addressed　by　Archytas　to　the　Samnite　Caius
Pontius；　father　of　the　man　by　whom　the　consuls　Spurius　Postumius
and　Titus　Veturius　were　beaten　in　the　battle　of　Caudium。　　My
friend　Nearchus　of　Tarentum；　who　had　remained　loyal　to　Rome；
told　me　that　he　had　heard　them　repeated　by　some　old　men；　and
that　Plato　the　Athenian　was　present；　who　visited　Tarentum；　I　find；
in　the　consulship　of　L。　Camillus　and　Appius　Claudius。

What　is　the　point　of　all　this？　It　is　to　show　you　that；　if　we　were
unable　to　scorn　pleasure　by　the　aid　of　reason　and　philosophy；　we
ought　to　have　been　very　grateful　to　old　age　for　depriving　us　of　all
inclination　for　that　which　it　was　wrong　to　do。　　For　pleasure　hinders
thought；　is　a　foe　to　reason；　and；　so　to　speak；　blinds　the　eyes　of　the
mind。　It　is；　moreover；　entirely　alien　to　virtue。　　I　was　sorry　to　have
to　expel　Lucius；　brother　of　the　gallant　Titus　Flamininus；　from　the
Senate　seven　years　after　his　consulship；　but　I　thought　it　imperative
to　affix　a　stigma　on　an　act　of　gross　sensuality。　For　when　he　was　in
Gaul　as　consul；　he　had　yielded　to　the　entreaties　of　his　paramour　at
a　dinner…party　to　behead　a　man　who　happened　to