treatises on friendship and old age-第18节

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followed　by　immortality。

Again；　there　may　possibly　be　some　sensation　of　dying
and　that　only　for　a　short　time；　especially　in　the　case　of　an　old　man：
after　death；　indeed；　sensation　is　either　what　one　would　desire；　or　it
disappears　altogether。　　But　to　disregard　death　is　a　lesson　which
must　be　studied　from　our　youth　up；　for　unless　that　is　learnt；　no　one
can　have　a　quiet　mind。　　For　die　we　certainly　must；　and　that　too
without　being　certain　whether　it　may　not　be　this　very　day。　　As
death；　therefore；　is　hanging　over　our　head　every　hour；　how　can　a
man　ever　be　unshaken　in　soul　if　he　fears　it？

But　on　this　theme　I　don't　think　I　need　much　enlarge：　when　I
remember　what　Lucius　Brutus　did；　who　was　killed　while　defending
his　country；　or　the　two　Decii；　who　spurred　their　horses　to　a　gallop
and　met　a　voluntary　death；　or　M。　Atilius　Regulus；　who　left　his
home　to　confront　a　death　of　torture；　rather　than　break　the　word
which　lie　had　pledged　to　the　enemy；　or　the　two　Scipios；　who
determined　to　block　the　Carthaginian　advance　even　with　their　own
bodies；　or　your　grandfather　Lucius　Paulus；　who　paid　with　his　life
for　the　rashness　of　his　colleague　in　the　disgrace　at　Cannae；　or　M。
Marcellus；　whose　death　not　even　the　most　bloodthirsty　of　enemies
would　allow　to　go　without　the　honour　of　burial。　It　is　enough　to
recall　that　our　legions　（as　I　have　recorded　in　my　_Origins_）　have
often　marched　with　cheerful　and　lofty　spirit　to　ground　from　which
they　believed　that　they　would　never　return。　　That；　therefore；　which
young　men…not　only　uninstructed；　but　absolutely　ignorant…treat　as
of　no　account；　shall　men　who　are　neither　young　nor　ignorant　shrink
from　in　terror？　As　a　general　truth；　as　it　seems　to　me；　it　is　weariness
of　all　pursuits　that　creates　weariness　of　life。　　There　are　certain
pursuits　adapted　to　childhood：　do　young　men　miss　them？　There　are
others　suited　to　early　manhood：　does　that　settled　time　of　life　called
〃middle　age〃　ask　for　them？　There　are　others；　again；　suited　to　that
age；　but　not　looked　for　in　old　age。　　There　are；　finally；　some　which
belong　to　Old　age。　　Therefore；　as　the　pursuits　of　the　earlier　ages
have　their　time　for　disappearing；　so　also　have　those　of　old　age。
And　when　that　takes　place；　a　satiety　of　life　brings　on　the　ripe　time
for　death。

21。　For　I　do　not　see　why　I　should　not　venture　to　tell　you　my
personal　opinion　as　to　death；　of　which　I　seem　to　myself　to　have　a
clearer　vision　in　proportion　as　I　am　nearer　to　it。　I　believe；　Scipio
and　Laelius；　that　your　fathers…those　illustrious　men　and　my　dearest
friends…are　still　alive；　and　that　too　with　a　life　which　alone　deserves
the　name。　For　as　long　as　we　are　imprisoned　in　this　framework　of
the　body；　we　perform　a　certain　function　and　laborious　work
assigned　us　by　fate。　The　soul；　in　fact；　is　of　heavenly　origin；　forced
down　from　its　home　in　the　highest；　and；　so　to　speak；　buried　in
earth；　a　place　quite　opposed　to　its　divine　nature　and　its
immortality。　　But　I　suppose　the　immortal　gods　to　have　sown　souls
broadcast　in　human　bodies；　that　there　might　be　some　to　survey　the
world；　and　while　contemplating　the　order　of　the　heavenly　bodies　to
imitate　it　in　the　unvarying　regularity　of　their　life。　Nor　is　it　only
reason　and　arguments　that　have　brought　me　to　this　belief；　but　the
great　fame　and　authority　of　the　most　distinguished　philosophers。　I
used　to　be　told　that　Pythagoras　and　the　Pythagoreans…almost
natives　of　our　country；　who　in　old　times　had　been　called　the　Italian
school　of　philosophers…never　doubted　that　we　had　souls　drafted
from　　the　universal　Divine　intelligence。　　I　used　be…sides　to　have
pointed　out　to　me　the　discourse　delivered　by　Socrates　on　the　last
day　of　his　life　upon　the　immortality　of　the　soul…Socrates　who　was
pronounced　by　the　oracle　at　Delphi　to　be　the　wisest　of　men。　　I　need
say　no　more。　　I　have　convinced　myself；　and　T　hold…in　view　of　the
rapid　movement　of　the　soul；　its　vivid　memory　of　the　past　and　its
prophetic　knowledge　of　the　future；　its　many　accomplishments；　its
vast　range　of　knowledge；　its　numerous　discoveries
…that　a　nature　embracing　such　varied　gifts　cannot　itself　be　mortal。　
And　since　the　soul　is　always　in　motion　and　yet　has　no　external
source　of　motion；　for　it　is　self…moved；　I　conclude　that　it　will　also
have　no　end　to　its　motion；　because　it　is　not　likely　ever　to　abandon
itself。　　Again；　since　the　nature　of　the　soul　is　not　composite；　nor　has
in　it　any　admixture　that　is　not　homogeneous　an（l　similar；　I
conclude　that　it　is　indivisible；　and；　if　indivisible；　that　it　cannot
perish。　It　is　again　a　strong　proof　of　men　knowing　most　things
before　birth；　that　when　mere　children　they　grasp　innumerable　facts
with　such　speed　as　to　show　that　they　are　not　then　taking　them　in
for　the　first　time；　but　remembering　and　recalling　them。　This　is
roughly　Plato's　argument。

22。　Once　more　in　Xenophon　we　have　the　elder　Cyrus　on　his
deathbed　speaking　as　follows：…

〃Do　not　suppose；　my　dearest　sons；　that　when　I　have　left　you　I　shall
be　nowhere　and　no　one。　Even　when　I　was　with　you；　you　did　not　see
my　soul；　but　knew　that　it　was　in　this　body　of　mine　from　what　I　did。　
Believe　then　that　it　is　still　the　same；　even　though　you　see　it　not。
The　honours　paid　to　illustrious　men　had　not　continued　to　exist
after　their　death；　had　the　souls　of　these　very　men　not　done
something　to　make　us　retain　our　recollection　of　them　beyond　the
ordinary　time。　For　myself；　I　never　could　be　persuaded　that　souls
while　in　mortal　bodies　were　alive；　and　died　directly　they　left　them；
nor；　in　fact；　that　the　soul　only　lost　all　intelligence　when　it　left　the
unintelligent　body。　I　believe　rather　that　when；　by　being　liberated
from　all　corporeal　admixture；　it　has　begun　to　be　pure　and
undefiled；　it　is　then　that　it　becomes　wise。　And　again；　when　man's
natural　frame　is　resolved　into　its　elements　by　death；　it　is　clearly
seen　whither　each　of　the　other　elements　departs：　for　they　all　go　to
the　place　from　which　they　came：　but　the　soul　alone　is　invisible
alike　when　present　and　when　departing。　　Once　more；　you　see　that
nothing　is　so　like　death　as　sleep。　And　yet　it　is　in　sleepers　that　souls
most　clearly　reveal　their　divine　nature；　for　they　foresee　many
events　when　they　are　allowed　to　escape　and　are　left　free。　This
shows　what　they　are　likely　to　be　when　they　have　completely　freed
themselves　from　the　fetters　of　the　body。　Wherefore；　if　these　things
are　so；　obey　me　as　a　god。　　But　if　my　soul　is　to　perish　with　my　body；
nevertheless　do　you　from　awe　of　the　gods；　who　guard　and　govern
this　fair　universe；　preserve　my　memory　by　the　loyalty　and　piety　of
your　lives。〃

23。
Such　are　the　words　of　the　dying　Cyrus。　I　will　now；　with　your　good
leave；　look　at　home。　No　one；　my　dear　Scipio；　shall　ever　persuade
me　that　your　father　Paulus　and　your　two　grandfathers　Paulus　and
Africanus；　or　the　father　of　Africanus；　or　his　uncle；　or　many　other
illustrious　men　not　necessary　to　mention；　would　have　attempted
such　lofty　deeds　as　to　be　remaindered　by　posterity；　had　they　not
seen　in　their　minds　that　future　ages　concerned　them。　Do　you
suppose…to　take　an　old　man's　privilege　of　a　little　self…praise…that　I
should　have　been　likely　to　undertake　such　heavy　labours　by　day
and　night；　at　home　and　abroad；　if　I　had　been　destined　to　have　the
same　limit　to　my　glory　as　to　my　life？　Had　it　not　been　much　better
to　pass　an　age　of　ease　and　repose　without　any　labour　or　exertion？　
But　my　soul；　I　know　not　how；　refusing　to　be　kept　down；　ever　fixed
its　eyes　upon　future　ages；　as　though　from　a　conviction　that　it　would
begin　to　live　only　when　it　had　left　the　body。　But　had　it　not　been　the
case　that　souls　were　immortal；　it　would　not　have　been　the　souls　of
all　the　best　men　that　made　the　greatest　efforts　after　an　immortality
of　fame。

Again；　is　there　not　the　fact　that　the　wisest　man　ever　dies　with　the
greatest　cheerfulness；　the　most　unwise　with　the　least？　Don't　you
think　that　the　soul　which　has　the　clearer　and　longer　sight　sees　that
it　is　starting　for　better　things；　while　the　soul　whose　vision　is
dimmer　does　not　see　it？　　For　my　part；　I　am　transported　with　the
desire　to　see　your　fathers；　who　were　the　object　of　my　reverence
and　affection。　　Nor　is　it　only　those　whom　I　knew　that　I　long　to　see；
it　is　those　also　of　whom　I　have　been　told　and　have　read；　whom　I
have　myself　recorded　in　my　history。　When　I　am　setting　out　for　that；
there　is　certainly　no　one　who　will　find　it　easy　to　draw　me　back；　or
boil　me　up　again　like　second　Pelios。　　Nay；　if　some　god　should
grant　me　to　renew　my　childhood　from　my　present　age　and　once
more　to　be　crying　in　my　cradle；　I　would　firmly　refuse；　nor　should　I
in　truth　be　willing；　after　having；　as　it　were；　run　the　full　course；　to
be　recalled　from　the　winning…crease　to　the　barriers。　For　what
blessing　has　life　to　offer？　Should　we　not　rather　say　what　labour？
But　granting　that　it　has；　at　any　rate　it　has　after　all　a　limit　either　to
enjoyment　or　to　existence。　I　don't　wish　to　depreciate　life；　as　many
men　and　good　philosophers　have　often　done；　nor　do　I　regret　having
lived；　for　I　have　done　so　in　a　way　that　lets　me　think　that　I　was　not
born　in　vain。　But　I　quit　life　as　I　would

ON　OLD　AGE
77

an　inn；　not　as　I　would　a　home。　For　nature　has　given　us　a　place　of
entertainment；　not　of　residence。

Oh　glorious　day　when　I　shall