treatises on friendship and old age-第5节

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everything　to　sensual　pleasure。　And　no　wonder。　Men　who　have
degraded　all　their　powers　of　thought　to　an　object　so　mean　and
contemptible　can　of　course　raise　their　eyes　to　nothing　lofty；　to
nothing　grand　and　divine。　　Such　persons　indeed　let　us　leave　out　of
the　present　question。　And　let　us　accept　the　doctrine　that　the
sensation　of　love　and　the　warmth　of　inclination　have　their　origin　in
a　spontaneous　feeling　which　arises　directly　the　presence　of　probity
is　indicated。　　When　once　men　have　conceived　the　inclination；　they
of　course　try　to　attach　themselves　to　the　object　of　it；　and　move
themselves　nearer　and　nearer　to　him。　Their　aim　is　that　they　may　be
on　the　same　footing　and　the　same　level　in　regard　to　affection；　and
be　more　inclined　to　do　a　good　service　than　to　ask　a　return；　and　that
there　should　be　this　noble　rivalry　between　them。　Thus　both　truths
will　be　established。　　We　shall　get　the　most　important　material
advantages　from　friendship；　and　its　origin　from　a　natural　impulse
rather　than　from　a　sense　of　need　will　be　at　once　more　dignified　and
more　in　accordance　with　fact。　For　if　it　were　true　that　its　material
advantages　cemented　friendship；　it　would　be　equally　true　that　any
change　in　them　would　dissolve　it。　　But　nature　being　incapable　of
change；　it　follows　that　genuine　friendships　are　eternal。

So　much　for　the　origin　of　friendship。　　But　perhaps　you　would　not
care　to　hear　any　more。

_Fannius_。　Nay；　pray　go　on；　let　us　have　the　rest；　Laelius。　I　take　on
myself　to　speak　for　my　friend　here　as　his　senior。

_Scaevola_。　Quite　right！　Therefore；　pray　let　us　hear。

10。　_Loelius_。　Well；　then；　my　good　friends；　listen　to　some
conversations　about　friendship　which　very　frequently　passed
between　Scipio　and　myself。　　I　must　begin　by　telling　you；　however；
that　be　used　to　say　that　the　most　difficult　thing　in　the　world　was　for
a　friendship　to　remain　unimpaired　to　the　end　of　life。　　So　many
things　might　intervene：　conflicting　interests；　differences　of　opinion
in　politics；　frequent　changes　in　character；　owing　sometimes　to
misfortunes；　sometimes　to　advancing　years。　He　used　to　illustrate
these　facts　from　the　analogy　of　boyhood；　since　the　warmest
affections　between　boys　are　often　laid　aside　with　the　boyish　toga；
and　even　if　they　did　manage　to　keep　them　up　to　adolescence；　they
were　sometimes　broken　by　a　rivalry　in　courtship；　or　for　some　other
advantage　to　which　their　mutual　claims　were　not　compatible。　
Even　if　the　friendship　was　prolonged　beyond　that　time；　yet　it
frequently　received　a　rude　shock　should　the　two　happen　to　be
competitors　for　office。　　For　while　the　most　fatal　blow　to　friendship
in　the　majority　of　cases　was　the　lust　of　gold；　in　the　case　of　the　best
men　it　was　a　rivalry　for　office　and　reputation；　by　which　it　had
often　happened　that　the　most　violent　enmity　had　arisen　between
the　closest　friends。

Again；　wide　breaches　and；　for　the　most　part；　justifiable　ones　were
caused　by　an　immoral　request　being　made　of　friends；　to　pander　to
a　man's　unholy　desires　or　to　assist　him　in　inflicting　a　wrong。　　A
refusal；　though　perfectly　right；　is　attacked　by　those　to　whom　they
refuse　compliance　as　a　violation　of　the　laws　of　friendship。　Now　the
people　who　have　no　scruples　as　to　the　requests　they　make　to　their
friends；　thereby　allow　that　they　are　ready　to　have　no　scruples　as　to
what　they　will　do　for　their　friends；　and　it　is　the　recriminations　of
such　people　which　commonly　not　only　quench　friendships；　but
give　rise　to　lasting　enmities。　　〃　In　fact；〃　he　used　to　say；　〃these
fatalities　overhang　friendship　in　such　numbers　that　it　requires　not
only　wisdom　but　good　luck　also　to　escape　them　all。〃

11。　With　these　premises；　then；　let　us　first；　if　you　please；　examine
the　question…how　far　ought　personal　feeling　to　go　in　friendship？　
For　instance：　suppose　Coriolanus　to　have　had　friends；　ought　they　to
have　joined　him　in　invading　his　country？　　Again；　in　the　case　of
Vecellinus　or　Spurius　Maelius；　ought　their　friends　to　have　assisted
them　in　their　attempt　to　establish　a　tyranny？　　Take　two　instances　of
either　line　of　conduct。　When　Tiberius　Gracchus　attempted　his
revolutionary　measures　he　was　deserted；　as　we　saw；　by　Quintus
Tubero　and　the　friends　of　his　own　standing。　　On　the　other　hand；　a
friend　of　your　own　family；　Scaevola；　Gains　Blossius　of　Cumae；
took　a　different　course。　I　was　acting　as　assessor　to　the　consuls
Laenas　and　Rupilius　to　try　the　conspirators；　and　Blossius　pleaded
for　my　pardon　on　the　ground　that　his　regard　for　Tiberius　Gracchus
had　been　so　high　that　he　looked　upon　his　wishes　as　law。　〃Even　if
he　had　wished　you　to　set　fire　to　the　Capitol？〃　said　I。　〃That　is　a
thing；〃　he　replied；　〃that　he　never　would　have　wished。〃　　〃Ah；　but　if
he　had　wished　it？〃　said　I。　〃I　would　have　obeyed。〃　　The　wickedness
of　such　a　speech　needs　no　comment。　　And　in　point　of　fact　he　was
as　good　and　better　than　his　word　for　he　did　not　wait　for　orders　in
the　audacious　proceedings　of　Tiberius　Gracchus；　but　was　the　head
and　front　of　them；　and　was　a　leader　rather　than　an　abettor　of　his
madness。　The　result　of　his　infatuation　was　that　he　fled　to　Asia；
terrified　by　the　special　commission　appointed　to　try　him；　joined
the　enemies　of　his　country；　and　paid　a　penalty　to　the　republic　as
heavy　as　it　was　deserved。　　I　conclude；　then；　that　the　plea　of　having
acted　in　the　interests　of　a　friend　is　not　a　valid　excuse　for　a　wrong
action。　　For；　seeing　that　a　belief　in　a　man's　virtue　is　the　original
cause　of　friendship；　friendship　can　hardly　remain　if　virtue　he
abandoned。　But　if　we　decide　it　to　be　right　to　grant　our　friends
whatever　they　wish；　and　to　ask　them　for　whatever　we　wish；　perfect
wisdom　must　be　assumed　on　both　sides　if　no　mischief　is　to
happen。　But　we　cannot　assume　this　perfect　wisdom；　for　we　are
speaking　only　of　such　friends　as　are　ordinarily　to　be　met　with；
whether　we　have　actually　seen　them　or　have　been　told　about
them…men；　that　is　to　say；　of　everyday　life。　　I　must　quote　some
examples　of　such　persons；　taking　care　to　select　such　as　approach
nearest　to　our　standard　of　wisdom。　We　read；　for　instance；　that
Papus　Aemilius　was　a　close　friend　of　Gaius　Luscinus。　　History　tells
us　that　they　were　twice　consuls　together；　and　colleagues　in　the
censorship。　　Again；　it　is　on　record　that　Manius　Curius　and　Tiberius
Coruncanius　were　on　the　most　intimate　terms　with　them　and　with
each　other。　Now；　we　cannot　even　suspect　that　any　one　of　these
men　ever　asked　of　his　friend　anything　that　militated　against　his
honour　or　his　oath　or　the　interests　of　the　republic。　In　the　case　of
such　men　as　these　there　is　no　point　in　saying　that　one　of　them
would　not　have　obtained　such　a　request　if　he　had　made　it；　for　they
were　men　of　the　most　scrupulous　piety；　and　the　making　of　such　a
request　would　involve　a　breach　of　religious　obligation　no　less　than
the　granting　it。　However；　it　is　quite　true　that　Gaius　Carbo　and
Gaius　Cato　did　follow　Tiberius　Gracchus；　and　though　his　brother
Caius　Gracchus　did　not　do　so　at　the　time；　he　is　now　the　most　eager
of　them　all。

12。　We　may　then　lay　down　this　rule　of　friendship…neither　ask　nor
consent　to　do　what　is　wrong。　For　the　plea　〃for　friendship's　sake〃　is
a　discreditable　one；　and　not　to　be　admitted　for　a　moment。　　This
rule　holds　good　for　all　wrong…doing；　but　more　especially　in　such　as
involves　disloyalty　to　the　republic。　　For　things　have　come　to　such　a
point　with　us；　my　dear　Fannius　and　Scaevola；　that　we　are　bound　to
look　somewhat　far　ahead　to　what　is　likely　to　happen　to　the
republic。　　The　constitution；　as　known　to　our　ancestors；　has　already
swerved　somewhat　from　the　regular　course　and　the　lines　marked
out　for　it。　　Tiberius　Gracchus　made　an　attempt　to　obtain　the　power
of　a　king；　or；　I　might　rather　say；　enjoyed　that　power　for　a　few
months。　Had　the　Roman　people　ever　heard　or　seen　the　like　before？
What　the　friends　and　connexions　that　followed　him；　even　after　his
death；　have　succeeded　in　doing　in　the　case　of　Publius　Scipio　I
cannot　describe　without　tears。　　As　for　Carbo；　thanks　to　the
punishment　recently　inflicted　on　Tiberius　Gracchus；　we　have　by
hook　or　by　crook　managed　to　hold　out　against　his　attacks。　　But
what　to　expect　of　the　tribuneship　of　Caius　Gracchus　I　do　not　like
to　forecast。　One　thing　leads　to　another；　and　once　set　going；　the
downward　course　proceeds　with　ever…increasing　velocity。　　There　is
the　case　of　the　ballot：　what　a　blow　was　inflicted　first　by　the　lex
Gabinia；　and　two　years　afterwards　by　the　lex　Cassia！　I　seem
already　to　see　the　people　estranged　from　the　Senate；　and　the　most
important　affairs　at　the　mercy　of　the　multitude。　For　you　may　be
sure　that　more　people　will　learn　how　to　set　such　things　in　motion
than　how　to　stop　them。　What　is　the　point　of　these　remarks？　This：
no　one　ever　makes　any　attempt　of　this　sort　without　friends　to　help
him。　　We　must　therefore　impress　upon　good　men　that；　should　they
become　inevitably　involved　in　friendships　with　men　of　this　kind；
they　ought　not　to　consider　themselves　under　any　obligation　to
stand　by　friends　who　are　disloyal　to　the　republic。　　Bad　men　must
have　the　fear　of　punishment　before　their　eyes：　a　punishment　not
less　severe　for　those　who　follow　than　for　those　who　lead　others　to
crime。　Who　was　more　famous　and　powerful　in　Greece　than
Themistocles？　At　the　head　of　th