the unseen world and other essays-第60节

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Still　further　proof　is　furnished　by　the　exquisite　literary　perfection　of　Greek　writings。　One　of　the　common　arguments　in　favour　of　the　study　of　Greek　at　the　present　day　is　based　upon　the　opinion　that　in　the　best　works　extant　in　that　language　the　art　of　literary　expression　has　reached　wellnigh　absolute　perfection。　I　fully　concur　in　this　opinion；　so　far　as　to　doubt　if　even　the　greatest　modern　writers；　even　a　Pascal　or　a　Voltaire；　can　fairly　sustain　a　comparison　with　such　Athenians　as　Plato　or　Lysias。　This　excellence　of　the　ancient　books　is　in　part　immediately　due　to　the　fact　that　they　were　not　written　in　a　hurry；　or　amid　the　anxieties　of　an　over…busy　existence；　but　it　is　in　greater　part　due　to　the　indirect　consequences　of　a　leisurely　life。　These　books　were　written　for　a　public　which　knew　well　how　to　appreciate　the　finer　beauties　of　expression；　and；　what　is　still　more　to　the　point；　their　authors　lived　in　a　community　where　an　elegant　style　was　habitual。　Before　a　matchless　style　can　be　written；　there　must　be　a　good　style　〃in　the　air；〃　as　the　French　say。　Probably　the　most　finished　talking　and　writing　of　modern　times　has　been　done　in　and　about　the　French　court　in　the　seventeenth　century；　and　it　is　accordingly　there　that　we　find　men　like　Pascal　and　Bossuet　writing　a　prose　which　for　precision；　purity；　and　dignity　has　never　since　been　surpassed。　It　is　thus　that　the　unapproachable　literary　excellence　of　ancient　Greek　books　speaks　for　the　genuine　culture　of　the　people　who　were　expected　to　read　them；　or　to　hear　them　read。　For　one　of　the　surest　indices　of　true　culture；　whether　professedly　literary　or　not；　is　the　power　to　express　one's　self　in　precise；　rhythmical；　and　dignified　language。　We　hardly　need　a　better　evidence　than　this　of　the　superiority　of　the　ancient　community　in　the　general　elevation　of　its　tastes　and　perceptions。　Recollecting　how　Herodotos　read　his　history　at　the　Olympic　games；　let　us　try　to　imagine　even　so　picturesque　a　writer　as　Mr。　Parkman　reading　a　few　chapters　of　his　〃Jesuits　in　North　America〃　before　the　spectators　assembled　at　the　Jerome　Park　races；　and　we　shall　the　better　realize　how　deep…seated　was　Hellenic　culture。

As　yet；　however；　I　have　referred　to　but　one　side　of　Athenian　life。　Though　〃seekers　after　wisdom；〃　the　cultivated　people　of　Athens　did　not　spend　all　their　valuable　leisure　in　dialectics　or　in　connoisseurship。　They　were　not　a　set　of　dilettanti　or　dreamy　philosophers；　and　they　were　far　from　subordinating　the　material　side　of　life　to　the　intellectual。　Also；　though　they　dealt　not　in　money…making　after　the　eager　fashion　of　modern　men；　they　had　still　concerns　of　immediate　practical　interest　with　which　to　busy　themselves。　Each　one　of　these　twenty…five　thousand　free　Athenians　was　not　only　a　free　voter；　but　an　office…holder；　a　legislator；　a　judge。　They　did　not　control　the　government　through　a　representative　body；　but　they　were　themselves　the　government。　They　were；　one　and　all；　in　turn　liable　to　be　called　upon　to　make　laws；　and　to　execute　them　after　they　were　made；　as　well　as　to　administer　justice　in　civil　and　criminal　suits。　The　affairs　and　interests；　not　only　of　their　own　city；　but　of　a　score　or　two　of　scattered　dependencies；　were　more　or　less　closely　to　be　looked　after　by　them。　It　lay　with　them　to　declare　war；　to　carry　it　on　after　declaring　it；　and　to　pay　the　expenses　of　it。　Actually　and　not　by　deputy　they　administered　the　government　of　their　own　city；　both　in　its　local　and　in　its　imperial　relations。　All　this　implies　a　more　thorough；　more　constant；　and　more　vital　political　training　than　that　which　is　implied　by　the　modern　duties　of　casting　a　ballot　and　serving　on　a　jury。　The　life　of　the　Athenian　was　emphatically　a　political　life。　From　early　manhood　onward；　it　was　part　of　his　duty　to　hear　legal　questions　argued　by　powerful　advocates；　and　to　utter　a　decision　upon　law　and　fact；　or　to　mix　in　debate　upon　questions　of　public　policy；　arguing；　listening；　and　pondering。　It　is　customary　to　compare　the　political　talent　of　the　Greeks　unfavourably　with　that　displayed　by　the　Romans；　and　I　have　no　wish　to　dispute　this　estimate。　But　on　a　careful　study　it　will　appear　that　the　Athenians；　at　least；　in　a　higher　degree　than　any　other　community　of　ancient　times；　exhibited　parliamentary　tact；　or　the　ability　to　sit　still　while　both　sides　of　a　question　are　getting　discussed；that　sort　of　political　talent　for　which　the　English　races　are　distinguished；　and　to　the　lack　of　which　so　many　of　the　political　failures　of　the　French　are　egregiously　due。　One　would　suppose　that　a　judicature　of　the　whole　town　would　be　likely　to　execute　a　sorry　parody　of　justice；　yet　justice　was　by　no　means　ill…administered　at　Athens。　Even　the　most　unfortunate　and　disgraceful　scenes；as　where　the　proposed　massacre　of　the　Mytilenaians　was　discussed；　and　where　summary　retribution　was　dealt　out　to　the　generals　who　had　neglected　their　duty　at　Arginusai；even　these　scenes　furnish；　when　thoroughly　examined；　as　by　Mr。　Grote；　only　the　more　convincing　proof　that　the　Athenian　was　usually　swayed　by　sound　reason　and　good　sense　to　an　extraordinary　degree。　All　great　points　in　fact；　were　settled　rather　by　sober　appeals　to　reason　than　by　intrigue　or　lobbying；　and　one　cannot　help　thinking　that　an　Athenian　of　the　time　of　Perikles　would　have　regarded　with　pitying　contempt　the　trick　of　the　〃previous　question。〃　And　this　explains　the　undoubted　pre…eminence　of　Athenian　oratory。　This　accounts　for　the　fact　that　we　find　in　the　forensic　annals　of　a　single　city；　and　within　the　compass　of　a　single　century；　such　names　as　Lysias；　Isokrates；　Andokides；　Hypereides；　Aischines；　and　Demosthenes。　The　art　of　oratory；　like　the　art　of　sculpture；　shone　forth　more　brilliantly　then　than　ever　since；　because　then　the　conditions　favouring　its　development　were　more　perfectly　combined　than　they　have　since　been。　Now；　a　condition　of　society　in　which　the　multitude　can　always　be　made　to　stand　quietly　and　listen　to　a　logical　discourse　is　a　condition　of　high　culture。　Readers　of　Xenophon's　Anabasis　will　remember　the　frequency　of　the　speeches　in　that　charming　book。　Whenever　some　terrible　emergency　arose；　or　some　alarming　quarrel　or　disheartening　panic　occurred；　in　the　course　of　the　retreat　of　the　Ten　Thousand；　an　oration　from　one　of　the　commandersnot　a　demagogue's　appeal　to　the　lower　passions；　but　a　calm　exposition　of　circumstances　addressed　to　the　sober　judgmentusually　sufficed　to　set　all　things　in　order。　To　my　mind　this　is　one　of　the　most　impressive　historical　lessons　conveyed　in　Xenophon's　book。　And　this　peculiar　kind　of　self…control；　indicative　of　intellectual　sobriety　and　high　moral　training；　which　was　more　or　less　characteristic　of　all　Greeks；　was　especially　characteristic　of　the　Athenians。

These　illustrations　will；　I　hope；　suffice　to　show　that　there　is　nothing　extravagant　in　the　high　estimate　which　I　have　made　of　Athenian　culture。　I　have　barely　indicated　the　causes　of　this　singular　perfection　of　individual　training　in　the　social　circumstances　amid　which　the　Athenians　lived。　I　have　alleged　it　as　an　instance　of　what　may　be　accomplished　by　a　well…directed　leisure　and　in　the　absence　or　very　scanty　development　of　such　a　complex　industrial　life　as　that　which　surrounds　us　to…day。　But　I　have　not　yet　quite　done　with　the　Athenians。　Before　leaving　this　part　of　the　subject；　I　must　mention　one　further　circumstance　which　tends　to　make　ancient　life　appear　in　our　eyes　more　sunny　and　healthy　and　less　distressed；　than　the　life　of　modern　times。　And　in　this　instance；　too；　though　we　are　not　dealing　with　any　immediate　or　remote　effects　of　leisureliness；　we　still　have　to　note　the　peculiar　advantage　gained　by　the　absence　of　a　great　complexity　of　interests　in　the　ancient　community。

With　respect　to　religion；　the　Athenians　were　peculiarly　situated。　They　had　for　the　most　part　outgrown　the　primitive　terrorism　of　fetishistic　belief。　Save　in　cases　of　public　distress；　as　in　the　mutilation　of　the　Hermai；　or　in　the　refusal　of　Nikias　to　retreat　from　Syracuse　because　of　an　eclipse　of　the　moon；　they　were　no　longer；　like　savages；　afraid　of　the　dark。　Their　keen　aesthetic　sense　had　prevailed　to　turn　the　horrors　of　a　primeval　nature…worship　into　beauties。　Their　springs　and　groves　were　peopled　by　their　fancy　with　naiads　and　dryads；　not　with　trolls　and　grotesque　goblins。　Their　feelings　toward　the　unseen　powers　at　work　about　them　were　in　the　main　pleasant；　as　witness　the　little　story　about　Pheidippides　meeting　the　god　Pan　as　he　was　making　with　hot　haste　toward　Sparta　to　announce　the　arrival　of　the　Persians。　Now；　while　this　original　source　of　mental　discomfort；　which　afflicts　the　uncivilized　man；　had　ceased　materially　to　affect　the　Athenians；　they　on　the　other　hand　lived　at　a　time　when　the　vague　sense　of　sin　and　self…reproof　which　was　characteristic　of　the　early　ages　of　Christianity；　had　not　yet　invaded　society。　The　vast　complication　of　life　brought　about　by　the　extension　of　the　Roman　Empire　led　to　a　great　development　of　human　sympathies；　unknown　in　earlier　times；　and　called　forth　unquiet　yearnings；　desire　for　amelioration；　a　sense　of　short…coming；　and　a　morbid　self…consciousness。　It　is　accordingly　under　Roman　sway　that　we　first　come　across　characters　approximating　to　the　modern　type；　like　Cicero；　Seneca；　Epictetus；　and　Marcus　Aurelius。　It　is　then　that　we　find　the　ide