marcus brutus-第1节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MARCUS　BRUTUS
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　85？…42　B。C。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden



　　MARCUS　Brutus　was　descended　from　that　Junius　Brutus　to　whom　the
ancient　Romans　erected　a　statue　of　brass　in　the　capitol　among　the
images　of　their　kings　with　a　drawn　sword　in　his　hand；　in　remembrance
of　his　courage　and　resolution　in　expelling　the　Tarquins　and　destroying
the　monarchy。　But　that　ancient　Brutus　was　of　a　severe　and　inflexible
nature；　like　steel　of　too　hard　a　temper；　and　having　never　had　his
character　softened　by　study　and　thought；　he　let　himself　be　so　far
transported　with　his　rage　and　hatred　against　tyrants　that；　for
conspiring　with　them；　he　proceeded　to　the　execution　even　of　his　own
sons。　But　this　Brutus；　whose　life　we　now　write；　having　to　the　goodness
of　his　disposition　added　the　improvements　of　learning　and　the　study　of
philosophy；　and　having　stirred　up　his　natural　parts；　of　themselves
grave　and　gentle；　by　applying　himself　to　business　and　public
affairs；　seems　to　have　been　of　a　temper　exactly　framed　for　virtue；
insomuch　that　they　who　were　most　his　enemies　upon　account　of　his
conspiracy　against　Caesar；　if　in　that　whole　affair　there　was　any
honourable　or　generous　part；　referred　it　wholly　to　Brutus；　and　laid
whatever　was　barbarous　and　cruel　to　the　charge　of　Cassius；　Brutus's
connection　and　familiar　friend；　but　not　his　equal　in　honesty　and
pureness　of　purpose。　His　mother；　Servilia；　was　of　the　family　of
Servilius　Ahala；　who　when　Spurius　Maelius　worked　the　people　into　a
rebellion　and　designed　to　make　himself　king；　taking　a　dagger　under　his
arm；　went　forth　into　the　market…place；　and　upon　pretence　of　having
some　private　business　with　him；　came　up　close　to　him；　and；　as　he
bent　his　head　to　hear　what　he　had　to　say；　struck　him　with　his　dagger
and　slew　him。　And　thus　much；　as　concerns　his　descent　by　the　mother's
side；　is　confessed　by　all；　but　as　for　his　father's　family；　they　who
for　Caesar's　murder　bore　any　hatred　or　ill…will　to　Brutus　say　that
he　came　not　from　that　Brutus　who　expelled　the　Tarquins；　there　being
none　of　his　race　left　after　the　execution　of　his　two　sons；　but　that
his　ancestor　was　a　plebeian；　son　of　one　Brutus；　a　steward；　and　only
rose　in　the　latest　times　to　office　or　dignity　in　the　commonwealth。　But
Posidonius　the　philosopher　writes　that　it　is　true　indeed　what　the
history　relates；　that　two　of　the　sons　of　Brutus　who　were　of　men's
estate　were　put　to　death；　but　that　a　third；　yet　an　infant；　was　left
alive；　from　whom　the　family　was　propagated　down　to　Marcus　Brutus；
and　further；　that　there　were　several　famous　persons　of　this　house　in
his　time　whose　looks　very　much　resembled　the　statue　of　Junius
Brutus。　But　of　this　subject　enough。
　　Cato　the　philosopher　was　brother　to　Servilia；　the　mother　of
Brutus；　and　he　it　was　whom　of　all　the　Romans　his　nephew　most　admired
and　studied　to　imitate；　and　he　afterwards　married　his　daughter　Porcia。
Of　all　the　sects　of　the　Greek　philosophers；　though　there　was　none　of
which　he　had　not　been　a　hearer；　and　in　which　he　had　not　made　some
proficiency；　yet　he　chiefly　esteemed　the　Platonists；　and　not　much
approving　of　the　modern　and　middle　Academy；　as　it　is　called；　he
applied　himself　to　the　study　of　the　ancient。　He　was　all　his　lifetime　a
great　admirer　of　Antiochus　of　the　city　of　Ascalon；　and　took　his
brother　Aristus　into　his　own　house　for　his　friend　and　companion；　a　man
for　his　learning　inferior　indeed　to　many　of　the　philosophers；　but
for　the　evenness　of　his　temper　and　steadiness　of　his　conduct　equal
to　the　best。　As　for　Empylus；　of　whom　he　himself　and　his　friends
often　make　mention　in　their　epistles；　as　one　that　lived　with　Brutus；
he　was　a　rhetorician；　and　has　left　behind　him　a　short　but　well…written
history　of　the　death　of　Caesar；　entitled　Brutus。
　　In　Latin；　he　had　by　exercise　attained　a　sufficient　skill　to　be
able　to　make　public　addresses　and　to　plead　a　cause；　but　in　Greek；　he
must　be　noted　for　affecting　the　sententious　and　short　Laconic　way　of
speaking　in　sundry　passages　of　his　epistles；　as　when；　in　the　beginning
of　the　war；　he　wrote　thus　to　the　Pergamenians：　〃I　hear　you　have
given　Dolabella　money；　if　willingly；　you　must　own　you　have　injured　me；
if　unwillingly；　show　it　by　giving　willingly　to　me。〃　And　another　time
to　the　Samians：　〃Your　counsels　are　remiss　and　your　performances
slow；　what　think　ye　will　be　the　end？〃　And　of　the　Patareans　thus：
〃The　Xanthians；　suspecting　my　kindness；　have　made　their　country　the
grave　of　their　despair；　the　Patareans；　trusting　themselves　to　me；
enjoy　in　all　points　their　former　liberty；　it　is　in　your　power　to
choose　the　judgment　of　the　Patareans　on　the　pretence　of　the
Xanthians。〃　And　this　is　the　style　for　which　some　of　his　letters　are　to
be　noted。
　　When　he　was　but　a　very　young　man；　he　accompanied　his　uncle　Cato　to
Cyprus；　when　he　was　sent　there　against　Ptolemy。　But　when　Ptolemy
killed　himself；　Cato；　being　by　some　necessary　business　detained　in　the
isle　of　Rhodes；　had　already　sent　one　of　his　friends；　named　Canidius；
to　take　into　his　care　and　keeping　the　treasure　of　the　king；　but
presently；　not　feeling　sure　of　his　honesty；　he　wrote　to　Brutus　to　sail
immediately　for　Cyprus　out　of　Pamphylia；　where　he　then　was　staying
to　refresh　himself；　being　but　just　recovered　of　a　fit　of　sickness。
He　obeyed　his　orders；　but　with　a　great　deal　of　unwillingness；　as
well　out　of　respect　to　Canidius；　who　was　thrown　out　of　this　employment
by　Cato　with　so　much　disgrace；　as　also　because　he　esteemed　such　a
commission　mean　and　unsuitable　to　him；　who　was　in　the　prime　of　his
youth；　and　given　to　books　and　study。　Nevertheless；　applying　himself　to
the　business；　he　behaved　himself　so　well　in　it　that　he　was　highly
commended　by　Cato；　and　having　turned　all　the　goods　of　Ptolemy　into
ready　money；　he　sailed　with　the　greatest　part　of　it　in　his　own　ship　to
Rome。
　　But　upon　the　general　separation　into　two　factions；　when；　Pompey
and　Caesar　taking　up　arms　against　one　another；　the　whole　empire　was
turned　into　confusion；　it　was　commonly　believed　that　he　would　take
Caesar's　side；　for　his　father　in　past　time　had　been　put　to　death　by
Pompey。　But　he；　thinking　it　his　duty　to　prefer　the　interest　of　the
public　to　his　own　private　feelings；　and　judging　Pompey's　to　be　the
better　cause；　took　part　with　him；　though　formerly　he　used　not　so
much　as　to　salute　or　take　any　notice　of　Pompey；　if　he　happened　to　meet
him；　esteeming　it　a　pollution　to　have　the　least　conversation　with
the　murderer　of　his　father。　But　now；　looking　upon　him　as　the　general
of　his　country；　he　placed　himself　under　his　command；　and　set　sail
for　Cilicia　in　quality　of　lieutenant　to　Sestius；　who　had　the
government　of　that　province。　But　finding　no　opportunity　there　of　doing
any　great　service；　and　hearing　that　Pompey　and　Caesar　were　now　near
one　another　and　preparing　for　the　battle　upon　which　all　depended；　he
came　of　his　own　accord　to　Macedonia　to　partake　in　the　danger。　At　his
coming　it　is　said　that　Pompey　was　so　surprised　and　so　pleased　that；
rising　from　his　chair　in　the　sight　of　all　who　were　about　him；　he
saluted　and　embraced　him；　as　one　of　the　chiefest　of　his　party。　All　the
time　that　he　was　in　the　camp；　excepting　that　which　he　spent　in
Pompey's　company；　he　employed　in　reading　and　in　study；　which　he　did
not　neglect　even　the　day　before　the　great　battle。　It　was　the　middle　of
summer；　and　the　heat　was　very　great；　the　camp　having　been　pitched　near
some　marshy　ground；　and　the　people　that　carried　Brutus's　tent　were　a
long　while　before　they　came。　Yet　though　upon　these　accounts　he　was
extremely　harassed　and　out　of　order；　having　scarcely　by　the　middle
of　the　day　anointed　himself　and　eaten　a　sparing　meal；　whilst　most
others　were　either　laid　to　sleep　or　taken　up　with　the　thoughts　and
apprehensions　of　what　would　be　the　issue　of　the　fight；　he　spent　his
time　until　the　evening　in　writing　an　epitome　of　Polybius。
　　It　is　said　that　Caesar　had　so　great　a　regard　for　him　that　he　ordered
his　commanders　by　no　means　to　kill　Brutus　in　the　battle；　but　to
spare　him；　if　possible；　and　bring　him　safe　to　him；　if　he　would
willingly　surrender　himself；　but　if　he　made　any　resistance；　to
suffer　him　to　escape　rather　than　do　him　any　violence。　And　this　he　is
believed　to　have　done　out　of　a　tenderness　to　Servilia；　the　mother　of
Brutus；　for　Caesar　had；　it　seems；　in　his　youth　been　very　intimate　with
her；　and　she　passionately　in　love　with　him；　and；　considering　that
Brutus　was　born　about　that　time　in　which　their　loves　were　at　the
highest；　Caesar　had　a　belief　that　he　was　his　own　child。　The　story　is
told　that；　when　the　great　question　of　the　conspiracy　of　Catiline；
which　had　like　to　have　been　the　destruction　of　the　commonwealth；　was
debated　in　the　senate；　Cato　and　Caesar　were　both　standing　up；
contending　together　on　the　decision　to　be　come　to；　at　which　time　a
little　note　was　delivered　to　Caesar　from　without；　which　he　took　and
read　silently　to　himself。　Upon　this；　Cato　cried　out　aloud；　and　accused
Caesar　of　holding　correspondence　with　and　receiving　letters　from　the
enemies　of　the　commonwealth；　and　when　many　other　senators　exclaimed
against　it；　Caesar　delivered　the　note　as　he　had　received　it　to