the memorabilia-第14节

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a　man　lay　his　hand　to　achieve　the　impossible？

Soc。　Well　now；　tell　me；　is　there　nobody　whom　Chaerephon　can　please　any
more　than　he　can　please　yourself；　or　do　some　people　find　him　agreeable
enough？

Chaer。　Nay；　there　you　hit　it。　That　is　just　why　I　have　a　right　to
detest　him。　He　can　be　pleasing　enough　to　others；　but　to　me；　whenever
he　appears　on　the　scene；　he　is　not　a　blessingno！　but　by　every　manner
of　means　the　reverse。

Soc。　May　it　not　happen　that　just　as　a　horse　is　no　gain　to　the　inexpert
rider　who　essays　to　handle　him；　so　in　like　manner；　if　a　man　tries　to
deal　with　his　brother　after　an　ignorant　fashion；　this　same　brother
will　kick？

Chaer。　But　is　it　likely　now？　How　should　I　be　ignorant　of　the　art　of
dealing　with　my　brother　if　I　know　the　art　of　repaying　kind　words　and
good　deeds　in　kind？　But　a　man　who　tries　all　he　can　to　annoy　me　by　word
and　deed；　I　can　neither　bless　nor　benefit；　and；　what　is　more；　I　will
not　try。

Soc。　Well　now；　that　is　a　marvellous　statement；　Chaerecrates。　Your　dog；
the　serviceable　guardian　of　your　flocks；　who　will　fawn　and　lick　the
hand　of　your　shepherd；　when　you　come　near　him　can　only　growl　and　show
his　teeth。　Well；　you　take　no　notice　of　the　dog's　ill…temper；　you　try
to　propitiate　him　by　kindness；　but　your　brother？　If　your　brother　were
what　he　ought　to　be；　he　would　be　a　great　blessing　to　youthat　you
admit；　and；　as　you　further　confess；　you　know　the　secret　of　kind　acts
and　words；　yet　you　will　not　set　yourself　to　apply　means　to　make　him
your　best　of　friends。

Chaer。　I　am　afraid；　Socrates；　that　I　have　no　wisdom　or　cunning　to　make
Chaerephon　bear　himself　towards　me　as　he　should。

Soc。　Yet　there　is　no　need　to　apply　any　recondite　or　novel　machinery。
Only　bait　your　hook　in　the　way　best　known　to　yourself；　and　you　will
capture　him；　whereupon　he　will　become　your　devoted　friend。

Chaer。　If　you　are　aware　that　I　know　some　love…charm；　Socrates；　of
which　I　am　the　happy　but　unconscious　possessor；　pray　make　haste　and
enlighten　me。

Soc。　Answer　me　then。　Suppose　you　wanted　to　get　some　acquaintance　to
invite　you　to　dinner　when　he　next　keeps　holy　day；＇4＇　what　steps　would
you　take？

＇4＇　〃When　he　next　does　sacrifice〃；　see　〃Hiero；〃　viii。　3。　Cf。　Theophr。
　　　　〃Char。〃　xv。　2；　and　Prof。　Jebb's　note　ad　loc。

Chaer。　No　doubt　I　should　set　him　a　good　example　by　inviting　him　myself
on　a　like　occasion。

Soc。　And　if　you　wanted　to　induce　some　friend　to　look　after　your
affairs　during　your　absence　abroad；　how　would　you　achieve　your
purpose？

Chaer。　No　doubt　I　should　present　a　precedent　in　undertaking　to　look
after　his　in　like　circumstances。

Soc。　And　if　you　wished　to　get　some　foreign　friend　to　take　you　under
his　roof　while　visiting　his　country；　what　would　you　do？

Chaer。　No　doubt　I　should　begin　by　offering　him　the　shelter　of　my　own
roof　when　he　came　to　Athens；　in　order　to　enlist　his　zeal　in　furthering
the　objects　of　my　visit；　it　is　plain　I　should　first　show　my　readiness
to　do　as　much　for　him　in　a　like　case。

Soc。　Why；　it　seems　you　are　an　adept　after　all　in　all　the　philtres
known　to　man；　only　you　chose　to　conceal　your　knowledge　all　the　while；
or　is　it　that　you　shrink　from　taking　the　first　step　because　of　the
scandal　you　will　cause　by　kindly　advances　to　your　brother？　And　yet　it
is　commonly　held　to　redound　to　a　man's　praise　to　have　outstripped　an
enemy　in　mischief　or　a　friend　in　kindness。　Now　if　it　seemed　to　me　that
Chaerephon　were　better　fitted　to　lead　the　way　towards　this
friendship；＇5＇　I　should　have　tried　to　persuade　him　to　take　the　first
step　in　winning　your　affection；　but　now　I　am　persuaded　the　first　move
belongs　to　you；　and　to　you　the　final　victory。

＇5＇　Reading　｛pros　ten　philian｝；　or　if　｛phusin｝；　transl。　〃natural
　　　　disposition。〃

Chaer。　A　startling　announcement；　Socrates；　from　your　lips；　and　most
unlike　you；　to　bid　me　the　younger　take　precedence　of　my　elder　brother。
Why；　it　is　contrary　to　the　universal　custom　of　mankind；　who　look　to
the　elder　to　take　the　lead　in　everything；　whether　as　a　speaker　or　an
actor。

Soc。　How　so？　Is　it　not　the　custom　everywhere　for　the　younger　to　step
aside　when　he　meets　his　elder　in　the　street　and　to　give　him　place？　Is
he　not　expected　to　get　up　and　offer　him　his　seat；　to　pay　him　the
honour　of　a　soft　couch；＇6＇　to　yield　him　precedence　in　argument？

＇6＇　Lit。　〃with　a　soft　bed；〃　or；　as　we　say；　〃the　best　bedroom。〃

My　good　fellow；　do　not　stand　shilly…shallying；＇7＇　but　put　out　your
hand　caressingly；　and　you　will　see　the　worthy　soul　will　respond　at
once　with　alacrity。　Do　you　not　note　your　brother's　character；　proud
and　frank　and　sensitive　to　honour？　He　is　not　a　mean　and　sorry　rascal
to　be　caught　by　a　bribeno　better　way　indeed　for　such　riff…raff。　No！
gentle　natures　need　a　finer　treatment。　You　can　best　hope　to　work　on
them　by　affection。

＇7＇　Or；　〃have　no　fears；　essay　a　soothing　treatment。〃

Chaer。　But　suppose　I　do；　and　suppose　that；　for　all　my　attempts；　he
shows　no　change　for　the　better？

Soc。　At　the　worst　you　will　have　shown　yourself　to　be　a　good；　honest；
brotherly　man；　and　he　will　appear　as　a　sorry　creature　on　whom　kindness
is　wasted。　But　nothing　of　the　sort　is　going　to　happen；　as　I
conjecture。　My　belief　is　that　as　soon　as　he　hears　your　challenge；　he
will　embrace　the　contest；　pricked　on　by　emulous　pride；　he　will　insist
upon　getting　the　better　of　you　in　kindness　of　word　and　deed。

At　present　you　two　are　in　the　condition　of　two　hands　formed　by　God　to
help　each　other；　but　which　have　let　go　their　business　and　have　turned
to　hindering　one　another　all　they　can。　You　are　a　pair　of　feet
fashioned　on　the　Divine　plan　to　work　together；　but　which　have
neglected　this　in　order　to　trammel　each　other's　gait。　Now　is　it　not
insensate　stupidity＇8＇　to　use　for　injury　what　was　meant　for　advantage？
And　yet　in　fashioning　two　brothers　God　intends　them；　methinks；　to　be
of　more　benefit　to　one　another　than　either　two　hands；　or　two　feet；　or
two　eyes；　or　any　other　of　those　pairs　which　belong　to　man　from　his
birth。＇9＇　Consider　how　powerless　these　hands　of　ours　if　called　upon　to
combine　their　action　at　two　points　more　than　a　single　fathom's　length
apart；＇10＇　and　these　feet　could　not　stretch　asunder＇11＇　even　a　bare
fathom；　and　these　eyes；　for　all　the　wide…reaching　range　we　claim　for
them；　are　incapable　of　seeing　simultaneously　the　back　and　front　of　an
object　at　even　closer　quarters。　But　a　pair　of　brothers；　linked　in
bonds　of　amity；　can　work　each　for　the　other's　good；　though　seas　divide
them。＇12＇

＇8＇　〃Boorishness　verging　upon　monomania。〃

＇9＇　〃With　which　man　is　endowed　at　birth。〃

＇10＇　〃More　than　an　'arms'…stretch'　asunder。〃

＇11＇　Lit。　〃reach　at　one　stretch　two　objects；　even　over　that　small
　　　　distance。〃

＇12＇　〃Though　leagues　separate　them。〃


IV

I　have　at　another　time　heard　him　discourse　on　the　kindred　theme　of
friendship　in　language　well　calculated；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　to　help　a
man　to　choose　and　also　to　use　his　friends　aright。

He　（Socrates）　had　often　heard　the　remark　made　that　of　all　possessions
there　is　none　equal　to　that　of　a　good　and　sincere　friend；　but；　in
spite　of　this　assertion；　the　mass　of　people；　as　far　as　he　could　see；
concerned　themselves　about　nothing　so　little　as　the　acquisition　of
friends。　Houses；　and　fields；　and　slaves；　and　cattle；　and　furniture　of
all　sorts　（he　said）　they　were　at　pains　to　acquire；　and　they　strove
hard　to　keep　what　they　had　got；　but　to　procure　for　themselves　this
greatest　of　all　blessings；　as　they　admitted　a　friend　to　be；　or　to　keep
the　friends　whom　they　already　possessed；　not　one　man　in　a　hundred　ever
gave　himself　a　thought。　It　was　noticeable；　in　the　case　of　a　sickness
befalling　a　man's　friend　and　one　of　his　own　household　simultaneously；
the　promptness　with　which　the　master　would　fetch　the　doctor　to　his
domestic；　and　take　every　precaution　necessary　for　his　recovery；　with
much　expenditure　of　pains；　but　meanwhile　little　account　would　be　taken
of　the　friend　in　like　condition；　and　if　both　should　die；　he　will　show
signs　of　deep　annoyance　at　the　death　of　his　domestic；　which；　as　he
reflects；　is　a　positive　loss　to　him；　but　as　regards　his　friend　his
position　is　in　no　wise　materially　affected；　and　thus；　though　he　would
never　dream　of　leaving　his　other　possessions　disregarded　and　ill　cared
for；　friendship's　mute　appeal　is　met　with　flat　indifference。＇1＇

＇1＇　Or；　〃the　cry　of　a　friend　for　careful　tending　falls　on　deaf　ears。〃

Or　to　take　（said　he）　a　crowning　instance：＇2＇　with　regard　to　ordinary
possessions；　however　multifarious　these　may　be；　most　people　are　at
least　acquainted　with　their　number；　but　if　you　ask　a　man　to　enumerate
his　friends；　who　are　not　so　very　many　after　all　perhaps；　he　cannot；　or
if；　to　oblige　the　inquirer；　he　essays　to　make　a　list；　he　will
presently　retract　the　names　of　some　whom　he　had　previously
included。＇3＇　Such　is　the　amount　of　thought　which　people　bestow　upon
their　friends。

＇2＇　Or；　〃Nor　had　he　failed　to　observe　another　striking　contrast。〃　Cf。
　　　　Cic。　〃Lael。〃　17；　Diog。　Laert。　ii。　30。

＇3＇　i。e。　〃like　a　chess…player　recalling　a　move。〃

And　yet　what　thing　else　may　a　man　call　his　own　is　comparable　to　this
one　best　possession！　what　rather　will　not　serve　by　contrast　to　enhance
the　value　of　an　honest　friend！　Think　of　a　horse　or　a　yoke　of