the memorabilia-第39节

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prime　or　have　passed　their　prime　is　not　good？

Hipp。　It　seems　most　improbable　it　should　be。

Soc。　Then　the　right　way　to　produce　children　is　not　that　way？

Hipp。　No；　that　is　not　the　right　way。

Soc。　Then　children　who　are　so　produced　are　produced　not　as　they　ought
to　be？

Hipp。　So　it　appears　to　me。

What　offspring　then　（he　asked）　will　be　ill　produced；　ill　begotten；　and
ill　born；　if　not　these？

I　subscribe　to　that　opinion　also　（replied　Hippias）。

Soc。　Well；　it　is　a　custom　universally　respected；　is　it　not；　to　return
good　for　good；　and　kindness　with　kindness？

Hipp。　Yes；　a　custom；　but　one　which　again　is　apt　to　be　transgressed。

Soc。　Then　he　that　so　transgresses　it　pays　penalty　in　finding　himself
isolated；　bereft　of　friends　who　are　good；　and　driven　to　seek　after
those　who　love　him　not。　Or　is　it　not　so　that　he　who　does　me　kindness
in　my　intercourse　with　him　is　my　good　friend；　but　if　I　requite　not
this　kindness　to　my　benefactor；　I　am　hated　by　him　for　my　ingratitude；
and　yet　I　must　needs　pursue　after　him　and　cling　to　him　because　of　the
great　gain　to　me　of　his　society？

Hipp。　Yes；　Socrates。　In　all　these　cases；　I　admit；　there　is　an
implication　of　divine　authority；＇38＇　that　a　law　should　in　itself　be
loaded　with　the　penalty　of　its　transgression　does　suggest　to　my　mind　a
higher　than　human　type　of　legistlator。

＇38＇　Lit。　〃Yes；　upon　my　word；　Socrates；　all　these　cases　look　very　like
　　　　（would　seem　to　point　to）　the　gods。〃

Soc。　And　in　your　opinion；　Hippias；　is　the　legislation　of　the　gods　just
and　righteous；　or　the　reverse　of　what　is　just　and　righteous？

Hipp。　Not　the　reverse　of　what　is　just　and　righteous；　Socrates；　God
forbid！　for　scarcely　could　any　other　legislate　aright；　of　not　God
himself。

Soc。　It　would　seem　then；　Hippias；　the　gods　themselves　are　well　pleased
that　〃the　lawful〃　and　〃the　just〃　should　be　synonymous？＇39＇

＇39＇　Or；　〃it　is　well　pleasing　also　to　the　gods　that　what　is　lawful　is
　　　　just　and　what　is　just　is　lawful。〃

By　such　language　and　by　such　conduct；　through　example　and　precept
alike；　he　helped　to　make　those　who　approached　him　more　upright　and
more　just。


V

And　now　I　propose　to　show　in　what　way　he　made　those　who　were　with　him
more　vigorous　in　action。＇1＇　In　the　first　place；　as　befitted　one　whose
creed　was　that　a　basis　of　self…command　is　indispensable　to　any　noble
performance；　he　manifested　himself　to　his　companions　as　one　who　had
pre…eminently　disciplined　himself；＇2＇　and　in　the　next　place　by
conversation　and　discussion　he　encouraged　them　to　a　like　self…
restraint　beyond　all　others。＇3＇　Thus　it　was　that　he　continued　ever
mindful　himself；　and　was　continually　reminding　all　whom　he
encountered；　of　matters　conducive　to　virtue；　as　the　following
discussion　with　Euthydemus；　which　has　come　to　my　knowledge；＇4＇　will
serve　to　illustratethe　topic　of　the　discussion　being　self…command。

＇1＇　Lit。　〃more　practical；〃　i。e。　more　energetic　and　effective。

＇2＇　〃If　any　one　might　claim　to　be　a　prince　of　ascetics；　it　was
　　　　Socrates；　such　was　the　ineffaceable　impression　left　on　the　minds
　　　　of　his　associates。〃

＇3＇　Or；　〃he　stimulated　in　these　same　companions　a　spirit　of　self…
　　　　restraint　beyond　all　else。〃

＇4＇　Or；　〃which　I　can　vouch　for。〃

Tell　me；　Euthydemus　（he　began）；　do　you　believe　freedom　to　be　a　noble
and　magnificent　acquisition；　whether　for　a　man　or　for　a　state？

I　cannot　conceive　a　nobler　or　more　magnificent　（he　answered）。

Soc。　Then　do　you　believe　him　to　be　a　free　man　who　is　ruled　by　the
pleasures　of　the　body；　and　thereby　cannot　perform　what　is　best？

Certainly　not　（he　answered）。

Soc。　No！　for　possibly　to　perform　what　is　best　appears　to　you　to　savour
of　freedom？　And；　again；　to　have　some　one　over　you　who　will　prevent　you
doing　the　like　seems　a　loss　of　freedom？

Most　decidedly　（he　answered）。

Soc。　It　would　seem　you　are　decidedly　of　opinion　that　the　incontinent
are　the　reverse　of　free？＇5＇

＇5＇　Or；　〃incontinency　is　illiberal。〃

Euth。　Upon　my　word；　I　much　suspect　so。

Soc。　And　does　it　appear　to　you　that　the　incontinent　man　is　merely
hindered　from　doing　what　is　noblest；　or　that　further　he　is　impelled　to
do　what　is　most　shameful？

Euth。　I　think　he　is　as　much　driven　to　the　one　as　he　is　hindered　from
the　other。

Soc。　And　what　sort　of　lords　and　masters　are　those；　think　you；　who　at
once　put　a　stop　to　what　is　best　and　enforce　what　is　worst？

Euth。　Goodness　knows；　they　must　be　the　very　worst　of　masters。

Soc。　And　what　sort　of　slavery　do　you　take　to　be　the　worst？

I　should　say　（he　answered）　slavery　to　the　worst　masters。

It　would　seem　then　（pursued　Socrates）　that　the　incontinent　man　is
bound　over　to　the　worst　sort　of　slavery；　would　it　not？

So　it　appears　to　be　（the　other　answered）。

Soc。　And　does　it　not　appear　to　you　that　this　same　beldame　incontinence
shuts　out　wisdom；　which　is　the　best　of　all　things；＇6＇　from　mankind；
and　plunges　them　into　the　opposite？　Does　it　not　appear　to　you　that　she
hinders　men　from　attending　to　things　which　will　be　of　use　and　benefit；
and　from　learning　to　understand　them；　that　she　does　so　by　dragging
them　away　to　things　which　are　pleasant；　and　often　though　they　are　well
aware　of　the　good　and　of　the　evil；　she　amazes　and　confounds＇7＇　their
wits　and　makes　them　choose　the　worse　in　place　of　the　better？

＇6＇　〃Wisdom；　the　greatest　good　which　men　can　possess。〃

＇7＇　Schneid。　cf。　Plat。　〃Protag。〃　355　A；　and　〃Symp。〃　iv。　23。

Yes；　so　it　comes　to　pass　（he　answered）。

Soc。　And＇8＇　soundness　of　soul；　the　spirit　of　temperate　modesty？　Who
has　less　claim　to　this　than　the　incontinent　man？　The　works　of　the
temperate　spirit　and　the　works　of　incontinency　are；　I　take　it；
diametrically　opposed？

＇8＇　〃And　if　this　be　so　concerning　wisdom；　｛sophia｝；　what　of
　　　　｛sophrasune｝；　soundness　of　soulsobriety？〃

That　too；　I　admit　（he　answered）。

Soc。　If　this　then　be　so　concerning　these　virtues；＇9＇　what　with　regard
to　carefulness　and　devotion　to　all　that　ought　to　occupy　us？　Can
anything　more　seriously　militate　against　these　than　this　same
incontinence？

＇9＇　Or　add；　〃If　this　be　so　concerning　not　wisdom　only；　but　concerning
　　　　temperance　and　soundness　of　soul；　what；〃　etc。

Nothing　that　I　can　think　of　（he　replied）。

Soc。　And　can　worse　befall　a　man；　think　you？　Can　he　be　subjected　to　a
more　baleful　influence　than　that　which　induces　him　to　choose　what　is
hurtful　in　place　of　what　is　helpful；　which　cajoles　him　to　devote
himself　to　the　evil　and　to　neglect　the　good；　which　forces　him；　will　he
nill　he；　to　do　what　every　man　in　his　sober　senses　would　shrink　from
and　avoid？

I　can　imagine　nothing　worse　（he　replied）。

Soc。　Self…control；　it　is　reasonable　to　suppose；　will　be　the　cause　of
opposite　effects　upon　mankind　to　those　of　its　own　opposite；　the　want
of　self…control？

Euth。　It　is　to　be　supposed　so。

Soc。　And　this；　which　is　the　source　of　opposite　effects　to　the　very
worst；　will　be　the　very　best　of　things？

Euth。　That　is　the　natural　inference。

Soc。　It　looks；　does　it　not；　Euthydemus；　as　if　self…control　were　the
best　thing　a　man　could　have？

It　does　indeed；　Socrates　（he　answered）。

Soc。　But　now；　Euthydemus；　has　it　ever　occurred　to　you　to　note　one
fact？

What　fact？　（he　asked）。

Soc。　That；　after　all；　incontinency　is　powerless　to　bring　us　to　that
realm　of　sweetness　which　some　look　upon＇10＇　as　her　peculiar　province；
it　is　not　incontinency　but　self…control　alone　which　has　the　passport
to　highest　pleasures。

＇10＇　Or；　〃which　we　are　apt　to　think　of　as。〃

In　what　way？　（he　asked）。　How　so？

Why；　this　way　（Socrates　answered）：　since　incontinency　will　not　suffer
us　to　resist　hunger　and　thirst；　or　to　hold　out　against　sexual
appetite；　or　want　of　sleep　（which　abstinences　are　the　only　channels　to
true　pleasure　in　eating　and　drinking；　to　the　joys　of　love；　to　sweet
repose　and　blissful　slumber　won　by　those　who　will　patiently　abide　and
endure　till　each　particular　happiness　is　at　the　flood）＇11＇it　comes
to　this：　by　incontinency　we　are　cut　off　from　the　full　fruition　of　the
more　obvious　and　constantly　recurring　pleasures。＇12＇　To　self…control；
which　alone　enables　us　to　endure　the　pains　aforesaid；　alone　belongs
the　power　to　give　us　any　pleasure　worth　remembering　in　these　common
cases。

＇11＇　Or；　〃at　its　season。〃　Lit。　〃is　as　sweet　as　possible。〃

＇12＇　Or；　〃from　tasting　to　any　extent　worth　speaking　of　the　most
　　　　necessary　and　all…pervading　sources　of　happiness。〃

You　speak　the　words　of　truth＇13＇　（he　answered）。

＇13＇　Lit。　〃What　you　say　is　absolutely　and　entirely　true〃　（the　〃vraie
　　　　verite〃　of　the　matter）。

Soc。　Furthermore；＇14＇　if　there　be　any　joy　in　learning　aught　〃beautiful
and　good；〃　or　in　patient　application　to　such　rules　as　may　enable　a　man
to　manage　his　body　aright；　or　to　administer　his　household　well；　or　to
prove　himself　useful　to　his　friends　and　to　the　state；　or　to　dominate
his　enemieswhich　things　are　the　sources　not　only　of　advantage　but　of
deepest　satisifaction＇15＇to　the　continent　and　self…controlled　it　is
given　to　reap　the　fruits　of　them　in　their　performance。　It　is　the
incontinent　who　have　neither　part　nor　lot　in　any　one　of　them。　Since　we
must　be　right　in　asserting　that　he　is　least　concerned　with　such　things
who　has　least　ability　to　do　them；　being　tied　down　to　take　an　interest
in　the　p