laches-第8部分

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not；　and　guard　against　them　whether　they　were　supernatural　or　natural；　and



he　would　provide　the　good；　as　he　would　know　how　to　deal　both　with　gods　or



men。







NICIAS：　　I　think；　Socrates；　that　there　is　a　great　deal　of　truth　in　what　you



say。







SOCRATES：　　But　then；　Nicias；　courage；　according　to　this　new　definition　of



yours；　instead　of　being　a　part　of　virtue　only；　will　be　all　virtue？







NICIAS：　　It　would　seem　so。







SOCRATES：　　But　we　were　saying　that　courage　is　one　of　the　parts　of　virtue？







NICIAS：　　Yes；　that　was　what　we　were　saying。







SOCRATES：　　And　that　is　in　contradiction　with　our　present　view？







NICIAS：　　That　appears　to　be　the　case。







SOCRATES：　　Then；　Nicias；　we　have　not　discovered　what　courage　is。







NICIAS：　　We　have　not。







LACHES：　　And　yet；　friend　Nicias；　I　imagined　that　you　would　have　made　the



discovery；　when　you　were　so　contemptuous　of　the　answers　which　I　made　to



Socrates。　　I　had　very　great　hopes　that　you　would　have　been　enlightened　by



the　wisdom　of　Damon。







NICIAS：　　I　perceive；　Laches；　that　you　think　nothing　of　having　displayed



your　ignorance　of　the　nature　of　courage；　but　you　look　only　to　see　whether　I



have　not　made　a　similar　display；　and　if　we　are　both　equally　ignorant　of　the



things　which　a　man　who　is　good　for　anything　should　know；　that；　I　suppose；



will　be　of　no　consequence。　　You　certainly　appear　to　me　very　like　the　rest



of　the　world；　looking　at　your　neighbour　and　not　at　yourself。　　I　am　of



opinion　that　enough　has　been　said　on　the　subject　which　we　have　been



discussing；　and　if　anything　has　been　imperfectly　said；　that　may　be



hereafter　corrected　by　the　help　of　Damon；　whom　you　think　to　laugh　down；



although　you　have　never　seen　him；　and　with　the　help　of　others。　　And　when　I



am　satisfied　myself；　I　will　freely　impart　my　satisfaction　to　you；　for　I



think　that　you　are　very　much　in　want　of　knowledge。







LACHES：　　You　are　a　philosopher；　Nicias；　of　that　I　am　aware：　　nevertheless　I



would　recommend　Lysimachus　and　Melesias　not　to　take　you　and　me　as　advisers



about　the　education　of　their　children；　but；　as　I　said　at　first；　they　should



ask　Socrates　and　not　let　him　off；　if　my　own　sons　were　old　enough；　I　would



have　asked　him　myself。







NICIAS：　　To　that　I　quite　agree；　if　Socrates　is　willing　to　take　them　under



his　charge。　　I　should　not　wish　for　any　one　else　to　be　the　tutor　of



Niceratus。　　But　I　observe　that　when　I　mention　the　matter　to　him　he



recommends　to　me　some　other　tutor　and　refuses　himself。　　Perhaps　he　may　be



more　ready　to　listen　to　you；　Lysimachus。







LYSIMACHUS：　　He　ought；　Nicias：　　for　certainly　I　would　do　things　for　him



which　I　would　not　do　for　many　others。　　What　do　you　say；　Socrateswill　you



comply？　　And　are　you　ready　to　give　assistance　in　the　improvement　of　the



youths？







SOCRATES：　　Indeed；　Lysimachus；　I　should　be　very　wrong　in　refusing　to　aid　in



the　improvement　of　anybody。　　And　if　I　had　shown　in　this　conversation　that　I



had　a　knowledge　which　Nicias　and　Laches　have　not；　then　I　admit　that　you



would　be　right　in　inviting　me　to　perform　this　duty；　but　as　we　are　all　in



the　same　perplexity；　why　should　one　of　us　be　preferred　to　another？　　I



certainly　think　that　no　one　should；　and　under　these　circumstances；　let　me



offer　you　a　piece　of　advice　（and　this　need　not　go　further　than　ourselves）。　



I　maintain；　my　friends；　that　every　one　of　us　should　seek　out　the　best



teacher　whom　he　can　find；　first　for　ourselves；　who　are　greatly　in　need　of



one；　and　then　for　the　youth；　regardless　of　expense　or　anything。　　But　I



cannot　advise　that　we　remain　as　we　are。　　And　if　any　one　laughs　at　us　for



going　to　school　at　our　age；　I　would　quote　to　them　the　authority　of　Homer；



who　says；　that







'Modesty　is　not　good　for　a　needy　man。'







Let　us　then；　regardless　of　what　may　be　said　of　us；　make　the　education　of



the　youths　our　own　education。







LYSIMACHUS：　　I　like　your　proposal；　Socrates；　and　as　I　am　the　oldest；　I　am



also　the　most　eager　to　go　to　school　with　the　boys。　　Let　me　beg　a　favour　of



you：　　Come　to　my　house　to…morrow　at　dawn；　and　we　will　advise　about　these



matters。　　For　the　present；　let　us　make　an　end　of　the　conversation。







SOCRATES：　　I　will　come　to　you　to…morrow；　Lysimachus；　as　you　propose；　God



willing。























End