treatises on friendship and old age-第16部分

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An　actor；　in　order　to　earn　approval；　is　not　bound　to　perform　the
play　from　beginning　to　end；　let　him　only　satisfy　the　audience　in
whatever　act　he　appears。　　Nor　need　a　wise　man　go　on　to　the
concluding　〃plaudite。〃　　For　a　short　term　of　life　is　long　enough　for
living　well　and　honourably。　But　if　you　go　farther；　you　have　no
more　right　to　grumble　than　farmers　do　because　the　charm　of　the
spring　season　is　past　and　the　summer　and　autumn　have　come。　　For
the　word　〃spring〃　in　a　way　suggests　youth；　and　points　to　the
harvest　to　be：　the　other　seasons　are　suited　for　the　reaping　and
storing　of　the　crops。　Now　the　harvest　of　old　age　is；　as　I　have　often
said；　the　memory　and　rich　store　of　blessings　laid　up　in　easier　life。
Again；　all　things　that　accord　with　nature　are　to　be　counted　as　good。　
But　what　can　be　more　in　accordance　with　nature　than　for　old　men
to　die？　A　thing；　indeed；　which　also　beliefs　young　men；　though
nature　revolts　and　fights　against　it。　Accordingly；　the　death　of
young　men　seems　to　me　like　putting　out　a　great　fire　with　a　deluge
of　water；　but　old　men　die　like　a　fire　going　out　because　it　has　burnt
down　of　its　own　nature　without　artificial　means。　　Again；　just　as
apples　when　unripe　are　torn　from　trees；　but　when　ripe　and　mellow
drop　down；　so　it　is　violence　that　takes　life　from　young　men；
ripeness　from　old。　　This　ripeness　is　so　delightful　to　me；　that；　as　I
approach　nearer　to　death；　I　seem　as　it　were　to　be　sighting　land；　and
to　be　coming　to　port　at　last　after　a　long　voyage。

20。　Again；　there　is　no　fixed　borderline　for　old　age；　and　you　are
making　a　good　and　proper　use　of　it　as　long　as　you　can　satisfy　the
call　of　duty　and　disregard　death。　　The　result　of　this　is；　that　old　age
is　even　more　confident　and　courageous　than　youth。　That　is　the
meaning　of　Solon's　answer　to　the　tyrant　Pisistratus。　When　the　latter
asked　him　what　he　relied　upon　in　opposing　him　with　such
boldness；　he　is　said　to　have　replied；　〃On　my　old　age。〃　　But　that　end
of　life　is　the　best；　when；　without　the　intellect　or　senses　being
impaired；　Nature　herself　takes　to　pieces　her　own　handiwork　which
she　also　put　together。　Just　as　the　builder　of　a　ship　or　a　house　can
break　them　up　more　easily　than　any　one　else；　so　the　nature　that
knit　together　the　human　frame　can　also　best　unfasten　it。　　Moreover；
a　thing　freshly　glued　together　is　always　difficult　to　pull　asunder；　if
old；　this　is　easily　done。

The　result　is　that　the　short　time　of　life　left　to　them　is　not　to　be
grasped　at　by　old　men　with　greedy　eagerness；　or　abandoned
without　cause。　Pythagoras　forbids　us；　without　an　order　from　our
commander；　that　is　God；　to　desert　life's　fortress　and　outpost。
Solon's　epitaph；　indeed；　is　that　of　a　wise　man；　in　which　he　says　that
he　does　not　wish　his　death　to　be　unaccompanied　by　the　sorrow　and
lamentations　of　his　friends。　He　wants；　I　suppose；　to　be　beloved　by
them。　But　I　rather　think　Ennius　says　better：

None　grace　me　with　their　tears；　nor　weeping　loud
Make　sad　my　funeral　rites！

He　holds　that　a　death　is　not　a　subject　for　mourning　when　it　is
followed　by　immortality。

Again；　there　may　possibly　be　some　sensation　of　dying
and　that　only　for　a　short　time；　especially　in　the　case　of　an　old　man：
after　death；　indeed；　sensation　is　either　what　one　would　desire；　or　it
disappears　altogether。　　But　to　disregard　death　is　a　lesson　which
must　be　studied　from　our　youth　up；　for　unless　that　is　learnt；　no　one
can　have　a　quiet　mind。　　For　die　we　certainly　must；　and　that　too
without　being　certain　whether　it　may　not　be　this　very　day。　　As
death；　therefore；　is　hanging　over　our　head　every　hour；　how　can　a
man　ever　be　unshaken　in　soul　if　he　fears　it？

But　on　this　theme　I　don't　think　I　need　much　enlarge：　when　I
remember　what　Lucius　Brutus　did；　who　was　killed　while　defending
his　country；　or　the　two　Decii；　who　spurred　their　horses　to　a　gallop
and　met　a　voluntary　death；　or　M。　Atilius　Regulus；　who　left　his
home　to　confront　a　death　of　torture；　rather　than　break　the　word
which　lie　had　pledged　to　the　enemy；　or　the　two　Scipios；　who
determined　to　block　the　Carthaginian　advance　even　with　their　own
bodies；　or　your　grandfather　Lucius　Paulus；　who　paid　with　his　life
for　the　rashness　of　his　colleague　in　the　disgrace　at　Cannae；　or　M。
Marcellus；　whose　death　not　even　the　most　bloodthirsty　of　enemies
would　allow　to　go　without　the　honour　of　burial。　It　is　enough　to
recall　that　our　legions　（as　I　have　recorded　in　my　_Origins_）　have
often　marched　with　cheerful　and　lofty　spirit　to　ground　from　which
they　believed　that　they　would　never　return。　　That；　therefore；　which
young　men…not　only　uninstructed；　but　absolutely　ignorant…treat　as
of　no　account；　shall　men　who　are　neither　young　nor　ignorant　shrink
from　in　terror？　As　a　general　truth；　as　it　seems　to　me；　it　is　weariness
of　all　pursuits　that　creates　weariness　of　life。　　There　are　certain
pursuits　adapted　to　childhood：　do　young　men　miss　them？　There　are
others　suited　to　early　manhood：　does　that　settled　time　of　life　called
〃middle　age〃　ask　for　them？　There　are　others；　again；　suited　to　that
age；　but　not　looked　for　in　old　age。　　There　are；　finally；　some　which
belong　to　Old　age。　　Therefore；　as　the　pursuits　of　the　earlier　ages
have　their　time　for　disappearing；　so　also　have　those　of　old　age。
And　when　that　takes　place；　a　satiety　of　life　brings　on　the　ripe　time
for　death。

21。　For　I　do　not　see　why　I　should　not　venture　to　tell　you　my
personal　opinion　as　to　death；　of　which　I　seem　to　myself　to　have　a
clearer　vision　in　proportion　as　I　am　nearer　to　it。　I　believe；　Scipio
and　Laelius；　that　your　fathers…those　illustrious　men　and　my　dearest
friends…are　still　alive；　and　that　too　with　a　life　which　alone　deserves
the　name。　For　as　long　as　we　are　imprisoned　in　this　framework　of
the　body；　we　perform　a　certain　function　and　laborious　work
assigned　us　by　fate。　The　soul；　in　fact；　is　of　heavenly　origin；　forced
down　from　its　home　in　the　highest；　and；　so　to　speak；　buried　in
earth；　a　place　quite　opposed　to　its　divine　nature　and　its
immortality。　　But　I　suppose　the　immortal　gods　to　have　sown　souls
broadcast　in　human　bodies；　that　there　might　be　some　to　survey　the
world；　and　while　contemplating　the　order　of　the　heavenly　bodies　to
imitate　it　in　the　unvarying　regularity　of　their　life。　Nor　is　it　only
reason　and　arguments　that　have　brought　me　to　this　belief；　but　the
great　fame　and　authority　of　the　most　distinguished　philosophers。　I
used　to　be　told　that　Pythagoras　and　the　Pythagoreans…almost
natives　of　our　country；　who　in　old　times　had　been　called　the　Italian
school　of　philosophers…never　doubted　that　we　had　souls　drafted
from　　the　universal　Divine　intelligence。　　I　used　be…sides　to　have
pointed　out　to　me　the　discourse　delivered　by　Socrates　on　the　last
day　of　his　life　upon　the　immortality　of　the　soul…Socrates　who　was
pronounced　by　the　oracle　at　Delphi　to　be　the　wisest　of　men。　　I　need
say　no　more。　　I　have　convinced　myself；　and　T　hold…in　view　of　the
rapid　movement　of　the　soul；　its　vivid　memory　of　the　past　and　its
prophetic　knowledge　of　the　future；　its　many　accomplishments；　its
vast　range　of　knowledge；　its　numerous　discoveries
…that　a　nature　embracing　such　varied　gifts　cannot　itself　be　mortal。　
And　since　the　soul　is　always　in　motion　and　yet　has　no　external
source　of　motion；　for　it　is　self…moved；　I　conclude　that　it　will　also
have　no　end　to　its　motion；　because　it　is　not　likely　ever　to　abandon
itself。　　Again；　since　the　nature　of　the　soul　is　not　composite；　nor　has
in　it　any　admixture　that　is　not　homogeneous　an（l　similar；　I
conclude　that　it　is　indivisible；　and；　if　indivisible；　that　it　cannot
perish。　It　is　again　a　strong　proof　of　men　knowing　most　things
before　birth；　that　when　mere　children　they　grasp　innumerable　facts
with　such　speed　as　to　show　that　they　are　not　then　taking　them　in
for　the　first　time；　but　remembering　and　recalling　them。　This　is
roughly　Plato's　argument。

22。　Once　more　in　Xenophon　we　have　the　elder　Cyrus　on　his
deathbed　speaking　as　follows：…

〃Do　not　suppose；　my　dearest　sons；　that　when　I　have　left　you　I　shall
be　nowhere　and　no　one。　Even　when　I　was　with　you；　you　did　not　see
my　soul；　but　knew　that　it　was　in　this　body　of　mine　from　what　I　did。　
Believe　then　that　it　is　still　the　same；　even　though　you　see　it　not。
The　honours　paid　to　illustrious　men　had　not　continued　to　exist
after　their　death；　had　the　souls　of　these　very　men　not　done
something　to　make　us　retain　our　recollection　of　them　beyond　the
ordinary　time。　For　myself；　I　never　could　be　persuaded　that　souls
while　in　mortal　bodies　were　alive；　and　died　directly　they　left　them；
nor；　in　fact；　that　the　soul　only　lost　all　intelligence　when　it　left　the
unintelligent　body。　I　believe　rather　that　when；　by　being　liberated
from　all　corporeal　admixture；　it　has　begun　to　be　pure　and
undefiled；　it　is　then　that　it　becomes　wise。　And　again；　when　man's
natural　frame　is　resolved　into　its　elements　by　death；　it　is　clearly
seen　whither　each　of　the　other　elements　departs：　for　they　all　go　to
the　place　from　which　they　came：　but　the　soul　alone　is　invisible
alike　when　present　and　when　departing。　　Once　more；　you　see　that
nothing　is　so　like　death　as　sleep。　And　yet　it　is　in　sleepers　that　souls
most　clearly　reveal　their　divine　nature；　for　they　foresee　many
events　when　they　are　allowed　to　escape　and　are　left　free。　This
shows　what　they　are　likely　to　be　when　they　have　completely　freed
themselves　from　the　fetters　of　the　body。　Wherefore；　if　these　things
are　so；　obey　me　as　a　god。　　But　if　my　soul　is　to　perish　with　my　body；
nevertheless　do　you　from　awe　of　the　gods；　who　guard　and　govern
this　fair　universe；　preserve　my　memory　by　the　loyalty　and　piety　of
your　lives。〃

23。
Such　are　the　words　of　the　dying　Cyrus。　I　will　now；　with　your　good
leave；　look　at　home。　No　one；　my　dear　Scipio；　shall　ever　persuade
me　that　your　father　Paulus　and　your　two　grandfathers　Paulus　and
Africanus；　or　the　father　of　Africanus；　or　his　uncle；　or　many　other
illustrious　men　not　necessary　to　mention；　would　have　attempted
such　lofty　deeds　as　to　be　remaindered　by　posterity；　had　they　not
seen　in　their　minds　that　future　ages　concerned　them。　Do　you
suppose…to　take　an　old　man's　privilege　of　a　little　self…praise…that　I
should　have　been　likely　to　undertake　such　heavy　labours　by　day
and　night；　at　home　and　abroad；　if　I　had　been　destined　to　have