dion-第2部分

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　own　cost　and　charges　fifty　galleys　ready　for　the　service。　　　Dionysius　wondered　much　at　his　greatness　of　mind；　and　received　his　offer　with　satisfaction。　But　the　other　courtiers；　thinking　his　generosity　reflected　upon　them；　and　jealous　of　being　lessened　by　his　greatness；　from　hence　took　all　occasions　by　private　slanders　to　render　him　obnoxious　to　the　young　man's　displeasure；　as　if　he　designed；　by　his　power　at　sea；　to　surprise　the　government；　and　by　the　help　of　those　naval　forces　confer　the　supreme　authority　upon　his　sister　Aristomache's　children。　But；　indeed；　the　most　apparent　and　the　strongest　grounds　for　dislike　and　hostility　existed　already　in　the　difference　of　his　habits；　and　his　reserved　and　separate　way　of　living。　For　they；　who；　from　the　beginning　by　flatteries　and　all　unworthy　artifices；　courted　the　favour　and　familiarity　of　the　prince；　youthful　and　voluptuously　bred；　ministered　to　his　pleasures；　and　sought　how　to　find　him　daily　some　new　amours　and　occupy　him　in　vain　amusements；　with　wine　or　with　women；　and　in　other　dissipations；　by　which　means；　the　tyranny；　like　iron　softened　in　the　fire；　seemed；　indeed；　to　the　subject；　to　be　more　moderate　and　gentle；　and　to　abate　somewhat　of　its　extreme　severity；　the　edge　of　it　being　blunted；　not　by　the　clemency；　but　rather　the　sloth　and　degeneracy　of　the　sovereign；　whose　dissoluteness；　gaining　ground　daily；　and　growing　upon　him；　soon　weakened　and　broke　those　〃adamantine　chains；〃　with　which　his　father；　Dionysius；　said　he　had　left　the　monarchy　fastened　and　secured。　It　is　reported　of　him　that；　having　begun　a　drunken　debauch；　he　continued　it　ninety　days　without　intermission；　in　all　which　time　no　person　on　business　was　allowed　to　appear；　nor　was　any　serious　conversation　heard　at　court；　but　drinking；　singing；　dancing；　and　buffoonery　reigned　there　without　control。　　　It　is　likely　then　they　had　little　kindness　for　Dion；　who　never　indulged　himself　in　any　youthful　pleasure　or　diversion。　And　so　his　very　virtues　were　the　matter　of　their　calumnies；　and　were　represented　under　one　or　other　plausible　name　as　vices；　they　called　his　gravity　pride；　his　plain…dealing　self…will；　the　good　advice　he　gave　was　all　construed　into　reprimand；　and　he　was　censured　for　neglecting　and　scorning　those　in　whose　misdemeanours　he　declined　to　participate。　And　to　say　the　truth；　there　was　in　his　natural　character　something　stately；　austere；　reserved；　and　unsociable　in　conversation；　which　made　his　company　unpleasant　and　disagreeable　not　only　to　the　young　tyrant；　whose　ears　had　been　corrupted　by　flatteries；　many　also　of　Dion's　own　intimate　friends；　though　they　loved　the　integrity　and　generosity　of　his　temper；　yet　blamed　his　manner；　and　thought　he　treated　those　with　whom　he　had　to　do　less　courteously　and　affably　than　became　a　man　engaged　in　civil　business。　Of　which　Plato　also　afterwards　wrote　to　him；　and；　as　it　were；　prophetically　advised　him　carefully　to　avoid　an　arbitrary　temper；　whose　proper　helpmate　was　a　solitary　life。　And；　indeed；　at　this　very　time；　though　circumstances　made　him　so　important；　and　in　the　danger　of　the　tottering　government　he　was　recognized　as　the　only　or　the　ablest　support　of　it；　yet　he　well　understood　that　he　owed　not　his　high　position　to　any　good…will　or　kindness；　but　to　the　mere　necessities　of　the　usurper。　　　And；　supposing　the　cause　of　this　to　be　ignorance　and　want　of　education；　he　endeavoured　to　induce　the　young　man　into　a　course　of　liberal　studies；　and　to　give　him　some　knowledge　of　moral　truths　and　reasonings；　hoping　he　might　thus　lose　his　fear　of　virtuous　living；　and　learn　to　take　pleasure　in　laudable　actions。　Dionysius；　in　his　own　nature；　was　not　one　of　the　worst　kind　of　tyrants；　but　his　father；　fearing　that　if　he　should　come　to　understand　himself　better；　and　converse　with　wise　and　reasonable　men；　he　might　enter　into　some　design　against　him；　and　dispossess　him　of　his　power；　kept　him　closely　shut　up　at　home；　where；　for　want　of　other　company；　and　ignorant　how　to　spend　his　time　better；　he　busied　himself　in　making　little　chariots；　candlesticks；　stools；　tables；　and　other　things　of　wood。　For　the　elder　Dionysius　was　so　diffident　and　suspicious；　and　so　continually　on　his　guard　against　all　men；　that　he　would　not　so　much　as　let　his　hair　be　trimmed　with　any　barber's　or　haircutter's　instruments；　but　made　one　of　his　artificers　singe　him　with　a　live　coal。　Neither　were　his　brother　or　his　son　allowed　to　come　into　his　apartment　in　the　dress　they　wore；　but　they；　as　all　others；　were　stript　to　their　skins　by　some　of　the　guard；　and；　after　being　seen　naked；　put　on　other　clothes　before　they　were　admitted　into　the　presence。　When　his　brother　Leptines　was　once　describing　the　situation　of　a　place；　and　took　a　javelin　from　one　of　the　guard　to　draw　the　plan　of　it；　he　was　extremely　angry　with　him；　and　had　the　soldier　who　gave　him　the　weapon　put　to　death。　He　declared　the　more　judicious　his　friends　were　the　more　he　suspected　them；　because　he　knew　that；　were　it　in　their　choice；　they　would　rather　be　tyrants　themselves　than　the　subjects　of　a　tyrant。　He　slew　Marsyas；　one　of　his　captains　whom　he　had　preferred　to　a　considerable　command；　for　dreaming　that　he　killed　him：　without　some　previous　waking　thought　and　purpose　of　the　kind；　he　could　not；　he　supposed；　have　had　that　fancy　in　his　sleep。　So　timorous　was　he；　and　so　miserable　a　slave　to　his　fears；　yet　very　angry　with　Plato；　because　he　would　not　allow　him　to　be　the　valiantest　man　alive。　　　Dion；　as　we　said　before；　seeing　the　son　thus　deformed　and　spoilt　in　character　for　want　of　teaching；　exhorted　him　to　study；　and　to　use　all　his　entreaties　to　persuade　Plato；　the　first　of　philosophers；　to　visit　him　in　Sicily；　and　when　he　came；　to　submit　himself　to　his　direction　and　advice；　by　whose　instructions　he　might　conform　his　nature　to　the　truths　of　virtue；　and；　living　after　the　likeness　of　the　Divine　and　glorious　Model　of　Being；　out　of　obedience　to　whose　control　the　general　confusion　is　changed　into　the　beautiful　order　of　the　universe；　so　he　in　like　manner　might　be　the　cause　of　great　happiness　to　himself　and　to　all　his　subjects；　who；　obliged　by　his　justice　and　moderation；　would　then　willingly　pay　him　obedience　as　their　father；　which　now　grudgingly；　and　upon　necessity；　they　are　forced　to　yield　him　as　their　master。　Their　usurping　tyrant　he　would　then　no　longer　be；　but　their　lawful　king。　For　fear　and　force；　a　great　navy　and　standing　army　of　ten　thousand　hired　barbarians　are　not；　as　his　father　had　said；　the　adamantine　chains　which　secure　the　regal　power；　but　the　love；　zeal；　and　affection　inspired　by　clemency　and　justice；　which；　though　they　seem　more　pliant　than　the　stiff　and　hard　bonds　of　severity；　are　nevertheless　the　strongest　and　most　durable　ties　to　sustain　a　lasting　government。　Moreover；　it　is　mean　and　dishonourable　that　a　ruler；　while　careful　to　be　splendid　in　his　dress；　and　luxurious　and　magnificent　in　his　habitation；　should；　in　reason　and　power　of　speech；　make　no　better　show　than　the　commonest　of　his　subjects；　nor　have　the　princely　palace　of　his　mind　adorned　according　to　his　royal　dignity。　　　Dion　frequently　entertaining　the　king　upon　this　subject；　and；　as　occasion　offered；　repeating　some　of　the　philosopher's　sayings；　Dionysius　grew　impatiently　desirous　to　have　Plato's　company；　and　to　hear　him　discourse。　Forthwith；　therefore；　he　sent　letter　upon　letter　to　him　to　Athens；　to　which　Dion　added　his　entreaties；　also　several　philosophers　of　the　Pythagorean　sect　from　Italy　sent　their　recommendations；　urging　him　to　come　and　obtain　a　hold　upon　this　pliant；　youthful　soul；　which　his　solid　and　weighty　reasonings　might　steady；　as　it　were；　upon　the　seas　of　absolute　power　and　authority。　Plato；　as　he　tells　us　himself；　out　of　shame　more　than　any　other　feeling；　lest　it　should　seem　that　he　was　all　mere　theory；　and　that　of　his　own　good…will　he　would　never　venture　into　action；　hoping　withal；　that　if　he　could　work　a　cure　upon　one　man；　the　head　and　guide　of　the　rest；　he　might　remedy　the　distempers　of　the　whole　island　of　Sicily；　yielded　to　their　requests。　　　But　Dion's　enemies；　fearing　an　alteration　in　Dionysius；　persuaded　him　to　recall　from　banishment　Philistus；　a　man　of　learned　education；　and　at　the　same　time　of　great　experience　in　the　ways　of　tyrants；　and　who　might　serve　as　a　counterpoise　to　Plato　and　his　philosophy。　For　Philistus　from　the　beginning　had　been　a　great　instrument　in　establishing　the　tyranny；　and　for　a　long　time　had　held　the　office　of　captain　of　the　citadel。　There　was　a　report　that　he　had　been　intimate　with　the　mother　of　Dionysius　the　first；　and　not　without　his　privity。　And　when　Leptines；　having　two　daughters　by　a　married　woman　who　he　had　debauched；　gave　one　of　them　in　marriage　to　Philistus；　without　acquainting　Dionysius；　he；　in　great　anger；　put　Leptines's　mistress　in　prison；　and　banished　Philistus　from　Sicily。　Whereupon；　he　fled　to　some　of　his　friends　on　the　Adriatic　coast；　in　which　retirement　and　leisure　it　is　probable　he　wrote　the　greatest　part　of　his　history；　for　he　returned　not　into　his　country　during　the　reign　of　that　Dionysius。　　　But　after　his　death；　as　is　just　related；　Dion's　enemies　occasioned　him　to　be　recalled　home；　as　fitted　for　their　purpose；　and　a　firm　friend　to　the　arbitrary　government。　And　this；　indeed；　immediately　upon　his　return　he　set　himself　to　maintain；　and　at　the　same　time　various　calumnies　and　accusations　against　Dion　were　by　others　brought　to　the　king：　as　that　he　held　correspondence　with　Theodotes　and　Heraclides；　to　subvert　the　government；　as；　doubtless；　it　is　likely　enough；　that　Dion　had　entertained　hopes；　by　the　coming　of　Plato；　to　mitigate　the　rigid　and　despotic　severity　of　the　tyranny；　and　to　give　Dionysius　the　character　of　a　fair　and　lawful　governor；　and　had　determined；　if　he　should　continue　averse　to　that；　and　were　not　to　be　reclaimed；　to　depose　him；　and　restore　the　commonwealth　to　the　Syracusans；　not　that　he　approved　a　democratic　government；　but　thought　it　altogether　preferable　to　a　tyranny；　when　a　sound　and　good　aristocracy　could　not　be　procured。　　　This　was　the　state　of　affairs　when　Plato　came　into　Sicily；　who；　at　his　first　arrival；　was　received　with　wonderful　demonstration　of　kindness　and　respect。　For　one　of　the　royal　chariots；　richly　ornamented；　was　in　attendance　to　receive　him　when　he　came　on　shore；　Dionysius　himself　sacrificed　to　the　gods　in　thankful　acknowledgment　for　the　great　happines