treatises on friendship and old age-第15部分

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abounds　in　pigs；　goats；　lambs；　fowls；　milk；　cheese；　and。　honey。　
Then　there　is　the　garden；　which　the　farmers　themselves　call　their　〃
second　flitch。〃　　A　zest　and　flavour　is　added　to　all　these　by　hunting
and　fowling　in　spare　hours。　Need　I　mention　the　greenery　of
meadows；　the　rows　of　trees；　the　beauty　of　vineyard　and
olive…grove？　　I　'will　put　it　briefly：　nothing　can　either　furnish
necessaries　more　richly；　or　present　a　fairer　spectacle；　than
well…cultivated　land。　And　to　the　enjoyment　of　that；　old　age　does
not　merely　present　no　hindrance…it　actually　invites　and　allures　to　it。　
For　where　else　can　it　better　warm　itself；　either　by　basking　in　the
sun　or　by　sitting　by　the　fire；　or　at　the　proper　time　cool　itself　more
wholesomely　by　the　help　of　shade　or　water？　Let　the　young　keep
their　arms　then　to　themselves；　their　horses；　spears；　their　foils　and
ball；　their　swimming　baths　and　running　path。　To　us　old　men　let
them；　out　of　the　many　forms　of　sport；　leave　dice　and　counters；　but
even　that　as　they　choose；　since　old　age　can　be　quite　happy　without
them。

17。　Xenophon's　books　are　very　useful　for　many　purposes。　Pray　go
on　reading　them　with　attention；　as　you　have　ever　done。　In　what
ample　terms　is　agriculture　lauded　by　him　in　the　book　about
husbanding　one's　property；　which　is　called　_Oceonomicus_！　But　to
show　you　that　he　thought　nothing　so　worthy　of　a　prince　as　the　taste
for　cultivating　the　soil；　I　will　translate　what　Socrates　says　to
Critobulus　in　that　book：

〃When　that　most　gallant　Lacedaemonian　Lysander　came　to　visit
the　Persian　prince　Cyrus　at　Sardis；　so　eminent　for　his　character　and
the　glory　of　his　rule；　bringing　him　presents　from　his　allies；　he
treated　Lysander　in　all　ways　with　courteous　familiarity　and
kindness；　and；　among　other　things；　took　him　to　see　a　certain　park
carefully　planted。　Lysander　expressed　admiration　of　the　height　of
the　trees　and　the　exact　arrangement　of　their　rows　in　the　quincunx；
the　careful　cultivation　of　the　soil；　its　freedom　from　weeds；　and　the
sweetness　of　the　odours　exhaled　from　the　flowers；　and　went　on　to
say　that　what　he　admired　was　not　the　industry　only；　but　also　the
skill　of　the　man　by　whom　this　had　been　planned　and　laid　out。　
Cyrus　replied：　'Well；　it　was　I　who　planned　the　whole　thing　these
rows　are　my　doing；　the　laying　out　is　all　mine；　many　of　the　trees
were　even　planted　by　own　hand。'　Then　Lysander；　looking　at　his
purple　robe；　the　brilliance　of　his　person；　and　his　adornment　Persian
fashion　with　gold　and　many　jewels；　said：　'People　are　quite　right；
Cyrus；　to　call　you　happy；　since　the　advantages　of　high　fortune　have
been　joined　to　an　excellence　like　yours。'〃

This　kind　of　good　fortune；　then；　it　is　in　the　power　of　old　men　to
enjoy；　nor　is　age　any　bar　to　our　maintaining　pursuits　of　every　other
kind；　and　especially　of　agriculture；　to　the　very　extreme　verge　of
old　age。　　For　instance；　we　have　it　on　record　that　M。　Valerius
Corvus　kept　it　up　to　his　hundredth　year；　living　on　his　land　and
cultivating　it　after　his　active　career　was　over；　though　between　his
first　and　sixth　consulships　there　was　an　interval　of　six　and　forty
years。　　So　that　he　had　an　official　career　lasting　the　number　of　years
which　our　ancestors　defined　as　coming　between　birth　and　the
beginning　of　old　age。　Moreover；　that　last　period　of　his　old　age　was
more　blessed　than　that　of　his　middle　life；　inasmuch　as　he　had
greater　influence　and　less　labour。　　For　the　crowning　grace　of　old
age　is　influence。

How　great　was　that　of　L。　Caecilius　Metellus！　How　great　that　of
Atilius　Calatinus；　over　whom　the　famous　epitaph　was　placed；
〃Very　many　classes　agree　in　deeming　this　to　have　been　the　very
first　man　of　the　nation〃！　The　line　cut　on　his　tomb　is　well　known。　It
is　natural；　then；　that　a　man　should　have　had　influence；　in　whose
praise　the　verdict　of　history　is　unanimous。　　Again；　in　recent　times；
what　a　great　man　was　Publius　Crassus；　Pontifex　Maximus；　and　his
successor　in　the　same　office；　M。　Lepidus！　　I　need　scarcely　mention
Paulus　or　Africanus；　or；　as　I　did　before；　Maximus。　　It　was　not　only
their　senatorial　utterances　that　had　weight：　their　least　gesture　had　it
also。　　In　fact；　old　age；　especially　when　it　has　enjoyed　honours；　has
an　influence　worth　all　the　pleasures　of　youth　put　together。

18。　But　throughout　my　discourse　remember　that　my　panegyric
applies　to　an　old　age　that　has　been　established　on　foundations　laid
by　youth。　　From　which　may　be　deduced　what　I　once　said　with
universal　applause；　that　it　was　a　wretched　old　age　that　had　to
defend　itself　by　speech。　　Neither　white　hairs　nor　wrinkles　can　at
once　claim　influence　in　themselves：　it　is　the　honourable　conduct　of
earlier　days　that　is　rewarded　by　possessing　influence　at　the　last。　
Even　things　generally　regarded　as　trifling　and　matters　of
course…being　saluted；　being　courted；　having　way　made　for　one；
people　rising　when　one　approaches；　being　escorted　to　and　from　the
forum；　being　referred　to　for　advice…all　these　are　marks　of　respect；
observed　among　us　and　in　other　States…always　most　sedulously
where　the　moral　tone　is　highest。　　They　say　that　Lysander　the
Spartan；　whom　I　have　mentioned　before；　used　to　remark　that
Sparta　was　the　most　dignified　home　for　old　age；　for　that　nowhere
was　more　respect　paid　to　years；　no…where　was　old　age　held　in
higher　honour。　　Nay；　the　story　is　told　of　how　when　a　man　of
advanced　years　came　into　the　theatre　at　Athens　when　the　games
were　going　on；　no　place　was　given　him　anywhere　in　that　large
assembly　by　his　own　countrymen；　but　when　he　came　near　the
Lacedaemonians；　who　as　ambassadors　had　a　fixed　place　assigned
to　them；　they　rose　as　one　man　out　of　respect　for　him；　and　gave　the
veteran　a　seat。　　When　they　were　greeted　with　rounds　of　applause
from　the　whole　audience；　one　of　them　remarked：

〃The　Athenians　know　what　is　right；　but　will　not　do　it。〃　There　are
many　excellent　rules　in　our　augural　college；　but　among　the　best　is
one　which　affects　our　subject…that　precedence　in　speech　goes　by
seniority；　and　augurs　who　are　older　are　preferred　only　to　those　who
have　held　higher　office；　but　even　to　those　who　are　actually　in
possession　of　imperium。　What　then　are　the　physical　pleasures　to　be
compared　with　the　reward　of　influence？　Those　who　have
employed　it　with　distinction　appear　to　me　to　have　played　the
drama　of　life　to　its　end；　and　not　to　have　broken　down　in　the　last　act
like　unpractised　players。

But；　it　will　be　said；　old　men　are　fretful；　fidgety；　ill…tempered；　and
disagreeable。　　If　you　come　to　that；　they　are　also　avaricious。　　But
these　are　faults　of　character；　not　of　the　time　of　life。　And；　after　all；
fretfulness　and　the　other　faults　I　mentioned　admit　of　some
excuse…not；　indeed；　a　complete　one；　but　one　that　may　possibly　pass
muster：　they　think　them…selves　neglected；　looked　down　upon；
mocked；　　Besides　with　bodily　weakness　every　rub　is　a　source　of
pain。　Yet　all　these　faults　are　softened　both　by　good　character　and
good　education。　Illustrations　of　this　may　be　found　in　real　life；　as
also　on　the　stage　in　the　case　of　the　brothers　in　the　_Adeiphi_。　What
harshness　in　the　one；　what　gracious　manners　in　the　other　　The　fact
is　that；　just　as　it　is　not　every　wine；　so　it　is　not　every　life；　that　turns
sour　from　keeping；　　Serious　gravity　I　approve　of　in　old　age；　but；　as
in　other　things；　it　must　be　within　due　limits：　bitterness　I　can　in　no
case　approve。　What　the　object　of　senile　avarice　may　be　I　cannot
conceive。　For　can　there　be　anything　more　absurd　than　to　seek　more
journey　money；　the　less　there　remains　of　the　journey？

19。　There　remains　the　fourth　reason；　which　more　than　anything
else　appears　to　torment　men　of　my　age　and　keep　them　in　a
flutter…THE　NEARNESS　OF　DEATH；　which；　it　must　be　allowed；
cannot　be　far　from　an　old　man。　　But　what　a　poor　dotard　must　he　be
who　has　not　learnt　in　the　course　of　so　long　a　life　that　death　is　not　a
thing　to　be　feared？　　Death；　that　is　either　to　be　totally　disregarded；　if
it　entirely　extinguishes　the　soul；　or　is　even　to　be　desired；　if　it　brings
him　where　he　is　to　exist　forever。　A　third　alternative；　at　any　rate；
cannot　possibly　be　discovered。　Why　then　should　I　be　afraid　if　I　am
destined　either　not　to　be　miserable　after　death　or　even　to　be　happy？
After　all；　who　is　such　a　fool　as　to　feel　certain…however　young　he
may　be…that　he　will　be　alive　in　the　evening？　　Nay；　that　time　of　life
has　many　more　chances　of　death　than　ours；　Young　men　more
easily　contract　diseases；　their　illnesses　are　more　serious；　their
treatment　has　to　be　more　severe。　Accordingly；　only　a　few　arrive　at
old　age。　　If　that　were　not　so；　life　would　be　conducted　better　and
more　wisely；　for　it　is　in　old　men　that　thought；　reason；　and　prudence
are　to　be　found；　and　if　there　had　been　no　old　men；　States　would
never　have　existed　at　all。　　But　I　return　to　the　subject　of　the
imminence　of　death。　What　sort　of　charge　is　this　against　old　age；
when　you　see　that　it　is　shared　by　youth？　I　had　reason　in　the　case　of
my　excellent　son…as　you　had；　Scipio；　in　that　of　your　brothers；　who
were　expected　to　attain　the　highest　honours…to　realise　that　death　is
common　to　every　time　of　life。　Yes；　you　will　say；　but　a　young　man
expects　to　live　long；　an　old　man　cannot　expect　to　do　so。　　Well；　he
is　a　fool　to　expect　it。　　For　what　can　be　more　foolish　than　to　regard
the　uncertain　as　certain；　the　false　as　true？　〃An　old　man　has　nothing
even　to　hope。〃　　Ah；　but　it　is　just　there　that　he　is　in　a　better　position
than　a　young　man；　since　what　the　latter　only　hopes　he　has
obtained。　　The　one　wishes　to　live　long；　the　other　has　lived　long。

And　yet；　good　heaven！　what　is　〃long〃　in　a　man's　life？　For　grant　the
utmost　limit：　let　us　expect　an　age　like　that　of　the　King　of　the
Tartessi。　　For　there　was；　as　I　find　recorded；　a　certain　Agathonius　at
Gades　who　reigned　eighty　years　and　lived　a　hundred　and　twenty。　
But　to　my　mind　nothing　seems　even　long　in　which　there　is　any
〃last；〃　for　when　that　arrives；　then　all　the　past　has　slipped　away…only
that　remains　to　which　you　have　attained　by　virtue　and　righteous
actions。　Hours　indeed；　and　days　and　months　and　years　depart；　nor
does　past　time　ever　return；　nor　can　the　future　be　known。　　Whatever
time　each　is　granted　for　life；　with　that　he　is　bound　to　be　content。
An　actor；　in　order　to　earn　approval；　is　not　bound　to　perform　the
play　from　begi