the seventh letter-第7部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


here；　when　this　step　has　the　joint　approval　of　himself；　me；　and　you


his　friends；　and　this　shall　be　open　to　him　on　the　understanding　that


he　does　not　plot　against　me。　You　and　your　friends　and　Dion's　friends


here　must　be　sureties　for　him　in　this；　and　he　must　give　you


security。　Let　the　funds　which　he　receives　be　deposited　in　the


Peloponnese　and　at　Athens；　with　persons　approved　by　you；　and　let


Dion　enjoy　the　income　from　them　but　have　no　power　to　take　them　out


of　deposit　without　the　approval　of　you　and　your　friends。　For　I　have　no


great　confidence　in　him；　that；　if　he　has　this　property　at　his


disposal；　he　will　act　justly　towards　me；　for　it　will　be　no　small


amount；　but　I　have　more　confidence　in　you　and　your　friends。　See　if


this　satisfies　you；　and　on　these　conditions　remain　for　the　present


year；　and　at　the　next　season　you　shall　depart　taking　the　property　with


you。　I　am　quite　sure　that　Dion　will　be　grateful　to　you；　if　you


accomplish　so　much　on　his　behalf。〃


　　When　I　heard　this　proposal　I　was　vexed；　but　after　reflection　said


I　would　let　him　know　my　view　of　it　on　the　following　day。　We　agreed


to　that　effect　for　the　moment；　and　afterwards　when　I　was　by　myself　I


pondered　the　matter　in　much　distress。　The　first　reflection　that　came


up；　leading　the　way　in　my　self…communing；　was　this：　〃Come　suppose　that


Dionysios　intends　to　do　none　of　the　things　which　he　has　mentioned；　but


that；　after　my　departure；　he　writes　a　plausible　letter　to　Dion；　and


orders　several　of　his　creatures　to　write　to　the　same　effect；　telling


him　of　the　proposal　which　he　has　now　made　to　me；　making　out　that　he


was　willing　to　do　what　he　proposed；　but　that　I　refused　and


completely　neglected　Dion's　interests。　Further；　suppose　that　he　is　not


willing　to　allow　my　departure；　and　without　giving　personal　orders　to


any　of　the　merchants；　makes　it　clear；　as　he　easily　can；　to　all　that　he


not　wish　me　to　sail；　will　anyone　consent　to　take　me　as　a　passenger；


when　I　leave　the　house：　of　Dionysios？〃


　　For　in　addition　to　my　other　troubles；　I　was　lodging　at　that　time


in　the　garden　which　surround　his　house；　from　which　even　the　gatekeeper


would　have　refused　to　let　me　go；　unless　an　order　had　been　sent　to


him　from　Dionysios。　〃Suppose　however　that　I　wait　for　the　year；　I　shall


be　able　to　write　word　of　these　things　to　Dion；　stating　the　position　in


which　I　am；　and　the　steps　which　I　am　trying　to　take。　And　if


Dionysios　does　any　of　the　things　which　he　says；　I　shall　have


accomplished　something　that　is　not　altogether　to　be　sneered　at；　for


Dion's　property　is；　at　a　fair　estimate；　perhaps　not　less　than　a


hundred　talents。　If　however　the　prospect　which　I　see　looming　in　the


future　takes　the　course　which　may　reasonably　be　expected；　I　know　not


what　I　shall　do　with　myself。　Still　it　is　perhaps　necessary　to　go　on


working　for　a　year；　and　to　attempt　to　prove　by　actual　fact　the


machinations　of　Dionysios。〃


　　Having　come　to　this　decision；　on　the　following　day　I　said　to


Dionysios；　〃I　have　decided　to　remain。　But；〃　I　continued；　〃I　must　ask


that　you　will　not　regard　me　as　empowered　to　act　for　Dion；　but　will


along　with　me　write　a　letter　to　him；　stating　what　has　now　been


decided；　and　enquire　whether　this　course　satisfies　him。　If　it　does


not；　and　if　he　has　other　wishes　and　demands；　he　must　write　particulars


of　them　as　soon　as　possible；　and　you　must　not　as　yet　take　any　hasty


step　with　regard　to　his　interests。〃


　　This　was　what　was　said　and　this　was　the　agreement　which　was　made；


almost　in　these　words。　Well；　after　this　the　trading…ships　took　their


departure；　and　it　was　no　longer　possible　for　me　to　take　mine；　when


Dionysios；　if　you　please；　addressed　me　with　the　remark　that　half　the


property　must　be　regarded　as　belonging　to　Dion　and　half　to　his　son。


Therefore；　he　said；　he　would　sell　it；　and　when　it　was　sold　would


give　half　to　me　to　take　away；　and　would　leave　half　on　the　spot　for　the


son。　This　course；　he　said；　was　the　most　just。　This　proposal　was　a　blow


to　me；　and　I　thought　it　absurd　to　argue　any　longer　with　him；


however；　I　said　that　we　must　wait　for　Dion's　letter；　and　then　once


more　write　to　tell　him　of　this　new　proposal。　His　next　step　was　the


brilliant　one　of　selling　the　whole　of　Dion's　property；　using　his　own


discretion　with　regard　to　the　manner　and　terms　of　the　sale　and　of


the　purchasers。　He　spoke　not　a　word　to　me　about　the　matter　from


beginning　to　end；　and　I　followed　his　example　and　never　talked　to　him


again　about　Dion's　affairs；　for　I　did　not　think　that　I　could　do　any


good　by　doing　so。　This　is　the　history　so　far　of　my　efforts　to　come


to　the　rescue　of　philosophy　and　of　my　friends。


　　After　this　Dionysios　and　I　went　on　with　our　daily　life；　I　with　my


eyes　turned　abroad　like　a　bird　yearning　to　fly　from　its　perch；　and


he　always　devising　some　new　way　of　scaring　me　back　and　of　keeping　a


tight　hold　on　Dion's　property。　However；　we　gave　out　to　all　Sicily　that


we　were　friends。　Dionysios；　now　deserting　the　policy　of　his　father；


attempted　to　lower　the　pay　of　the　older　members　of　his　body　guard。　The


soldiers　were　furious；　and；　assembling　in　great　numbers；　declared　that


they　would　not　submit。　He　attempted　to　use　force　to　them；　shutting　the


gates　of　the　acropolis；　but　they　charged　straight　for　the　walls；


yelling　out　an　unintelligible　and　ferocious　war　cry。　Dionysios　took


fright　and　conceded　all　their　demands　and　more　to　the　peltasts　then


assembled。


　　A　rumour　soon　spread　that　Heracleides　had　been　the　cause　of　all


the　trouble。　Hearing　this；　Heracleides　kept　out　of　the　way。


Dionysios　was　trying　to　get　hold　of　him；　and　being　unable　to　do　so；


sent　for　Theodotes　to　come　to　him　in　his　garden。　It　happened　that　I


was　walking　in　the　garden　at　the　same　time。　I　neither　know　nor　did　I


hear　the　rest　of　what　passed　between　them；　but　what　Theodotes　said


to　Dionysios　in　my　presence　I　know　and　remember。　〃Plato；〃　he　said；


〃I　am　trying　to　convince　our　friend　Dionysios　that；　if　I　am　able　to


bring　Heracleides　before　us　to　defend　himself　on　the　charges　which


have　been　made　against　him；　and　if　he　decides　that　Heracleides　must　no


longer　live　in　Sicily；　he　should　be　allowed　（this　is　my　point）　to　take


his　son　and　wife　and　sail　to　the　Peloponnese　and　reside　there；


taking　no　action　there　against　Dionysios　and　enjoying　the　income　of


his　property。　I　have　already　sent　for　him　and　will　send　for　him　again；


and　if　he　comes　in　obedience　either　to　my　former　message　or　to　this


one…well　and　good。　But　I　beg　and　entreat　Dionysios　that；　if　anyone


finds　Heracleides　either　in　the　country　or　here；　no　harm　shall　come　to


him；　but　that　he　may　retire　from　the　country　till　Dionysios　comes　to


some　other　decision。　Do　you　agree　to　this？〃　he　added；　addressing


Dionysios。　〃I　agree；〃　he　replied；　〃that　even　if　he　is　found　at　your


house；　no　harm　shall　be　done　to　him　beyond　what　has　now　been　said。〃


　　On　the　following　day　Eurybios　and　Theodotes　came　to　me　in　the


evening；　both　greatly　disturbed。　Theodotes　said；　〃Plato；　you　were


present　yesterday　during　the　promises　made　by　Dionysios　to　me　and　to


you　about　Heracleides？〃　〃Certainly；〃　I　replied。　〃Well；〃　he


continued；　〃at　this　moment　peltasts　are　scouring　the　country　seeking


to　arrest　Heracleides；　and　he　must　be　somewhere　in　this　neighbourhood。


For　Heaven's　sake　come　with　us　to　Dionysios。〃　So　we　went　and　stood


in　the　presence　of　Dionysios；　and　those　two　stood　shedding　silent


tears；　while　I　said：　〃These　men　are　afraid　that　you　may　take　strong


measures　with　regard　to　Heracleides　contrary　to　what　was　agreed


yesterday。　For　it　seems　that　he　has　returned　and　has　been　seen


somewhere　about　here。〃　On　hearing　this　he　blazed　up　and　turned　all


colours；　as　a　man　would　in　a　rage。　Theodotes；　falling　before　him　in


tears；　took　his　hand　and　entreated　him　to　do　nothing　of　the　sort。


But　I　broke　in　and　tried　to　encourage　him；　saying：　〃Be　of　good


cheer；　Theodotes；　Dionysios　will　not　have　the　heart　to　take　any


fresh　step　contrary　to　his　promises　of　yesterday。〃　Fixing　his　eye　on


me；　and　assuming　his　most　autocratic　air　he　said；　〃To　you　I　promised


nothing　small　or　great。〃　〃By　the　gods；〃　I　said；　〃you　did　promise


that　forbearance　for　which　our　friend　here　now　appeals。〃　With　these


words　I　turned　away　and　went　out。　After　this　he　continued　the　hunt　for


Heracleides；　and　Theodotes；　sending　messages；　urged　Heracleides　to


take　flight。　Dionysios　sent　out　Teisias　and　some　peltasts　with


orders　to　pursue　him。　But　Heracleides；　as　it　was　said；　was　just　in


time；　by　a　small　fraction　of　a　day；　in　making　his　escape　into


Carthaginian　territory。


　　After　this　Dionysios　thought　that　his　long　cherished　scheme　not　to


restore　Dion's　property　would　give　him　a　plausible　excuse　for


hostility　towards　me；　and　first　of　all　he　sent　me　out　of　the


acropolis；　finding　a　pretext　that　the　women　were　obliged　to　hold　a


sacrificial　service　for　ten　days　in　the　garden　in　which　I　had　my


lodging。　He　therefore　ordered　me　to　stay　outside　in　the　house　of


Archedemos　during　this　period。　While　I　was　there；　Theodotes　sent　for


me　and　made　a　great　outpouring　of　indignation　at　these　occurrences；


throwing　the　blame　on　Dionysios。　Hearing　that　I　had　been　to　see


Theodotes　he　regarded　this；　as　another　excuse；　sister　to　the


previous　one；　for　quarrelling　with　me。　Sending　a　messenger　he　enquired


if　I　had　really　been　conferring　with　Theodotes　on　his　invitation


〃Certainly；〃　I　replied；　〃Well；〃　continued　the　messenger；　〃he　ordered


me　to　tell　you　that　you　are　not　acting　at　all　well　in　preferring


always　Dion　and　Dion's　friends　to　him。〃　And　he　did　not　send　for　me


to　return　to　his　house；　as　though　it　were　now　clear　that　Theodotes　and


Heracleides　were　my　friends；　and　he　my　enemy。　He　also　thought　that　I


had　no　kind　feelings　towards　him　because　the　property　of　Dion　was


now　entirely　done　for。


　　After　this　I　resided　outside　the　acropolis　among　the　mercenaries。


Various　people　then　came　to　me；　among　them　those　of　the　ships'　crews


who　came　from　Athens；　my　own　fellow　citizens；　and　reported　that　I


was　evil　spoken　of　among　the　peltasts；　and　that　som