the economist-第3部分

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Soc。　No；　upon　my　word；　I　am　not　trying　to　escape：　on　the　contrary；　I　shall　be　ready；　as　far　as　I　can；　to　expound　the　matter　to　you。＇12＇　。　。　。　Still　it　strikes　me；　if　you　had　come　to　me　for　fire；　and　I　had　none　in　my　house；　you　would　not　blame　me　for　sending　you　where　you　might　get　it；　or　if　you　had　asked　me　for　water；　and　I；　having　none　to　give；　had　led　you　elsewhere　to　the　object　of　your　search；　you　would　not；　I　am　sure；　have　disapproved；　or　did　you　desire　to　be　taught　music　by　me；　and　I　were　to　point　out　to　you　a　far　more　skilful　teacher　than　myself；　who　would　perhaps　be　grateful　to　you　moreover　for　becoming　his　pupil；　what　kind　of　exception　could　you　take　to　my　behaviour？

＇12＇　Or；　〃to　play　the　part　of　｛exegetes｝；　'legal　adviser；'　or　　　　　'spiritual　director；'　to　be　in　fact　your　'guide；　philosopher；　and　　　　　friend。'〃

Crit。　None；　with　any　show　of　justice；　Socrates。

Soc。　Well；　then；　my　business　now　is；　Critobulus；　to　point　out＇13＇　to　you　some　others　cleverer　than　myself　about　those　matters　which　you　are　so　anxious　to　be　taught　by　me。　I　do　confess　to　you；　I　have　made　it　long　my　study　to　discover　who　among　our　fellow…citizens　in　this　city　are　the　greatest　adepts　in　the　various　branches　of　knowledge。＇14＇　I　had　been　struck　with　amazement；　I　remember；　to　observe　on　some　occasion　that　where　a　set　of　people　are　engaged　in　identical　operations；　half　of　them　are　in　absolute　indigence　and　the　other　half　roll　in　wealth。　I　bethought　me；　the　history　of　the　matter　was　worth　investigation。　Accordingly　I　set　to　work　investigating；　and　I　found　that　it　all　happened　very　naturally。　Those　who　carried　on　their　affairs　in　a　haphazard　manner　I　saw　were　punished　by　their　losses；　whilst　those　who　kept　their　wits　upon　the　stretch　and　paid　attention　I　soon　perceived　to　be　rewarded　by　the　greater　ease　and　profit　of　their　undertakings。＇15＇　It　is　to　these　I　would　recommend　you　to　betake　yourself。　What　say　you？　Learn　of　them：　and　unless　the　will　of　God　oppose；＇16＇　I　venture　to　say　you　will　become　as　clever　a　man　of　business　as　one　might　hope　to　see。

＇13＇　Al。　〃to　show　you　that　there　are　others。〃

＇14＇　Or；　〃who　are　gifted　with　the　highest　knowledge　in　their　　　　　respective　concerns。〃　Cf。　〃Mem。〃　IV。　vii。　1。

＇15＇　Lit。　〃got　on　quicker；　easier；　and　more　profitably。〃

＇16＇　Or；　〃short　of　some　divine　interposition。〃



III

Critobulus；　on　hearing　that；　exclaimed：　Be　sure；　Socrates；　I　will　not　let　you　go　now　until　you　give　the　proofs　which；　in　the　presence　of　our　friends；　you　undertook　just　now　to　give　me。

Well　then；＇1＇　Critobulus　（Socrates　replied）；　what　if　I　begin　by　showing＇2＇　you　two　sorts　of　people；　the　one　expending　large　sums　on　money　in　building　useless　houses；　the　other　at　far　less　cost　erecting　dwellings　replete　with　all　they　need；　will　you　admit　that　I　have　laid　my　finger　here　on　one　of　the　essentials　of　economy？

＇1＇　Lincke　＇brackets　as　an　editorial　interpolation　iii。　1；　｛ti　oun；　　　　　ephe｝vi。　11；　｛poiomen｝＇。　See　his　edition　〃Xenophons　Dialog。　　　　　｛peri　oikonomias｝　in　seiner　ursprunglichen　Gestalt〃；　and　for　a　　　　　criticism　of　his　views；　an　article　by　Charles　D。　Morris；　　　　　〃Xenophon's　Oeconomicus；〃　in　the　〃American　Journal　of　Philology；〃　　　　　vol。　i。　p。　169　foll。

＇2＇　As　a　demonstrator。

Crit。　An　essential　point　most　ceertainly。

Soc。　And　suppose　in　connection　with　the　same；　I　next　point　out　to　you＇3＇　two　other　sets　of　persons：The　first　possessors　of　furniture　of　various　kinds；　which　they　cannot；　however；　lay　their　hands　on　when　the　need　arises；　indeed　they　hardly　know　if　they　have　got　all　safe　and　sound　or　not：　whereby　they　put　themselves　and　their　domestics　to　much　mental　torture。　The　others　are　perhaps　less　amply；　or　at　any　rate　not　more　amply　supplied；　but　they　have　everything　ready　at　the　instant　for　immediate　use。

＇3＇　〃As　in　a　mirror；　or　a　picture。〃

Crit。　Yes；　Socrates；　and　is　not　the　reason　simply　that　in　the　first　case　everything　is　thrown　down　where　it　chanced；　whereas　those　others　have　everything　arranged；　each　in　its　appointed　place？

Quite　right　（he　answered）；　and　the　phrase　implies　that　everything　is　orderly　arranged；　not　in　the　first　chance　place；　but　in　that　to　which　it　naturally　belongs。

Crit。　Yes；　the　case　is　to　the　point；　I　think；　and　does　involve　another　economic　principle。

Soc。　What；　then；　if　I　exhibit　to　you　a　third　contrast；　which　bears　on　the　condition　of　domestic　slaves？　On　the　one　side　you　shall　see　them　fettered　hard　and　fast；　as　I　may　say；　and　yet　for　ever　breaking　their　chains　and　running　away。　On　the　other　side　the　slaves　are　loosed；　and　free　to　move；　but　for　all　that；　they　choose　to　work；　it　seems；　they　are　constant　to　their　masters。　I　think　you　will　admit　that　I　here　point　out　another　function　of　economy＇4＇　worth　noting。

＇4＇　Or；　〃economical　result。〃

Crit。　I　do　indeeda　feature　most　noteworthy。

Soc。　Or　take；　again；　the　instance　of　two　farmers　engaged　in　cultivating　farms＇5＇　as　like　as　possible。　The　one　had　never　done　asserting　that　agriculture　has　been　his　ruin；　and　is　in　the　depth　of　despair；　the　other　has　all　he　needs　in　abundance　and　of　the　best；　and　how　acquired？by　this　same　agriculture。

＇5＇　｛georgias｝。　See　Hartman；　〃An。　Xen。〃　p。　193。　Hold。　cf。　Plat。　　　　　〃Laws；〃　806　E。　Isocr。　〃Areop。〃　32。

Yes　（Critobulus　answered）；　to　be　sure；　perhaps＇6＇　the　former　spends　both　toil　and　money　not　simply　on　what　he　needs；　but　on　things　which　cause　an　injury　to　house　alike　and　owner。

＇6＇　Or；　〃like　enough　in　the　one　case　the　money　and　pains　are　spent；〃　　　　　etc。

Soc。　That　is　a　possible　case；　no　doubt；　but　it　is　not　the　one　that　I　refer　to；　I　mean　people　pretending　they　are　farmers；　and　yet　they　have　not　a　penny　to　expend　on　the　real　needs　of　their　business。

Crit。　And　pray；　what　may　be　the　reason　of　that；　Socrates？

Soc。　You　shall　come　with　me；　and　see　these　people　also；　and　as　you　contemplate　the　scene；　I　presume　you　will　lay　to　heart　the　lesson。

Crit。　I　will；　if　possibly　I　can；　I　promise　you。

Soc。　Yes；　and　while　you　contemplate；　you　must　make　trial　of　yourself　and　see　if　you　have　wit　to　understand。　At　present；　I　will　bear　you　witness　that　if　it　is　to　go　and　see　a　party　of　players　performing　in　a　comedy；　you　will　get　up　at　cock…crow；　and　come　trudging　a　long　way；　and　ply　me　volubly　with　reasons　why　I　should　accompany　you　to　see　the　play。　But　you　have　never　once　invited　me　to　come　and　witness　such　an　incident　as　those　we　were　speaking　of　just　now。

Crit。　And　so　I　seem　to　you　ridiculous？＇7＇

＇7＇　Or；　〃a　comic　character　in　the　performance。〃　Soc。　〃Not　so　comic　as　　　　　you　must　appear　to　yourself　（i。e。　with　your　keen　sense　of　the　　　　　ludicrous）。〃

Soc。　Far　more　ridiculous　to　yourself；　I　warrant。　But　now　let　me　point　out　to　you　another　contrast：　between　certain　people　whose　dealing　with　horses　has　brought　them　to　the　brink　of　poverty；　and　certain　others　who　have　found　in　the　same　pursuit　the　road　to　affluence；＇8＇　and　have　a　right　besides　to　plume　themselves　upon　their　gains。＇9＇

＇8＇　Or；　〃who　have　not　only　attained　to　affluence　by　the　same　pursuit；　　　　　but　can　hold　their　heads　high；　and　may　well　pride　themselves　on　　　　　their　thrift。〃

＇9＇　Cf。　Hom。　〃Il。〃　xii。　114；　｛ippoisin　kai　okhesphin　agallomenos｝；　et　　　　　passim；　〃Hiero；〃　viii。　5；　〃Anab。〃　II。　vi。　26。

Crit。　Well；　then；　I　may　tell　you；　I　see　and　know　both　characters　as　well　as　you　do；　but　I　do　not　find　myself　a　whit　the　more　included　among　those　who　gain。

Soc。　Because　you　look　at　them　just　as　you　might　at　the　actors　in　a　tragedy　or　comedy；　and　with　the　same　intentyour　object　being　to　delight　the　ear　and　charm　the　eye；　but　not；　I　take　it；　to　become　yourself　a　poet。　And　there　you　are　right　enough；　no　doubt；　since　you　have　no　desire　to　become　a　playright。　But；　when　circumstances　compel　you　to　concern　yourself　with　horsemanship；　does　it　not　seem　to　you　a　little　foolish　not　to　consider　how　you　are　to　escape　being　a　mere　amateur　in　the　matter；　especially　as　the　same　creatures　which　are　good　for　use　are　profitable　for　sale？

Crit。　So　you　wish　me　to　set　up　as　a　breeder　of　young　horses；＇10＇　do　you；　Socrates？

＇10＇　See　〃Horsemanship；〃　ii。　1。

Soc。　Not　so；　no　more　than　I　would　recommend　you　to　purchase　lads　and　train　them　up　from　boyhood　as　farm…labourers。　But　in　my　opinion　there　is　a　certain　happy　moment　of　growth　whuch　must　be　seized；　alike　in　man　and　horse；　rich　in　present　service　and　in　future　promise。　In　further　illustration；　I　can　show　you　how　some　men　treat　their　wedded　wives　in　such　a　way　that　they　find　in　them　true　helpmates　to　the　joint　increase　of　their　estate；　while　others　treat　them　in　a　way　to　bring　upon　themselves　wholesale　disaster。＇11＇

＇11＇　Reading　｛e　os　pleista｝；　al。　｛e　oi　pleistoi｝　=　〃to　bring　about　　　　　disaster　in　most　cases。〃

Crit。　Ought　the　husband　or　the　wife　to　bear　the　blame　of　that？

Soc。　If　it　goes　ill　with　the　sheep　we　blame　the　shepherd；　as　a　rule；　or　if　a　horse　shows　vice　we　throw　the　blame　in　general　upon　the　rider。　But　in　the　case　of　women；　supposing　the　wife　to　have　received　instruction　from　her　husband　and　yet　she　delights　in　wrong…doing；＇12＇　it　may　be　that　the　wife　is　justly　held　to　blame；　but　supposing　he　has　never　tried　to　teach　her　the　first　principles　of　〃fair　and　noble〃　conduct；＇13＇　and　finds　her　quite　an　ignoramus＇14＇　in　these　matters；　surely　the　husband　will　be　justly　held　to　blame。　But　come　now　（he　added）；　we　are　all　friends　here；　make　a　clean　breast　of　it；　and　tell　us；　Critobulus；　the　plain　unvarnished　truth：　Is　there　an　one　to　whom　you　are　more　in　the　habit　of　entrusting　matters　of　importance　than　to　your　wife？

＇12＇　Cf。　〃Horsemanship；〃　vi。　5；　of　a　horse　〃to　show　vice。〃

＇13＇　Or；　〃things　beautiful　and　of　good　report。〃

＇14＇　Al。　〃has　treated　her　as　a　dunce；　devoid　of　this　high　knowledge。〃

Crit。　There　is　no　one。

Soc。　And　is　there　any　one　with　whom　you　are　less　in　the　habit　of　conversing　than　with　your　wife？

Crit。　Not　many；　I　am　forced　to　admit。

Soc。　And　when　you　married　her　she　was　quite　young；　a　mere　girlat　an　age　when；　as　far　as　seeing　and　hearing　go；　she　had　the　smallest　acquaintance　with　the　outer　world？

Crit。　Certainly。

Soc。　Then　would　it　not　be　more　astonishing　that　she　should　have　real　knowledge　how　to　speak　and　act　than　that　she　should　go　altogether　astray？

Crit。　But　let　me　ask　you　a　question；　Socrates：　have　those　happy　husbands；　you　tell　us　of；