phaedo-第16部分

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turned　away　and　went　out。



　　Socrates　looked　at　him　and　said：　I　return　your　good　wishes；　and　will



do　as　you　bid。　Then；　turning　to　us；　he　said；　How　charming　the　man



is：　since　I　have　been　in　prison　he　has　always　been　coming　to　see　me；



and　at　times　he　would　talk　to　me；　and　was　as　good　as　could　be　to　me；



and　now　see　how　generously　he　sorrows　for　me。　But　we　must　do　as　he



says；　Crito；　let　the　cup　be　brought；　if　the　poison　is　prepared：　if



not；　let　the　attendant　prepare　some。



　　Yet；　said　Crito；　the　sun　is　still　upon　the　hilltops；　and　many　a



one　has　taken　the　draught　late；　and　after　the　announcement　has　been



made　to　him；　he　has　eaten　and　drunk；　and　indulged　in　sensual　delights；



do　not　hasten　then；　there　is　still　time。



　　Socrates　said：　Yes；　Crito；　and　they　of　whom　you　speak　are　right　in



doing　thus；　for　they　think　that　they　will　gain　by　the　delay；　but　I



am　right　in　not　doing　thus；　for　I　do　not　think　that　I　should　gain



anything　by　drinking　the　poison　a　little　later；　I　should　be　sparing



and　saving　a　life　which　is　already　gone：　I　could　only　laugh　at



myself　for　this。　Please　then　to　do　as　I　say；　and　not　to　refuse　me。



　　Crito；　when　he　heard　this；　made　a　sign　to　the　servant；　and　the



servant　went　in；　and　remained　for　some　time；　and　then　returned　with



the　jailer　carrying　a　cup　of　poison。　Socrates　said：　You；　my　good



friend；　who　are　experienced　in　these　matters；　shall　give　me　directions



how　I　am　to　proceed。　The　man　answered：　You　have　only　to　walk　about



until　your　legs　are　heavy；　and　then　to　lie　down；　and　the　poison　will



act。　At　the　same　time　he　handed　the　cup　to　Socrates；　who　in　the



easiest　and　gentlest　manner；　without　the　least　fear　or　change　of　color



or　feature；　looking　at　the　man　with　all　his　eyes；　Echecrates；　as　his



manner　was；　took　the　cup　and　said：　What　do　you　say　about　making　a



libation　out　of　this　cup　to　any　god？　May　I；　or　not？　The　man



answered：　We　only　prepare；　Socrates；　just　so　much　as　we　deem　enough。　I



understand；　he　said：　yet　I　may　and　must　pray　to　the　gods　to　prosper　my



journey　from　this　to　that　other　world…may　this；　then；　which　is　my



prayer；　be　granted　to　me。　Then　holding　the　cup　to　his　lips；　quite



readily　and　cheerfully　he　drank　off　the　poison。　And　hitherto　most　of



us　had　been　able　to　control　our　sorrow；　but　now　when　we　saw　him



drinking；　and　saw　too　that　he　had　finished　the　draught；　we　could　no



longer　forbear；　and　in　spite　of　myself　my　own　tears　were　flowing　fast；



so　that　I　covered　my　face　and　wept　over　myself；　for　certainly　I　was



not　weeping　over　him；　but　at　the　thought　of　my　own　calamity　in



having　lost　such　a　companion。　Nor　was　I　the　first；　for　Crito；　when



he　found　himself　unable　to　restrain　his　tears；　had　got　up　and　moved



away；　and　I　followed；　and　at　that　moment。　Apollodorus；　who　had　been



weeping　all　the　time；　broke　out　in　a　loud　cry　which　made　cowards　of　us



all。　Socrates　alone　retained　his　calmness：　What　is　this　strange



outcry？　he　said。　I　sent　away　the　women　mainly　in　order　that　they　might



not　offend　in　this　way；　for　I　have　heard　that　a　man　should　die　in



peace。　Be　quiet；　then；　and　have　patience。



　　When　we　heard　that；　we　were　ashamed；　and　refrained　our　tears；　and　he



walked　about　until；　as　he　said；　his　legs　began　to　fail；　and　then　he



lay　on　his　back；　according　to　the　directions；　and　the　man　who　gave　him



the　poison　now　and　then　looked　at　his　feet　and　legs；　and　after　a　while



he　pressed　his　foot　hard　and　asked　him　if　he　could　feel；　and　he



said；　no；　and　then　his　leg；　and　so　upwards　and　upwards；　and　showed



us　that　he　was　cold　and　stiff。　And　he　felt　them　himself；　and　said：



When　the　poison　reaches　the　heart；　that　will　be　the　end。　He　was



beginning　to　grow　cold　about　the　groin；　when　he　uncovered　his　face；



for　he　had　covered　himself　up；　and　said　（they　were　his　last



words）…he　said：　Crito；　I　owe　a　cock　to　Asclepius；　will　you　remember　to



pay　the　debt？　The　debt　shall　be　paid；　said　Crito；　is　there　anything



else？　There　was　no　answer　to　this　question；　but　in　a　minute　or　two　a



movement　was　heard；　and　the　attendants　uncovered　him；　his　eyes　were



set；　and　Crito　closed　his　eyes　and　mouth。



　　Such　was　the　end；　Echecrates；　of　our　friend；　whom　I　may　truly　call



the　wisest；　and　justest；　and　best　of　all　the　men　whom　I　have　ever



known。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…THE　END…



。