demosthenes-第2部分

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for　the　recovery　of　his　own　private　property；　by　this　acquired　ability
in　speaking；　and　at　length；　in　public　business；　as　it　were　in　the
great　games；　came　to　have　the　pre…eminence　of　all　competitors　in　the
assembly。　But　when　he　first　addressed　himself　to　the　people；　he　met
with　great　discouragements；　and　was　derided　for　his　strange　and
uncouth　style；　which　was　cumbered　with　long　sentences　and　tortured
with　formal　arguments　to　a　most　harsh　and　disagreeable　excess。
Besides；　he　had；　it　seems；　a　weakness　in　his　voice；　a　perplexed　and
indistinct　utterance　and　a　shortness　of　breath；　which；　by　breaking　and
disjointing　his　sentences；　much　obscured　the　sense　and　meaning　of　what
he　spoke。　So　that　in　the　end　being　quite　disheartened；　he　forsook
the　assembly；　and　as　he　was　walking　carelessly　and　sauntering　about
the　Piraeus；　Eunomus；　the　Thriasian；　then　a　very　old　man；　seeing
him；　upbraided　him；　saying　that　his　diction　was　very　much　like　that　of
Pericles；　and　that　he　was　wanting　to　himself　through　cowardice　and
meanness　of　spirit；　neither　bearing　up　with　courage　against　popular
outcry；　nor　fitting　his　body　for　action；　but　suffering　it　to
languish　through　mere　sloth　and　negligence。
　　Another　time；　when　the　assembly　had　refused　to　hear　him；　and　he
was　going　home　with　his　head　muffled　up；　taking　it　very　heavily；
they　relate　that　Satyrus；　the　actor；　followed　him；　and　being　his
familiar　acquaintance；　entered　into　conversation　with　him。　To　whom；
when　Demosthenes　bemoaned　himself；　that　having　been　the　most
industrious　of　all　the　pleaders；　and　having　almost　spent　the　whole
strength　and　vigour　of　his　body　in　that　employment；　he　could　not　yet
find　any　acceptance　with　the　people；　that　drunken　sots；　mariners；
and　illiterate　fellows　were　heard；　and　had　the　husting's　for　their
own；　while　he　himself　was　despised；　〃You　say　true；　Demosthenes；〃
replied　Satyrus；　〃but　I　will　quickly　remedy　the　cause　of　all　this；
if　you　will　repeat　to　me　some　passage　out　of　Euripides　or
Sophocles。〃　Which　when　Demosthenes　had　pronounced；　Satyrus　presently
taking　it　up　after　him；　gave　the　same　passage；　in　his　rendering　of　it；
such　a　new　form；　by　accompanying　it　with　the　proper　mien　and
gesture；　that　to　Demosthenes　it　seemed　quite　another　thing。　By　this；
being　convinced　how　much　grace　and　ornament　language　acquires　from
action；　he　began　to　esteem　it　a　small　matter；　and　as　good　as　nothing
for　a　man　to　exercise　himself　in　declaiming；　if　he　neglected
enunciation　and　delivery。　Hereupon　he　built　himself　a　place　to　study
in　under　ground　（which　was　still　remaining　in　our　time）；　and　hither　he
would　come　constantly　every　day　to　form　his　action　and　to　exercise　his
voice；　and　here　he　would　continue；　oftentimes　without　intermission；
two　or　three　months　together；　shaving　one　half　of　his　head；　that　so
for　shame　he　might　not　go　abroad；　though　he　desired　it　ever　so　much。
　　Nor　was　this　all；　but　he　also　made　his　conversation　with　people
abroad；　his　common　speech；　and　his　business；　subservient　to　his
studies；　taking　from　hence　occasions　and　arguments　as　matter　to　work
upon。　For　as　soon　as　he　was　parted　from　his　company；　down　he　would
go　at　once　into　his　study；　and　run　over　everything　in　order　that　had
passed；　and　the　reasons　that　might　be　alleged　for　and　against　it。
Any　speeches；　also；　that　he　was　present　at；　he　would　go　over　again
with　himself；　and　reduce　into　periods；　and　whatever　others　spoke　to
him；　or　he　to　them；　he　would　correct；　transform；　and　vary　several
ways。　Hence　it　was　that　he　was　looked　upon　as　a　person　of　no　great
natural　genius；　but　one　who　owed　all　the　power　and　ability　he　had　in
speaking　to　labour　and　industry。　Of　the　truth　of　which　it　was
thought　to　be　no　small　sign　that　he　was　very　rarely　heard　to　speak
upon　the　occasion；　but　though　he　were　by　name　frequently　called　upon
by　the　people；　as　he　sat　in　the　assembly；　yet　he　would　not　rise　unless
he　had　previously　considered　the　subject；　and　came　prepared　for　it。　So
that　many　of　the　popular　pleaders　used　to　make　it　a　jest　against
him；　and　Pytheas　once；　scoffing　at　him；　said　that　his　arguments
smelt　of　the　lamp。　To　which　Demosthenes　gave　the　sharp　answer；　〃It
is　true；　indeed；　Pytheas；　that　your　lamp　and　mine　are　not　conscious　of
the　same　things。〃　To　others；　however；　he　would　not　much　deny　it；　but
would　admit　frankly　enough；　that　he　neither　entirely　wrote　his
speeches　beforehand；　nor　yet　spoke　wholly　extempore。　And　he　would
affirm　that　it　was　the　more　truly　popular　act　to　use　premeditation；
such　preparation　being　a　kind　of　respect　to　the　people；　whereas；　to
slight　and　take　no　care　how　what　is　said　is　likely　to　be　received　by
the　audience；　shows　something　of　an　oligarchical　temper；　and　is　the
course　of　one　that　intends　force　rather　than　persuasion。　Of　his　want
of　courage　and　assurance　to　speak　offhand；　they　make　it　also　another
argument　that；　when　he　was　at　a　loss　and　discomposed；　Demades　would
often　rise　up　on　the　sudden　to　support　him；　but　he　was　never
observed　to　do　the　same　for　Demades。
　　Whence　then；　may　some　say；　was　it；　that　Aeschines　speaks　of　him　as　a
person　so　much　to　be　wondered　at　for　his　boldness　in　speaking？　Or；　how
could　it　be；　when　Python；　the　Byzantine；　with　so　much　confidence　and
such　a　torrent　of　words　inveighed　against　the　Athenians；　that
Demosthenes　alone　stood　up　to　oppose　him？　Or　when　Lamarchus；　the
Myrinaean；　had　written　a　panegyric　upon　King　Philip　and　Alexander；
in　which　he　uttered　many　things　in　reproach　of　the　Thebans　and
Olynthians；　and　at　the　Olympic　Games　recited　it　publicly；　how　was　it
that　he；　rising　up；　and　recounting　historically　and　demonstratively
what　benefits　and　advantages　all　Greece　had　received　from　the
Thebans　and　Chalcidians；　and；　on　the　contrary；　what　mischiefs　the
flatterers　of　the　Macedonians　had　brought　upon　it；　so　turned　the　minds
of　all　that　were　present　that　the　sophist；　in　alarm　at　the　outcry
against　him；　secretly　made　his　way　out　of　the　assembly？　But
Demosthenes；　it　should　seem；　regarded　other　points　in　the　character　of
Pericles　to　be　unsuited　to　him；　but　his　reserve　and　his　sustained
manner；　and　his　forbearing　to　speak　on　the　sudden；　or　upon　every
occasion；　as　being　the　things　to　which　principally　he　owed　his
greatness；　these　he　followed；　and　endeavoured　to　imitate；　neither
wholly　neglecting　the　glory　which　present　occasion　offered；　nor　yet
willing　too　often　to　expose　his　faculty　to　the　mercy　of　chance。　For；
in　fact；　the　orations　which　were　spoken　by　him　had　much　more　of
boldness　and　confidence　in　them　than　those　that　he　wrote；　if　we　may
believe　Eratosthenes；　Demetrius　the　Phalerian；　and　the　Comedians。
Eratosthenes　says　that　often　in　his　speaking　he　would　be　transported
into　a　kind　of　ecstasy；　and　Demetrius；　that　he　uttered　the　famous
metrical　adjuration　to　the　people…

　　　　　　　　　〃By　the　earth；　the　springs；　the　rivers；　and　the　streams；〃

as　a　man　inspired　and　beside　himself。　One　of　the　comedians　calls　him　a
rhopoperperethras；　and　another　scoffs　at　him　for　his　use　of
antithesis：…

　　　　　　　　　〃And　what　he　took；　took　back；　a　phrase　to　please；
　　　　　　　　　　The　very　fancy　of　Demosthenes。〃

Unless；　indeed；　this　also　is　meant　by　Antiphanes　for　a　jest　upon　the
speech　on　Halonesus；　which　Demosthenes　advised　the　Athenians　not　to
take　at　Philip's　hands；　but　to　take　back。
　　All；　however；　used　to　consider　Demades；　in　the　mere　use　of　his
natural　gifts；　an　orator　impossible　to　surpass；　and　that　in　what　he
spoke　on　the　sudden；　he　excelled　all　the　study　and　preparation　of
Demosthenes。　And　Ariston；　the　Chian；　has　recorded　a　judgment　which
Theophrastus　passed　upon　the　orators；　for　being　asked　what　kind　of
orator　he　accounted　Demosthenes；　he　answered；　〃Worthy　of　the　city　of
Athens；〃　and　then　what　he　thought　of　Demades；　he　answered；　〃Above　it。〃
And　the　same　philosopher　reports　that　Polyeuctus；　the　Sphettian；　one
of　the　Athenian　politicians　about　that　time；　was　wont　to　say　that
Demosthenes　was　the　greatest　orator；　but　Phocion　the　ablest；　as　he
expressed　the　most　sense　in　the　fewest　words。　And；　indeed；　it　is
related　that　Demosthenes　himself；　as　often　as　Phocion　stood　up　to
plead　against　him；　would　say　to　his　acquaintance；　〃Here　comes　the
knife　to　my　speech。〃　Yet　it　does　not　appear　whether　he　had　this
feeling　for　his　powers　of　speaking；　or　for　his　life　and　character；　and
meant　to　say　that　one　word　or　nod　from　a　man　who　was　really　trusted
would　go　further　than　a　thousand　lengthy　periods　from　others。
　　Demetrius；　the　Phalerian；　tells　us　that　he　was　informed　by
Demosthenes　himself；　now　grown　old；　that　the　ways　he　made　use　of　to
remedy　his　natural　bodily　infirmities　and　defects　were　such　as
these；　his　inarticulate　and　stammering　pronunciation　he　overcame　and
rendered　more　distinct　by　speaking　with　pebbles　in　his　mouth；　his
voice　he　disciplined　by　declaiming　and　reciting　speeches　or　verses
when　he　was　out　of　breath；　while　running　or　going　up　steep　places；　and
that　in　his　house　he　had　a　large　looking…glass；　before　which　he
would　stand　and　go　through　his　exercises。　It　is　told　that　some　one
once　came　to　request　his　assistance　as　a　pleader；　and　related　how　he
had　been　assaulted　and　beaten。　〃Certainly；〃　said　Demosthenes；　〃nothing
of　the　kind　can　have　happened　to　you。〃　Upon　which　the　other；　raising
his　voice；　exclaimed　loudly；　〃What；　Demosthenes；　nothing　has　been　done
to　me？〃　〃Ah；〃　replied　Demosthenes；　〃now　I　hear　the　voice　of　one　that
has　been　injured　and　beaten。〃　Of　so　great　consequence　towards　the
gaining　of　belief　did　he　esteem　the　tone　and　action　of　the　speaker。
The　action　which　he　used　himself　was　wonderfully　pleasing　to　the
common　people；　but　by　well…educated　people；　as；　for　example；　by
Demetrius；　the　Phalerian；　it　was　looked　upon　as　mean；　humiliating；　and
unmanly。　And　Hermippus　says　of　Aesion；　that；　being　asked　his　opinion
concerning　the　ancient　orators；　and　those　of　his　own　time；　he　answered
that　it　was　admirable　to　see　with　what　composure　and　in　what　high
style　they　addressed　themselves　to　the　people；　but　that　the　orations
of　Demosthenes；　when　they　are　read；　certainly　appear　to　be　superior　in
point　of　construction；　and　more　effective。　His　written　speeches；
beyond　all　question；　are　characterized　by　austere　tone　and　by　their
severity。　In　his　extempore　retorts　and　rejoinders；