statesman-第4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！


　　Y。　Soc。　Why　is　that？

　　Str。　Why；　because　only　the　most　divine　things　of　all　remain　ever

unchanged　and　the　same；　and　body　is　not　included　in　this　

class。　Heaven

and　the　universe；　as　we　have　termed　them；　although　they　have　been

endowed　by　the　Creator　with　many　glories；　partake　of　a　bodily

nature；　and　therefore　cannot　be　entirely　free　from　perturbation。　But

their　motion　is；　as　far　as　possible；　single　and　in　the　same　

place；　and

of　the　same　kind；　and　is　therefore　only　subject　to　a　reversal；　which

is　the　least　alteration　possible。　For　the　lord　of　all　moving　

things　is

alone　able　to　move　of　himself；　and　to　think　that　he　moves　them　at

one　time　in　one　direction　and　at　another　time　in　another　is　

blasphemy。

Hence　we　must　not　say　that　the　world　is　either　self…moved　always；　or

all　made　to　go　round　by　God　in　two　opposite　courses；　or　that　

two　Gods；

having　opposite　purposes；　make　it　move　round。　But　as　I　have　already

said　（and　this　is　the　only　remaining　alternative）　the　world　is

guided　at　one　time　by　an　external　power　which　is　divine　and　receives

fresh　life　and　immortality　from　the　renewing　hand　of　the　Creator；

and　again；　when　let　go；　moves　spontaneously；　being　set　free　at　such

a　time　as　to　have；　during　infinite　cycles　of　years；　a　reverse

movement：　this　is　due　to　its　perfect　balance；　to　its　vast　

size；　and　to

the　fact　that　it　turns　on　the　smallest　pivot。

　　Y。　Soc。　Your　account　of　the　world　seems　to　be　very　reasonable

indeed。

　　Str。　Let　us　now　reflect　and　try　to　gather　from　what　has　been　said

the　nature　of　the　phenomenon　which　we　affirmed　to　be　the　cause　of

all　these　wonders。　It　is　this。

　　Y。　Soc。　What？

　　Str。　The　reversal　which　takes　place　from　time　to　time　of　the

motion　of　the　universe。

　　Y。　Soc。　How　is　that　the　cause？

　　Str。　Of　all　changes　of　the　heavenly　motions；　we　may　

consider　this　to

be　the　greatest　and　most　complete。

　　Y。　Soc。　I　should　imagine　so。

　　Str。　And　it　may　be　supposed　to　result　in　the　greatest　

changes　to　the

human　beings　who　are　the　inhabitants　of　the　world　at　the　time。

　　Y。　Soc。　Such　changes　would　naturally　occur。

　　Str。　And　animals；　as　we　know；　survive　with　difficulty　great　and

serious　changes　of　many　different　kinds　when　they　come　upon　them　at

once。

　　Y。　Soc。　Very　true。

　　Str。　Hence　there　necessarily　occurs　a　great　destruction　of　them；

which　extends　also　to…the　life　of　man；　few　survivors　of　the　race　are

left；　and　those　who　remain　become　the　subjects　of　several　novel　and

remarkable　phenomena；　and　of　one　in　particular；　which　takes　place　at

the　time　when　the　transition　is　made　to　the　cycle　opposite　to　that

in　which　we　are　now　living。

　　Y。　Soc。　What　is　it？

　　Str。　The　life　of　all　animals　first　came　to　a　standstill；　and　the

mortal　nature　ceased　to　be　or　look　older；　and　was　then　reversed　and

grew　young　and　delicate；　the　white　locks　of　the　aged　darkened　again；

and　the　cheeks　the　bearded　man　became　smooth；　and　recovered　their

former　bloom；　the　bodies　of　youths　in　their　prime　grew　softer　and

smaller；　continually　by　day　and　night　returning　and　becoming

assimilated　to　the　nature　of　a　newly…born　child　in　mind　as　well　as

body；　in　the　succeeding　stage　they　wasted　away　and　wholly　

disappeared。

And　the　bodies　of　those　who　died　by　violence　at　that　time　quickly

passed　through　the　like　changes；　and　in　a　few　days　were　no　more　seen。

　　Y。　Soc。　Then　how；　Stranger；　were　the　animals　created　in　those

days；　and　in　what　way　were　they　begotten　of　one　another？

　　Str。　It　is　evident；　Socrates；　that　there　was　no　such　thing　in　the

then　order　of　nature　as　the　procreation　of　animals　from　one　another；

the　earth…born　race；　of　which　we　hear　in　story；　was　the　one　which

existed　in　those　days…they　rose　again　from　the　ground；　and　of　this

tradition；　which　is　now…a…days　often　unduly　discredited；　our

ancestors；　who　were　nearest　in　point　of　time　to　the　end　of　the　last

period　and　came　into　being　at　the　beginning　of　this；　are　to　us　the

heralds。　And　mark　how　consistent　the　sequel　of　the　tale　is；　after

the　return　of　age　to　youth；　follows　the　return　of　the　dead；　who　are

lying　in　the　earth；　to　life；　simultaneously　with　the　reversal　of　the

world　the　wheel　of　their　generation　has　been　turned　back；　

and　they　are

put　together　and　rise　and　live　in　the　opposite　order；　unless　God　has

carried　any　of　them　away　to　some　other　lot。　According　to　this

tradition　they　of　necessity　sprang　from　the　earth　and　have　

the　name　of

earth…born；　and　so　the　above　legend　clings　to　them。

　　Y。　Soc。　Certainly　that　is　quite　consistent　with　what　has　preceded；

but　tell　me；　was　the　life　which　you　said　existed　in　the　reign　of

Cronos　in　that　cycle　of　the　world；　or　in　this？　For　the　change　in　the

course　of　the　stars　and　the　sun　must　have　occurred　in　both。

　　Str。　I　see　that　you　enter　into　my　meaning；…no；　that　blessed　and

spontaneous　life　does　not　belong　to　the　present　cycle　of　the　world；

but　to　the　previous　one；　in　which　God　superintended　the　whole

revolution　of　the　universe；　and　the　several　parts　the　universe　were

distributed　under　the　rule。　certain　inferior　deities；　as　is　

the　way　in

some　places　still　There　were　demigods；　who　were　the　shepherds　of　the

various　species　and　herds　of　animals；　and　each　one　was　in　

all　respects

sufficient　for　those　of　whom　he　was　the　shepherd；　neither　was　there

any　violence；　or　devouring　of　one　another　or　war　or　quarrel　among

them；　and　I　might　tell　of　ten　thousand　other　blessings；　

which　belonged

to　that　dispensation。　The　reason　why　the　life　of　man　was；　as　

tradition

says；　spontaneous；　is　as　follows：　In　those　days　God　himself　was

their　shepherd；　and　ruled　over　them；　just　as　man；　over　them；　

who　is　by

comparison　a　divine　being；　still　rules　over　the　lower　animals。　Under

him　there　were　no　forms　of　government　or　separate　possession　of

women　and　children；　for　all　men　rose　again　from　the　earth；　having　no

memory；　of　the　past。　And　although　they　had　nothing　of　this　sort；　the

earth　gave　them　fruits　in　abundance；　which　grew　on　trees　and　shrubs

unbidden；　and　were　not　planted　by　the　hand　of　man。　And　they　dwelt

naked；　and　mostly　in　the　open　air；　for　the　temperature　of　their

seasons；　was　mild；　and　they　had　no　beds；　but　lay　on　Soft　couches　of

grass；　which　grew　plentifully　out　of：　the　earth。　Such　was　the　life

of　man　in　the　days　of　Cronos；　Socrates；　the　character　of　our　present

life　which　is　said　to　be　under　Zeus；　you　know　from　your　own

experience。　Can　you；　and　will　you；　determine　which　of　them　you　deem

the　happier？

　　Y。　Soc。　Impossible。

　　Str。　Then　shall　I　determine　for　you　as　well　as　I　can？

　　Y。　Soc。　By　all　means。

　　Str。　Suppose　that　the　nurslings　of　Cronos；　having　this　boundless

leisure；　and　the　power　of　holding　intercourse；　not　only　with　men；

but　with　the　brute　creation；　had　used　all　these　advantages　

with　a　view

to　philosophy；　conversing　with　the　brutes　as　well　as　with　

one　another；

and　learning　of　every　nature　which　was　gifted　with　any　special

power；　and　was　able　to　contribute　some　special　experience　to　

the　store

of　wisdom　there　would　be　no　difficulty　in　deciding　that　they　would

be　a　thousand　times　happier　than　the　men　of　our　own　day。　Or；　

again；　if

they　had　merely　eaten　and　drunk　until　they　were　full；　and　

told　stories

to　one　another　and　to　the　animals…such　stories　as　are　now　attributed

to　them…in　this　case　also；　as　I　should　imagine；　the　answer　would　be

easy。　But　until　some　satisfactory　witness　can　be　found　of　the　love

of　that　age　for　knowledge　and：　discussion；　we　had　better　let　the

matter　drop；　and　give　the　reason　why　we　have　unearthed　this　tale；

and　then　we　shall　be　able　to　get　on。

　　In　the　fulness　of　time；　when　the　change　was　to　take　place；　and　the

earth…born　race　had　all　perished；　and　every　soul　had　completed　its

proper　cycle　of　births　and　been　sown　in　the　earth　her　

appointed　number

of　times；　the　pilot　of　the　universe　let　the　helm　go；　and　retired　to

his　place　of　view；　and　then　Fate　and　innate　desire　reversed　

the　motion

of　the　world。　Then　also　all　the　inferior　deities　who　share　

the　rule　of

the　supreme　power；　being　informed　of　what　was　happening；　let　go　the

parts　of　the　world　which　were　under　their　control。　And　the　world

turning　round　with　a　sudden　shock；　being　impelled　in　an　opposite

direction　from　beginning　to　end；　was　shaken　by　a　mighty　earthquake；

which　wrought　a　new　destruction　of　all　manner　of　animals。

Afterwards；　when　sufficient　time　had　elapsed；　the　tumult　and　

confusion

and　earthquake　ceased；　and　the　universal　creature；　once　more　at

peace　attained　to　a　calm；　and　settle　down　into　his　own　orderly　and

accustomed　course；　having　the　charge　and　rule　of　himself　and　of　all

the　creatures　which　are　contained　in　him；　and　executing；　as　far　as

he　remembered　them；　the　instructions　of　his　Father　and　Creator；　more

precisely　at　first；　but　afterwords　with　less　exactness。　The　reason

of　the　falling　off　was　the　admixture　of　matter　in　him；　this　was

inherent　in　the　primal　nature；　which　was　full　of　disorder；　until

attaining　to　the　present　order。　From　God；　the　constructor；　the　world

received　all　that　is　good　in　him；　but　from　a　previous　state　came

elements　of　evil　and　unrighteousness；　which；　thence　derived；　first

of　all　passed　into　the　world；　and　were　then　transmitted　to　the

animals。　While　the　world　was　aided　by　the　pilot　in　nurturing　the

animals；　the　evil　was　small；　and　great　the　good　which　he　

produced；　but

after　the　separation；　when　the　world　was　let　go；　at　first　all

proceeded　well　enough；　but；　as　time　went　there　was　more　and　more

forgetting；　and　the　old　discord　again　held　sway　and　burst　forth　in

full　glory；　and　at　last　small　was　the　good；　and　great　was　the

admixture　of　evil；　and　there　was　a　danger　of　universal　ruin　to　the

world；　and　the　things　contained　in　him。　Wherefore　God；　the　orderer

of　all；　in　his　tender　care；　seeing　that　the　world　was　in　great

straits；　and　fearing　that　all　might　be　dissolved　in　the　storm　and

disappear　in　infinite　chaos；　again　seated　himself　at　the　helm；　and

bringing　back　the　elements　which　had　fallen　into　dissolution　and

disorder　to　the　motion　which　had　prevailed　under　his　dispensation；

he　set　them　in　order　and　restored　them；　an