第2章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"Treatises on Friendship and Old Age",免费读到尾

  Again,thebelieversinthe\"interest\"theoryappeartometodestroythemostattractivelinkinthechainoffriendship。Foritisnotsomuchwhatonegetsbyafriendthatgivesonepleasure,asthewarmthofhisfeeling;andweonlycareforafriend’sserviceifithasbeenpromptedbyaffection。Andsofarfromitsbeingtruethatlackofmeansisamotiveforseekingfriendship,itisusuallythosewhobeingmostrichlyendowedwithwealthandmeans,andaboveallwithvirtue(which,afterall,isaman’sbestsupport),areleastinneedofanother,thataremostopenhandedandbeneficent。

  IndeedIaminclinedtothinkthatfriendsoughtattimestobeinwantofsomething。Forinstance,whatscopewouldmyaffectionshavehadifScipiohadneverwantedmyadviceorco—operationathomeorabroad?Itisnotfriendship,then,thatfollowsmaterialadvantage,butmaterialadvantagefriendship。

  15。Wemustnotthereforelistentothesesuperfinegentlemenwhentheytalkoffriendship,whichtheyknowneitherintheorynorinpractice。Forwho,inheaven’sname,wouldchoosealifeofthegreatestwealthandabundanceonconditionofneitherlovingorbeingbelovedbyanycreature?Thatisthesortoflifetyrantsendure。They,ofcourse,cancountonnofidelity,noaffection,nosecurityforthegoodwillofanyone。Forthemallissuspicionandanxiety;forthemthereisnopossibilityoffriendship。Whocanloveonewhomhefears,orbywhomheknowsthatheisfeared?

  Yetsuchmenhaveashowoffriendshipofferedthem,butitisonlyafair—weathershow。Ifiteverhappenthattheyfall,asitgenerallydoes,theywillatonceunderstandhowfriendlesstheyare。SotheysayTarquinobservedinhisexilethatheneverknewwhichofhisfriendswererealandwhichsham,untilhehadceasedtobeabletorepayeither。Thoughwhatsurprisesmeisthatamanofhisproudandoverbearingcharactershouldhaveafriendatall。

  Andasitwashischaracterthatpreventedhishavinggenuinefriends,soitoftenhappensinthecaseofmenofunusuallygreatmeans—theirverywealthforbidsfaithfulfriendships。FornotonlyisFortuneblindherself;butshegenerallymakesthoseblindalsowhoenjoyherfavours。Theyarecarried,sotospeak,beyondthemselveswithself—conceitandself—will;norcananythingbemoreperfectlyintolerablethanasuccessfulfool。Youmayoftenseeit。Menwhobeforehadpleasantmannersenoughundergoacompletechangeonattainingpowerofoffice。Theydespisetheiroldfriends:devotethemselvestonew。

  Now,cananythingbemorefoolishthanthatmenwhohavealltheopportunitieswhichprosperity,wealth,andgreatmeanscanbestow,shouldsecureallelsewhichmonevcanbuy—horses,servants,splendidupholstering,andcostlyplate—butdonotsecurefriends,whoare,ifImayusetheexpression,themostvaluableandbeautifulfurnitureoflife?Andyet,whentheyacquiretheformer,theyknownotwhowillenjoythem,norforwhomtheymaybetakingallthistrouble;fortheywilloneandalleventuallybelongtothestrongest:whileeachmanhasastableandinalienableownershipinhisfriendships。Andevenifthosepossessions,whichare,inamanner,thegiftsoffortune,doprovepermanent,lifecanneverbeanythingbutjoylesswhichiswithouttheconsolationsandcompanionshipoffriends。

  16。Toturntoanotherbranchofoursubject。Wemustnowendeavourtoascertainwhatlimitsaretobeobservedinfriendship—whatistheboundary—line,sotospeak,beyondwhichouraffectionisnottogo。OnthispointInoticethreeopinions,withnoneofwhichIagree。Oneis_thatweshouldloveourfriendjustasmuchasweloveourselves,andnomore;another,thatouraffectiontothemshouldexactlycorrespondandequaltheirstous;

  athird,thatamanshouldbevaluedatexactlythesamerateashevalueshimself_。TonotoneoftheseopinionsdoIassent。Thefirst,whichholdsthatourregardforourselvesistobethemeasureofourregardforourfriend,isnottrue;forhowmanythingstherearewhichwewouldneverhavedoneforourownsakes,butdoforthesakeofafriend!Wesubmittomakerequestsfromunworthypeople,todescendeventosupplication;tobesharperininvective,moreviolentinattack。Suchactionsarenutcreditableinourowninterests,buthighlysointhoseofourfriends。Therearemanyadvantagestoowhichmenofuprightcharactervoluntarilyforego,orofwhichhtheyarecontenttobedeprived,thattheirfriendsmayenjoythemratherthanthemselves。

  Theseconddoctrineisthatwhichlimitsfriendshiptoanexactequalityinmutualgoodofficesandgoodfeelings。Butsuchaviewreducesfriendshiptoaquestionoffiguresinaspiritfartoonarrowandilliberal,asthoughtheobjectweretohaveanexactbalanceinadebtorandcreditoraccount。Truefriendshipappearstometobesomethingricherandmoregenerousthanthatcomesto;andnottobesonarrowlyonitsguardagainstgivingmorethanitreceives。Insuchamatterwemustnotbealwaysafraidofsomethingbeingwastedorrunningoverinourmeasure,orofmorethanisjustlyduebeingdevotedtoourfriendship。

  Butthelastlimitproposedistheworst,namely,thatafriend’sestimateofhimselfistobethemeasureofourestimateofhim。Itoftenhappensthatamanhastoohumbleanideaofhimself,ortakestoodespairingaviewofhischanceofbetteringhisfortune。Insuchacaseafriendoughtnottotaketheviewofhimwhichhetakesofhimself。Ratherheshoulddoallhecantoraisehisdroopingspirits,andleadhimtomorecbeerfulhopesandthoughts。

  Wemustthenfindsomeotherlimit。ButImustfirstmentionthesentimentwhichusedtocallforthScipio’sseverestcriticism。Heoftensaidthatnooneevergaveutterancetoanythingmorediametricallyopposedtothespiritoffriendshipthantheauthorofthedictum,\"Youshouldloveyourfriendwiththeconsciousnessthatyoumayonedayhatehim。\"HecouldnotbeinducedtobelievethatitwasrightfullyattributedtoBias,whowascountedasoneoftheSevenSages。Itwasthesentimentofsomepersonwithsinistermotivesorselfishambition,orwhoregardedeverythingasitaffectedhisownsupremacy。Howcanamanbefriendswithanother,ifhethinksitpossiblethatbemaybehisenemy?Why,itwillfollowthathemustwishanddesirehisfriendtocommitasmanymistakesaspossible,thathemayhaveallthemorehandlesagainsthim;and,conversely,thathemustbeannoyed,irritated,andjealousattherightactionsorgoodfortuneofhisfriends。Thismaxim,then,letitbewhoseitwill,istheutterdestructionoffriendship。Thetrueruleistotakesuchcareintheselectionofourfriendsasnevertoenteruponafriendshipwithamanwhomwecouldunderanycircumstancescometohate。Andevenifweareunluckyinourchoice,wemustputupwithit—accordingtoScipio—inpreferencetomakingcalculationsastoafuturebreach。

  17。Thereallimittobeobservedinfriendshipisthis:thecharactersoftwofriendsmustbestainless。Theremustbecompleteharmonyofinterests,purpose,andaims,withoutexception。Thenifthecasearisesofafriend’swish(notstrictlyrightinitself)callingforsupportinamatterinvolvmghislifeorreputation,wemustmakesomeconcessionfromthestraightpath—oncondition,thatistosay,thatextremedisgraceisnottheconsequence。Somethingmustbeconcededtofriendship。Andyetwemustnotbeentirelycarelessofourreputation,norregardthegoodopinionofourfellow—citizensasaweaponwhichwecanaffordtodespiseinconductingthebusinessofourlife,howeverloweringitmaybetotoutforitbyflatteryandsmoothwords。Wemustbynomeansabjurevirtue,whichsecuresusaffection。

  ButtoreturnagaintoScipio,thesoleauthorofthediscourseonfriendship。Heusedtocomplainthattherewasnothingonwhichmenbestowedsolittlepains:thateveryonecouldtellexactlyhowmanygoatsorsheephehad,butnothowmanyfriends;andwhiletheytookpainsinprocuringtheformer,theywereutterlycarelessinselectingfriends,andpossessednoparticularmarks,sotospeak,ortokensbywhichtheymightjudgeoftheirsuitabilityforfriendship。Nowthequalitiesweoughttolookoutforinmakingourselectionarefirmness,stability,constancy。Thereisaplentifullackofmensoendowed,anditisdifficulttoformajudgmentwithouttesting。Nowthistestingcanonlybemadeduringtheactualexistenceofthefriend—ship;forfriendshipsooftenprecedestheformationofajudgment,andmakesaprevioustestimpossible。

  Ifweareprudentthen,weshallreininourimpulsetoaffectionaswedochariothorses。Wemakeapreliminarytrialofhorses。Soweshouldoffriendship;andshouldtestourfriends’charactersbyakindoftentativefriendship。Itmayoftenhappenthattheuntrustworthinessofcertainmeniscompletelydisplayedinasmallmoneymatter;otherswhoareproofagainstasmallsumaredetectedifitbelarge。Butevenifsomearefoundwhothinkitmeantoprefermoneytofriendship,whereshallwelookforthosewhoputfriendshipbeforeoffice,civilormilitarypromotions,andpoliticalpower,andwho,whenthechoiceliesbetweenthesethingsontheonesideandtheclaimsoffriendshipontheother,donotgiveastrongpreferencetotheformer?Itisnotinhumannaturetobeindifferenttopoliticalpower;andifthepricemenhavetopayforitisthesacrificeoffriendship,theythinktheirtreasonwillbethrownintotheshadebythemagnitudeofthereward。Thisiswhytruefriendshipisverydifficulttofindamongthosewhoengageinpoliticsandthecontestforoffice。Wherecanyoufindthemantopreferhisfriend’sadvancementtohisown?

  Andtosaynothingofthat,thinkhowgrievousandalmostintolerableitistomostmentosharepoliticaldisaster。Youwillscarcelyfindanyonewhocanbringhimselftodothat。AndthoughwhatEnniussaysisquitetrue,—\"thehourofneedshewsthefriendindeed,\"—yetitisinthesetwowaysthatmostpeoplebetraytheiruntrustworthinessandinconstancy,bylookingdownonfriendswhentheyarethemselvesprosperous,ordesertingthemintheirdistress。Aman,then,whohasshewnafirm,unshaken,andunvaryingfriendshipinboththesecontingencieswemustreckonasoneofaclasstherarestintheworld,andallbutsuperhuman。

  18。Now,whatisthequalitytolookoutforasawarrantforthestabilityandpermanenceoffriendship?Itisloyalty。Nothingthatlacksthiscanbestable。Weshouldalsoinmakingourselectionlookoutforsimplicity,asocialdisposition,andasympatheticnature,movedbywhatmovesus。Theseallcontributetomaintainloyalty。Youcannevertrustacharacterwhichisintricateandtortuous。Nor,indeed,isitpossibleforonetobetrustworthyandfirmwhoisunsympatheticbynatureandunmovedbywhataffectsourselves。Wemayadd,thathemustneithertakepleasureinbringingaccusationsagainstushimself,norbelievethemwhentheyarebrought。AllthesecontributetoformthatconstancywhichIhavebeenendeavouringtodescribe。Andtheresultis,whatIstartedbysaying,thatfriendshipisonlypossiblebetweengoodmen。

  Nowtherearetwocharacteristicfeaturesinhistreatmentofhisfriendsthatagood(whichmayberegardedasequivalenttoawise)manwillalwaysdisplay。First,hewillbeentirelywithoutanymake—believeorpretenceoffeeling;fortheopendisplayevenofdislikeismorebecommgtoaningenuouscharacterthanastudiedconcealmentofsentiment。Secondly,hewillnotonlyrejectallaccusationsbroughtagainsthisfriendbyanother,buthewillnotbesuspicioushimselfeither,norbealwaysthinkingthathisfriendhasactedimproperly。Besidesthis,thereshouldbeacertainpleasantnessinwordandmannerwhichaddsnolittleflavourtofriendship。Agloomytemperandunvaryinggravitymaybeveryimpressive;butfriendshipshouldbealittlelessunbending,moreindulgentandgracious,andmoreinclinedtoallkindsofgood—fellowshipandgood—nature。

  19。Butherearisesaquestionofsomelittledifficulty。Arethereanyoccasionsonwhich,assumingtheirworthiness,weshouldprefernewtooldfriends,justaswepreferyoungtoagedhorses?

  Theansweradmitsofnodoubtwhatever。Forthereshouldbenosatietyinfriendship,asthereisinotherthings。Theolderthesweeter,asinwinesthatkeepwell。Andtheproverbisatrueone,\"Youmusteatmanyapeckofsaltwithamantobethoroughfriendswithhim。\"Novelty,indeed,hasitsadvantage,whichwemustnotdespise。Thereisalwayshopeoffruit,asthereisinhealthybladesofcorn。Butagetoomusthaveitsproperposition;

  and,infact,theinfluenceoftimeandhabitisverygreat。TorecurtotheillustrationofthehorsewhichIhavejustnowused。Everyonelikes_ceterisparibus_tousethehorsetowhichhehasbeenaccustomed,ratherthanonethatisuntriedandnew。Anditisnotonlyinthecaseofalivingthingthatthisruleholdsgood,butininanimatethingsalso;forwelikeplaceswherewehavelivedthelongest,eventhoughtheyaremountainousandcoveredwithforest。Buthereisanothergoldenruleinfriendship:_putyourselfonalevelwithyourfriend_。Foritoftenhappensthattherearecertainsuperiorities,asforexampleScipio’sinwhatImaycallourset。NowheneverassumedanyairsofsuperiorityoverPhilus,orRupilius,orMummius,oroverfriendsofalowerrankstilt。Forinstance,healwaysshewedadeferencetohisbrotherQuintusMaximusbecausehewashissenior,who,thoughamannodoubtofeminentcharacter,wasbynomeanshisequal。Heusedalsotowishthatallhisfriendsshouldbethebetterforhissupport。Thisisanexampleweshouldallfollow。Ifanyofushaveanyadvantageinpersonalcharacter,intellect,orfortune,weshouldbereadytomakeourfriendssharersandpartnersinitwithourselves。

  Forinstance,iftheirparentsareinhumblecircumstances,iftheirrelationsarepowerfulneitherinintellectnormeans,weshouldsupplytheirdeficienciesandpromotetheirrankanddignity。Youknowthelegendsofchildrenbroughtupasservantsinignoranceoftheirparentageandfamily。Whentheyarerecognizedanddiscoveredtobethesonsofgodsorkings,theystillretaintheiraffectionfortheshepherdswhomtheyhaveformanyyearslookeduponastheirparents。Muchmoreoughtthistobesointhecaseofrealandundoubtedparents。Fortheadvantagesofgeniusandvirtue,andinshort,ofeverykindofsuperiority,areneverrealizedtotheirfullestextentuntiltheyarebestoweduponournearestanddearest。

  20。Buttheconversemustalsobeobserved。Forinfriendshipandrelationship,justasthosewhopossessanysuperioritymustputthemselvesonanequalfootingwiththosewhoarelessfortunate,sotheselattermustnotbeannoyedatbeingsurpassedingenius,fortune,orrank。Butmostpeopleofthatsortareforevereithergrumblingatsomething,orharpingontheirclaims;andespeciallyiftheyconsiderthattheyhaveservicesoftheirowntoallegeinvolvingzealandfriendshipandsometroubletothemselves。

  Peoplewhoarealwaysbringinguptheirservicesareanuisance。

  Therecipientoughttorememberthem;theperformershouldnevermentionthem。Inthecaseoffriends,then,asthesuperiorareboundtodescend,soaretheyboundinacertainsensetoraisethosebelowthem。Fortherearepeoplewhomaketheirfriendshipdisagreeablebyimaginingthemselvesundervalued。Thisgenerallyhappensonlytothosewhothinkthattheydeservetobeso;andtheyoughttobeshewnbydeedsaswellasbywordsthegroundlessnessoftheiropinion。Nowthemeasureofyourbenefitsshouldheinthefirstplaceyourownpowertobestow,andinthesecondplacethecapacitytobearthemonthepartofhimonwhomyouarebestowingaffectionandhelp。For,howevergreatyourpersonalprestigemaybe,youcannotraiseallyourfriendstothehighestofficesoftheState。Forinstance,ScipiowasabletomakePubliusRupiliusconsul,butnothisbrotherLucius。Butgrantingthatyoucangiveanyoneanythingyouchoose,youmusthaveacarethatitdoesnotprovetobebeyondhispowers。Asageneralrule,wemustwaittomakeupourmindaboutfriendshipstillmen’scharactersandyearshavearrivedattheirfullstrengthanddevelopment。Peoplemustnot,forinstance,regardasfastfriendsallwhomintheiryouthfulenthusiasmforhuntingorfootballtheylikedforhavingthesametastes。Bythatrule,ifitwereamerequestionoftime,noonewouldhavesuchclaimsonouraffectionsasnursesandslave—tutors。Notthattheyaretobeneglected,buttheystandonadifferentground。Itisonlythesematurefriendshipsthatcanbepermanent。Fordifferenceofcharacterleadstodifferenceofaims,andtheresultofsuchdiversityistoestrangefriends。Thesolereason,forinstance,whichpreventsgoodmenfrommakingfriendswithbad,orbadwithgood,isthatthedivergenceoftheircharactersandaimsisthegreatestpossible。

  Anothergoodruleinfriendshipisthis:donotletanexcessiveaffectionhinderthehighestinterestsofyourfriends。Thisveryoftenhappens。Iwillgoagaintotheregionoffableforaninstance。NeoptolemuscouldneverhavetakenTroyifhehadbeenwillingtolistentoLycomedes,whohadbroughthimup,andwithmanytearstriedtopreventhisgoingthere。Again,itoftenhappensthatimportantbusinessmakesitnecessarytopartfromfriends:themanwhotriestobaulkit,becausehethinksthathecannotenduretheseparation,isofaweakandeffeminatenature,andonthatveryaccountmakesbutapoorfriend。Thereare,ofcourse,limitstowhatyououghttoexpectfromafriendandtowhatyoushouldallowhimtodemandofyou。Andtheseyoumusttakeintocalculationineverycase。

  21。Again,thereissuchadisaster,sotospeak,ashavingtobreakofffriendship。Andsometimesitisonewecannotavoid。Foratthispointthestreamofourdiscourseisleavingtheintimaciesofthewiseandtouchingonthefriendshipofordinarypeople。Itwillhappenattimesthatanoutbreakofviciousconductaffectseitheraman’sfriendsthemselvesorstrangers,yetthediscreditfallsonthefriends。Insuchcasesfriendshipsshouldbeallowedtodieoutgraduallybyanintermissionofintercourse。Theyshould,asIhavebeentoldthatCatousedtosay,ratherbeunstitchedthantoniintwain;unless,indeed,theinjuriousconductbeofsoviolentandoutrageousanatureastomakeaninstantbreachandseparationtheonlypossiblecourseconsistentwithhonourandrectitude。

  Again,ifachangeincharacterandaimtakesplace,asoftenhappens,orifpartypoliticsproducesanalienationoffeeling(Iamnowspeaking,asIsaidashorttimeago,ofordinaryfriendships,notofthoseofthewise),weshallhavetobeonourguardagainstappearingtoembarkuponactiveenmitywhileweonlymeantoresignafriendship。Fortherecanbenothingmorediscreditablethantobeatopenwarwithamanwithwhomyouhavebeenintimate。Scipio,asyouareaware,hadabandonedhisfriendshipforQuintusPompeiusonmyaccount;andagain,fromdifferencesofopinioninpolitics,hebecameestrangedfrommycolleagueMetellus。Inbothcasesheactedwithdignityandmoderation,shewingthathewasoffendedindeed,butwithoutTancour。

  Ourfirstobject,then,shouldbetopreventabreach;oursecond,tosecurethat,ifitdoesoccur,ourfriendshipshouldseemtohavediedanaturalratherthanaviolentdeath。Next,weshouldtakecarethatfriendshipisnotconvertedintoactivehostility,fromwhichflowpersonalquarrels,abusivelanguage,andangryrecriminations。Theselast,however,providedthattheydonotpassallreasonablelimitsofforbearance,weoughttoputupwith,and,incomplimenttoanoldfriendship,allowthepartythatinflictstheinjury,nottheonethatsubmitstoit,tobeinthewrong。Generallyspeaking,thereisbutonewayofsecuringandprovidingoneselfagainstfaultsandinconveniencesofthissort—nottobetoohastyinbestowingouraffection,andnottobestowitatallonunworthyobjects。

  Now,by\"worthyoffriendship\"Imeanthosewhohaveinthemselvesthequalitieswhichattractaffection。Thissortofmanisrare;andindeedallexcellentthingsarerare;andnothingintheworldissohardtofindasathingentirelyandcompletelyperfectofitskind。Butmostpeoplenotonlyrecognizenothingasgoodinourlifeunlessitisprofitable,butlookuponfriendsassomuchstock,caringmostforthosebywhomtheyhopetomakemostprofit。Accordinglytheyneverpossessthatmostbeautifulandmostspontaneousfriendshipwhichmustbesoughtsolelyforitselfwithoutanyulteriorobject。Theyfailalsotolearnfromtheirownfeelingsthenatureandthestrengthoffriendship。Foreveryoneloveshimself,notforanyrewardwhichsuchlovemaybring,butbecauseheisdeartohimselfindependentlyofanythingelse。Butunlessthisfeelingistransferredtoanother,whatarealfriendiswillneverberevealed;forheis,asitwere,asecondself。Butifwefindthesetwoinstinctsshewingthemselvesinanimals,—

  whetheroftheairortheseaortheland,whetherwildortame,—first,aloveofself,whichinfactisbornineverythingthatlivesalike;and,secondly,aneagernesstofiudandattachthemselvestoothercreaturesoftheirownkind;andifthisnaturalactionisaccompaniedbydesireandbysomethingresemblinghumanlove,howmuchmoremustthisbethecaseinmanbythelawofhisnature?Formannotonlyloveshimself,butseeksanotherwhosespirithemaysoblendwithhisownasalmosttomakeonebeingoftwo。

  22。Butmostpeopleunreasonably,nottospeakofmodesty,wantsuchafriendastheyareunabletobethemselves,andexpectfromtheirfriendswhattheydonotthemselvesgive。Thefaircourseisfirsttobegoodyourself,andthentolookoutforanotheroflikecharacter。Itisbetweensuchthatthestabilityinfriendshipofwhichwehavebeentalkingcanbesecured;when,thatistosay,menwhoareunitedbyaffectionlearn,firstofall,torulethosepassionswhichenslaveothers,andinthenextplacetotakedelightinfairandequitableconduct,tobeareachother’sburdens,nevertoaskeachotherforanythinginconsistentwithvirtueandrectitude,andnotonlytoserveandlovebutalsotorespecteachother。Isay\"respect\";forifrespectisgone,friendshiphaslostitsbrightestjewel。Andthisshowsthemistakeofthosewhoimaginethatfriendshipgivesaprivilegetolicentiousnessandsin。Naturehasgivenusfriendshipasthehandmaidofvirtue,notasapartneringuilt:totheendthatvirtue,beingpowerlesswhenisolatedtoreachthehighestobjects,mightsucceedindoingsoinunionandpartnershipwithanother。Thosewhoenjoyinthepresent,orhaveenjoyedinthepast,oraredestinedtoenjoyinthefuturesuchapartnershipasthis,mustbeconsideredtohavesecuredthemostexcellentandauspiciouscombinationforONFRIENDSHIP

  reachingnature’shighestgood。Thisisthepartnership,Isay,whichcombinesmoralrectitude,fame,peaceofmind,serenity:allthatmenthinkdesirablebecausewiththemlifeishappy,butwithoutthemcannotbeso。Thisbeingourbestandhighestobject,wemust,ifwedesiretoattainit,devoteourselvestovirtue;forwithoutvirtuewecanobtainneitherfriendshipnoranythingelsedesirable。Infact,ifvirtuebeneglected,thosewhoimaginethemselvestopossessfriendswillfindouttheirerrorassoonassomegravedisasterforcesthemtomaketrialofthem。Wherefore,Imustagainandagainrepeat,youmustsatisfyyourjudgmentbeforeengagingyouraffections:notlovefirstandjudgeafterwards。Wesufferfromcarelessnessinmanyofourundertakings:innonemorethaninselectingandcultivatingourfriends。Weputthecartbeforethehorse,andshutthestabledoorwhenthesteedisstolen,indefianceoftheoldproverb。For,havingmutuallyinvolvedourselvesinalong—standingintimacyorbyactualobligations,allonasuddensomecauseofoffencearisesandwebreakoffourfriendshipsinfullcareer。

  23。

  Itisthisthatmakessuchcarelessnessinamatterofsupremeimportanceallthemoreworthyofblame。Isay\"supremeimportance,\"becausefriendshipistheonethingabouttheutilityofwhicheverybodywithoneaccordisagreed。Thatisnotthecaseinregardeventovirtueitself;formanypeoplespeakslightinglyofvirtueasthoughitweremerepuffingandself—glorification。Norisitthecasewithriches。Manylookdownonriches,beingcontentwithalittleandtakingpleasureinpoorfareanddress,Andastothepoliticalofficesforwhichsomehaveaburningdesire—howmanyentertainsuchacontemptforthemastothinknothingintheworldmoreemptyandtrivial!

  Andsoonwiththerest;thingsdesirableintheeyesofsomeareregardedbyverymanyasworthless。Butoffriendshipallthinkaliketoaman,whetherthosehavedevotedthemselvestopolitics,orthosewhodelightinscienceandphilosophy,orthosewhofollowaprivatewayoflifeandcarefornothingbuttheirownbusiness,orthoselastlywhohavegiventhemselvesbodyandsoultosensuality—theyallthink,Isay,thatwithoutfriendshiplifeisnolife,iftheywantsomepartofit,atanyrate,tobenoble。Forfriendship,inonewayoranother,penetratesintothelivesofusall,andsuffersnocareertobeentirelyfreefromitsinfluence。

  Thoughamanbeofsochurlishandunsociableanatureastoloatheandshunthecompanyofmankind,aswearetoldwasthecasewithacertainTimonatAthens,yetevenhecannotrefrainfromseekingsomeoneinwhosehearinghemaydisgorgethevenomofhisbittertemper。Weshouldseethismostclearly,ifitwerepossiblethatsomegodshouldcarryusawayfromthesehauntsofmen,andplaceussome—whereinperfectsolitude,andthenshouldsupplyusinabundancewitheverythingnecessarytoournature,andyettakefromusentirelytheopportunityoflookinguponahumanbeing。Whocouldsteelhimselftoenduresuchalife?Whowouldnotloseinhislonelinessthezestforallpleasures?Andindeedthisisthepointoftheobservationof,I

  think,ArchytasofTarentum。Ihaveitthirdhand;menwhoweremyseniorstoldmethattheirseniorshadtoldthem。Itwasthis:\"Ifamancouldascendtoheavenandgetaclearviewofthenaturalorderoftheuniverse,andthebeautyoftheheavenlybodies,thatwonderfulspectaclewouldgivehimsmallpleasure,thoughnothingcouldbeconceivedmoredelightfulifhehadbuthadsomeonetowhomtotellwhathehadseen。\"Sotrueitisthatnatureabhorsisolation,andeverleansuponsome—thingasastayandsupport;andthisisfoundinitsmostpleasingforminourclosestfriend。

  24。

  ButthoughNaturealsodeclaresbysomanyindicationswhatherwishandobjectanddesireis,weyetinamannerturnadeafearandwillnothearherwarnings。Theintercoursebetweenfriendsisvariedandcomplex,anditmustoftenhappenthatcausesofsuspicionandoffencearise,whichawisemanwillsometimesavoid,atothertimesremove,atotherstreatwithindulgence。Theonepossiblecauseofoffencethatmustbefacediswhentheinterestsofyourfriendandyourownsincerityareatstake。Forinstance,itoftenhappensthatfriendsneedremonstranceandevenreproof。Whentheseareadministeredinakindlyspirittheyoughttobetakeningoodpart。ButsomehoworotherthereistruthinwhatmyfriendTerencesaysinhis_Andria_:

  Compliancegetsusfriends,plainspeakinghate。

  Plainspeakingisacauseoftrouble,iftheresultofItisresentment,whichispoisonoffriendship;butcomplianceisreallythecauseofmuchmoretrouble,becausebyindulginghisfaultsitletsafriendplungeintoheadlongruin。Butthemanwhoismosttoblameishewhoresentsplainspeakingandallowsflatterytoegghimontohisruin。Onthispoint,then,fromfirsttolastthereisneedofdeliberationandcare。Ifweremonstrate,itshouldbewithoutbitterness;ifwereprove,thereshouldbenowordofinsult。Inthematterofcompliance(forIamgladtoadoptTerence’sword),thoughthereshouldbeeverycourtesy,yetthatbasekindwhichassistsamaninviceshouldbefarfromus,foritisunworthyofafree—bornman,tosaynothingofafriend。Itisonethingtolivewithatyrant,anotherwithafriend。Butifaman’searsaresoclosedtoplainspeakingthatbecannotheartohearthetruthfromafriend,wemaygivehim\"pindespair。ThisremarkofCato’s,assomanyofhisdid,shewsgreatacuteness:\"Therearepeoplewhoowemoretobitterenemiesthantoapparentlypleasantfriends:theformeroftenspeakthetruth,thelatternever。\"Besides,itisastrangeparadoxthattherecipientsofadviceshouldfeelnoannoyancewheretheyoughttofeelit,andyetfeelsomuchwheretheyoughtnot。Theyarenotatallvexedathavingcommittedafault,butveryangryatbeingreprovedforit。Onthecontrary,theyoughttobegrievedatthecrimeandgladofthecorrection。

  25。Well,then,ifitistruethattogiveandreceiveadvice—theformerwithfreedomandyetwithoutbitterness,thelatterwithpatienceandwithoutirritation—ispeculiarlyappropriatetogenuinefriendship,itisnolesstruethattherecanbenothingmoreutterlysubversiveoffriendshipthanflattery,adulation,andbasecompliance。Iuseasmanytermsaspossibletobrandthisviceoflight—minded,untrustworthymen,whosesoleobjectinspeakingistopleasewith—outanyregardtotruth。Ineverythingfalsepretenceisbad。foritsuspendsandvitiatesourpowerofdiscerningthetruth。Buttonothingitissohostileastofriendship;foritdestroysthatfranknesswithoutwhichfriendshipisanemptyname。Fortheessenceoffriendshipbeingthattwomindsbecomeasone,howcanthatevertakeplaceifthemindofeachoftheseparatepartiestoitisnotsingleanduniform,butvariable,changeable,andcomplex?Cananythingbesopliable,sowavering,asthemindofamanwhoseattitudedependsnotonlyonanother’sfeelingandwish,butonhisverylooksandnods?

  Ifonesays\"No,\"Ianswer\"No\";if\"Yes,\"Ianswer\"Yes。\"

  Infine,I’velaidthistaskuponmyselfToechoallthat’ssaid—

  toquotemyoldfriendTerenceagain。ButheputsthesewordsintothemouthofaGnatho。Toadmitsuchamanintoone’sintimacyatallisasignoffolly。ButtherearemanypeoplelikeGnatho,anditiswhentheyaresuperioreitherinpositionorfortuneorreputationthattheirflatteriesbecomemischievous,theweightoftheirpositionmakingupforthelightnessoftheircharacter。Butifweonlytakereasonablecare,itisaseasytoseparateanddistinguishagenuinefromaspeciousfriendasanythingelsethatiscolouredandartificialfromwhatissincereandgenuine。Apublicassembly,thoughcomposedofmenofthesmallestpossibleculture,neverthelesswillseeclearlythedifferencebetweenameredemagogue(thatis,aflattereranduntrustworthycitizen)andamanofprinciple,standing,andsolidity。ItwasbythiskindofflatteringlanguagethatGaiusPapiriustheotherdayendeavouredtotickletheearsoftheassembledpeople,whenproposinghislawtomakethetribunesre—eligible。Ispokeagainstit。ButIwillleavethepersonalquestion。IpreferspeakingofScipio。Goodheavens!howimpressivehisspeechwas,whatamajestytherewasinit!Youwouldhavepronouncedhim,withouthesitation,tobenomerehenchmanoftheRomanpeople,buttheirleader。However,youwerethere,andmoreoverhavethespeechinyourhands。Theresultwasthatalawmeanttopleasethepeoplewasbythepeople’svotesrejected。Oncemoretorefertomyself,yourememberhowapparentlypopularwasthelawproposedbyGaiusLiciniusCrassus\"abouttheelectiontotheCollegeofPriests\"intheconsulshipofQuintusMaximus,Scipio’sbrother,andLuciusMancinus。Forthepoweroffillinguptheirownvacanciesonthepartofthecollegeswasbythisproposaltobetransferredtothepeople。Itwasthisman,bytheway,whobeganthepracticeoftwrningtowardstheforumwhenaddressingthepeople。Inspiteofthis,however,uponmyspeakingontheconservativeside,religiongainedaneasyvictoryoverhisplausiblespeech。Thistookplaceinmypraetorship,fiveyearsbeforeIwaselectedconsul,whichshowsthatthecausewassuccessfullymaintainedmorebythemeritsofthecasethanbytheprestigeofthehighestoffice。

  26。Now,ifonastage,suchasapublicassemblyessentiallyis,wherethereistheamplestroomforfictionandhalf—truths,truthneverthelessprevailsifitbebutfairlylaidopenandbroughtintothelightofday,whatoughttohappeninthecaseoffriendship,whichrestsentirelyontruthfulness?Friendship,inwhich,unlessyoubothseeandshowanopenbreast,touseacommonexpression,youcanneithertrustnorbecertainofanything—no,notevenofmutualaffection,sinceyoucannotbesureofitssincerity。

  However,thisflattery,injuriousasitis,canhurtnoonebutthemanwhotakesitinandlikesit。Anditfollowsthatthemantoopenhisearswidesttoflatterersishewhofirstflattershimselfandisfondestofhimself。IgrantyouthatVirtuenaturallylovesherself;forsheknowsherselfandperceiveshowworthyoflovesheis。ButIamnotnowspeakingofabsolutevirtue,butofthebeliefmenhavethattheypossessvirtue。Thefactisthatfewerpeopleareendowedwithvirtuethanwishtobethoughttobeso。Itissuchpeoplethattakedelightinflattery。Whentheyareaddressedinlanguageexpresslyadaptedtoflattertheirvanity,theylookuponsuchemptypersiflageasatestimonytothetruthoftheirownpraises。Itisnotthenproperlyfriendshipatallwhentheonewillnotlistentothetruth,andtheotherispreparedtolie。Norwouldtheservilityofparasitesincomedyhaveseemedhumoroustoushadtherebeennosuchthingsasbraggartcaptains。\"IsThaisreallymuchobligedtome?\"Itwouldhavebeenquiteenoughtoanswer\"Much,\"buthemustneedssay\"Immensely。\"

  Yourservileflattereralwaysexaggerateswhathisvictimwishestobeputstrongly。Wherefore,thoughitiswiththosewhocatchatandinviteitthatthisflatteringfalsehoodisespeciallypowerful,yetmenevenofsoliderandsteadiercharactermustbewarnedtnbeonthewatchagainstbeingtakeninbycunninglydisguisedflattery。Anopenflattereranyonecandetect,unlessheisanabsolutefoolthecovertinsinuationofthecunningandtheslyiswhatwehavetobestudiouslyonourguardagainst。Hisdetectionisnotbyanymeanstheeasiestthingintheworld,forheoftencovershisservilityundertheguiseofcontradiction,andflattersbypretendingtodispute,andthenatlastgivinginandallowinghimselftobebeaten,thatthepersonhoodwinkedmaythinkhimselftohavebeentheclearer—sighted。Nowwhatcanbemoredegradingthantobethushoodwinked?Youmustbeonyourguardagainstthishappeningtoyou,likethemaninthe_Heiress_:

  HowhaveIbeenbefooled!nodrivellingdotardsOnanystageweree’ersop1ayedupon。

  Forevenonthestagewehavenogrosserrepresentationoffollythanthatofshort—sightedandcredulousoldmen。ButsomehoworotherIhavestrayedawayfromthefriendshipoftheperfect,thatisofthe\"wise\"(meaning,ofcourse,such\"wisdom\"ashumannatureiscapableof),tothesubjectofvulgar,unsubstantialfriendships。

  Letusthenreturntoouroriginaltheme,andatlengthbringthat,too,toaconclusion。

  27。Well,then,FanniusandMucius,IrepeatwhatIsaidbefore。Itisvirtue,virtue,whichbothcreatesandpreservesfriendship。Onitdependsharmonyofinterest,permanence,fidelity。WhenVirtuehasrearedherheadandshewnthelightofhercountenance,andseenandrecognisedthesamelightinanother,shegravitatestowardsit,andinherturnwelcomesthatwhichtheotherhastoshew;andfromitspringsupaflamewhichyoumaycallloveorfriendshipasyouplease。BothwordsarefromthesamerootinLatin;andloveisjustthecleavingtohimwhomyoulovewithoutthepromptingofneedoranyviewtoadvantage—thoughthislatterblossomsspontaneouslyonfriendship,littleasyoumayhavelookedforit。ItiswithsuchwarmthoffeelingthatIcherishedLuciusPaulus,MarcusCato,GalusGallus,PubliusNasica,TiberiusGracchus,mydearScipio’sfather—in—law。Itshineswithevengreaterwarmthwhenmenareofthesameage,asinthecaseofScipioandLuciusFurius,PubliusRupilius,SpuriusMummius,andmyself。_Enrevanche_,inmyoldageIfindcomfortintheaffectionofyoungmen,asinthecaseofyourselvesandQuintusTubero:naymore,IdelightintheintimacyofsuchaveryyoungmanasPubliusRutiliusandAulusVerginius。Andsincethelawofournatureandofourlifeisthatanewgenerationisforeverspringingup,themostdesirablethingisthatalongwithyourcontemporaries,withwhomyoustartedintherace,youmayalsoteachwhatistousthegoal。Butinviewofthein—stabilityandperishablenessofmortalthings,weshouldbecontinuallyonthelook—outforsometoloveandbywhomtobeloved;forifweloseaffectionandkindlinessfromourlife,weloseallthatgivesitcharm。Forme,indeed,thoughtornawaybyasuddenstroke,Scipiostilllivesandeverwiltlive。ForitwasthevirtueofthemanthatIloved,andthathasnotsuffereddeath。Anditisnotmyeyesonly,becauseIhadallmylifeapersonalexperienceofit,thatneverlosesightofit:itwillshinetoposterityalsowithundimmedglory。Noonewillevercherishanoblerambitionoraloftierhopewithoutthinkinghismemoryandhisimagethebesttoputbeforehiseyes。IdeclarethatofalltheblessingswhicheitherfortuneornaturehasbestoweduponmeIknownonetocomparewithScipio’sfriendship。InitIfoundsympathyinpublic,counselinprivatebusiness;inittooameansofspendingmyleisurewithunalloyeddelight。Never,tothebestofmyknowledge,didI

  offendhimeveninthemosttrivialpoint;neverdidIhearawordfromhimIcouldhavewishedunsaid。Wehadonehouse,onetable,onestyleofliving;andnotonlywerewetogetheronforeignservice,butinourtoursalsoandcountrysojourns。Whyspeakofoureagernesstobeevergainingsomeknowledge,tobeeverlearningsomething,onwhichwespentallourleisurehoursfarfromthegazeoftheworld?Iftherecollectionandmemoryofthesethingshadperishedwiththeman,Icouldnotpossiblyhaveenduredtheregretforonesocloselyunitedwithmeinlifeandaffection。Butthesethingshavenotperished;theyareratherfedandstrengthenedbyreflexionandmemory。Evensupposingmetohavebeenentirelybereftofthem,stillmytimeoflifeofitselfbringsmenosmallconsolation:forIcannothavemuchlongernowtobearthisregret;andeverythingthatisbriefoughttobeendurable,howeversevere。

  ThisisallIhadtosayonfriendship。Onepieceofadviceonparting。Makeupyourmindstothis。Virtue(withoutwhichfriendshipisimpossible)isfirst;butnexttoit,andtoitalone,thegreatestofallthingsisFriendship。

  OnOldAgebyMarcusTulliusCicerotranslatedbyE。S。Shuckburgh1。Andshouldmyservice,Titus,easetheweightOfcarethatwringsyourheart,anddrawthestingWhichranklesthere,whatguerdonshalltherehe?

  FORImayaddressyou,Atticus,inthelinesinwhichFlamininuswasaddressedbytheman,who,poorinwealth,wasrichinhonour’sgold,thoughIamwellassuredthatyouarenot,asFlamininuswas,keptontherackofcarebynightandday。

  ForIknowhowwellorderedandequableyourmindis,andamfullyawarethatitwasnotasurnamealonewhichyoubroughthomewithyoufromAthens,hutitscultureandgoodsense。AndyetIhaveanideathatyouareattimesstirredtotheheartbythesamecircumstancesasmyself。Toconsoleyoufortheseisamoreseriousmatter,andmustbeputofftoanothertime。ForthepresentIhaveresolvedtodedicatetoyouanessayonOldAge。Forfromtheburdenofimpendingoratleastadvancingage,commontousboth,IwoulddosomethingtorelieveusboththoughastoyourselfIamfullyawarethatyousupportandwillsupportit,asyoudoeverythingelse,withcalmnessandphilosophy。ButdirectlyI

  resolvedtowriteonoldage,youatonceoccurredtomeasdeservingagiftofwhichbothofusmighttakeadvantage。Tomyself,indeed,thecompositionofthisbookhasbeensodelightful,thatithasnotonlywipedawayallthedisagreeablesofoldage,buthasevenmadeitluxuriousanddelightfultoo。Never,therefore,canphilosophybepraisedashighlyasitdeservesconsideringthatitsfaithfuldiscipleisabletospendeveryperiodofhislifewithunruffledfeelings。However,onothersubjectsI

  havespokenatlarge,andshalloftenspeakagain:

  thishookwhichIherewithsendyouisonOldAge。Ihaveputthewholediscoursenot,asAlistoofCosdid,inthemouthofTithonus—foramerefablewouldhavelackedconviction—butinthatofMarcusCatowhenhewasanoldman,togivemyessaygreaterweight。IrepresentLaeliusandScipioathishouseexpressingsurpriseathiscarryinghisyearssolightly,andCatoansweringthem。Ifheshallseemtoshewsomewhatmorelearninginthisdiscoursethanhegenerallydidinhisownbooks,putitdowntotheGreekliteratureofwhichitisknownthathebecameaneagerstudentinhisoldage。Butwhatneedofmore?Cato’sownwordswillatonceexplainallIfeelaboutoldage。

  M。Cato。PubliusCorneliusScipioAfricanus(theyounger)。GaiusLaelius。

  2。_Scipio_。ManyatimehaveIinconversationwithmyfriendGaiusLaeliushereexpressedmyadmiration,MarcusCato,oftheeminent,nayperfect,wisdomdisplayedbyyouindeedatallpoints,butaboveeverythingbecauseIhavenoticedthatoldageneverseemedaburdentoyou,whiletomostoldmenitissohatefulthattheydeclarethemselvesunderaweightheavierthanAetna。

  _Cato_。Youradmirationiseasilyexcited,itseems,mydearScipioandLaelius。Men,ofcourse,whohavenoresourcesinthemselvesforsecuringagoodandhappylifefindeveryageburdensome。Butthosewholookforallhappinessfromwithincanneverthinkanythinghadwhichnaturemakesinevitable。Inthatcategorybeforeanythingelsecomesoldage)towhichallwishtoattain,andatwhichallgrumblewhenattained。SuchisFolly’sinconsistencyandunreasonableness!Theysaythatitisstealinguponthemfasterthantheyexpected。Inthefirstplace,whocompelledthemtohuganillusion?Forinwhatrespectdidoldagestealuponmanhoodfasterthanmanhooduponchildhood?

  Inthenextplace,inwhatwaywouldoldagehavebeenlessdisagreeabletothemiftheywereintheireight—hundredthyearthanintheireightieth?Fortheirpast,howeverlong,whenonceitwaspast,wouldhavenoconsolationforastupidoldage。

  Wherefore,ifitisyourwonttoadmiremywisdom—andIwouldthatitwereworthyofyourgoodopinionandofmyownsurnameofSapiens—itreallyconsistsinthefactthatIfollowNature,thebestofguides,asIwouldagod,andamloyaltohercommands。Itisnotlikely,ifshehaswrittentherestoftheplaywell,thatshehasbeencarelessaboutthelastactlikesomeidlepoet。Butafterallsome\"last\"wasinevitable,justastotheberriesofatreeandthefruitsoftheearththerecomesinthefulnessoftimeaperiodofdecayandfall。Awisemanwillnotmakeagrievanceofthis。Torebelagainstnature—isnotthattofightlikethegiantswiththegods?

  _Laelius_。Andyet,Cato,youwilldousaverygreatfavour(I

  venturetospeakforScipioasformyself)if—sinceweallhope,oratleastwish,tobecomeoldmen—youwouldallowustolearnfromyouingoodtimebeforeitarrives,bywhatmethodswemaymosteasilyacquirethestrengthtosupporttheburdenofadvancingage。

  _Cato_。Iwilldosowithoutdoubt,Laelius,especiallyif,asyousay,itwillbeagreeabletoyouboth。

  _Laelius_Wedowishverymuch,Cato,ifitisnotroubletoyou,tobeallowedtoseethenatureofthebournewhichyouhavereachedaftercompletingalongjourney,asitwere,uponwhichwetooareboundtoembark。

  3。_Cato_。IwilldothebestIcan,Laelius。Ithasoftenbeenmyfortunetobearthecomplaintsofmycontemporaries—likewilltolike,youknow,accordingtotheoldproverb—complaintstowhichmenlikeC。SalinatorandSp。Albinus,whowereofconsularrankandaboutmytime,usedtogivevent。Theywere,first,thattheyhadlostthepleasuresofthesenses,withoutwhichtheydidnotregardlifeaslifeatall;and,secondly,thattheywereneglectedbythosefromwhomtheyhadbeenusedtoreceiveattentions。Suchmenappeartometolaytheblameonthewrongthing。Forifithadbeenthefaultofoldage,thenthesesamemisfortuneswouldhavebefallenmeandallothermenofadvancedyears。ButIhaveknownmanyofthemwhoneversaidawordofcomplaintagainstoldage;fortheywereonlytoogladtobefreedfromthebondageofpassion,andwerenotatalllookeddownuponbytheirfriends。

  Thefactisthattheblameforallcomplaintsofthatkindistobechargedtocharacter,nottoaparticulartimeoflife。Foroldmenwhoarereasonableandneithercross—grainednorchurlishfindoldagetolerableenough:whereasunreasonandchurlishnesscauseuneasinessateverytimeoflife。

  _Laelius_Itisasyousay,Cato。Butperhapssomeonemaysuggestthatitisyourlargemeans,wealth,andhighpositionthatmakeyouthinkoldagetolerable:whereassuchgoodfortuneonlyfallstofew。

  _Cato_。Thereissomethinginthat,Laelius,butbynomeansall。

  Forinstance,thestoryistoldoftheanswerofThemistoclesinawranglewithacertainSeriphian,whoassertedthatheowedhisbrilliantpositiontothereputationofhiscountry,nottohisown。

  \"IfIhadbeenaSeriphian,\"saidhe,\"evenIshouldneverhavebeenfamous,norwouldyouifyouhadbeenanAthenian。Somethinglikethismaybesaidofoldage。Forthephilosopherhimselfcouldnotfindoldageeasytobearinthedepthsofpoverty,northefoolfeelitanythingbutaburdenthoughhewereamillionaire。Youmayhesure,mydearScipioandLaelius,thatthearmsbestadaptedtooldagearecultureandtheactiveexerciseofthevirtues。Foriftheyhavebeenmaintainedateveryperiod—ifonehaslivedmuchaswellaslong—theharvesttheyproduceiswonderful,notonlybecausetheyneverfailuseveninourlastdays(thoughthatinitselfissupremelyimportant),butalsobecausetheconsciousnessofawell—spentlifeandtherecollectionofmanyvirtuousactionsareexceedinglydelightful。

  4。TakethecaseofQ。FabiusMaximus,theman,Imean,whorecoveredTarentum。WhenIwasayoungmanandheanoldone,Iwasasmuchattachedtohimasifhehadbeenmycontemporary。

  Forthatgreatman5seriousdignitywastemperedbycourteousmanners,norhadoldagemadeanychangeinhischaracter。True,hewasnotexactlyanoldmanwhenmydevotiontohimbegan,yethewasneverthelesswelloninlife;forhisfirstconsulshipfellintheyearaftermybirth。WhenquiteastriplingIwentwithhiminhisfourthconsulshipasasoldierintheranks,ontheexpeditionagainstCapua,andinthefifthyearafterthatagainstTarentum。

  FouryearsafterthatIwaselectedQuaestor,holdingofficeintheconsulshipofTuditanusandCethegus,inwhichyear,indeed,heasaveryoldmanspokeinfavouroftheCincianlaw\"ongiftsandfees。\"

  Nowthismanconductedwarswithallthespiritofyouthwhenhewasfaradvancedinlife,andbyhispersistencegraduallyweariedoutHannibal,whenriotinginalltheconfidenceofyouth。HowbrilliantarethoselinesofmyfriendEnniusonhim!

  Forus,downbeatenbythestormsoffate,OnemanbywisedelaysrestoredtheState。

  Praiseordispraisemovednothisconstantmood,Truetohispurpose,tohiscountry’sgood!

  Downever—lengtheningavenuesoffameThusshinesandshallshinestillhisgloriousname。

  Againwhatvigilance,whatprofoundskilldidheshowinthecaptureofTarentum!ItwasindeedinmyhearingthathemadethefamousretorttoSalinator,whohadretreatedintothecitadelafterlosingthetown:\"Itwasowingtome,QuintusFabius,thatyouretookTarentum。\"Quiteso,\"herepliedwithalaugh;\"forhadyounotlostit,Ishouldneverhaverecoveredit。\"Norwashelesseminentincivillifethaninwar。Inhissecondconsulship,thoughhiscolleaguewouldnotmoveinthematter,heresistedaslongashecouldtheproposalofthetribuneC。FlaminiustodividetheterritoryofthePiceniansandGaulsinfreeallotmentsindefianceofaresolutionoftheSenate。Again,thoughhewasanaugur,heventuredtosaythatwhateverwasdoneintheinterestsoftheStatewasdonewiththebestpossibleauspices,thatanylawsproposedagainstitsinterestwereproposedagainsttheauspices。Iwascognisantofmuchthatwasadmirableinthatgreatman,butnothingstruckmewithgreaterastonishmentthanthewayinwhichheborethedeathofhisson—amanofbrilliantcharacterandwhohadbeenconsul。Hisfuneralspeechoverhimisinwidecirculation,andwhenwereadit,isthereanyphilosopherofwhomwedonotthinkmeanly?Norintruthwasheonlygreatinthelightofdayandinthesightofhisfellow—citizens;hewasstillmoreeminentinprivateandathome。Whatawealthofconversation!

  Whatweightymaxims!Whatawideacquaintancewithancienthistory!Whatanaccurateknowledgeofthescienceofaugury!ForaRoman,too,hehadagreattinctureofletters。Hehadatenaciousmemoryformilitaryhistoryofeverysort,whetherofRomanorforeignwars。AndIusedatthattimetoenjoyhisconversationwithapassionateeagerness,asthoughIalreadydivined,whatactuallyturnedouttobethecase,thatwhenhediedtherewouldbenoonetoteachmeanything。

  5。WhatthenisthepurposeofsuchalongdisquisitiononMaximus?Itisbecauseyounowseethatanoldagelikehiscannotconscientiouslybecalledunhappy。YetitisafteralltruethateverybodycannotbeaScipiooraMaximus,withstormingsofcities,withbattlesbylandandsea,withwarsinwhichtheythemselvescommanded,andwithtriumphstorecall。Besidesthisthereisaquiet,pure,andcultivatedlifewhichproducesacalmandgentleoldage,suchaswehavebeentoldPlato’swas,whodiedathiswriting—deskinhiseighty—firstyear;orlikethatofIsocrates,whosaysthathewrotethebookcalledThePanegyricinhisninety—fourthyear,andwholivedforfiveyearsafterwards;

  whilehismasterGorgiasofLeontinicompletedahundredandsevenyearswithouteverrelaxinghisdiligenceorgivingupwork。

  Whensomeoneaskedhimwhyheconsentedtoremainsolongalive—\"Ihavenofault,\"saidhe,\"tofindwitholdage。\"Thatwasanobleanswer,andworthyofascholar。Forfoolsimputetheirownfrailtiesandguilttooldage,contrarytothepracticeofEnniu9,whomImentionedjustnow。Inthelines—

  LikesomebravesteedthatoftbeforeTheOlympicwreathofvictorybore,Nowbytheweightofyearsoppressed,Forgetstherace,andtakeshisrest—

  hecompareshisownoldagetothatofahigh—spiritedandsuccessfalrace—horse。Andhimindeedyoumayverywellremember。ForthepresentconsulsTitusFlamininusandManiusAciliuswereelectedinthenineteenthyearafterhisdeath;andhisdeathoccurredintheconsulshipofCaepioandPhilippus,thelatterconsulforthesecondtime:inwhichyearI,thensixty—sixyearsold,spokeinfavouroftheVoconianlawinavoicethatwasstillstrongandwithlungsstillsound;whilebe,thoughseventyyearsold,supportedtwoburdensconsideredtheheaviestofall—povertyandoldage—insuchawayastobeallbutfondofthem。

  ThefactisthatwhenIcometothinkitover,Ifindthattherearefourreasonsforoldagebeingthoughtunhappy:

  First,thatitwithdrawsusfromactiveemployments;second,thatitenfeeblesthebody;third,thatitdeprivesusofnearlyallphysicalpleasures;fourth,thatitisthenextsteptodeath。Ofeachofthesereasons,ifyouwillallowme,letusexaminetheforceandjusticeseparately。

  6。OLDAGEWITHDRAWSUSFROMACTIVE

  EMPLOYMENTS。Fromwhichofthem?Doyoumeanfromthosccarriedonbyyouthandbodilystrength?Aretherethennooldmen’semploymentstobeafterallconductedbytheintellect,evenwhenbodiesareweak?SothenQ。Maximusdidnothing;norL。

  Aemilius—ourfather,Scipio,andmyexcellentson’sfather—in—law!

  Sowithotheroldmen—theFabricii,theGuruandCoruncanii—whentheyweresupportingtheStatebytheiradviceandinfluence,theyweredoingnothing!TooldageAppiusClaudiushadtheadditionaldisadvantageofbeingblind;yetitwashewho,whentheSenatewasincliningtowardsapeacewithPyrrhusandwasformakingatreaty,didnothesitatetosaywhatEnniushasembalmedintheverses:

  Whitherhaveswervedthesoulssofirmofyore?

  Issensegrownsenseless?Canfeetstandnomore?

  Andsooninatoneofthemostpassionatevehemence。Youknowthepoem,andthespeechofAppiushimselfisextant。Now,hedelivereditseventeenyearsafterhissecondconsulship,therehavingbeenanintervaloftenyearsbetweenthetwoconsulships,andhehavingbeencensorbeforehispreviousconsulship。ThiswillshowyouthatatthetimeofthewarwithPyrrhushewasaveryoldman。Yetthisisthestoryhandeddowntous。

  Thereisthereforenothingintheargumentsofthosewhosaythatoldagetakesnopartinpublicbusiness。Theyarelikemenwhowouldsaythatasteersmandocsnothinginsailingaship,because,whilesomeofthecrewareclimbingthemasts,othershurryingupanddownthegangways,otherspumpingoutthebilgewater,hesitsquietlyinthesternholdingthetiller。Hedoesnotdowhatyoungmendo;neverthelesshedoeswhatismuchmoreimportantandbetter。Thegreataffairsoflifearenotperformedbyphysicalstrength,oractivity,ornimblenessofbody,butbydeliberation,character,expressionofopinion。Oftheseoldageisnotonlynotdeprived,but,asarule,hastheminagreaterdegree。UnlessbyanychanceI,whoasasoldierintheranks,asmilitarytribune,aslegate,andasconsulhavebeenemployedinvariouskindsofwar,nowappeartoyoutobeidlebecausenotactivelyengagedinwar。

  ButIenjoinupontheSenatewhatistobedone,andhow。

  Carthagehaslongbeenharbouringevildesigns,andIaccordinglyproclaimwaragainstheringoodtime。IshallneverceasetoentertainfearsabouthertillIbearofherhavingbeenlevelledwiththeground。ThegloryofdoingthatIpraythattheimmortalgodsmayreserveforyou,Scipio,sothatyoumaycompletethetaskbegunbyyourgrand—father,nowdeadmorethanthirty—twoyearsago;thoughallyearstocomewillkeepthatgreatman’smemorygreen。Hediedintheyearbeforemycensorship,nineyearsaftermyconsulship,havingbeenreturnedconsulforthesecondtimeinmyownconsulship。Ifthenhehadlivedtohishundredthyear,wouldhehaveregrettedhavinglivedtobeold?Forhewouldofcoursenothavebeenpractisingrapidmarches,nordashingonafoe,norhurlingspearsfromadistance,norusingswordsatclosequarters—butonlycounsel,reason,andsenatorialeloquence。Andifthosequalitieshadnotresidedinus_seniors_,ourancestorswouldneverhavecalledtheirsupremecouncilaSenate。AtSparta,indeed,thosewhoholdthehighestmagistraciesareinaccordancewiththefactactuallycalled\"elders。\"Butifyouwilltakethetroubletoreadorlistentoforeignhistory,youwillfindthatthemightiestStateshavebeenbroughtintoperilbyyoungmen,havebeensupportedandrestoredbyold。ThequestionoccursinthepoetNaevius’s_Sport_:

  Pray,whoarethosewhobroughtyourStateWithsuchdespatchtomeetitsfate?

  Thereisalonganswer,butthisisthechiefpoint:

  Acropofbrand—neworatorswegrew,Andfoolish,paltryladswhothoughttheyknew。

  Forofcourserashnessisthenoteofyouth,prudenceofoldage。

  7。But,itissaid,memorydwindles。Nodoubt,unlessyoukeepitinpractice,orifyouhappentobesomewhatdullbynature。

  Themistocleshadthenamesofallhisfellow—citizensbyheart。DoyouimaginethatinhisoldageheusedtoaddressAristidesasLysimachus?Formypart,Iknownotonlythepresentgeneration,buttheirfathersalso,andtheirgrandfathers。NorhaveIanyfearoflosingmymemorybyreadingtombstones,accordingtothevulgarsuperstition。Onthecontrary,byreadingthemIrenewmymemoryofthosewhoaredeadandgone。Nor,inpointoffact,haveIeverheardofanyoldmanforgettingwherehehadhiddenhismoney。Theyremembereverythingthatintereststhem:whentoanswertotheirbail,businessappointments,whoowesthemmoney,andtowhomtheyoweit。Whataboutlawyers,pontiffs,augurs,philosophers,whenold?

  Whatamultitudeofthingstheyremember!Oldmenretaintheirintellectswellenough,ifonlytheykeeptheirmindsactiveandfullyemployed。Noristhatthecaseonlywithmenofhighpositionandgreatoffice:

  itappliesequallytoprivatelifeandpeacefulpursuits。Sophoclescomposedtragediestoextremeoldage;andbeingbelievedtoneglectthecareofhispropertyowingtohisdevotiontohisart,hissonsbroughthimintocourttogetajudicialdecisiondeprivinghimofthemanagementofhispropertyonthegroundofweakintellect—justasinourlawitiscustomarytodepriveapaterfamiliasofthemanagementofhispropertyifheissquanderingit。There—upontheoldpoetissaidtohavereadtothejudgestheplayhehadonhandandhadjustcomposed—the_OedipusColoneus_—andtohaveaskedthemwhethertheythoughtthattheworkofamanofweakintellect。Afterthereadinghewasacquittedbythejury。Didoldagethencompelthismantobecomesilentinhisparticularart,orHomer,Hesiod,Simonides,orIsocratesandGorgiaswhomImentionedbefore,orthefoundersofschoolsofphilosophy,Pythagoras,Democritus,Plato,Xenocrates,orlaterZenoandCleanthus,orDiogenestheStoic,whomyoutoosawatRome?Isitnotratherthecasewithallthesethattheactivepursuitofstudyonlyendedwithlife?

  But,topassoverthesesublimestudies,IcannamesomerusticRomansfromtheSabinedistrict,neighboursandfriendsofmyown,withoutwhosepresencefarmworkofimportanceisscarcelyeverperformed—whethersowing,orharvestingorstoringcrops。

  Andyetinotherthingsthiss’lesssurprising;fornooneissooldastothinkthathemaynotliveayear。Buttheybestowtheirlabouronwhattheyknowdoesnotaffecttheminanycase:

  Heplantshistreestoservearacetocome,asourpoetStatiussaysinhisComrades。Norindeedwouldafarmer,howeverold,hesitatetoansweranyonewhoaskedhimforwhomhewasplanting:\"Fortheimmortalgods,whosewillitwasthatIshouldnotmerelyreceivethesethingsfrommyancestors,butshouldalsohandthemontothenextgeneration。\"

  8。Thatremarkabouttheoldmanisbetterthanthefollowing:

  Ifagebroughtnothingworsethanthis,Itwereenoughtomarourbliss,ThathewhobidesformanyyearsSeesmuchtoshunandmuchfortears。

  Yes,andperhapsmuchthatgiveshimpleasuretoo。Besides,astosubjectsfortears,heoftencomesupontheminyouthaswell。

  AstillmorequestionablesentimentinthesameCaeciliusis:

  NogreatermiserycanofagebetoldThanthis:besure,theyoungdisliketheold。

  Delightinthemisnearerthemarkthandislike。ForJustasoldmen,iftheyarewise,takepleasureinthesocietyofyoungmenofgoodparts,andasoldageisrenderedlessdrearyforthosewhoarecourtedandlikedbytheyouth,soalsodoyoungmenfindpleasureinthemaximsoftheold,bywhichtheyaredrawntothepursuitofexcellence。NordoIperceivethatyoufindmysocietylesspleasantthanIdoyours。Butthisisenoughtoshowyouhow,sofarfrombeinglistlessandsluggish,oldageisevenabusytime,alwaysdoingandattemptingsomething,ofcourseofthesamenatureaseachman’stastehadbeeninthepreviouspartofhislife。

  Nay,donotsomeevenaddtotheirstockoflearning?WeseeSolon,forinstance,boastinginhispoemsthathegrowsold\"dailylearningsomethingnew。\"Oragaininmyowncase,itwasonlywhenanoldmanthatIbecameacquaintedwithGreekliterature,whichinfactIabsorbedwithsuchavidity—inmyyearningtoquench,asitwere,along—continuedthirst—thatIbecameacquaintedwiththeveryfactswhichyouseemenowusingasprecedents。WhenIheardwhatSocrateshaddoneaboutthelyreI

  shouldhavelikedformyparttohavedonethattoo,fortheancientsusedtolearnthelyrebut,atanyrate,Iworkedhardatliterature。

  9。Nor,again,doInowMISSTHEBODILYSTRENGTHOFA

  YOUNGMAN(forthatwasthesecondpointastothedisadvantagesofoldage)anymorethanasayoungmanImissedthestrengthofabulloranelephant。Youshouldusewhatyouhave,andwhateveryoumaychancetobedoing,doitwithallyourmight。WhatcouldbeweakerthanMiloofCroton’sexclamation?

  Wheninhisoldagehewaswatchingsomeathletespractisinginthecourse,heissaidtohavelookedathisarmsandtohaveexclaimedwithtearsinhiseyes:\"Ahwell!thesearenowasgoodasdead。\"Notabitmoresothanyourself,youtrifler!Foratnotimewereyoumadefamousbyyourrealself,butbychestandbiceps。Sext。Aeliusnevergaveventtosucharemark,nor,manyyearsbeforehim,TitusCoruncanius,nor,morerecently,P。

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