pericles-第9章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


sports；　were；　according　to　the　strictest　and　best　reason；　to　be
accounted　the　cause　of　this　mischance。　Besides　this；　Stesimbrotus
tells　us　that　it　was　Xanthippus　who　spread　abroad　among　the　people　the
infamous　story　concerning　his　own　wife；　and　in　general　that　this
difference　of　the　young　man's　with　his　father；　and　the　breach
betwixt　them；　continued　never　to　be　healed　or　made　up　till　his
death。　For　Xanthippus　died　in　the　plague　time　of　the　sickness。　At
which　time　Pericles　also　lost　his　sister；　and　the　greatest　part　of　his
relations　and　friends；　and　those　who　had　been　most　useful　and
serviceable　to　him　in　managing　the　affairs　of　state。　However；　he　did
not　shrink　or　give　in　upon　these　occasions；　nor　betray　or　lower　his
high　spirit　and　the　greatness　of　his　mind　under　all　his　misfortunes；
he　was　not　even　so　much　as　seen　to　weep　or　to　mourn；　or　even　attend
the　burial　of　any　of　his　friends　or　relations；　till　at　last　he　lost
his　only　remaining　legitimate　son。　Subdued　by　this　blow；　and　yet
striving　still；　as　far　as　he　could；　to　maintain　his　principle；　and
to　preserve　and　keep　up　the　greatness　of　his　soul；　when　he　came；
however；　to　perform　the　ceremony　of　putting　a　garland　of　flowers
upon　the　head　of　the　corpse；　he　was　vanquished　by　his　passion　at　the
sight；　so　that　he　burst　into　exclamations；　and　shed　copious　tears；
having　never　done　any　such　thing　in　his　life　before。
　　The　city　having　made　trial　of　other　generals　for　the　conduct　of　war；
and　orators　for　business　of　state；　when　they　found　there　was　no　one
who　was　of　weight　enough　for　such　a　charge；　or　of　authority　sufficient
to　be　trusted　with　so　great　a　command　regretted　the　loss　of　him；　and
invited　him　again　to　address　and　advise　them；　and　to　reassume　the
office　of　general。　He；　however；　lay　at　home　in　dejection　and　mourning；
but　was　persuaded　by　Alcibiades　and　others　of　his　friends　to　come
abroad　and　show　himself　to　the　people；　who　having；　upon　his
appearance；　made　their　acknowledgments；　and　apologized　for　their
untowardly　treatment　of　him　he　undertook　the　public　affairs　once　more；
and；　being　chosen　general；　requested　that　the　statute　concerning
base…born　children；　which　he　himself　had　formerly　caused　to　be　made；
might　be　suspended；　that　so　the　name　and　race　of　his　family　might　not；
for　absolute　want　of　a　lawful　heir　to　succeed；　be　wholly　lost　and
extinguished。　The　case　of　the　statute　was　thus：　Pericles；　when　long
ago　at　the　height　of　his　power　in　the　state；　having　then；　as　has
been　said；　children　lawfully　begotten；　proposed　a　law　that　those
only　should　be　reputed　true　citizens　of　Athens　who　were　born　of　such
parents　as　were　both　Athenians。　After　this；　the　King　of　Egypt　having
sent　to　the　people；　by　way　of　present；　forty　thousand　bushels　of
wheat；　which　were　to　be　shared　out　among　the　citizens；　a　great　many
actions　and　suits　about　legitimacy　occurred；　by　virtue　of　that
edict；　cases　which；　till　that　time；　had　not　been　known　nor　taken
notice　of；　and　several　persons　suffered　by　false　accusations。　There
were　little　less　than　five　thousand　who　were　convicted　and　sold　for
slaves；　those　who；　enduring　the　test；　remained　in　the　government　and
passed　muster　for　true　Athenians　were　found　upon　the　poll　to　be
fourteen　thousand　and　forty　persons　in　number。
　　It　looked　strange；　that　a　law；　which　had　been　carried　so　far　against
so　many　people；　should　be　cancelled　again　by　the　same　man　that　made
it；　yet　the　present　calamity　and　distress　which　Pericles　laboured
under　in　his　family　broke　through　all　objections；　and　prevailed　with
the　Athenians　to　pity　him；　as　one　whose　losses　and　misfortunes　had
sufficiently　punished　his　former　arrogance　and　haughtiness。　His
sufferings　deserved；　they　thought；　their　pity；　and　even　indignation；
and　his　request　was　such　as　became　a　man　to　ask　and　men　to　grant；　they
gave　him　permission　to　enrol　his　son　in　the　register　of　his
fraternity；　giving　him　his　own　name。　This　son　afterward；　after
having　defeated　the　Peloponnesians　at　Arginusae；　was；　with　his
fellow…generals；　put　to　death　by　the　people。
　　About　the　time　when　his　son　was　enrolled；　it　should　seem　the
plague　seized　Pericles；　not　with　sharp　and　violent　fits；　as　it　did
others　that　had　it；　but　with　a　dull　and　lingering　distemper；
attended　with　various　changes　and　alterations；　leisurely；　by　little
and　little；　wasting　the　strength　of　his　body；　and　undermining　the
noble　faculties　of　his　soul。　So　that　Theophrastus；　in　his　Morals；　when
discussing　whether　men's　characters　change　with　their　circumstances；
and　their　moral　habits；　disturbed　by　the　ailings　of　their　bodies；
start　aside　from　the　rules　of　virtue；　has　left　it　upon　record；　that
Pericles；　when　he　was　sick；　showed　one　of　his　friends　that　came　to
visit　him　an　amulet　or　charm　that　the　women　had　hung　about　his　neck；
as　much　as　to　say；　that　he　was　very　sick　indeed　when　he　would　admit　of
such　a　foolery　as　that　was。
　　When　he　was　now　near　his　end；　the　best　of　the　citizens　and　those
of　his　friends　who　were　left　alive；　sitting　about　him；　were　speaking
of　the　greatness　of　his　merit；　and　his　power；　and　reckoning　up　his
famous　actions　and　the　number　of　his　victories；　for　there　were　no　less
than　nine　trophies；　which；　as　their　chief　commander　and　conqueror　of
their　enemies；　he　had　set　up　for　the　honour　of　the　city。　They　talked
thus　together　among　themselves；　as　though　he　were　unable　to　understand
or　mind　what　they　said；　but　had　now　lost　his　consciousness。　He　had
listened；　however；　all　the　while；　and　attended　to　all；　and；　speaking
out　among　them；　said　that　he　wondered　they　should　commend　and　take
notice　of　things　which　were　as　much　owing　to　fortune　as　to　anything
else；　and　had　happened　to　many　other　commanders；　and；　at　the　same
time；　should　not　speak　or　make　mention　of　that　which　was　the　most
excellent　and　greatest　thing　of　all。　〃For；〃　said　he；　〃no　Athenian；
through　my　means；　ever　wore　mourning。〃
　　He　was　indeed　a　character　deserving　our　high　admiration　not　only　for
his　equitable　and　mild　temper；　which　all　along　in　the　many　affairs
of　his　life；　and　the　great　animosities　which　he　incurred；　he
constantly　maintained；　but　also　for　the　high　spirit　and　feeling
which　made　him　regard　it；　the　noblest　of　all　his　honours　that；　in
the　exercise　of　such　immense　power；　he　never　had　gratified　his　envy　or
his　passion；　nor　ever　had　treated　any　enemy　as　irreconcilably
opposed　to　him。　And　to　me　it　appears　that　this　one　thing　gives　that
otherwise　childish　and　arrogant　title　a　fitting　and　becoming
significance；　so　dispassionate　a　temper；　a　life　so　pure　and
unblemished；　in　the　height　of　power　and　place；　might　well　be　called
Olympian；　in　accordance　with　our　conceptions　of　the　divine　beings；
to　whom；　as　the　natural　authors　of　all　good　and　of　nothing　evil；　we
ascribe　the　rule　and　government　of　the　world。　Not　as　the　poets
represent；　who；　while　confounding　us　with　their　ignorant　fancies；
are　themselves　confuted　by　their　own　poems　and　fictions；　and　call
the　place；　indeed；　where　they　say　the　gods　make　their　abode；　a
secure　and　quiet　seat；　free　from　all　hazards　and　commotions；
untroubled　with　winds　or　with　clouds；　and　equally　through　all　time
illumined　with　a　soft　serenity　and　a　pure　light　as　though　such　were
a　home　most　agreeable　for　a　blessed　and　immortal　nature；　and　yet；　in
the　meanwhile；　affirm　that　the　gods　themselves　are　full　of　trouble　and
enmity　and　anger　and　other　passions；　which　no　way　become　or　belong
to　even　men　that　have　any　understanding。　But　this　will；　perhaps　seem　a
subject　fitter　for　some　other　consideration；　and　that　ought　to　be
treated　of　in　some　other　place。
　　The　course　of　public　affairs　after　his　death　produced　a　quick　and
speedy　sense　of　the　loss　of　Pericles。　Those　who；　while　he　lived；
resented　his　great　authority；　as　that　which　eclipsed　themselves；
presently　after　his　quitting　the　stage；　making　trial　of　other
orators　and　demagogues；　readily　acknowledged　that　there　never　had　been
in　nature　such　a　disposition　as　his　was；　more　moderate　and
reasonable　in　the　height　of　that　state　he　took　upon　him；　or　more　grave
and　impressive　in　the　mildness　which　he　used。　And　that　invidious
arbitrary　power；　to　which　formerly　they　gave　the　name　of　monarchy
and　tyranny；　did　then　appear　to　have　been　the　chief　bulwark　of
public　safety；　so　great　a　corruption　and　such　a　flood　of　mischief
and　vice　followed　which　he；　by　keeping　weak　and　low；　had　withheld　from
notice；　and　had　prevented　from　attaining　incurable　height　through　a
licentious　impunity。




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END