phaedrus-第4章

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a　courtesan　is　hurtful；　and　disapprove　of　such　creatures　and　their



practices；　and　yet　for　the　time　they　are　very　pleasant。　But　the



lover　is　not　only　hurtful　to　his　love；　he　is　also　an　extremely



disagreeable　companion。　The　old　proverb　says　that　〃birds　of　a



feather　flock　together〃；　I　suppose　that　equality　of　years　inclines



them　to　the　same　pleasures；　and　similarity　begets　friendship；　yet



you　may　have　more　than　enough　even　of　this；　and　verily　constraint　is



always　said　to　be　grievous。　Now　the　lover　is　not　only　unlike　his



beloved；　but　he　forces　himself　upon　him。　For　he　is　old　and　his　love　is



young；　and　neither　day　nor　night　will　he　leave　him　if　he　can　help；



necessity　and　the　sting　of　desire　drive　him　on；　and　allure　him　with



the　pleasure　which　he　receives　from　seeing；　hearing；　touching；



perceiving　him　in　every　way。　And　therefore　he　is　delighted　to　fasten



upon　him　and　to　minister　to　him。　But　what　pleasure　or　consolation



can　the　beloved　be　receiving　all　this　time？　Must　he　not　feel　the



extremity　of　disgust　when　he　looks　at　an　old　shrivelled　face　and　the



remainder　to　match；　which　even　in　a　description　is　disagreeable；　and



quite　detestable　when　he　is　forced　into　daily　contact　with　his



lover；　moreover　he　is　jealously　watched　and　guarded　against　everything



and　everybody；　and　has　to　hear　misplaced　and　exaggerated　praises　of



himself；　and　censures　equally　inappropriate；　which　are　intolerable



when　the　man　is　sober；　and；　besides　being　intolerable；　are　published



all　over　the　world　in　all　their　indelicacy　and　wearisomeness　when　he



is　drunk。



　　And　not　only　while　his　love　continues　is　he　mischievous　and



unpleasant；　but　when　his　love　ceases　he　becomes　a　perfidious　enemy



of　him　on　whom　he　showered　his　oaths　and　prayers　and　promises；　and　yet



could　hardly　prevail　upon　him　to　tolerate　the　tedium　of　his　company



even　from　motives　of　interest。　The　hour　of　payment　arrives；　and　now　he



is　the　servant　of　another　master；　instead　of　love　and　infatuation；



wisdom　and　temperance　are　his　bosom's　lords；　but　the　beloved　has　not



discovered　the　change　which　has　taken　place　in　him；　when　he　asks　for　a



return　and　recalls　to　his　recollection　former　sayings　and　doings；　he



believes　himself　to　be　speaking　to　the　same　person；　and　the　other；　not



having　the　courage　to　confess　the　truth；　and　not　knowing　how　to　fulfil



the　oaths　and　promises　which　he　made　when　under　the　dominion　of　folly；



and　having　now　grown　wise　and　temperate；　does　not　want　to　do　as　he　did



or　to　be　as　he　was　before。　And　so　he　runs　away　and　is　constrained　to



be　a　defaulter；　the　oyster…shell　has　fallen　with　the　other　side



uppermost…he　changes　pursuit　into　flight；　while　the　other　is　compelled



to　follow　him　with　passion　and　imprecation　not　knowing　that　he　ought



never　from　the　first　to　have　accepted　a　demented　lover　instead　of　a



sensible　non…lover；　and　that　in　making　such　a　choice　he　was　giving



himself　up　to　a　faithless；　morose；　envious；　disagreeable　being；



hurtful　to　his　estate；　hurtful　to　his　bodily　health；　and　still　more



hurtful　to　the　cultivation　of　his　mind；　than　which　there　neither　is



nor　ever　will　be　anything　more　honoured　in　the　eyes　both　of　gods　and



men。　Consider　this；　fair　youth；　and　know　that　in　the　friendship　of　the



lover　there　is　no　real　kindness；　he　has　an　appetite　and　wants　to



feed　upon　you：







　　　　As　wolves　love　lambs　so　lovers　love　their　loves。







　　But　I　told　you　so；　I　am　speaking　in　verse；　and　therefore　I　had



better　make　an　end；　enough。



　　Phaedr。　I　thought　that　you　were　only　halfway　and　were　going　to



make　a　similar　speech　about　all　the　advantages　of　accepting　the



non…lover。　Why　do　you　not　proceed？



　　Soc。　Does　not　your　simplicity　observe　that　I　have　got　out　of



dithyrambics　into　heroics；　when　only　uttering　a　censure　on　the



lover？　And　if　I　am　to　add　the　praises　of　the　non…lover；　what　will



become　of　me？　Do　you　not　perceive　that　I　am　already　overtaken　by　the



Nymphs　to　whom　you　have　mischievously　exposed　me？　And　therefore　will



only　add　that　the　non…lover　has　all　the　advantages　in　which　the



lover　is　accused　of　being　deficient。　And　now　I　will　say　no　more；　there



has　been　enough　of　both　of　them。　Leaving　the　tale　to　its　fate；　I



will　cross　the　river　and　make　the　best　of　my　way　home；　lest　a　worse



thing　be　inflicted　upon　me　by　you。



　　Phaedr。　Not　yet；　Socrates；　not　until　the　heat　of　the　day　has　passed；



do　you　not　see　that　the　hour　is　almost　noon？　there　is　the　midday　sun



standing　still；　as　people　say；　in　the　meridian。　Let　us　rather　stay　and



talk　over　what　has　been　said；　and　then　return　in　the　cool。



　　Soc。　Your　love　of　discourse；　Phaedrus；　is　superhuman；　simply



marvellous；　and　I　do　not　believe　that　there　is　any　one　of　your



contemporaries　who　has　either　made　or　in　one　way　or　another　has



compelled　others　to　make　an　equal　number　of　speeches。　I　would　except



Simmias　the　Theban；　but　all　the　rest　are　far　behind　you。　And　now；　I　do



verily　believe　that　you　have　been　the　cause　of　another。



　　Phaedr。　That　is　good　news。　But　what　do　you　mean？



　　Soc。　I　mean　to　say　that　as　I　was　about　to　cross　the　stream　the　usual



sign　was　given　to　me；…that　sign　which　always　forbids；　but　never



bids；　me　to　do　anything　which　I　am　going　to　do；　and　I　thought　that　I



heard　a　voice　saying　in　my　car　that　I　had　been　guilty　of　impiety；　and。



that　I　must　not　go　away　until　I　had　made　an　atonement。　Now　I　am　a



diviner；　though　not　a　very　good　one；　but　I　have　enough　religion　for　my



own　use；　as　you　might　say　of　a　bad　writer…his　writing　is　good　enough



for　him；　and　I　am　beginning　to　see　that　I　was　in　error。　O　my　friend；



how　prophetic　is　the　human　soul！　At　the　time　I　had　a　sort　of



misgiving；　and；　like　Ibycus；　〃I　was　troubled；　I　feared　that　I　might　be



buying　honour　from　men　at　the　price　of　sinning　against　the　gods。〃



Now　I　recognize　my　error。



　　Phaedr。　What　error？



　　Soc。　That　was　a　dreadful　speech　which　you　brought　with　you；　and



you　made　me　utter　one　as　bad。



　　Phaedr。　How　so？



　　Soc。　It　was　foolish；　I　say；…to　a　certain　extent；　impious；　can



anything　be　more　dreadful？



　　Phaedr。　Nothing；　if　the　speech　was　really　such　as　you　describe。



　　Soc。　Well；　and　is　not　Eros　the　son　of　Aphrodite；　and　a　god？



　　Phaedr。　So　men　say。



　　Soc。　But　that　was　not　acknowledged　by　Lysias　in　his　speech；　nor　by



you　in　that　other　speech　which　you　by　a　charm　drew　from　my　lips。　For



if　love　be；　as　he　surely　is；　a　divinity；　he　cannot　be　evil。　Yet　this



was　the　error　of　both　the　speeches。　There　was　also　a　simplicity



about　them　which　was　refreshing；　having　no　truth　or　honesty　in　them；



nevertheless　they　pretended　to　be　something；　hoping　to　succeed　in



deceiving　the　manikins　of　earth　and　gain　celebrity　among　them。



Wherefore　I　must　have　a　purgation。　And　I　bethink　me　of　an　ancient



purgation　of　mythological　error　which　was　devised；　not　by　Homer；　for



he　never　had　the　wit　to　discover　why　he　was　blind；　but　by　Stesichorus；



who　was　a　philosopher　and　knew　the　reason　why；　and　therefore；　when



he　lost　his　eyes；　for　that　was　the　penalty　which　was　inflicted　upon



him　for　reviling　the　lovely　Helen；　he　at　once　purged　himself。　And



the　purgation　was　a　recantation；　which　began　thus；…







　　False　is　that　word　of　mine…the　truth　is　that　thou　didst　not　embark



in　ships；　nor　ever　go　to　the　walls　of　Troy；







and　when　he　had　completed　his　poem；　which　is　called　〃the　recantation；〃



immediately　his　sight　returned　to　him。　Now　I　will　be　wiser　than　either



Stesichorus　or　Homer；　in　that　I　am　going　to　make　my　recantation　for



reviling　love　before　I　suffer；　and　this　I　will　attempt；　not　as　before；



veiled　and　ashamed；　but　with　forehead　bold　and　bare。



　　Phaedr。　Nothing　could　be　more　agreeable　to　me　than　to　hear　you　say



so。



　　Soc。　Only　think；　my　good　Phaedrus；　what　an　utter　want　of　delicacy



was　shown　in　the　two　discourses；　I　mean；　in　my　own　and　in　that　which



you　recited　out　of　the　book。　Would　not　any　one　who　was　himself　of　a



noble　and　gentle　nature；　and　who　loved　or　ever　had　loved　a　nature　like



his　own；　when　we　tell　of　the　petty　causes　of　lovers'　jealousies；　and



of　their　exceeding　animosities；　and　of　the　injuries　which　they　do　to



their　beloved；　have　imagined　that　our　ideas　of　love　were　taken　from



some　haunt　of　sailors　to　which　good　manners　were　unknown…he　would



certainly　never　have　admitted　the　justice　of　our　censure？



　　Phaedr。　I　dare　say　not；　Socrates。



　　Soc。　Therefore；　because　I　blush　at　the　thought　of　this　person；　and



also　because　I　am　afraid　of　Love　himself；　I　desire　to　wash　the　brine



out　of　my　ears　with　water　from　the　spring；　and　I　would　counsel



Lysias　not　to　delay；　but　to　write　another　discourse；　which　shall　prove



that　ceteris　paribus　the　lover　ought　to　be　accepted　rather　than　the



non…lover。



　　Phaedr。　Be　assured　that　he　shall。　You　shall　speak　the　praises　of　the



lover；　and　Lysias　shall　be　compelled　by　me　to　write　another



discourse　on　the　same　theme。



　　Soc。　You　will　be　true　to　your　nature　in　that；　and　therefore　I



believe　you。



　　Phaedr。　Speak；　and　fear　not。



　　Soc。　But　where　is　the　fair　youth　whom　I　was　addressing　before；　and



who　ought　to　listen　now；　lest；　if　he　hear　me　not；　he　should　accept　a



non…lover　before　he　knows　what　he　is　doing？



　　Phaedr。　He　is　close　at　hand；　and　always　at　your　service。



　　Soc。　Know　then；　fair　youth；　that　the　former　discourse　was　the　word



of　Phaedrus；　the　son　of　Vain　Man；　who　dwells　in　the　city　of　Myrrhina



（Myrrhinusius）。　And　this　which　I　am　about　to　utter　is　the



recantation　of　Stesichorus　the　son　of　Godly　Man　（Euphemus）；　who



comes　from　the　town　of　Desire　（Himera）；　and　is　to　the　following



effect：　〃I　told　a　lie　when　I　said〃　that　the　beloved　ought　to　accept



the　non…lover　when　he　might　have　the　lover；　because　the　one　is　sane；



and　the　other　mad。　It　might　be　so　if　madness　were　simply　an　evil；



but　there　is　also　a　madness　which　is　a　divine　gift；　and　the　source



of　the　chiefest　blessings　granted　to　men。　For　prophecy　is　a　madness；



and　the　prophetess　at　Delphi　and　the　priestesses　at　Dodona　when　out　of



their　senses　have　conferred　great　benefits　on　Hellas；　both　in　public



and　private　life；　but　when　in　their　senses　few　or　none。　And　I　might



also　tell　you　how　the　Sibyl　and　other　inspired　persons　have　given　to



many　an　one　many　an　intimation　of　the　future　which　has　saved　them　from



falling。　But　it　would　be　tedious　to　speak　of　what　every　one　knows。



　　There　will　be　more　reason　in　appealing　to　the　ancient　inventors　of



names；