lycurgus-第8部分

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looked　upon　as　of　a　dull　and　careless　disposition；　and　to　have
little　or　no　sense　of　virtue　and　honour；　besides　this；　they　were　to
give　a　good　reason　for　what　they　said；　and　in　as　few　words　and　as
comprehensive　as　might　be；　he　that　failed　of　this；　or　answered　not
to　the　purpose；　had　his　thumb　bit　by　the　master。　Sometimes　the　Iren
did　this　in　the　presence　of　the　old　men　and　magistrates；　that　they
might　see　whether　he　punished　them　justly　and　in　due　measure　or　not；
and　when　he　did　amiss；　they　would　not　reprove　him　before　the　boys；
but；　when　they　were　gone；　he　was　called　to　an　account　and　underwent
correction；　if　he　had　run　far　into　either　of　the　extremes　of
indulgence　or　severity。
　　Their　lovers　and　favourers；　too；　had　a　share　in　the　young　boy's
honour　or　disgrace；　and　there　goes　a　story　that　one　of　them　was
fined　by　the　magistrate；　because　the　lad　whom　he　loved　cried　out
effeminately　as　he　was　fighting。　And　though　this　sort　of　love　was　so
approved　among　them；　that　the　most　virtuous　matrons　would　make
professions　of　it　to　young　girls；　yet　rivalry　did　not　exist；　and　if
several　men's　fancies　met　in　one　person；　it　was　rather　the　beginning
of　an　intimate　friendship；　whilst　they　all　jointly　conspired　to　render
the　object　of　their　effection　as　accomplished　as　possible。
　　They　taught　them；　also；　to　speak　with　a　natural　and　graceful
raillery；　and　to　comprehend　much　matter　of　thought　in　few　words。　For
Lycurgus；　who　ordered；　as　we　saw；　that　a　great　piece　of　money　should
be　but　of　an　inconsiderable　value；　on　the　contrary　would　allow　no
discourse　to　be　current　which　did　not　contain　in　few　words　a　great
deal　of　useful　and　curious　sense；　children　in　Sparta；　by　a　habit　of
long　silence；　came　to　give　just　and　sententious　answers；　for；
indeed；　as　loose　and　incontinent　livers　are　seldom　fathers　of　many
children；　so　loose　and　incontinent　talkers　seldom　originate　many
sensible　words。　King　Agis；　when　some　Athenian　laughed　at　their　short
swords；　and　said　that　the　jugglers　on　the　stage　swallowed　them　with
ease；　answered　him；　〃We　find　them　long　enough　to　reach　our　enemies
with；〃　and　as　their　swords　were　short　and　sharp；　so；　it　seems　to　me；
were　their　sayings。　They　reach　the　point　and　arrest　the　attention　of
the　hearers　better　than　any。　Lycurgus　himself　seems　to　have　been　short
and　sententious；　if　we　may　trust　the　anecdotes　of　him；　as　appears　by
his　answer　to　one　who　by　all　means　would　set　up　a　democracy　in
Lacedaemon。　〃Begin；　friend；〃　said　he；　〃and　set　it　up　in　your
family。〃　Another　asked　him　why　he　allowed　of　such　mean　and　trivial
sacrifices　to　the　gods。　He　replied；　〃That　we　may　always　have　something
to　offer　to　them。〃　Being　asked　what　sort　of　martial　exercises　or
combats　he　approved　of；　he　answered；　〃All　sorts；　except　that　in
which　you　stretch　out　your　hands。〃　Similar　answers；　addressed　to　his
countrymen　by　letter；　are　ascribed　to　him；　as；　being　consulted　how
they　might　best　oppose　an　invasion　of　their　enemies；　he　returned
this　answer；　〃By　continuing　poor；　and　not　coveting　each　man　to　be
greater　than　his　fellow。〃　Being　consulted　again　whether　it　were
requisite　to　enclose　the　city　with　a　wall；　he　sent　them　word；　〃The
city　is　well　fortified　which　hath　a　wall　of　men　instead　of　brick。〃　But
whether　these　letters　are　counterfeit　or　not　is　not　easy　to　determine。
　　Of　their　dislike　to　talkativeness；　the　following　apophthegms　are
evidence。　King　Leonidas　said　to　one　who　held　him　in　discourse　upon
some　useful　matter；　but　not　in　due　time　and　place；　〃Much　to　the
purpose；　Sir；　elsewhere。〃　King　Charilaus；　the　nephew　of　Lycurgus；
being　asked　why　his　uncle　had　made　so　few　laws；　answered；　〃Men　of
few　words　require　but　few　laws。〃　When　one；　named　Hecataeus　the
sophist；　because　that；　being　invited　to　the　public　table；　he　had　not
spoken　one　word　all　supper…time；　Archidamidas　answered　in　his
vindication；　〃He　who　knows　how　to　speak；　knows　also　when。〃
　　The　sharp　and　yet　not　ungraceful　retorts　which　I　mentioned　may　be
instanced　as　follows。　Demaratus；　being　asked　in　a　troublesome　manner
by　an　importunate　fellow；　Who　was　the　best　man　in　Lacedaemon？　answered
at　last；　〃He；　Sir；　that　is　the　least　like　you。〃　Some；　in　company　where
Agis　was；　much　extolled　the　Eleans　for　their　just　and　honourable
management　of　the　Olympic　games；　〃Indeed；〃　said　Agis；　〃they　are　highly
to　be　commended　if　they　can　do　justice　one　day　in　five　years。〃
Theopompus　answered　a　stranger　who　talked　much　of　his　affection　to　the
Lacedaemonians；　and　said　that　his　countrymen　called　him　Philolacon
（a　lover　of　the　Lacedaemonians）；　that　it　had　been　more　for　his
honour　if　they　had　called　him　Philopolites　（a　lover　of　his　own
countrymen）。　And　Plistoanax；　the　son　of　Pausanias；　when　an　orator　of
Athens　said　the　Lacedaemonians　had　no　learning；　told　him；　〃You　say
true；　Sir；　we　alone　of　all　the　Greeks　have　learned　none　of　your　bad
qualities。〃　One　asked　Archidamidas　what　number　there　might　be　of　the
Spartans；　he　answered：　〃Enough；　Sir；　to　keep　out　wicked　men。〃
　　We　may　see　their　character；　too；　in　their　very　jests。　For　they　did
not　throw　them　out　at　random；　but　the　very　wit　of　them　was　grounded
upon　something　or　other　worth　thinking　about。　For　instance；　one；　being
asked　to　go　hear　a　man　who　exactly　counterfeited　the　voice　of　a
nightingale；　answered；　〃Sir；　I　have　heard　the　nightingale　itself。〃
Another；　having　read　the　following　inscription　upon　a　tomb…

　　　　　　　　〃Seeking　to　quench　a　cruel　tyranny；
　　　　　　　　They；　at　Selinus；　did　in　battle　die；〃

said；　it　served　them　right；　for　instead　of　trying　to　quench　the
tyranny；　they　should　have　let　it　burn　out。　A　lad；　being　offered　some
game…cocks　that　would　die　upon　the　spot；　said　that　he　cared　not　for
cocks　that　would　die；　but　for　such　that　would　live　and　kill　others。
Another；　seeing　people　easing　themselves　on　seats；　said；　〃God　forbid　I
should　sit　where　I　could　not　get　up　to　salute　my　elders。〃　In　short；
their　answers　were　so　sententious　and　pertinent；　that　one　said　well
that　intellectual　much　more　truly　than　athletic　exercise　was　the
Spartan　characteristic。
　　Nor　was　their　instruction　in　music　and　verse　less　carefully　attended
to　than　their　habits　of　grace　and　good…breeding　in　conversation。　And
their　very　songs　had　a　life　and　spirit　in　them　that　inflamed　and
possessed　men's　minds　with　an　enthusiasm　and　ardour　for　action；　the
style　of　them　was　plain　and　without　affectation；　the　subject　always
serious　and　moral；　most　usually；　it　was　in　praise　of　such　men　as　had
died　in　defence　of　their　country；　or　in　derision　of　those　that　had
been　cowards；　the　former　they　declared　happy　and　glorified；　the　life
of　the　latter　they　described　as　most　miserable　and　abject。　There
were　also　vaunts　of　what　they　would　do；　and　boasts　of　what　they　had
done；　varying　with　the　various　ages；　as；　for　example；　they　had　three
choirs　in　their　solemn　festivals；　the　first　of　the　old　men；　the　second
of　the　young　men；　and　the　last　of　the　children；　the　old　men　began
thus：…

　　　　　　　　〃We　once　were　young；　and　brave；　and　strong；〃

the　young　men　answered　them；　singing：…

　　　　　　　　〃And　we're　so　now；　come　on　and　try；〃

the　children　came　last　and　said：…

　　　　　　　　〃But　we'll　be　strongest　by　and　by。〃

　　Indeed；　if　we　will　take　the