the miscellaneous writings and speeches-1-第34节

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！


a。　　Cleomenes　terminated　his　career　of　raving　cruelty　by　cutting　himself　to　pieces。　　Pausanias　seems　to　have　been　absolutely　insane；　he　formed　a　hopeless　and　profligate　scheme；　he　betrayed　it　by　the　ostentation　of　his　behaviour；　and　the　imprudence　of　his　measures；　and　he　alienated；　by　his　insolence；　all　who　might　have　served　or　protected　him。　　Xenophon；　a　warm　admirer　of　Lacedaemon；　furnishes　us　with　the　strongest　evidence　to　this　effect。　　It　is　impossible　not　to　observe　the　brutal　and　senseless　fury　which　characterises　almost　every　Spartan　with　whom　he　was　connected。　　Clearchus　nearly　lost　his　life　by　his　cruelty。　Chirisophus　deprived　his　army　of　the　services　of　a　faithful　guide　by　his　unreasonable　and　ferocious　severity。　　But　it　is　needless　to　multiply　instances。　　Lycurgus；　Mr　Mitford's　favourite　legislator；　founded　his　whole　system　on　a　mistaken　principle。　　He　never　considered　that　governments　were　made　for　men；　and　not　men　for　governments。　　Instead　of　adapting　the　constitution　to　the　people；　he　distorted　the　minds　of　the　people　to　suit　the　constitution；　a　scheme　worthy　of　the　Laputan　Academy　of　Projectors。　　And　this　appears　to　Mr　Mitford　to　constitute　his　peculiar　title　to　admiration。　　Hear　himself：　　〃What　to　modern　eyes　most　strikingly　sets　that　extraordinary　man　above　all　other　legislators　is；　that　in　so　many　circumstances；　apparently　out　of　the　reach　of　law；　he　controlled　and　formed　to　his　own　mind　the　wills　and　habits　of　his　people。〃　　I　should　suppose　that　this　gentleman　had　the　advantage　of　receiving　his　education　under　the　ferula　of　Dr　Pangloss；　for　his　metaphysics　are　clearly　those　of　the　castle　of　Thunder…ten…tronckh：　　〃Remarquez　bien　que　les　nez　ont　ete　faits　pour　porter　des　lunettes；　aussi　avons　nous　des　lunettes。　　Les　jambes　sont　visiblement　institues　pour　etre　chaussees；　et　nous　avons　des　chausses。　　Les　cochons　etant　faits　pour　etre　manges；　nous　mangeons　du　porc　toute　l'annee。〃

At　Athens　the　laws　did　not　constantly　interfere　with　the　tastes　of　the　people。　　The　children　were　not　taken　from　their　parents　by　that　universal　step…mother；　the　state。　　They　were　not　starved　into　thieves；　or　tortured　into　bullies；　there　was　no　established　table　at　which　every　one　must　dine；　no　established　style　in　which　every　one　must　converse。　　An　Athenian　might　eat　whatever　he　could　afford　to　buy；　and　talk　as　long　as　he　could　find　people　to　listen。　　The　government　did　not　tell　the　people　what　opinions　they　were　to　hold；　or　what　songs　they　were　to　sing。　　Freedom　produced　excellence。　　Thus　philosophy　took　its　origin。　　Thus　were　produced　those　models　of　poetry；　of　oratory；　and　of　the　arts；　which　scarcely　fall　short　of　the　standard　of　ideal　excellence。　Nothing　is　more　conducive　to　happiness　than　the　free　exercise　of　the　mind　in　pursuits　congenial　to　it。　　This　happiness；　assuredly；　was　enjoyed　far　more　at　Athens　than　at　Sparta。　　The　Athenians　are　acknowledged　even　by　their　enemies　to　have　been　distinguished；　in　private　life；　by　their　courteous　and　amiable　demeanour。　　Their　levity；　at　least；　was　better　than　Spartan　sullenness　and　their　impertinence　than　Spartan　insolence。　　Even　in　courage　it　may　be　questioned　whether　they　were　inferior　to　the　Lacedaemonians。　　The　great　Athenian　historian　has　reported　a　remarkable　observation　of　the　great　Athenian　minister。　　Pericles　maintained　that　his　countrymen；　without　submitting　to　the　hardships　of　a　Spartan　education；　rivalled　all　the　achievements　of　Spartan　valour；　and　that　therefore　the　pleasures　and　amusements　which　they　enjoyed　were　to　be　considered　as　so　much　clear　gain。　　The　infantry　of　Athens　was　certainly　not　equal　to　that　of　Lacedaemon；　but　this　seems　to　have　been　caused　merely　by　want　of　practice：　　the　attention　of　the　Athenians　was　diverted　from　the　discipline　of　the　phalanx　to　that　of　the　trireme。　　The　Lacedaemonians；　in　spite　of　all　their　boasted　valour；　were；　from　the　same　cause；　timid　and　disorderly　in　naval　action。

But　we　are　told　that　crimes　of　great　enormity　were　perpetrated　by　the　Athenian　government；　and　the　democracies　under　its　protection。　　It　is　true　that　Athens　too　often　acted　up　to　the　full　extent　of　the　laws　of　war　in　an　age　when　those　laws　had　not　been　mitigated　by　causes　which　have　operated　in　later　times。　This　accusation　is；　in　fact；　common　to　Athens；　to　Lacedaemon；　to　all　the　states　of　Greece；　and　to　all　states　similarly　situated。　Where　communities　are　very　large；　the　heavier　evils　of　war　are　felt　but　by　few。　　The　ploughboy　sings；　the　spinning…wheel　turns　round；　the　wedding…day　is　fixed；　whether　the　last　battle　were　lost　or　won。　　In　little　states　it　cannot　be　thus；　every　man　feels　in　his　own　property　and　person　the　effect　of　a　war。　　Every　man　is　a　soldier；　and　a　soldier　fighting　for　his　nearest　interests。　　His　own　trees　have　been　cut　downhis　own　corn　has　been　burnthis　own　house　has　been　pillagedhis　own　relations　have　been　killed。　How　can　he　entertain　towards　the　enemies　of　his　country　the　same　feelings　with　one　who　has　suffered　nothing　from　them；　except　perhaps　the　addition　of　a　small　sum　to　the　taxes　which　he　pays？　Men　in　such　circumstances　cannot　be　generous。　　They　have　too　much　at　stake。　　It　is　when　they　are；　if　I　may　so　express　myself；　playing　for　love；　it　is　when　war　is　a　mere　game　at　chess；　it　is　when　they　are　contending　for　a　remote　colony；　a　frontier　town；　the　honours　of　a　flag；　a　salute；　or　a　title；　that　they　can　make　fine　speeches；　and　do　good　offices　to　their　enemies。　　The　Black　Prince　waited　behind　the　chair　of　his　captive；　Villars　interchanged　repartees　with　Eugene；　George　II。　sent　congratulations　to　Louis　XV。；　during　a　war；　upon　occasion　of　his　escape　from　the　attempt　of　Damien：　　and　these　things　are　fine　and　generous；　and　very　gratifying　to　the　author　of　the　Broad　Stone　of　Honour；　and　all　the　other　wise　men　who　think；　like　him；　that　God　made　the　world　only　for　the　use　of　gentlemen。　　But　they　spring　in　general　from　utter　heartlessness。　　No　war　ought　ever　to　be　undertaken　but　under　circumstances　which　render　all　interchange　of　courtesy　between　the　combatants　impossible。　　It　is　a　bad　thing　that　men　should　hate　each　other；　but　it　is　far　worse　that　they　should　contract　the　habit　of　cutting　one　another's　throats　without　hatred。　　War　is　never　lenient；　but　where　it　is　wanton；　when　men　are　compelled　to　fight　in　selfdefence；　they　must　hate　and　avenge：　　this　may　be　bad；　but　it　is　human　nature；　it　is　the　clay　as　it　came　from　the　hand　of　the　potter。

It　is　true　that　among　the　dependencies　of　Athens　seditions　assumed　a　character　more　ferocious　than　even　in　France；　during　the　reign　of　terrorthe　accursed　Saturnalia　of　an　accursed　bondage。　　It　is　true　that　in　Athens　itself；　where　such　convulsions　were　scarcely　known；　the　condition　of　the　higher　orders　was　disagreeable；　that　they　were　compelled　to　contribute　large　sums　for　the　service　or　the　amusement　of　the　public；　and　that　they　were　sometimes　harassed　by　vexatious　informers。　Whenever　such　cases　occur；　Mr　Mitford's　scepticism　vanishes。　　The　〃if；〃　the　〃but；〃　the　〃it　is　said；〃　the　〃if　we　may　believe；〃　with　which　he　qualifies　every　charge　against　a　tyrant　or　an　aristocracy；　are　at　once　abandoned。　　The　blacker　the　story；　the　firmer　is　his　belief；　and　he　never　fails　to　inveigh　with　hearty　bitterness　against　democracy　as　the　source　of　every　species　of　crime。

The　Athenians；　I　believe；　possessed　more　liberty　than　was　good　for　them。　　Yet　I　will　venture　to　assert　that；　while　the　splendour；　the　intelligence；　and　the　energy　of　that　great　people　were　peculiar　to　themselves；　the　crimes　with　which　they　are　charged　arose　from　causes　which　were　common　to　them　with　every　other　state　which　then　existed。　　The　violence　of　faction　in　that　age　sprung　from　a　cause　which　has　always　been　fertile　in　every　political　and　moral　evil；　domestic　slavery。

The　effect　of　slavery　is　completely　to　dissolve　the　connection　which　naturally　exists　between　the　higher　and　lower　classes　of　free　citizens。　　The　rich　spend　their　wealth　in　purchasing　and　maintaining　slaves。　　There　is　no　demand　for　the　labour　of　the　poor；　the　fable　of　Menenius　ceases　to　be　applicable；　the　belly　communicates　no　nutriment　to　the　members；　there　is　an　atrophy　in　the　body　politic。　　The　two　parties；　therefore；　proceed　to　extremities　utterly　unknown　in　countries　where　they　have　mutually　need　of　each　other。　　In　Rome　the　oligarchy　was　too　powerful　to　be　subverted　by　force；　and　neither　the　tribunes　nor　the　popular　assemblies；　though　constitutionally　omnipotent；　could　maintain　a　successful　contest　against　men　who　possessed　the　whole　property　of　the　state。　　Hence　the　necessity　for　measures　tending　to　unsettle　the　whole　frame　of　society；　and　to　take　away　every　motive　of　industry；　the　abolition　of　debts；　and　the　agrarian　lawspropositions　absurdly　condemned　by　men　who　do　not　consider　the　circumstances　from　which　they　sprung。　　They　were　the　desperate　remedies　of　a　desperate　disease。　　In　Greece　the　oligarchical　interest　was　not　in　general　so　deeply　rooted　as　at　Rome。　　The　multitude；　therefore；　often　redressed　by　force　grievances　which；　at　Rome；　were　commonly　attacked　under　the　forms　of　the　constitution。　　They　drove　out　or　massacred　the　rich；　and　divided　their　property。　　If　the　superior　union　or　military　skill　of　the　rich　rendered　them　victorious；　they　took　measures　equally　violent；　disarmed　all　in　whom　th