numa pompilius-第7节

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to　pronounce；　that　the　sole　and　only　hope　of　respite　or　remedy　for
human　evils　was　in　some　happy　conjunction　of　events　which　should　unite
in　a　single　person　the　power　of　a　king　and　the　wisdom　of　a
philosopher；　so　as　to　elevate　virtue　to　control　and　mastery　over　vice。
The　wise　man　is　blessed　in　himself；　and　blessed　also　are　the
auditors　who　can　bear　and　receive　those　words　which　flow　from　his
mouth；　and　perhaps；　too；　there　is　no　need　of　compulsion　or　menaces
to　affect　the　multitude；　for　the　mere　sight　itself　of　a　shining　and
conspicuous　example　of　virtue　in　the　life　of　their　prince　will　bring
them　spontaneously　to　virtue；　and　to　a　conformity　with　that
blameless　and　blessed　life　of　good…will　and　mutual　concord；
supported　by　temperance　and　justice；　which　is　the　highest　benefit　that
human　means　can　confer；　and　he　is　the　truest　ruler　who　can　best
introduce　it　into　the　hearts　and　practice　of　his　subjects。　It　is　the
praise　of　Numa　that　no　one　seems　ever　to　have　discerned　this　so
clearly　as　he。
　　As　to　his　children　and　wives；　there　is　a　diversity　of　reports　by
several　authors；　some　will　have　it　that　he　never　had　any　other　wife
than　Tatia；　nor　more　children　than　one　daughter　called　Pompilia；
others　will　have　it　that　he　left　also　four　sons；　namely；　Pompo；　Pinus；
Calpus；　and　Mamercus；　every　one　of　whom　had　issue；　and　from　them
descended　the　noble　and　illustrious　families　of　Pomponii；　Pinarii；
Calpurnii；　and　Mamerci；　which　for　this　reason　took　also　the　surname　of
Rex；　or　King。　But　there　is　a　third　set　of　writers　who　say　that　these
pedigrees　are　but　a　piece　of　flattery　used　by　writers　who；　to　gain
favour　with　these　great　families；　made　them　fictitious　genealogies
from　the　lineage　of　Numa；　and　that　Pompilia　was　not　the　daughter　of
Tatia；　but　Lucretia；　another　wife　whom　he　married　after　he　came　to　his
kingdom；　however；　all　of　them　agree　in　opinion　that　she　was　married　to
the　son　of　that　Marcius　who　persuaded　him　to　accept　the　government；
and　accompanied　him　to　Rome；　where；　as　a　mark　of　honour；　he　was　chosen
into　the　senate；　and　after　the　death　of　Numa；　standing　in
competition　with　Tullus　Hostilius　for　the　kingdom；　and　being
disappointed　of　the　election；　in　discontent　killed　himself；　his　son
Marcius；　however；　who　had　married　Pompilia；　continuing　at　Rome；　was
the　father　of　Ancus　Marcius；　who　succeeded　Tullus　Hostilius　in　the
kingdom；　and　was　but　five　years　of　age　when　Numa　died。
　　Numa　lived　something　above　eighty　years；　and　then；　as　Piso　writes；
was　not　taken　out　of　the　world　by　a　sudden　or　acute　disease；　but
died　of　old　age　and　by　a　gradual　and　gentle　decline。　At　his　funeral
all　the　glories　of　his　life　were　consummated；　when　all　the
neighbouring　states　in　alliance　and　amity　with　Rome　met　to　honour
and　grace　the　rites　of　his　interment　with　garlands　and　public
presents；　the　senators　carried　the　bier　on　which　his　corpse　was
laid；　and　the　priests　followed　and　accompanied　the　solemn
procession；　while　a　general　crowd；　in　which　women　and　children　took
part；　followed　with　such　cries　and　weeping　as　if　they　had　bewailed　the
death　and　loss　of　some　most　dear　relation　taken　away　in　the　flower
of　age；　and　not　an　old　and　worn…out　king。　It　is　said　that　his　body；　by
his　particular　command；　was　not　burnt；　but　that　they　made；　in
conformity　with　his　order；　two　stone　coffins；　and　buried　both　under
the　hill　Janiculum；　in　one　of　which　his　body　was　laid；　and　the　other
his　sacred　books；　which；　as　the　Greek　legislators　their　tables；　he　had
written　out　for　himself；　but　had　so　long　inculcated　the　contents　of
them；　whilst　he　lived；　into　the　minds　and　hearts　of　the　priests；
that　their　understandings　became　fully　possessed　with　the　whole　spirit
and　purpose　of　them；　and　he　therefore　bade　that　they　should　be
buried　with　his　body；　as　though　such　holy　precepts　could　not　without
irreverence　he　left　to　circulate　in　mere　lifeless　writings。　For　this
very　reason；　they　say；　the　Pythagoreans　bade　that　their　precepts
should　not　be　committed　to　paper；　but　rather　preserved　in　the　living
memories　of　those　who　were　worthy　to　receive　them；　and　when　some　of
their　out…of…the…way　and　abstruse　geometrical　processes　had　been
divulged　to　an　unworthy　person；　they　said　the　gods　threatened　to
punish　this　wickedness　and　profanity　by　a　signal　and　wide…spreading
calamity。　With　these　several　instances　concurring　to　show　a　similarity
in　the　lives　of　Numa　and　Pythagoras；　we　may　easily　pardon　those　who
seek　to　establish　the　fact　of　a　real　acquaintance　between　them。
　　Valerius　Antias　writes　that　the　books　which　were　buried　in　the
aforesaid　chest　or　coffin　of　stone　were　twelve　volumes　of　holy　writ
and　twelve　others　of　Greek　philosophy；　and　that　about　four　hundred
years　afterwards；　when　P。　Cornelius　and　M。　Baebius　were　consuls；　in
a　time　of　heavy　rains；　a　violent　torrent　washed　away　the　earth；　and
dislodged　the　chests　of　stone；　and；　their　covers　falling　off；　one　of
them　was　found　wholly　empty；　without　the　least　relic　of　any　human
body；　in　the　other　were　the　books　before　mentioned；　which　the
praetor　Petilius　having　read　and　perused；　made　oath　in　the　senate；
that；　in　his　opinion；　it　was　not　fit　for　their　contents　to　be　made
public　to　the　people；　whereupon　the　volumes　were　all　carried　to　the
Comitium；　and　there　burnt。
　　It　is　the　fortune　of　all　good　men　that　their　virtue　rises　in　glory
after　their　deaths；　and　that　the　envy　which　evil　men　conceive
against　them　never　outlives　them　long；　some　have　the　happiness　even　to
see　it　die　before　them；　but　in　Numa's　case；　also；　the　fortunes　of
the　succeeding　kings　served　as　foils　to　set　off　the　brightness　of
his　reputation。　For　after　him　there　were　five　kings；　the　last　of
whom　ended　his　old　age　in　banishment；　being　deposed　from　his　crown；　of
the　other　four；　three　were　assassinated　and　murdered　by　treason；　the
other；　who　was　Tullus　Hostilius；　that　immediately　succeeded　Numa；
derided　his　virtues；　and　especially　his　devotion　to　religious　worship；
as　a　cowardly　and　mean…spirited　occupation；　and　diverted　the　minds
of　the　people　to　war；　but　was　checked　in　these　youthful　insolences；
and　was　himself　driven　by　an　acute　and　tormenting　disease　into
superstitions　wholly　different　from　Numa's　piety；　and　left　others　also
to　participate　in　these　terrors　when　he　died　by　the　stroke　of　a
thunderbolt。




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