treatises on friendship and old age-第12章

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not　attach　to　old　age　as　such；　but　to　a　sluggish；　spiritless；　and
sleepy　old　age。　Young　men　are　more　frequently　wanton　and
dissolute　than　old　men；　but　yet；　as　it　is　not　all　young　men　that　are
so；　but　the　bad　set　among　them；　even　so　senile　folly…usually　called
imbecility…applies　to　old　men　of　unsound　character；　not　to　all。　
Appius　governed　four　sturdy　sons；　five　daughters；　that　great
establishment；　and　all　those　clients；　though　he　was　both　old　and
blind。　For　he　kept　his　mind　at　full　stretch　like　a　how；　and　never
gave　in　to　old　age　by　growing　slack。　　He　maintained　not　merely　an
influence；　but　an　absolute　command　over　his　family：　his　slaves
feared　him；　his　sons　were　in　awe　of　him；　all　loved　him。　In　that
family；　indeed；　ancestral　custom　and　discipline　were　in　full　vigour。　
The　fact　is　that　old　age　is　respectable　just　as　long　as　it　asserts
itself；　maintains　its　proper　rights；　and　is　not　enslaved　to　any　one。　
For　as　I　admire　a　young　man　who　has　something　of　the　old　man　in
him；　so　do　I　an　old　one　who　has　something　of　a　young　man。　The
man　who　aims　at　this　may　possibly　become　old　in　body…in　mind　he
never　will。　I　am　now　engaged　in　composing　the　seventh　book　of
my　_Origins_。　I　collect　all　the　records　of　antiquity。　　The　speeches
delivered　in　all　the　celebrated　cases　which　I　have　defended　I　am　at
this　particular　time　getting　into　shape　for　publication。　I　am　writing
treatises　on　augural；　pontifical；　and　civil　law。　I　am；　besides；
studying　hard　at　Greek；　and　after　the　manner　of　the
Pythagoreans…to　keep　my　memory　in　working　order…I　repeat　in　the
evening　whatever　I　have　said；　heard；　or　done　in　the　course　of　each
day。　　These　are　the　exercises　of　the　intellect；　these　the　training
grounds　of　the　mind：　while　I　sweat　and　labour　on　these　I　don't
much　feel　the　loss　of　bodily　strength。　I　appear　in　court　for　my
friends；　I　frequently　attend　the　Senate　and　bring　motions　before　it
on　my　own　responsibility；　prepared　after　deep　and　long　reflection。
And　these　I　support　by　my　intellectual；　not　my　bodily　forces。　And
if　I　were　not　strong　enough　to　do　these　things；　yet　I　should　enjoy
my　sofa…imagining　the　very　operations　which　I　was　now　unable　to
perform。　　But　what　makes　me　capable　of　doing　this　is　my　past　life。
For　a　man　who　is　always　living　in　the　midst　of　these　studies　and
labours　does　not　perceive　when　old　age　creeps　upon　him。　Thus；　by
slow　and　imperceptible　degrees　life　draws　to　its　end。　There　is　no
sudden　breakage；　it　just　slowly　goes　out。

12。　The　third　charge　against　old　age　is　that　it　LACKS　SENSUAL
PLEASURES。　　What　a　splendid　service　does　old　age　render；　if　it
takes　from　us　the　greatest　blot　of　youth！　　Listen；　my　dear　young
friends；　to　a　speech　of　Archytas　of　Tarentum；　among　the　greatest
and　most　illustrious　of　men；　which　was　put　into　my　hands　when　as
a　young　man　I　was　at　Tarentum　with　Q。　Maximus。　〃No　more
deadly　curse　than　sensual　pleasure　has　been　inflicted　on　mankind
by　nature；　to　gratify　which　our　wanton　appetites　are　roused　beyond
all　prudence　or　restraint。　　It　is　a　fruitful　source　of　treasons；
revolutions；　secret　communications　with　the　enemy。　　In　fact；　there
is　no　crime；　no　evil　deed；　to　which　the　appetite　for　sensual
pleasures　does　not　impel　us。　　Fornications　and　adulteries；　and
every　abomination　of　that　kind；　are　brought　about　by　the
enticements　of　pleasure　and　by　them　alone。　Intellect　is　the　best　gift
of　nature　or　God：　to　this　divine　gift　and　endowment　there　is
nothing　so　inimical　as　pleasure。　For　when　appetite　is　our　master；
there　is　no　place　for　self…control；　nor　where　pleasure　reigns
supreme　can　virtue　hold　its　ground。　To　see　this　more　vividly；
imagine　a　man　excited　to　the　highest　conceivable　pitch　of　sensual
pleasure。　It　can　be　doubtful　to　no　one　that　such　a　person；　so　long　as
he　is　under　the　influence　of　such　excitation　of　the　senses；　will　be
unable　to　use　to　any　purpose　either　intellect；　reason；　or　thought。　
Therefore　nothing　can　be　so　execrable　and　so　fatal　as　pleasure；
since；　when　more　than　ordinarily　violent　and　lasting；　it　darkens　all
the　light　of　the　soul。〃

These　were　the　words　addressed　by　Archytas　to　the　Samnite　Caius
Pontius；　father　of　the　man　by　whom　the　consuls　Spurius　Postumius
and　Titus　Veturius　were　beaten　in　the　battle　of　Caudium。　　My
friend　Nearchus　of　Tarentum；　who　had　remained　loyal　to　Rome；
told　me　that　he　had　heard　them　repeated　by　some　old　men；　and
that　Plato　the　Athenian　was　present；　who　visited　Tarentum；　I　find；
in　the　consulship　of　L。　Camillus　and　Appius　Claudius。

What　is　the　point　of　all　this？　It　is　to　show　you　that；　if　we　were
unable　to　scorn　pleasure　by　the　aid　of　reason　and　philosophy；　we
ought　to　have　been　very　grateful　to　old　age　for　depriving　us　of　all
inclination　for　that　which　it　was　wrong　to　do。　　For　pleasure　hinders
thought；　is　a　foe　to　reason；　and；　so　to　speak；　blinds　the　eyes　of　the
mind。　It　is；　moreover；　entirely　alien　to　virtue。　　I　was　sorry　to　have
to　expel　Lucius；　brother　of　the　gallant　Titus　Flamininus；　from　the
Senate　seven　years　after　his　consulship；　but　I　thought　it　imperative
to　affix　a　stigma　on　an　act　of　gross　sensuality。　For　when　he　was　in
Gaul　as　consul；　he　had　yielded　to　the　entreaties　of　his　paramour　at
a　dinner…party　to　behead　a　man　who　happened　to　be　in　prison
condemned　on　a　capital　charge。　When　his　brother　Titus　was
Censor；　who　preceded　me；　he　escaped；　but　I　and　Flaccus　could　not
countenance　an　act　of　such　criminal　and　abandoned　lust；　especially
as；　besides　the　personal　dishonour；　it　brought　disgrace　on　the
Government。

13。　I　have　often　been　told　by　men　older　than　myself；　who　said　that
they　had　heard　it　as　boys　from　old　men；　that　Gaius　Fabricius　was　in
the　habit　of　expressing　astonishment　at　having　heard；　when　envoy
at　the　headquarters　of　king　Pyrrhus；　from　the　Thessalian　Cineas；
that　there　was　a　man　of　Athens　who　professed　to　be　a
〃philosopher；〃　and　affirmed　that　everything　we　did　was　to　be
referred　to　pleasure。　When　he　told　this　to　Manius　Curius　and
Publius　Decius；　they　used　to　remark　that　they　wished　that　the
Samnites　and　Pyrrhus　himself　would　hold　the　same　opinion。　　It
would　be　much　easier　to　conquer　them；　if　they　had　once　given
themselves　over　to　sensual　indulgences。　　Manius　Curius　had　been
intimate　with　P。　Decius；　who　four　years　before　the　former's
consulship　had　devoted　himself　to　death　for　the　Republic。　Both
Fabricius　and　Coruncanius　knew　him　also；　and　from　the
experience　of　their　own　lives；　as　well　as　from　the　action　of　P。
Decius；　they　were　of　opinion　that　there　did　exist　something
intrinsically　noble　and　great；　which　was　sought　for　its　own　sake；
and　at　which　all　the　best　men　aimed；　to　the　contempt　and　neglect
of　pleasure。　　Why　then　do　I　spend　so　many　words　on　the　subject　of
pleasure？　Why；　because；　far　from　being　a　charge　against　old　age；
that　it　does　not　much　feel　the　want　of　any　pleasures；　it　is　its　highest
praise。

But；　you　will　say；　it　is　deprived　of　the　pleasures　of　the　table；　the
heaped　up　board；　the　rapid　passing　of　the　wine…cup。　Well；　then；　it
is　also　free　from　headache；　disordered　digestion；　broken　sleep。　But
if　we　must　grant　pleasure　something；　since　we　do　not　find　it　easy
to　resist　its　charms；…for　Plato；　with　happy　inspiration；　calls
pleasure　〃vice's　bait；〃　because　of　course　men　are　caught　by　it　as
fish　by　a　hook；…yet；　although　old　age　has　to　abstain　from
extravagant　banquets；　it　is　still　capable　of　enjoying　modest
festivities。　As　a　boy　I　often　used　to　see　Gaius　Duilius　the　son　of
Marcus；　then　an　old　mali；　returning　from　a　dinner…party。　He
thoroughly　enjoyed　the　frequent　use　of　torch　and　flute…player；
distinctions　which　he　had　assumed　though　unprecedented　in　the
case　of　a　private　person。　It　was　the　privilege　of　his　glory。　　But　why
mention　others？　I　will　come　back　to　my　own　case。　To　begin　with；　I
have　always　remained　a　member　of　a　〃club　〃…clubs；　you　know；
were　established　in　my　quaestorship　on　the　reception　of　the　Magna
Mater　from　Ida。　　So　I　used　to　dine　at　their　feast　with　the　members
of　my　club…on　the　whole　with　moderation；　though　there　was　a
certain　warmth　of　temperament　natural　to　my　time　of　life；　but　as
that　advances　there　is　a　daily　decrease　of　all　excitement。　　Nor　was
I；　in　fact；　ever　wont　to　measure　my　enjoyment　even　of　these
banquets　by　the　physical　pleasures　they　gave　more　than　by　the
gathering　and　conversation　of　friends。　For　it　was　a　good　idea　of　our
ancestors　to　style　the　presence　of　guests　at　a　dinner…table…seeing
that　it　implied　a　community　of　enjoyment…a　_convivium_；　〃a　living
together。〃　It　is　a　better　term　than　the　Greek　words　which　mean　〃a
drinking　together；〃　or；　〃an　eating　together。〃　For　they　would　seem
to　give　the　preference　to　what　is　really　the　least　important　part　of
it。

14。　For　myself；　owing　to　the　pleasure　I　take　in　conversation；　I
enjoy　even　banquets　that　begin　early　in　the　afternoon；　and　not　only
in　company　with　my　contemporaries…of　whom　very　few
survive…but　also　with　men　of　your　age　and　with　yourselves。　　I　am
thankful　to　old　age；　which　has　increased　my　avidity　for
conversation；　while　it　has　removed　that　for　eating　and　drinking。　
But　if　anyone　does　enjoy　these…not　to　seem　to　have　proclaimed　war
against　all　pleasure　without　exception；　which　is　perhaps　a　feeling
inspired　by　nature…I　fail　to　perceive　even　in　these　very　pleasures
that　old　age　is　entirely　without　the　power　of　appreciation。　For
myself；　I　take　delight　even　in　the　old…fashioned　appointment　of
master　of　the　feast；　and　in　the　arrangement　of　the　conversation；
which　according　to　ancestral　custom　is　begun　from　the　last　place
on　the　left…hand　couch　when　the　wine　is　brought　in；　as　also　in　the
cups　which；　as　in　Xenophon's　banquet；　are　small　and　filled　by
driblets；　and　in　the　contrivance　for　cooling　in　summer；　and　for
warming　hy　the　winter　sun　or　winter　fire。　　These　things　I　keep　up
even　among　my　Sabine　countrymen；　and　every　day　have　a　full
dinner…party　of　neighbours；　which　we　prolong　as　far　into　the　night
as　we　can　with　varied　conversation。

But　you　may　urge…there　is　not　the　same　tingling　sensation　of
pleasure　in　old　men。　No　doubt；　but　neither　do　they　miss　it　so
much。　　For　nothing　gives　you　uneasiness　which　you　do　not　miss。
That　was　a　fine　answer　of　Sophocles　to　a　man　who　asked　him；
when　in　extreme　old　age；　whether　he　was　still　a　lover。　　〃Heaven
forbid！〃　he　replied；　〃I　was　only　too　glad　to　escape　from　that；　as
though　from　a　boorish　and　insane　master。〃　　To　men　indeed　who
are　keen　after　such　things　it　may　possibly　appear　disagreeable　and
uncomfortable　to　be　without　them；　but　to　jaded　appetites　it　is
pleasanter　to　lack　than　to　enjoy。　　However；　he　cannot　be　said　to
lack　who　does　not　want：　my　contention　is　that　not　to　want　is　the
pleasanter　thing。

But　even　granting　that　youth　enjoys　these　pleasures　with　more
zest；　　in　the　first　place；　　they　are　insignificant　things　to　enjoy；　as　I
have　said；　and　it＇　the　second　place；　such　as　age　is　not　entirely
without；　if　it　does　not　possess　them　in　profusion。　　Just　as　a　man
gets　greater　pleasure　from　Ambivius　Turpio　if　seated　in　the　front
row　at　the　theatre　than　if　he　was　in　the　last；　yet；　after　all；　the　man
in　the　last　row　does　get　pleasure；　so　youth；　because　it　looks　at
pleasures　at　closer　quarters；　perhaps　enjoys　itself　more；　yet　even
old　age；　looking　at　them　from　a　distance；　does　enjoy　itse