the city of the sun-第4章

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！


slight；　according　to　the　weather。　　They　all　use　white　clothing；
and　this　is　washed　in　each　month　with　lye　or　soap；　as　are　also
the　workshops　of　the　lower　trades；　the　kitchens；　the　pantries
the　barns；　the　store…houses；　the　armories；　the　refectories；　and
the　baths。

　　　Moreover；　the　clothes　are　washed　at　the　pillars　of　the　peri…
styles；　and　the　water　is　brought　down　by　means　of　canals　which
are　continued　as　sewers。　　In　every　street　of　the　different　rings
there　are　suitable　fountains；　which　send　forth　their　water　by
means　of　canals；　the　water　being　drawn　up　from　nearly　the　bot…
tom　of　the　mountain　by　the　sole　movement　of　a　cleverly　con…
trived　handle。　　There　is　water　in　fountains　and　in　cisterns；
whither　the　rain…water　collected　from　the　roofs　of　the　houses
is　brought　through　pipes　full　of　sand。　　They　wash　their　bodies
often；　according　as　the　doctor　and　master　command。　　All　the
mechanical　arts　are　practised　under　the　peristyles；　but　the　spec…
ulative　are　carried　on　above　in　the　walking　galleries　and　ram…
parts　where　are　the　more　splendid　paintings；　but　the　more　sacred
ones　are　taught　in　the　temple。　　In　the　halls　and　wings　of　the
rings　there　are　solar　time…pieces　and　bells；　and　hands　by　which
the　hours　and　seasons　are　marked　off。


G。M。　　Tell　me　about　their　children。


Capt。　　When　their　women　have　brought　forth　children；　they
suckle　and　rear　them　in　temples　set　apart　for　all。　　They　give
milk　for　two　years　or　more　as　the　physician　orders。　　After　that
time　the　weaned　child　is　given　into　the　charge　of　the　mistresses；
if　it　is　a　female；　and　to　the　masters；　if　it　is　a　male。　　And　then
with　other　young　children　they　are　pleasantly　instructed　in　the
alphabet；　and　in　the　knowledge　of　the　pictures；　and　in　running；
walking；　and　wrestling；　also　in　the　historical　drawings；　and　in
languages；　and　they　are　adorned　with　a　suitable　garment　of
different　colors。　　After　their　sixth　year　they　are　taught　natural
science；　and　then　the　mechanical　sciences。　　The　men　who　are
weak　in　intellect　are　sent　to　farms；　and　when　they　have　become
more　proficient　some　of　them　are　received　into　the　State。　　And
those　of　the　same　age　and　born　under　the　same　constellation
are　especially　like　one　another　in　strength　and　in　appearance；
and　hence　arises　much　lasting　concord　in　the　State；　these　men
honoring　one　another　with　mutual　love　and　help。　　Names　are
given　to　them　by　Metaphysicus；　and　that　not　by　chance；　but　de…
signedly；　and　according　to　each　one's　peculiarity；　as　was　the
custom　among　the　ancient　Romans。　　Wherefore　one　is　called
Beautiful　（Pulcher）；　another　the　Big…nosed　（Naso）；　another
the　Fat…legged　（Cranipes）；　another　Crooked　（Torvus）；　an…
other　Lean　（Macer）；　and　so　on。　　But　when　they　have　become
very　skilled　in　their　professions　and　done　any　great　deed　in　war
or　in　time　of　peace；　a　cognomen　from　art　is　given　to　them；　such
as　Beautiful　the　Great　Painter　（Pulcher；　Pictor　Magnus）；　the
Golden　One　（Aureus）；　the　Excellent　One　（Excellens）；　or　the
Strong　（Strenuus）；　or　from　their　deeds；　such　as　Naso　the
Brave　（Nason　Fortis）；　or　the　Cunning；　or　the　Great；　or　Very
Great　Conqueror；　or　from　the　enemy　anyone　has　overcome；
Africanus；　Asiaticus；　Etruscus；　or　if　anyone　has　overcome
Manfred　or　Tortelius；　he　is　called　Macer　Manfred　or　Tortelius；
and　so　on。　　All　these　cognomens　are　added　by　the　higher　mag…
istrates；　and　very　often　with　a　crown　suitable　to　the　deed　or　art；
and　with　the　flourish　of　music。　　For　gold　and　silver　are　reck…
oned　of　little　value　among　them　except　as　material　for　their
vessels　and　ornaments；　which　are　common　to　all。


G。M。　　Tell　me；　I　pray　you；　is　there　no　jealousy　among　them
or　disappointment　to　that　one　who　has　not　been　elected　to　a
magistracy；　or　to　any　other　dignity　to　which　he　aspires？


Capt。　　Certainly　not。　　For　no　one　wants　either　necessaries
or　luxuries。　　Moreover；　the　race　is　managed　for　the　good　of
the　commonwealth；　and　not　of　private　individuals；　and　the　mag…
istrates　must　be　obeyed。　　They　deny　what　we　hold　　viz。；　that　it
is　natural　to　man　to　recognize　his　offspring　and　to　educate　them；
and　to　use　his　wife　and　house　and　children　as　his　own。　　For
they　say　that　children　are　bred　for　the　preservation　of　the
species　and　not　for　individual　pleasure；　as　St。　Thomas　also　as…
serts。　　Therefore　the　breeding　of　children　has　reference　to　the
commonwealth；　and　not　to　individuals；　except　in　so　far　as　they
are　constituents　of　the　commonwealth。　　And　since　individuals
for　the　most　part　bring　forth　children　wrongly　and　educate
them　wrongly；　they　consider　that　they　remove　destruction　from
the　State；　and　therefore　for　this　reason；　with　most　sacred　fear；
they　commit　the　education　of　the　children；　who；　as　it　were；　are
the　element　of　the　republic；　to　the　care　of　magistrates；　for　the
safety　of　the　community　is　not　that　of　a　few。　　And　thus　they
distribute　male　and　female　breeders　of　the　best　natures　accord…
ing　to　philosophical　rules。　　Plato　thinks　that　this　distribution
ought　to　be　made　by　lot；　lest　some　men　seeing　that　they　are　kept
away　from　the　beautiful　women；　should　rise　up　with　anger　and
hatred　against　the　magistrates；　and　he　thinks　further　that　those
who　do　not　deserve　cohabitation　with　the　more　beautiful
women；　should　be　deceived　while　the　lots　are　being　led　out　of
the　city　by　the　magistrates；　so　that　at　all　times　the　women　who
are　suitable　should　fall　to　their　lot；　not　those　whom　they　desire。
This　shrewdness；　however；　is　not　necessary　among　the　inhab…
itants　of　the　City　of　the　Sun。　　For　with　them　deformity　is　un…
known。　　When　the　women　are　exercised　they　get　a　clear　com…
plexion；　and　become　strong　of　limb；　tall　and　agile；　and　with
them　beauty　consists　in　tallness　and　strength。　　Therefore；　if
any　woman　dyes　her　face；　so　that　it　may　become　beautiful；　or
uses　high…heeled　boots　so　that　she　may　appear　tall；　or　garments
with　trains　to　cover　her　wooden　shoes；　she　is　condemned　to　cap…
ital　punishment。　　But　if　the　women　should　even　desire　them
they　have　no　facility　for　doing　these　things。　　For　who　indeed
would　give　them　this　facility？　　Further；　they　assert　that　among
us　abuses　of　this　kind　arise　from　the　leisure　and　sloth　of　women。
By　these　means　they　lose　their　color　and　have　pale　complexions；
and　become　feeble　and　small。　　For　this　reason　they　are　without
proper　complexions；　use　high　sandals；　and　become　beautiful　not
from　strength；　but　from　slothful　tenderness。　　And　thus　they
ruin　their　own　tempers　and　natures；　and　consequently　those　of
their　offspring。　　Furthermore；　if　at　any　time　a　man　is　taken
captive　with　ardent　love　for　a　certain　woman；　the　two　are　al…
lowed　to　converse　and　joke　together　and　to　give　one　another
garlands　of　flowers　or　leaves；　and　to　make　verses。　　But　if　the
race　is　endangered；　by　no　means　is　further　union　between　them
permitted。　　Moreover；　the　love　born　of　eager　desire　is　not
known　among　them；　only　that　born　of　friendship。

　　　Domestic　affairs　and　partnerships　are　of　little　account；　be…
cause；　excepting　the　sign　of　honor；　each　one　receives　what　he
is　in　need　of。　　To　the　heroes　and　heroines　of　the　republic；　it
is　customary　to　give　the　pleasing　gifts　of　honor；　beautiful
wreaths；　sweet　food；　or　splendid　clothes；　while　they　are　feast…
ing。　　In　the　daytime　all　use　white　garments　within　the　city；　but
at　night　or　outside　the　city　they　use　red　garments　either　of　wool
or　silk。　　They　hate　black　as　they　do　dung；　and　therefore　they
dislike　the　Japanese；　who　are　fond　of　black。　　Pride　they　con…
sider　the　most　execrable　vice；　and　one　who　acts　proudly　is
chastised　with　the　most　ruthless　correction。　　Wherefore　no
one　thinks　it　lowering　to　wait　at　table　or　to　work　in　the　kitchen
or　fields。　　All　work　they　call　discipline；　and　thus　they　say　that
it　is　honorable　to　go　on　foot；　to　do　any　act　of　nature；　to　see　with
the　eye；　and　to　speak　with　the　tongue；　and　when　there　is　need；
they　distinguish　philosophically　between　tears　and　spittle。

　　　Every　man　who；　when　he　is　told　off　to　work；　does　his　duty；
is　considered　very　honorable。　　It　is　not　the　custom　to　keep
slaves。　　For　they　are　enough；　and　more　than　enough；　for　them…
selves。　　But　with　us；　alas！　it　is　not　so。　　In　Naples　there　exist
70；000　souls；　and　out　of　these　scarcely　10；000　or　15；000　do　any
work；　and　they　are　always　lean　from　overwork　and　are　getting
weaker　every　day。　　The　rest　become　a　prey　to　idleness；　avarice；
ill…health；　lasciviousness；　usury；　and　other　vices；　and　contam…
inate　and　corrupt　very　many　families　by　holding　them　in　servi…
tude　for　their　own　use；　by　keeping　them　in　poverty　and　slavish…
ness；　and　by　imparting　to　them　their　own　vices。　　Therefore
public　slavery　ruins　them；　useful　works；　in　the　field；　in　military
service；　and　in　arts；　except　those　which　are　debasing；　are　not
cultivated；　the　few　who　do　practise　them　doing　so　with　much
aversion。

　　　But　in　the　City　of　the　Sun；　while　duty　and　work　are　dis…
tributed　among　all；　it　only　falls　to　each　one　to　work　for　about
four　hours　every　day。　　The　remaining　hours　are　spent　in　learn…
ing　joyously；　in　debating；　in　reading；　in　reciting；　in　writing；　in
walking；　in　exercising　the　mind　and　body；　and　with　play。　　They
allow　no　game　which　is　played　while　sitting；　neither　the　single
die　nor　dice；　nor　chess；　nor　others　like　these。　　But　they　play
with　the　ball；　with　the　sack；　with　the　hoop；　with　wrestling；　with
hurling　at　the　stake。　　They　say；　moreover；　that　grinding　poverty
renders　men　worthless；　cunning；　sulky；　thievish；　insidious；　vag…
abonds；　liars；　false　witnesses；　etc。；　and　that　wealth　makes　them
insolent；　proud；　ignorant；　traitors；　assumers　of　what　they　know
not；　deceivers；　boasters；　wanting　in　affection；　slanderers；　etc。
But　with　them　all　the　rich　and　poor　together　make　up　the　com…
munity。　　They　are　rich　because　they　want　nothing；　poor　be…
cause　they　possess　nothing；　and　consequently　they　are　not
slaves　to　circumstances；　but　circumstances　serve　them。　　And　on
this　point　they　strongly　recommend　the　religion　of　the　Chris…
tians；　and　especially　the　life　of　the　apostles。


G。M。　　This　seems　excellent　and　sacred；　but　the　community
of　women　is　a　thing　too　difficult　to　attain。　　The　holy　Roman
Clement　says　that　wives　ought　to　be　common　in　accordance　with
the　apostolic　institution；　and　praises　Plato　and　Socrates；　who
thus　teach；　but　the　Glossary　interprets　this　community　with
regard　to　obedience。　　And　Tertullian　agrees　with　the　Glossary；
that　the　first　Christians　had　everything　in　common　except
wives。


Capt。　　These　things　I　know　little　of。　　But　this　I　saw　among
the　inhabitants　of　the　City　of　the　Sun；　that　they　did　not　make
this　exception。　　And　they　defend　themselves　by　the　opinion　of
Socrates；　of　Cato；　of　Plato；　and　of　St。　Clement；　but；　as　you　say；
they　misunderstand　the　opinions　of　these　thinkers。　　And　the
inhabitants　of　the　solar　city　ascribe　this　to　their　want　of　educa…
tion；　since　they　are　by　no　means　learned　in　philosophy。　　Never…
theless；　they　send　abroad　to　discover　the　customs　of　nations；
and　the　best　of　these　they　always　adopt。　　Practice　makes　the
women　suitable　for　war　and　other　duties。　　Thus　they　agree　with
Plato；　in　whom　I　have　read　these　same　things。　　The　reasoning
of　our　Cajetan　does　not　convince　me；　and　least　of　all　that　of
Aristotle。　　This　thing；　however；　existing　among　them　is　ex…
cel