第 11 节
作者:溜溜      更新:2021-02-19 00:32      字数:5810
  writing   everything   that   he   must   do;   is   not   a   whit   more   possible   than   to
  know the future as a whole。'2' But of all hints and suggestions the most
  important   to   my   mind   is   this:   whatever   you   determine   to   be   right;   with
  diligence endeavour to perform。 For be it tillage of the soil; or trading; or
  seafaring; or the art of ruling; without pains applied to bring the matter to
  perfection;   the   best   theories   in   the   world;   the   most   correct   conclusions;
  will be fruitless。
  '1' {pros   to paratugkhanon}; lit。 〃to   meet emergencies。〃   Cf。 Thuc。  i。
  122:   〃For   war;   least   of   all   things;   conforms   to   prescribed   rules;          it
  strikes out a path for itself when the moment comes〃 (Jowett)。
  '2'   Or;   〃is   about   as   feasible   as   to   foretell   each   contingency   hid   in
  the womb of futurity。〃
  One   thing   I   am   prepared   to   insist   on:   it   is   clear   to   myself   that   by
  Heaven's help our total cavalry force might be much more quickly raised
  to the full quota of a thousand troopers;'3' and with far less friction to the
  mass of citizens; by the enrolment of two hundred foreign cavalry。 Their
  acquisition will be doubly helpful; as intensifying the loyalty of the entire
  force and as kindling a mutual ambition to excel in manly virtue。
  '3' See Schneid。 ad loc。; Boeckh; 〃P。 E。 A。〃 pp。 263; 264; Herod。 vi。
  112; Thuc。 vi。 31; Aristoph。 〃Knights;〃 223; Aeschin。 〃De F。 L。〃                           334…
  337。 See for this reform; Martin; op。 cit。 343; 368。
  I can state on my own knowledge that the Lacedaemonian cavalry only
  began to be famous'4' with the introduction of foreign troopers; and in the
  other     states  of   Hellas    everywhere       the  foreign    brigades     stand    in  high
  esteem;   as   I   perceive。   Need;   in   fact;   contributes   greatly   to   enthusiasm。
  Towards the necessary cost of the horses I hold that an ample fund will be
  provided;'5' partly out of the pockets   of those   who are only  too glad to
  escape      cavalry    service    (in   other   words;     those    on   whom      the   service
  devolves prefer to pay a sum of money down and be quit of the duty);'6'
  and from wealthy men who are physically incompetent; and I do not see
  why orphans possessed of large estates should not contribute。'7' Another
  belief I hold is that amongst our resident aliens'8' there are some who will
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  show a laudable ambition if incorporated with the cavalry。 I argue from the
  fact; apparent to myself; that amongst this class persons are to be found
  most zealously disposed to carry out the part assigned to them; in every
  other branch of honourable service which the citizens may choose to share
  with them。 Again; it strikes me that if you seek for an energetic infantry to
  support your cavalry; you will find it in a corps composed of individuals
  whose   hatred   to   the   foe   is   naturally   intense。'9'   But   the   success   of   the
  above      suggestions     will   depend     doubtless     on   the   consenting     will   of
  Heaven。'10'
  '4'   〃Entered   on   an   era   of   prestige   with   the   incorporation   of;〃   after
  Leuctra; 371 B。C。; when the force was at its worst。 See 〃Hell。〃                       VI。 iv。
  10。
  '5'   Or;   〃money     will   be  forthcoming      for   them。〃   Cf。   Lys。   〃Against
  Philon;〃 xxxi。 15; Martin; op。 cit。 319。
  '6'    Cf。   〃Hell。〃   III。  iv。  15;   〃Ages。〃     i。  23。  Courier     brackets    this
  sentence '{oti 。 。 。 ippeuein}' as a gloss; Martin; p。 323;                  emends。
  '7' As to the legal exemption of orphans Schneid。 cf。 Dem。 〃Symm。〃
  182。 15; Lys。 〃Against Diogeit。〃 24。
  '8' Lit。 〃metoecs。〃 See 〃Revenues;〃 ii。
  '9'   Lit。  〃men     the  most    antagonistic     to  the   enemy。〃    Is  the   author
  thinking of Boeotian emigres? Cf。 〃Hell。〃 VI。 iii。 1; 5; Diod。 xv。                         46。
  6。
  '10'   Lit。   〃with   the   consenting   will   of   the   gods   these   things   all   may
  come to pass。〃
  And   now   if   the   repetition   of   the   phrase   throughout   this   treatise   〃act
  with God;〃   surprises any  one; he may  take   my word   for   it that   with the
  daily     or   hourly    occurrence      of   perils   which     must    betide    him;    his
  wonderment will diminish; as also with the clearer recognition of the fact
  that in time of war the antagonists are full of designs against each other;
  but the precise issue of these plots and counterplots is rarely known。 To
  what   counsellor;   then;   can   a   man   apply  for   advice   in   his   extremity  save
  only to the gods; who know all things and forewarn whomsoever they will
  by victims or by omens; by voice or vision? Is it not rational to suppose
  that they will prefer to help in their need; not those who only seek them in
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  time of momentary stress and trouble; but those rather who in the halcyon
  days of their prosperity make a practice of rendering to Heaven the service
  of heart and soul?
  End    of  The    Project   Gutenberg     Etext   of  The    Cavalry    General    by
  Xenophon
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