第 33 节
作者:这就是结局      更新:2021-02-20 14:15      字数:9321
  have come to you to do him harm; many a kindness have I received from
  him; and many a service have I done him。 But now that his kingdom has
  descended to my boy's murdererI could never be loyal to that man;
  and he; I know; could never regard me as a friend。 He knows too well
  how I feel towards him; and how; after my former splendour; I pass my
  days in mourning; growing old in loneliness and grief。 '7' If you can
  receive me; if you can give me some hope of vengeance for my dear son;
  I think I should grow young again; I should not feel ashamed to live;
  and when I came to die I should not die in utter wretchedness。〃
  '8' So he spoke; and Cyrus answered:
  〃Gobryas; if your heart be set towards us as you say; I receive you as
  my suppliant; and I promise; God helping me; to avenge your son。 But
  tell me;〃 he added; 〃if we do this for you; and if we suffer you to
  keep your stronghold; your land; your arms; and the power which you
  had; how will you serve us in return?〃
  '9' And the old man answered:
  〃My stronghold shall be yours; to live in as often as you come to me;
  the tribute which I used to pay to Assyria shall be paid to you; and
  whenever you march out to war; I will march at your side with the men
  from my own land。 Moreover; I have a daughter; a well…beloved maiden;
  ripe for marriage; once I thought of bringing her up to be the bride
  of the man who is now king; but she besought me herself; with tears;
  not to give her to her brother's murderer; and I have no mind to
  oppose her。 And now I will put her in your hands; to deal with as I
  shall deal with you。〃
  '10' So it came to pass that Cyrus said; 〃On the faith that you have
  spoken truly and with true intent; I take your hand and I give you
  mine; let the gods be witness。〃
  And when this was done; Cyrus bade the old man depart in peace;
  without surrendering his arms; and then he asked him how far away he
  lived; 〃Since;〃 said he; 〃I am minded to visit you。〃 And Gobryas
  answered; 〃If you set off early to…morrow; the next day you may lodge
  with us。〃 '11' With that he took his own departure; leaving a guide
  for Cyrus。
  Then the Medes presented themselves; they had set apart for the gods
  what the Persian Priests thought right; and had left it in their
  hands; and they had chosen for Cyrus the finest of all the tents; and
  a lady from Susa; of whom the story says that in all Asia there was
  never a woman so fair as she; and two singing…girls with her; the most
  skilful among the musicians。 The second choice was for Cyaxares; and
  for themselves they had taken their fill of all they could need on the
  campaign; since there was abundance of everything。 '12' The Hyrcanians
  had all they wanted too; and they made the messenger from Cyaxares
  share and share alike with them。 The tents which were left over they
  delivered to Cyrus for his Persians; and the coined money they said
  should be divided as soon as it was all collected; and divided it was。
  NOTES
  C1。10。 Two theories of hedonism: (1) Cyaxares' 〃Economise the greatest
  joy when you have got it;〃 and by contrast (2) Cyrus' roaming from joy
  to joy。
  C1。22。 Xenophon the Artist: the 〃kinsman〃 of Cyrus again; and the
  light by…play to enliven the severe history。 The economic organising
  genius of Cyrus is also brought out。
  C2。25。 No looting; an order of the Duke of Wellington; Napier;
  Wolseley。
  C2。32。 Cf。 modern times; humane orders; but strict。
  C2。34。 The question of commissariat。 Would a modern force storm a camp
  without taking rations? I dare say they would。
  C2。37。 Notice the tone he adopts to these slaves; no bullying; but
  appealing to appetite and lower motives。 This is doubtless
  Xenophontine and Hellenic。
  C2。38。 Important as illustrating the stern Spartan self…denial of the
  man and his followers。 There is a hedonistic test; but the higher
  hedonism prevails against the lower: ignoble and impolitic to sit here
  feasting while they are fighting; and we don't even know how it fares
  with them; our allies。 The style rises and is at times Pauline。 St。
  Paul; of course; is moving on a higher spiritual plane; but still
  C2。45; fin。 The Education of Cyrus; Cyropaedia; {Keroupaideia}; the
  name justified。
  C2。46。 Hystaspas' simple response: important; with other passages; to
  show how naturally it came to them (i。e。 the Hellenes and Xenophon) to
  give a spiritual application to their rules of bodily and mental
  training。 These things to them are an allegory。 The goal is lofty; if
  not so sublime as St。 Paul's or Comte's; the Christians or Positivists
  (there has been an alteration for the better in the spiritual plane;
  and Socrates helped to bring it about; I believe); but /ceteris
  paribus/; the words of St。 Paul are the words of Hystaspas and
  Xenophon。 They for a corruptible crown; and we for an incorruptible
  and one might find a still happier parable!
  C2。46。 Fine sentiment; this /noblesse oblige/ (cf。 the archangelic
  dignity in Milton; /Paradise Lost/; I think)。
  C2。47。 The aristocratic theory (cf。 modern English 〃nigger〃 theory;
  Anglo…Indian; etc。)。
  C3。3。 Xenophon's dramatic skill。 We are made to feel the touch of
  something galling in the manner of these Median and Hyrcanian
  troopers。
  C3。4。 A 'cute beginning rhetorically; because in the most graceful way
  possible; and without egotism /versus/ Medes and Hyrcanians; it
  postulates the Persian superiority; moral; as against the accidental
  inferiority of the moment caused by want of cavalry and the dependence
  on others which that involves。 I suppose it's no reflection on Cyrus'
  military acumen not to foreseen this need。 It would have been
  premature then; now it organically grows; and there's no great crisis
  to pass through。
  C3。11。 I should have thought this was a dangerous argument; obviously
  boys do learn better than men certain things。
  C3。12。 Short sharp snap of argumentative style。
  C3。19。 The antithetic balance and word…jingle; with an exquisite;
  puristic; precise; and delicate lisp; as of one tasting the flavour of
  his words throughout。
  C3。23。 I think one sees how Xenophon built up his ideal structure on a
  basis of actual living facts。 The actual diverts the creator of Cyrus
  from the ideal at times; as here。 It is a slight declension in the
  character of Cyrus to lay down this law; 〃equestrian once; equestrian
  always。〃 Xenophon has to account for the actual Persian horror of
  pedestrianism: Cyrus himself can dismount; and so can the Persian
  nobles with Cyrus the Younger; but still the rule is 〃never be seen
  walking;〃 and without the concluding paragraph the dramatic narrative
  that precedes would seem a little bit unfinished and pointless: with
  the explanation it floats; and we forgive 〃the archic man〃 his
  partiality to equestrianism; as later on we have to forgive him his
  Median get…up and artificiality generally; which again is contrary to
  the Xenophontine and the ideal Spartan spirit。
  C4。 Xenophon has this theory of mankind: some are fit to rule; the
  rest to be ruled。 It is parallel to the Hellenic slavery theory。 Some
  moderns; e。g。 Carlyle (Ruskin perhaps) inherit it; and in lieu of
  Hellenic slavery we have a good many caste…distinction crotchets still
  left。
  C4。13; fin。 The first salaam; ominous of the advent of imperialism;
  the sun's rim visible; and a ray shot up to the zenith。
  C5。 Here the question forces itself in the midst of all this 〃ironic〃
  waiting on the part of the Persians in Spartan durance for a future
  apotheosis of splendour and luxuriance;what is the moral? 〃Hunger
  now and thirst; for ye shall be filled〃is that it? Well; anyhow it's
  parallel to the modern popular Christianity; reward…in…heaven theory;
  only on a less high level; but exactly the same logicality。
  C5。6。 A point; this reward to the catcher; and this rigid /couvrefeu/
  habit (cf。 modern military law)。
  C5。8。 A dramatic contrast; the Median Cyaxares who follows Pleasure;
  and the Persian Cyrus who follows Valour; /vide/ Heracles' choice
  '/Memorabilia/; II。 i。 21'。 This allegorising tendency is engrained in
  Xenophon: it is his view of life; one of the best things he got from
  Socrates; no doubt。 Later (§ 12) the 〃ironic〃 suicidal self…assertion
  of Cyaxares is contrasted with the health…giving victorious self…
  repression of Cyrus。
  C5。9…10。 Xenophon can depict character splendidly: this is the
  crapulous {orge} of the somewhat 〃hybristic〃 nature; seeing how the
  land lies; /siccis luminibus/; the day after the premature revel。
  Theophrastus couldn't better have depicted the irascible man。 These
  earliest portraits of character are; according to Xenophon's genius;
  all sketched in the concrete; as it were。 The character is not
  philosophised and then illustrated by concrete instances after the
  manner of Theophrastus; but we see the man moving before us and are
  made aware of his nature at once。
  C5。17。 {kalos ka nomimos}; 〃in all honour; and according to the law;〃
  almost a Xenophontine motto; and important in reference to the
  〃questionable〃 conduct on his part in exile〃questionable〃 from a
  modern rather than an 〃antique〃 standard。 'The chief reference is to
  Xenophon's presence on the Spartan side at the battle of Coronea
  against his na