timoleon-第5章

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with　common　women；　or　pretending　to　instruct　the　singing　women　of
the　theatre；　and　seriously　disputing　with　them　about　the　measure　and
harmony　of　pieces　of　music　that　were　performed　there。　Such　behaviour
on　his　part　was　variously　criticized。　He　was　thought　by　many　to　act
thus　out　of　pure　compliance　with　his　own　natural　indolent　and
vicious　inclinations；　while　finer　judges　were　of　the　opinion；　that
in　all　this　he　was　playing　a　politic　part；　with　a　design　to　be
contemned　among　them；　and　that　the　Corinthians　might　not　feel　any
apprehension　or　suspicion　of　his　being　uneasy　under　his　reverse　of
fortune；　or　solicitous　to　retrieve　it；　to　avoid　which　danger；　he
purposely　and　against　his　true　nature　affected　an　appearance　of
folly　and　want　of　spirit　in　his　private　life　and　amusements。
　　However　it　be；　there　are　sayings　and　repartees　of　his　left　still
upon　record；　which　seem　to　show　that　he　not　ignobly　accommodated
himself　to　his　present　circumstances；　as　may　appear　in　part　from　the
ingenuousness　of　the　avowal　he　made　on　coming　to　Leucadia；　which；　as
well　as　Syracuse；　was　a　Corinthian　colony；　where　he　told　the
inhabitants　that　he　found　himself　not　unlike　boys　who　had　been　in
fault；　who　can　talk　cheerfully　with　their　brothers；　but　are　ashamed　to
see　their　father；　so　likewise　he；　he　said；　could　gladly　reside　with
them　in　that　island；　whereas　he　felt　a　certain　awe　upon　his　mind　which
made　him　averse　to　the　sight　of　Corinth；　that　was　a　common　mother　to
them　both。　The　thing　is　further　evident　from　the　reply　he　once　made　to
a　stranger　in　Corinth；　who　deriding　him　in　a　rude　and　scornful
manner　about　the　conferences　he　used　to　have　with　philosophers；
whose　company　had　been　one　of　his　pleasures　while　yet　a　monarch；　and
demanding；　in　fine；　what　he　was　the　better　now　for　all　those　wise
and　learned　discourses　of　Plato；　〃Do　you　think；〃　said　he；　〃I　have　made
no　profit　of　his　philosophy　when　you　see　me　bear　my　change　of
fortune　as　I　do？〃　And　when　Aristoxenus　the　musician；　and　several
others；　desired　to　know　how　Plato　offended　him；　and　what　had　been
the　ground　of　his　displeasure　with　him；　he　made　answer　that；　of　the
many　evils　attaching　to　the　condition　of　sovereignty；　the　one　greatest
infelicity　was　that　none　of　those　who　were　accounted　friends　would
venture　to　speak　freely；　or　tell　the　plain　truth；　and　that　by　means　of
such　he　had　been　deprived　of　Plato's　kindness。　At　another　time；　when
one　of　those　pleasant　companions　that　are　desirous　to　pass　for　wits；
in　mockery　to　Dionysius；　as　if　he　were　still　the　tyrant；　shook　out　the
folds　of　his　cloak；　as　he　was　entering　into　a　room　where　he　was；　to
show　there　were　no　concealed　weapons　about　him；　Dionysius；　by　way　of
retort；　observed；　that　he　would　prefer　he　would　do　so　on　leaving　the
room；　as　a　security　that　he　was　carrying　nothing　off　with　him。　And
when　Philip　of　Macedon；　at　a　drinking　party；　began　to　speak　in
banter　about　the　verses　and　tragedies　which　his　father；　Dionysius
the　elder；　had　left　behind　him；　and　pretended　to　wonder　how　he　could
get　any　time　from　his　other　business　to　compose　such　elaborate　and
ingenious　pieces；　he　replied；　very　much　to　the　purpose；　〃It　was　at
those　leisurable　hours；　which　such　as　you　and　I；　and　those　we　call
happy　men；　bestow　upon　our　cups。〃　Plato　had　not　the　opportunity　to　see
Dionysius　at　Corinth；　being　already　dead　before　he　came　thither；　but
Diogenes　of　Sinope；　at　their　first　meeting　in　the　street　there；
saluted　him　with　the　ambiguous　expression；　〃O　Dionysius；　how　little
you　deserve　your　present　life！　Upon　which　Dionysius　stopped　and
replied；　〃I　thank　you；　Diogenes；　for　your　condolence。〃　〃Condole　with
you！〃　replied　Diogenes；　〃do　you　not　suppose　that；　on　the　contrary；　I
am　indignant　that　such　a　slave　as　you；　who；　if　you　had　your　due；
should　have　been　let　alone　to　grow　old　and　die　in　the　state　of
tyranny；　as　your　father　did　before　you；　should　now　enjoy　the　ease　of
private　persons；　and　be　here　to　sport　and　frolic　in　our　society？〃　So
that　when　I　compare　those　sad　stories　of　Philistus；　touching　the
daughters　of　Leptines；　where　he　makes　pitiful　moan　on　their　behalf；　as
fallen　from　all　the　blessings　and　advantages　of　powerful　greatness
to　the　miseries　of　an　humble　life；　they　seem　to　me　like　the
lamentations　of　a　woman　who　has　lost　her　box　of　ointment；　her　purple
dresses；　and　her　golden　trinkets。　Such　anecdotes　will　not；　I　conceive；
be　thought　either　foreign　to　my　purpose　of　writing　Lives；　or
unprofitable　in　themselves；　by　such　readers　as　are　not　in　too　much
haste；　or　busied　and　taken　up　with　other　concerns。
　　But　if　the　misfortune　of　Dionysius　appears　strange　and
extraordinary；　we　shall　have　no　less　reason　to　wonder　at　the　good
fortune　of　Timoleon；　who；　within　fifty　days　after　his　landing　in
Sicily；　both　recovered　the　citadel　of　Syracuse　and　sent　Dionysius　an
exile　into　Peloponnesus。　This　lucky　beginning　so　animated　the
Corinthians；　that　they　ordered　him　a　supply　of　two　thousand　foot　and
two　hundred　horse；　who；　reaching　Thurii；　intended　to　cross　over　thence
into　Sicily；　but　finding　the　whole　sea　beset　with　Carthaginian
ships；　which　made　their　passage　impracticable；　they　were　constrained
to　stop　there；　and　watch　their　opportunity：　which　time；　however；　was
employed　in　a　noble　action。　For　the　Thurians；　going　out　to　war　against
their　Bruttian　enemies；　left　their　city　in　charge　with　these
Corinthian　strangers；　who　defended　it　as　carefully　as　if　it　had　been
their　own　country；　and　faithfully　resigned　it　up　again。
　　Hicetes；　in　the　interim；　continued　still　to　besiege　the　castle　of
Syracuse；　and　hindered　all　provisions　from　coming　in　by　sea　to　relieve
the　Corinthians　that　were　in　it。　He　had　engaged　also；　and　despatched
towards　Adranum；　two　unknown　foreigners　to　assassinate　Timoleon；　who
at　no　time　kept　any　standing　guard　about　his　person；　and　was　then
altogether　secure；　diverting　himself；　without　any　apprehension；
among　the　citizens　of　the　place；　it　being　a　festival　in　honour　of
their　gods。　The　two　men　that　were　sent；　having　casually　heard　that
Timoleon　was　about　to　sacrifice；　came　directly　into　the　temple　with
poniards　under　their　cloaks；　and　pressing　in　among　the　crowd；　by
little　and　little　got　up　close　to　the　altar；　but；　as　they　were　just
looking　for　a　sign　from　each　other　to　begin　the　attempt；　a　third
person　struck　one　of　them　over　the　head　with　a　sword；　upon　whose
sudden　fall；　neither　he　that　gave　the　blow；　nor　the　partisan　of　him
that　received　it；　kept　their　stations　any　longer；　but　the　one；
making　way　with　his　bloody　sword；　put　no　stop　to　his　flight；　till　he
gained　the　top　of　a　certain　lofty　precipice；　while　the　other；　laying
hold　of　the　altar；　besought　Timoleon　to　spare　his　life；　and　he　would
reveal　to　him　the　whole　conspiracy。　His　pardon　being　granted；　he
confessed　that　both　himself　and　his　dead　companion　were　sent　thither
purposely　to　slay　him。　While　this　discovery　was　made；　he　that　killed
the　other　conspirator　had　been　fetched　down　from　his　sanctuary　of
the　rock；　loudly　and　often　protesting；　as　he　came　along；　that　there
was　no　injustice　in　the　fact；　as　he　had　only　taken　righteous　vengeance
for　his　father's　blood；　whom　this　man　had　murdered　before　in　the
city　of　Leontini；　the　truth　of　which　was　attested　by　several　there
present；　who　could　not　choose　but　wonder　too　at　the　strange
dexterity　of　fortune's　operations；　the　facility　with　which　she　makes
one　event　the　spring　and　motion　to　something　wholly　different；　uniting
every　scattered　accident　and　loose　particular　and　remote　action；　and
interweaving　them　together　to　serve　her　purpose；　so　that　things　that
in　themselves　seem　to　have　no　connection　or　interdependence
whatsoever；　become　in　her　hands；　so　to　say；　the　end　and　the
beginning　of　each　other。　The　Corinthians；　satisfied　as　to　the
innocence　of　this　seasonable　feat；　honoured　and　rewarded　the　author
with　a　present　of　ten　pounds　in　their　money；　since　he　had；　as　it　were；
lent　the　use　of　his　just　resentment　to　the　tutelar　genius　that
seemed　to　be　protecting　Timoleon；　and　had　not　pre…expended　this　anger；
so　long　ago　conceived；　but　had　reserved　and　deferred；　under
fortune's　guidance；　for　his　preservation；　the　revenge　of　a　private
quarrel。
　　But　this　fortunate　escape　had　ef