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when hope is at the door； he may cry the good news in vain。 Rather
ought he to refrain from speaking positively himself when he cannot
know precisely； his agents may step in and do it in his place； but he
should reserve his own appeal for the supreme crises of supreme
danger； and not dissipate his credit。〃
〃By heaven； a most admirable suggestion！〃 cried Cyrus； 〃and one much
more to my mind！ ＇20＇ As for enforcing obedience； I hope I have had
some training in that already； you began my education yourself when I
was a child by teaching me to obey you； and then you handed me over to
masters who did as you had done； and afterwards； when we were lads； my
fellows and myself； there was nothing on which the governors laid more
stress。 Our laws themselves； I think； enforce this double lesson：
'Rule thou and be thou ruled。' And when I come to study the secret of
it all； I seem to see that the real incentive to obedience lies in the
praise and honour that it wins against the discredit and the
chastisement which fall on the disobedient。〃 ＇21＇ 〃That； my son；〃 said
the father； 〃is the road to the obedience of compulsion。 But there is
a shorter way to a nobler goal； the obedience of the will。 When the
interests of mankind are at stake； they will obey with joy the man
whom they believe to be wiser than themselves。 You may prove this on
all sides： you may see how the sick man will beg the doctor to tell
him what he ought to do； how a whole ship's company will listen to the
pilot； how travellers will cling to the one who knows the way better；
as they believe； than they do themselves。 But if men think that
obedience will lead them to disaster； then nothing； neither penalties；
nor persuasion； nor gifts； will avail to rouse them。 For no man
accepts a bribe to his own destruction。〃 ＇22＇ 〃You would have me
understand；〃 said Cyrus； 〃that the best way to secure obedience is to
be thought wiser than those we rule？〃 〃Yes；〃 said Cambyses； 〃that is
my belief。〃
〃And what is the quickest way；〃 asked Cyrus； 〃to win that reputation？〃
〃None quicker； my lad； than this： wherever you wish to seem wise； be
wise。 Examine as many cases as you like； and you will find that what I
say is true。 If you wished to be thought a good farmer； a good
horseman； a good physician； a good flute…player； or anything else
whatever； without really being so； just imagine what a world of
devices you would need to invent； merely to keep up the outward show！
And suppose you did get a following to praise you and cry you up；
suppose you did burden yourself with all kinds of paraphernalia for
your profession； what would come of it all？ You succeed at first in a
very pretty piece of deception； and then by and by the test comes； and
the impostor stands revealed。〃
＇23＇ 〃But；〃 said Cyrus； 〃how can a man really and truly attain to the
wisdom that will serve his turn？〃
〃Well； my son； it is plain that where learning is the road to wisdom；
learn you must； as you learnt your battalion…drill； but when it comes
to matters which are not to be learnt by mortal men； nor foreseen by
mortal minds； there you can only become wiser than others by
communicating with the gods through the art of divination。 But；
always； wherever you know that a thing ought to be done； see that it
is done； and done with care； for care； not carelessness； is the mark
of the wise man。〃
＇24＇ 〃And now；〃 said Cyrus； 〃to win the affection of those we rule
and there is nothing； I take it； of greater importancesurely the
path to follow lies open to all who desire the love of their friends。
We must； I mean； show that we do them good。〃 〃Yes； my child； but to do
good really at all seasons to those we wish to help is not always
possible： only one way is ever open； and that is the way of sympathy；
to rejoice with the happy in the day of good things； to share their
sorrow when ill befalls them； to lend a hand in all their
difficulties； to fear disaster for them； and guard against it by
foresightthese； rather than actual benefits； are the true signs of
comradeship。 ＇25＇ And so in war； if the campaign is in summer the
general must show himself greedy for his share of the sun and the
heat； and in winter for the cold and the frost； and in all labours for
toil and fatigue。 This will help to make him beloved of his
followers。〃 〃You mean； father；〃 said Cyrus； 〃that a commander should
always be stouter…hearted in everything than those whom he commands。〃
〃Yes； my son； that is my meaning；〃 said he； 〃only be well assured of
this： the princely leader and the private soldier may be alike in
body； but their sufferings are not the same： the pains of the leader
are always lightened by the glory that is his and by the very
consciousness that all his acts are done in the public eye。〃
＇26＇ 〃But now； father； suppose the time has come； and you are
satisfied that your troops are well supplied； sound in wind and limb；
well able to endure fatigue； skilled in the arts of war； covetous of
honour； eager to show their mettle； anxious to follow； would you not
think it well to try the chance of battle without delay？〃 〃By all
means；〃 said the father； 〃if you are likely to gain by the move： but
if not； for my own part； the more I felt persuaded of my own
superiority and the power of my troops； the more I should be inclined
to stand on my guard； just as we put our greatest treasures in the
safest place we have。〃 ＇27＇ 〃But how can a man make sure that he will
gain？〃 〃Ah； there you come；〃 said the father； 〃to a most weighty
matter。 This is no easy task； I can tell you。 If your general is to
succeed he must prove himself an arch…plotter； a king of craft； full
of deceits and stratagems； a cheat； a thief； and a robber； defrauding
and overreaching his opponent at every turn。〃
〃Heavens！〃 said Cyrus； and burst out laughing； 〃is this the kind of
man you want your son to be！〃 〃I want him to be；〃 said the father； 〃as
just and upright and law…abiding as any man who ever lived。〃 ＇28＇ 〃But
how comes it；〃 said his son； 〃that the lessons you taught us in
boyhood and youth were exactly opposed to what you teach me now？〃
〃Ah；〃 said the father； 〃those lessons were for friends and fellow…
citizens； and for them they still hold good； but for your enemiesdo
you not remember that you were also taught to do much harm？〃
〃No； father；〃 he answered； 〃I should say certainly not。〃
〃Then why were you taught to shoot？ Or to hurl the javelin？ Or to trap
wild…boars？ Or to snare stags with cords and caltrops？ And why did you
never meet the lion or the bear or the leopard in fair fight on equal
terms； but were always trying to steal some advantage over them？ Can
you deny that all that was craft and deceit and fraud and greed？〃
＇29＇ 〃Why； of course；〃 answered the young man； 〃in dealing with
animals； but with human beings it was different； if I was ever
suspected of a wish to cheat another； I was punished； I know； with
many stripes。〃
〃True；〃 said the father； 〃and for the matter of that we did not permit
you to draw bow or hurl javelin against human beings； we taught you
merely to aim at a mark。 But why did we teach you that？ Not so that
you might injure your friends； either then or now； but that in war you
might have the skill to make the bodies of living men your targets。 So
also we taught you the arts of deceit and craft and greed and
covetousness； not among men it is true； but among beasts； we did not
mean you ever to turn these accomplishments against your friends； but
in war we wished you to be something better than raw recruits。〃
＇30＇ 〃But； father；〃 Cyrus answered； 〃if to do men good and to do men
harm were both of them things we ought to learn； surely it would have
been better to teach them in actual practice？〃
＇31＇ Then the father said； 〃My son； we are told that in the days of
our forefathers there was such a teacher once。 This man did actually
teach his boys righteousness in the way you suggest； to lie and not to
lie； to cheat and not to cheat； to calumniate and not to calumniate；
to be grasping and not grasping。 He drew the distinction between our
duty to friends and our duty to enemies； and he went further still； he
taught men that it was just and right to deceive even a friend for his
own good； or steal his property。 ＇32＇ And with this he must needs
teach his pupils to practise on one another what he taught them； just
as the people of Hellas； we are told； teach lads in the wrestling…
school to fence and to feint； and train them by their practice with
one another。 Now some of his scholars showed such excellent aptitudes
for deception and overreaching； and perhaps no lack of taste for
common money…making； that they did not even spare their friends； but
used their arts on them。 ＇33＇ And so an unwritten law was framed by
which we still abide； bidding us teach our children as we teach our
servants； simply and solely not to lie； and not to cheat； and not to
covert； and if they did otherwise to punish them； hoping to make them
humane and law…abiding citizens。 ＇34＇ But when they came to manhood；
as you have come； then； it seemed； the risk was over； and it would be
time to teach them what is lawful against our enemies。 For at your age
we do not believe you will