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show a cheerful countenance？＇19＇ how magnify himself on his
achievement？ On the contrary； his desire is to lessen the proportions of
what has taken place； as far as may be。 He will apologise for what he does；
even in the doing of it； letting it appear that what he has wrought at least
was innocent；＇20＇ so little does his conduct seem noble even to himself。
And when those he dreaded are safely in their graves； he is not one whit
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more confident of spirit； but still more on his guard than heretofore。 That
is the kind of war with which the tyrant is beset from day to day
continually； as I do prove。＇21＇
＇17＇ See Hold。 （crit。 app。）； Hartman； op。 cit。 p。 260。
＇18＇ Cf。 〃Mem。〃 I。 ii。 38。
＇19＇ Cf。 〃Anab。〃 II。 vi。 11； 〃Hell。〃 VI。 iv。 16。
＇20＇ 〃Not of malice prepense。〃
＇21＇ Or； 〃Such then； as I describe it； is the type of war；〃 etc。
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III
Turn now and contemplate the sort of friendship whereof it is given to
tyrants to partake。 And first； let us examine with ourselves and see if
friendship is truly a great boon to mortal man。
How fares it with the man who is beloved of friends？ See with what
gladness his friends and lovers hail his advent！ delight to do him kindness！
long for him when he is absent from them！＇1＇ and welcome him most
gladly on his return！＇2＇ In any good which shall betide him they rejoice
together； or if they see him overtaken by misfortune； they rush to his
assistance as one man。＇3＇
＇1＇ Reading ｛an ate｝； or if ｛an apie｝； transl。 〃have yearning hearts
when he must leave them。〃
＇2＇ See Anton Rubinstein； 〃Die Musik and ihre Meister；〃 p。 8； 〃Some
Remarks on Beethoven's Sonata Op。 81。〃
＇3＇ Cf。 〃Cyrop。〃 I。 vi。 24 for a repetition of the sentiment and
phraseology。
Nay！ it has not escaped the observation of states and governments that
friendship is the greatest boon； the sweetest happiness which men may
taste。 At any rate； the custom holds＇4＇ in many states 〃to slay the
adulterer〃 alone of all 〃with impunity；〃＇5＇ for this reason clearly that such
miscreants are held to be destroyers of that friendship＇6＇ which binds the
woman to the husband。 Since where by some untoward chance a woman
suffers violation of her chastity；＇7＇ husbands do not the less honour them；
as far as that goes； provided true affection still appear unsullied。＇8＇
＇4＇ Lit。 〃many of the states have a law and custom to；〃 etc。 Cf。 〃Pol。
Lac。〃 ii。 4。
＇5＇ Cf。 Plat。 〃Laws；〃 874 C； 〃if a man find his wife suffering
violence he may kill the violator and be guiltless in the eye of the
law。〃 Dem。 〃in Aristocr。〃 53； ｛ean tis apokteine en athlois akon 。 。 。 e
epi damarti； k。t。l。 。 。 。 touton eneka me pheugein kteinanta｝。
＇6＇ See Lys。 〃de caed Eratosth。〃 S。 32 f。； ｛outos； o andres； tous
biazomenous elattonos zemias axious egesato einai e tous peithontas 。
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ton men gar thanaton kategno； tois de diplen epoiese ten blaben；
egoumenos tous men diaprattomenous bia upo ton biasthenton
miseisthai； tous de peisantas outos aution tas psukhas diaphtheirein
ost' oikeioteras autois poiein tas allotrias gunaikas e tois andrasi kai
pasan ep' ekeinois ten oikian gegonenai kai tous paidas adelous einai
opoteron tugkhanousin ontes； ton andron e ton moikhon 。 anth' on o
ton nomon titheis thanaton autois epoiese ten zemian｝。 Cf。 〃Cyrop。〃
III。 i。 39； 〃Symp。〃 viii。 20； Plut。 〃Sol。〃 xxiii。； ｛olos de pleisten
ekhein atopian oi peri ton gunaikon nomoi to Soloni dokousi。
moikhon men gar anelein tio labonti dedoken； ean d' arpase tis
eleutheran gunaika kai biasetai zemian ekaton drakhmas etaxe' kan
proagogeue drakhmas aikosi； plen osai pephasmenos polountai；
legon de tas etairas。 autai gar emphanos phoitosi pros tous didontas｝；
〃Solon's laws in general about women are his strangest； for he
permitted any one to kill an adulterer that found him in the act； but if
any one forced a free woman； a hundred drachmas was the fine； if he
enticed her； twenty；except those that sell themselves openly； that is；
harlots； who go openly to those that hire them〃 （Clough； i。 p。 190）。
＇7＇ Or； 〃fall a victim to passion through some calamity；〃 〃commit a
breach of chastity。〃 Cf。 Aristot。 〃H。 A。〃 VII。 i。 9。
＇8＇ Or； 〃if true affection still retain its virgin purity。〃 As to this
extraordinary passage； see Hartman； op。 cit。 p。 242 foll。
So sovereign a good do I； for my part； esteem it to be loved； that I do
verily believe spontaneous blessings are outpoured from gods and men on
one so favoured。
This is that choice possession which； beyond all others； the monarch is
deprived of。
But if you require further evidence that what I say is true； look at the
matter thus： No friendship； I presume； is sounder than that which binds
parents to their children and children to their parents； brothers and sisters
to each other；＇9＇ wives to husbands； comrade to comrade。
＇9＇ Or； 〃brothers to brothers。〃
If； then； you will but thoughtfully consider it； you will discover it is
the ordinary person who is chiefly blest in these relations。＇10＇ While of
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tyrants； many have been murderers of their own children； many by their
children murdered。 Many brothers have been murderers of one another in
contest for the crown；＇11＇ many a monarch has been done to death by the
wife of his bosom；＇12＇ or even by his own familiar friend； by him of
whose affection he was proudest。＇13＇
＇10＇ Or； 〃that these more obvious affections are the sanctities of
private life。〃
＇11＇ Or； 〃have caught at the throats of brothers〃； lit。 〃been slain
with mutually…murderous hand。〃 Cf。 Pind。 Fr。 137； Aesch。 〃Sept。 c。
Theb。〃 931； 〃Ag。〃 1575； concerning Eteocles and Polynices。
＇12＇ See Grote； 〃H。 G。〃 xi。 288； xii。 6； 〃Hell。〃 VI。 iv。 36； Isocr。
〃On the Peace；〃 182； Plut。 〃Dem。 Pol。〃 iii。 （Clough； v。 p。 98）； Tac。
〃Hist。〃 v。 8； about the family feuds of the kings of Judaea。
＇13＇ 〃It was his own familiar friend who dealt the blow； the nearest
and dearest to his heart。〃
How can you suppose； then； that being so hated by those whom nature
predisposes and law compels to love him； the tyrant should be loved by
any living soul beside？
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IV
Again； without some moiety of faith and trust；＇1＇ how can a man not
feel to be defrauded of a mighty blessing？ One may well ask： What
fellowship； what converse； what society would be agreeable without
confidence？ What intercourse between man and wife be sweet apart from
trustfulness？ How should the 〃faithful esquire〃 whose faith is mistrusted
still be lief and dear？＇2＇
＇1＇ 〃How can he； whose faith's discredited； the moral bankrupt 。 。 。〃
＇2＇ Or； 〃the trusty knight and serving…man。〃 Cf。 〃Morte d'Arthur；〃
xxi。 5； King Arthur and Sir Bedivere。
Well； then； of this frank confidence in others the tyrant has the
scantiest share。＇3＇ Seeing his life is such； he cannot even trust his meats
and drinks； but he must bid his serving…men before the feast begins； or
ever the libation to the gods is poured；＇4＇ to taste the viands； o