登陆注册
26240800000121

第121章 BOOK XI(5)

When a man makes an agreement which he does not fulfil,unless the agreement be of a nature which the law or a vote of the assembly does not allow,or which he has made under the influence of some unjust compulsion,or which he is prevented from fulfilling against his will by some unexpected chance,the other party may go to law with him in the courts of the tribes,for not having completed his agreement,if the parties are not able previously to come to terms before arbiters or before their neighbours.The class of craftsmen who have furnished human life with the arts is dedicated to Hephaestus and Athene;and there is a class of craftsmen who preserve the works of all craftsmen by arts of defence,the votaries of Ares and Athene,to which divinities they too are rightly dedicated.All these continue through life serving the country and the people;some of them are leaders in battle;others make for hire implements and works,and they ought not to deceive in such matters,out of respect to the Gods who are their ancestors.If any craftsman through indolence omit to execute his work in a given time,not reverencing the God who gives him the means of life,but considering,foolish fellow,that he is his own God and will let him off easily,in the first place,he shall suffer at the hands of the God,and in the second place,the law shall follow in a similar spirit.He shall owe to him who contracted with him the price of the works which he has failed in performing,and he shall begin again and execute them gratis in the given time.When a man undertakes a work,the law gives him the same advice which was given to the seller,that he should not attempt to raise the price,but simply ask the value;this the law enjoins also on the contractor;for the craftsman assuredly knows the value of his work.Wherefore,in free states the man of art ought not to attempt to impose upon private individuals by the help of his art,which is by nature a true thing;and he who is wronged in a matter of this sort,shall have a right of action against the party who has wronged him.And if any one lets out work to a craftsman,and does not pay him duly according to the lawful agreement,disregarding Zeus the guardian of the city and Athene,who are the partners of the state,and overthrows the foundations of society for the sake of a little gain,in his case let the law and the Gods maintain the common bonds of the state.And let him who,having already received the work in exchange,does not pay the price in the time agreed,pay double the price;and if a year has elapsed,although interest is not to be taken on loans,yet for every drachma which he owes to the contractor let him pay a monthly interest of an obol.Suits about these matters are to be decided by the courts of the tribes;and by the way,since we have mentioned craftsmen at all,we must not forget the other craft of war,in which generals and tacticians are the craftsmen,who undertake voluntarily the work of our safety,as other craftsmen undertake other public works;-if they execute their work well the law will never tire of praising him who gives them those honours which are the just rewards of the soldier;but if any one,having already received the benefit of any noble service in war,does not make the due return of honour,the law will blame him.Let this then be the law,having an ingredient of praise,not compelling but advising the great body of the citizens to honour the brave men who are the saviours of the whole state,whether by their courage or by their military skill;-they should honour them,I say,in the second place;for the first and highest tribute of respect is to be given to those who are able above other men to honour the words of good legislators.

The greater part of the dealings between man and man have been now regulated by us with the exception of those that relate to orphans and the supervision of orphans by their guardians.These follow next in order,and must be regulated in some way.But to arrive at them we must begin with the testamentary wishes of the dying and the case of those who may have happened to die intestate.When I said,Cleinias,that we must regulate them,I had in my mind the difficulty and perplexity in which all such matters are involved.You cannot leave them unregulated,for individuals would make regulations at variance with one another,and repugnant to the laws and habits of the living and to their own previous habits,if a person were simply allowed to make any will which he pleased,and this were to take effect in whatever state he may have been at the end of his life;for most of us lose our senses in a manner,and feel crushed when we think that we are about to die.

Cle.What do you mean,Stranger?

Ath.O Cleinias,a man when he is about to die is an intractable creature,and is apt to use language which causes a great deal of anxiety and trouble to the legislator.

Cle.In what way?

Ath.He wants to have the entire control of all his property,and will use angry words.

Cle.Such as what?

Ath.O ye Gods,he will say,how monstrous that I am not allowed to give,or not to give my own to whom I will-less to him who has been bad to me,and more to him who has been good to me,and whose badness and goodness have been tested by me in time of sickness or in old age and in every other sort of fortune!

Cle.Well Stranger,and may he not very fairly say so?

Ath.In my opinion,Cleinias,the ancient legislators were too good-natured,and made laws without sufficient observation or consideration of human things.

Cle.What do you mean?

Ath.I mean,my friend that they were afraid of the testator's reproaches,and so they passed a law to the effect that a man should be allowed to dispose of his property in all respects as he liked;but you and I,if I am not mistaken,will have something better to say to our departing citizens.

Cle.What?

同类推荐
  • 灵素节注类编

    灵素节注类编

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 发史

    发史

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 游杭州诸胜记

    游杭州诸胜记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 龙舒增广净土文

    龙舒增广净土文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Never Again

    Never Again

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 岁月如水——还念我的农民父亲

    岁月如水——还念我的农民父亲

    感谢我的近百本日记,于吃喝拉撒中寻到一些原始的记录,那种原生态的情感,无法伪装。我不是作家,无法描写超越生活以外的那些东西:我不会展开想象的翅膀,我只是忠实地记录了一段我所经历过的生活。那里面有欢笑,有泪水,有奋斗,有艰辛,那里面的场......
  • 无上妖皇

    无上妖皇

    宁毅死亡后重生到仙陨星一只误食奇异果实的老鼠身上。为圣者可踏破虚空,为了回到地球这一丝希望他不懈努力着。在这个群雄荟萃,诸圣争霸的黄金盛世,且看他如何在万族之中成就那无上妖皇!
  • 之所以遇见你

    之所以遇见你

    他,是欧阳家的公子哥。而她是上官家的大小姐。他们从第一次遇见。在校园的舞会上尽管她显得高贵冷漠不易近人的样子,但在他看来不是这样的...是那样只有他知道吧
  • 小菜绝密档案

    小菜绝密档案

    小菜,碌碌无为的报社编辑。因为参加姐姐的婚礼而只身前往韩国,却在飞机上遭遇了一件极为离奇的事件,并由此与一位陌生男人结缘。究竟一切是福是祸。之后的故事将带您走进一个令人叹为观止的世界。
  • 雨停了,我撑起伞

    雨停了,我撑起伞

    “雨停了,我撑起伞。我希望如这伞一般,永远保护着你。让那些不自甘堕落的雨滴,打到你娇弱的身体上。”
  • 我的万里长征

    我的万里长征

    一个生活安逸的工薪阶层,一切都按部就班的继续着,稳定的工作,相恋多年的女友,买了房子,买了车,下一步似乎就应该结婚,生子,然后安静的渐渐老去,突然有一天这一切就变了,女友离他而去,单位面临改制,生活的两块基石瞬间崩塌,怎么办?当生活的不如意统统砸向他的时候,年轻时的梦慢慢醒了过来,于是他选择了离开这个体制,出走,去远方,去更远的远方,在这个过程中,一切的不如意慢慢散去,他也收获了自己的爱情。
  • 含烟梦寻,莫以年少

    含烟梦寻,莫以年少

    人生最悲哀的事,莫过于爱上一个不能爱的人。那年,尹烟以十岁,被莫家领养,她遇见了他,只见那少年拥有俊朗无比的脸庞,眉宇间却带有一丝邪气,他处处捉弄她,还给她乱取外号,她讨厌他,她依赖他,她喜欢他,她无可救药地爱上了他,可是,他们之间,是无法逾越的禁忌之恋,于是,她将这份爱,牢牢地藏在心底,直到一场意外的出现,打破了这一切……
  • 公社谣

    公社谣

    一部中国式山野田园牧歌一帧帧旧时代的诗意画卷一份都市霓虹里最遥远的乡愁
  • 只是那一份思念无处安放

    只是那一份思念无处安放

    当一个男人爱你的时候,你对他没感觉,而后当你爱上他的时候,可他却已离你远去。
  • 上古世纪种族之战

    上古世纪种族之战

    在遥远的上古世纪,有一块富饶的原大陆,这里生活着当时最为强盛的四大种族,精灵,兽灵,诺亚,萨利姆。拥有占有原大陆的私念让四种族展开了一场浩大而具毁灭性的战争—神与英雄之战。大战以精灵,兽灵,诺亚的战败告终,三种族向充满未知凶险的东西大陆迁徙。两千年后今天,当神之庭院再现原大陆,他们为了复仇,又会有着怎样一场殊死之战。