The Old Love and the New. A tale of Athens

Chapter I

Arnold. "What ! that low, swarthy, short-nosed, round eyed satyr, With the wide nostrils and Silenus' aspect, The splay feet and low stature ! I had better Remain that which I am. Stranger. And yet he was The earth's perfection of all mental beauty, And personification of all virtue. Bteon. Deformed Transformed. Ox the day after the dinner at the house of Aristippus, Leon left his home about two hours before noon. The morning was wet and stormy at Athens, as well as in the Euxine ; but Leon knew that the Board of War (who ruled naval as well as military affairs) would meet that day ; and he wished VOL. III. B to speak with them, as soon as possible, respecting his readiness to take on himself the cost of repairing and refitting the Revenge, and respecting his desire to be appointed her Trierarch or Captain for the coming season for warfare.

Once or twice in the early part of the morning, when the weather gave some brief promise of im proving, he hesitated as to whether he should not defer his visit to the Board of War, and go instead to the Agora, or to the principal Palæstræ, the exercising and training grounds of the young Athenians. Charmides was usually to be found in one of them ; and Leon thought that, if he could meet Charmides, he might probably be invited by him to accompany him home ; and that he would thus obtain another opportunity of seeing Evadne. But it was useless to search either Agora or Palæstræ in such weather, as continued to rage ; so Leon determined to make his ship the first object of considera tion. As he left his house, he met Lysis, who was on his way to his friend, to pass with him what seemed likely to be otherwise a long and duU day.

Lysis heard with interest and pleasure the intended application of Leon to the Board of War ; and he willingly accompanied him thither. WeU wrapped in their boat-cloaks the two friends traversed the wet and miry streets to the town-hall or Prytaneum, where the ten Army-leaders, who constituted the Board of War, held their meetings. Six of the Board had been there for some time, and had nearly transacted the business of the day, when the names of Leon and Lysis were announced by the door keeper. Three of the members of the Board present were on terms of personal friendship with Leon. Among these was the wealthy, amiable, physically-brave and morally-weak Nicias, who was by far the most influential personage of the whole Board. Laches was another — a good officer, but not of so high a character as Nicias for incorruptibility.

Lamachus was a third — one of the most gallant soldiers Athens ever possessed, and of no mean capacity in determining the conduct of a campaign. But his poverty is expressly recorded to have deprived him of much of the consideration, with which he would have been regarded by his countrymen, if he had added the so-called respectability of riches to his undoubted military excellence. The Board accepted with pleasure Leon's offer to take on himself the whole expense of repairing the Revenge, and equipping her for sea. His request to be appointed to the Trierarchy, and to serve the State during the next season for active service as captain of the ship, which he was to restore to efficiency, met also, as was natural, a favourable hearing. Nicias said, " We have been looking over the list of our wealthiest citizens, to see whom we should appoint as Trierarchs.

Most men shun the office as a costly burden. We intended to pass you over, Leon, and to allow you a little rest after your long toils and perils in Platæa. But we are truly glad to find you thus come forward as a volunteer. Have you, Lysis, any similar offer to oblige us with ?" Lysis replied, "My means do not enable me to fit out a gaUey, nor have I ability and experience enough for the command of one. My petition is that you will appoint me second officer of the Revenge, under Leon. I believe he is willing that I should sail with him." Leon warmly supported his friend's appli cation, which was readily granted. Laches then said to Leon, " I suppose, Leon, you would like to have your ship repaired and equipped according to your own judgment, and under your own eye. I always like to have that done with my own admiral galley."

Leon answered that he was about to request from the Board a written order to that effect to the surveyors and inspectors of the dockyards. Lamachus said to him, " You shall have it immediately." Then, turning to his colleagues, he added, " Let us get all these appointments made out at once. We shall then have done a good day's work, before we separate. We shall have ensured for the State at least one good ship, and one good captain for the cruises of the coming summer. I hope, Leon, that you will be among the admirals of our fleets this year. The other members of the Board assented ; and the secretaries were called in, and the formal minutes and other documents were prepared. This occupied some time ; and when Leon and Lysis left the Prytaneum, the weather had cleared up, and the streets and market-place were thronged as usual.

Nicias and Laches came away from the Board at the same time with Leon and Lysis. The Agora was very near to the Prytaneum. When they had passed a little way along the market-place, they came upon a group, of which the central figure was a short, thick-set man, conspicuously ugly, with fea tures, such as painters and sculptors were wont to assign to a Silenus, or to a Satyr. He was questioning two elderly Athenians, who were in front of him ; and he was fre quently interrogating the bystanders, and inducing them to take part in the colloquy Nicias, Leon, and their two companions, all knew him well. Indeed, every Athenian, and many of the mere temporary residents in the city, would at once have recognised Socrates, who was, as usual, busy in the per formance of the Divine mission, which he believed to have been imposed on him, — a mission to spend his life in the search for wisdom, — questioning, cross-examining, and exhorting all whom he met, and unsparingly exposing all false pretences, and false per suasions of knowledge.

He thus naturally made for himself many enemies, but he acquired at the same time a numerous troop of friends, of disciples, and admirers. The band of " Socratic Men," as they have been called, comprised characters widely differing from one another. Leon recognised among those in attendance on Socrates, his cour teous, good-humoured, and munificent host of the preceding evening, the pleasure-seeking Aristippus. Next him stood the snarling, offensive Antisthenes, courting observation and notoriety by the raggedness of his garment, through the holes of which (as So crates told him) his vanity was seen peeping. Near them were the speculative, subtle, Eucleides, and the dull, pompous, but very practical Ischomachus. A young man, whose broad contemplative brow had ac quired for him the surname of Plato, stood intently listening to the words of Socrates ; and was already in his own mind blending his master's doctrines with poetical reveries of his own.

Charmides, Cleitophon, and many more of the " gilded youth" of Athens were among the Socratic followers ; and pre eminent among these appeared Alcibiades, with his unrivaUed beauty of feature and form, — Alcibiades, the most dissolute of the dissolute, but who found in the conversation of Socrates such an enchantment, that (to use his own words) " he could sit down beside Socrates and grow old in listening to his talk." * A little aloof stood a dark, haughty-looking man, whose dress was that of an Athenian of high birth and wealth. * Plato ' Symposium.' His eye was menacing, and his features were handsome, yet repulsive. This was Kritias : a man superior in oratory, in poetry, in philosophy, in political skill to almost every other Athenian citizen ; but who was inferior to the meanest slave in the shops around them, as to sympathy with human feelings in others, and as to appreciation of any motive for action or forbearance, except his own gratification or aggrandisement.

All those men, and very many more, habitually attended Socrates; — some for the mere pleasure of hearing him talk ; some to profit by the pure practical morality, and the sublime theories respecting eternal truths, which he enounced ; some in the hope of acquiring part of his matchless skill in the fence of disputation, especially in cross-examining and confuting a plausible and confident antagonist. The two elderly citizens who were con versing with Socrates, when Leon and his party approached, were Lysimachus and Melesias, who were discussing the best mode of educating their sons, with special reference to the young men gaining distinction in military service. Socrates had brought the conversation round to an inquiry as to the real essential nature of courage. When Nicias and Laches came up, Socrates asked their opinions, adding some courteous re marks as to their renowra as soldiers of proved worth on the battle-field.

They both gave definitions, which Socrates easily proved to be fallacious.* Socrates then addressed himself to Leon. But Leon said, " I appeal from you, Socrates." Alcibiades interposed, indignantly : " And to whom do you appeal from Socrates?" Leon answered: "I appeal from Socrates the disputant in the Agora to Socrates the soldier on the field of battle. You must remember, Alcibiades, when we three were all serving together in the force that first besieged Potidæa. The garrison made a strong sally, and attacked the part of our lines, where we were stationed, and which * See the ' Laches ' of Plato. Neiv. 11 was very inadequately manned. We were driven back. You, Alcibiades, fell badly wounded, and most of our comrades took to flight. But Socrates, instead of running away, stept forward in front of you ; he protected you with his shield ; and, at the imminent risk of his own life, he held the enemy in check, till reinforcements came up and saved us.

That is what I call true courage. I appeal, therefore, to the Socrates of Potidæa for an answer to the question, which the Socrates of the Agora propounds to me." He turned to go away. Alcibiades said tauntingly, "You are afraid to stay and hear Socrates reply to you." " Yes," answered Leon, " I know well my inability to cope with Socrates : so, having thrown my feeble javelin, I wiU at once retire, before my great adversary retali ates." He hastened from the Agora towards the Peiræus. Lysis accompanied him. As they walked along, Lysis said, " I fear that we have left our friends in the Agora rather abruptly." " I cannot help it :" replied Leon. ' ' I do not choose to be set up to be questioned and cross-questioned, and to have my words anatomised. I decline being beguiled into admissions and self-contradictions, and being made an exhibition of, by way of contrast to another man's cleverness.

I have frequently seen this happen at Aspasia's house and elsewhere, to men who have argued with Socrates. I made an early resolution that nothing should ever induce me to enter into a discussion with him. But, come, let us forget these philosophers and their babble, and talk about our good ship and the glorious voyage which, I hope, we shall make in her in a few months' time. I am sure that there is a rich harvest of fame and conquest to be won in the far west." " It might be useful to get some more in formation from Stilpo about those regions. I observe that he does not join Aristippus in attending upon Socrates." " No. He is more pleasantly employed in attendance on his lady-philosopher, — that pert, clever little Arete. It is a pity that she has not some of her father's good looks. I wonder if her mother was plain."

" I wonder if Evadne's mother was pretty. Evadne is remarkably beautiful. It is not often, now, that I pay much heed to a fair face, but I could not help admiring the expression of Evadne's features last night, as she watched you, while you were explaining the operations at Platæa. What do you think of her, Leon?" " I ? Well, I hardly know. Oh, pretty. Decidedly pretty." He then rapidly changed the subject. " Do you think we shall be able to get an entire free crew for the Revenge ? I dislike having slaves on board." " I suppose that will depend chiefly on the amount of extra pay that we offer. But we are getting near the docks. On which side does the Revenge lie ?" " She is in the eastern dry dock. But we must first go to the chief iuspector of dock yards' office, and show these documents."

The requisite arrangements with the officials were quickly made. All the future expenditure connected with the Revenge was to be debited to Leon, who was to make payments on account every month. The surveyors and master shipwrights were in structed to follow his directions in all respects. And the greatest possible expedi tion was to be used in preparing the vessel for sea. Lysis, like his chief, was delighted with the Revenge's build and lines. They stayed at the docks, while some rough draw ings were made, which showed the intended new position of her masts, and the alteration of her keel. Leon requested that a model of her, as she would appear in her new form and rig, should be made and sent to him. It was some hours after noon, when they returned to the upper city from the Peiræus. They went to the house of Aristippus in quest of Stilpo.

They found Aristippus and Charmides there. These two had been with Socrates since the morning, and had only just left him. Charmides was earnest and vehement in explaining to Leon and Lysis, what an advantage, and what an intellectual treat they had lost, by going away so soon from the great master of wisdom. Charmides told them that there had been a subsequent dialogue between Socrates and the Rhetori cians Gorgias andKallicles, in which Socrates, in opposition to those two, proved, by an adamantine chain of argument, that to com mit injustice is the greatest of all possible evils, and which he had concluded by a magnificent description of the states of the Unjust and of the Just in the world to come. Leon coldly answered that Socrates always argued against the opinions of those who conversed with him.

Leon then asked Aris tippus where he and Lysis were likely to meet Stilpo. Charmides replied to the question by saying, " If you will come with Aristippus and me to our house, you will be sure to find Stilpo there. Arete came to us in the forenoon to pass the day with my sister, and I am certain that Stilpo will by this time have joined her." Leon willingly consented ; and the three accompanied Charmides home. On entering the principal room, they found Stilpo and Arete at one end of it, deep in a conversation, which they carried on in earnest under-tones, occasionally varied by the merry laugh of the lady. Evadne was sitting at a table at a little distance, busily engaged in exploring some maps. They were maps of Bœotia and Attica ; and she was trying to trace out the line of march from Platæa to Athens, and the scenes of the military events near that city, which Leon had been describing on the preceding evening.

She coloured slightly on observing who the new-comers were ; and she hastily turned the maps down, so that no one should discover what had been the subject of her studies. She then advanced to welcome her brother's friends, apologising for the absence of Timoclea, who was occupied at the time with household affairs. There was a grace, and a quiet dignity in Evadne's manner, which Leon observed with pleasure ; nor did it vex him, that she showed some little signs of embar rassment, and that her hand trembled when it met his. Arete and Stilpo joined them ; and, as Leon had come thither for the express purpose of obtaining maritime information from Stilpo, he felt compelled to talk about maritime matters. He spoke among other things of his new ship, and produced copies of the drawings, which he had caused to be made of her.

Evadne asked to see them, and, when they were shown to her, she sought explanations of them from Leon, with an eagerness, that made Leon smile with pleasure, and Aristippus and Stilpo smile with amusement. Leon told her that he had ordered a model of the Revenge to be made, and asked permission to send it to her. She expressed a very great wish to see it, and to have it explained. At this period, Timoclea entered, and the conversation changed. Timoclea, after talking a little time with Leon and Lysis, asked her nephew where VOL. III. c he had been during the day, and this led Charmides to introduce again the subject of Socrates, and his surpassing merits. Much as Aristippus admired their common master, he saw that the topic was becoming tedious ; and he took advantage of a pause to ask Lysis whether he intended to go to the exhibition of new Comedies at the Lenæan Dionysiac Festival, the time for which was rapidly approaching.

Lysis replied that he did not often attend public festivals, but that he thought that he should go on this occasion, if Aristo phanes had any new play to be exhibited. He added that he admired the brilliant poetry, which Aristophanes introduced in his come dies, though he disliked the personality and the coarseness of many of his scenes. " And the injustice :" added Charmides. " What could be more shameful than the way, in which he attacked Socrates in the ' Clouds ' last year ? He represented him as engaged in all kinds of ridiculous and irre ligious speculations about physical science, whereas my master discourages all studies of the kind. He made him the type, the Corypheus, as it were, of the hireling Rheto ricians, who undertake to teach their pupils to prove that black is white, and who deride all ancient laws and usages.

Socrates refuses all remuneration for his instruction, and the greater part of his life is spent in combating these vile paradoxes, and their advocates." Lysis answered, " I, of course, did not see the ' Clouds,' as I was in Platæa at the time when it was acted. I believe that the play deserved to fail, as it did fail. But there was some very beautiful poetry mingled with the baser elements in it. I had an opportunity of reading it lately, and I was much struck by the invocation to the Clouds, and the first chorus. I think that some of the lines have remained in my memory : Clouds, Goddesses of sky, Whose glories are most high, Now rise ye before this new-comer : Whether on the sacred crest Of Olympus' height ye rest, Where the white snow is thawed by no summer Or with the Nereids move Through Ocean's holy grove, Whence ye spring forth in moist exhalations ; Or imbibe the golden rills, With which Nile his current fills, Ere he roll his deep tide through the nations ; Whether o'er Mæotis lake Tour station now you take ; Or with Mimas's high mists are blended ; Now, Deities of Air, Receive your vot'ry's prayer, And to his entreaties be bended." * Aristippus said, " The first appearance of the chorus of Clouds in answer to that invo cation was very beautiful.

The thin forms with their loose mist-like drapery seemed to come floating up at the back of the stage, and to hover like clouds over the scene, before they assumed their regular dramatic station. The words too of their first choral song are worth remembering : Clouds of the Heaven, Immortal mid storms, To the winds we have given Our light dewy forms. Let us leave the deep roar Of our parent the ocean, And to mountain-tops soar Where the leaves are in motion. * "EXÆere tr)r', Sr 7ro\vTiprjToi. Nf(£e'Xat. k.t.X. Aeistoph. Nubes, 269. Let us gaze on the whole Of the gardens of earth ; On the rivers, that roll In their turbulent mirth : While the sea echoes high O'er the rocks where it dashes ; And unwearied the Eye Of the bright Ether flashes." * " After aU," said Leon, " I like old Cratinus the best of all our poets of the comic drama.

There is a raciness and a vigour in the grand old veteran, which none of his younger rivals show in anything hke the same degree. He beat Aristophanes last year, did he not ?" " Yes," replied Aristippus, " he gained the first prize with ' The Flagon :' Aristo phanes with his ' Clouds ' did not even come in next to him. The second prize was given to Ameipsias. I cannot say that I concurred with that part of the judges' decision." Lysis remarked, " Ameipsias, like Eupolis, has grace and wit ; but he has neither the poetic genius of Aristophanes, nor the fiery indignation and hearty joviality of Cratinus." * 'AfVaot NecfoeXat. k.t.\. Aeistoph. Nubes, 275. " Perhaps," observed Aristippus, " they do not seek inspiration from the source, whence Cratinus habitually imbibes it. That old reveller is the most jovial of all our bards.

There is not a play, and there are few scenes of his, in which tlie glories of wine are not celebrated ; and I believe that he practises what he preaches." Arete here reminded her father that it was time for them to return to their own house, in order to prepare for the reception of some guests, who had been invited for that evening. Aristippus and Stilpo rose to depart, and Stilpo asked Leon and Lysis to accompany him on the way, as he would then have an opportunity of fully explaining to them what hold the Carthaginians yet retained of the western end of Sicily, and whether it was probable that they would stand by, and quietly see Athens acquire the dominion of the whole island. When they were gone, Charmides narrated to his aunt and sister the scene, that had occurred in the morning between Socrates and Leon in the Agora.

He added some remarks strongly condemning Leon's con duct. Evadne defended Leon warmly. She maintained that it was not fitting for a renowned statesman and warrior, such as Leon was, to be heard wrangling in the market-place like a fishwife, or to be publicly examined and taken to task for his expres sions, as if he was a schoolboy. Charmides replied with equal warmth ; and the brother and sister got so angry in their arguments, that at last Evadne burst into tears and left the room. Charmides, who reaUy loved his sister very dearly, was about to follow her and try to pacify her ; but Timoclea inter posed : " You had better let her alone. Evadne would hardly Uke to have to explain the reason of her tears. Perhaps she does not herself understand it. When you next meet, speak a httle more favourably of Leon, if you wish to please Evadne.

Charmides, would you like to have Leon for a brother-in-law ?" "Leon my brother-in-law!" said Char- Tlie Old Love and the New. mides, " I am sure I never thought of such a thing." " Perhaps no one has yet definitely thought of such a thing. But I can see plainly what is likely to happen, if he comes here much oftener. I do not know why we should try to hinder it. There is an old friendship between the famUies. He is wealthy, well-born, and renowned for his valour and success." " But for aU that," added her nephew, " I wish that he could appreciate Socrates."

Chapter II

How happily the days Of Thalaba went by ! Southey. Q Xaplea-o-' 'ApapvWi, povas o-e8ev oifit davolo-as \ao~evpecrSa. Theoc. Idyl. iv. 38. Though in the trade of war I have slain men, Yet do I hold it very stuff o' the conscience, To do no contrived murder .... He prated, And used such scurvy and provoking terms. Shakespeaee. Othello, Act i., sc. 2. The next six days were about the happiest six days of Leon's life. Six days seem a smaU space, considering that they make up little more than a sixtieth part of each year of our life, and that each of us hopes to complete at least the Psalmist's estimate of threescore years and ten. Yet which of us is there, that for the certainty of at once securing six conse cutive days and nights of unalloyed happiness, would not be willing to have six years struck off from the expected fag-end of his life ?

How few of us are there, who can look back on six consecutive days, or half six consecu tive days of unmixed felicity at any period of our past existence ? A great character of antiquity — far too great a man to be dealt with in a work like this, except in a passing aUusion — was introduced for a short space in the last chapter. Let us for a moment forget our function of fiction-seekers, and let us listen to what that man really said, when he was himself about to die, of human life and human happiness : " I believe that if any one of us were to cuU out from his memory that night of his life, in which he slept so profoundly as not even to dream ; and then were to compare with it the other days and nights of his life ; and were to see how many of them had been superior in happiness to that night of dreamless slum ber, he would find them few indeed.

Aye, and so would it be not only with us ordinary men, but with the Great King himself." * More than 2000 years have passed away since Socrates addressed these words to the judges, who had condemned him to death. Do they not come home to us ? Let us revert to the Athens of thirty years before the time when these words were spoken. That space of thirty years made a very important interval ; for during it the power of Athens was irreparably broken ; she had to Lie at the proud foot of an enemy, and never recovered her old imperial spirit. But, at the beginning of those thirty years (which is nearly the date of our theme), Athenians were as confidently proud of their * 'Eyw ydp av oipai el riva irxke^dpevov Scot ravrrjv Tr)v vvKra, iv f] ovTur KaribapBev, (Bore pr)h' ovap Idelv, Kai ras aWas vvKTas re Ka\ rjpÆpas ras tov fiiov tov iavrov avrinapd- Bevra Tav-nj ry wkt\ Se'ot o-Ke^rdpevov clnelv 7rdo~as apetvov ku'l rjdiov f/pipas <ai vvktos Tavrrjs ttjs vvktos fiefiiaKev iv to iavrov /3tci>, oipat av pt) on lo'tdrT-nv riva, aXXa tov peyav ftacrir\ia evapiSprjTovs evpeiv avTov ravras 7rpos rds aWas rjpipas Ka\ vvicras. — PLATO Apolog.

Socratis, country's greatness, of her superiority to all other nations in both arts and arms, and, above all, of her commercial and maritime pre-eminence, as Englishmen feel with regard to their own country at the present day. When Leon and Lysis were superintending the equipment of their ship of war, and speculating on their probable voyages and adventures in her, they looked on defeat at sea, except by enormously superior num bers, as a thing impossible ; and, like other Athenian officers, they were ready to en counter almost any preponderance of force, relying on superior seamanship as well as courage, and on the prestige, which a long series of victories had given to their country's navy. Leon passed every morning in the active duty of preparing his favourite gaUey. He had health, wealth, and youth ; he met everywhere proofs of the admiration and favour, with which he was regarded by all classes of his countrymen; and he had at his side a brave, an intelligent, and a devoted friend, who was to share with him his ex- Neiv. 29 pected adventures in the Far West.

His afternoons and evenings were passed in the society of Evadne. He had obtained Timo clea's permission to come to the house as Evadne's suitor: and he knew that Evadne had been made acquainted with the character in wdiich he came. Charmides had ceased to repine at him for not being a philosopher ; and was beginning to feel emulous of Leon's military fame, and to entertain a strong de sire for making a campaign under him. Arete was often at their house for part of the day ; and was always friendly, lively, and good humoured. Leon saw with pleasure (as Evadne's shyness in his presence wore off) that, though not highly educated like Arete, she was well acquainted with the national literature, and could join in a conversation respecting it with good sense and good taste. The fact was, that Charmides had been in the habit from their childhood of repeating to her the passages which delighted him most in the authors, whose works he was trained to study.