The Good Book (82 page)

20. Inasmuch as they have honour itself and nothing else as the purpose of their actions.

21. So, after thus determining their choice in their own minds, statesmen must apply themselves to the understanding of the character of the citizens,

22. Which shows itself as in the highest degree a compound of all their individual characters and is powerful.

23. For any attempt on the part of the statesman to produce by himself a change of character and nature in the people will not easily succeed,

24. Nor is it safe, but it is a matter that requires a long space of time and great power.

25. But just as wine is at first controlled by the character of the drinker, but gradually, as it warms and mingles with him, itself forms the drinker’s character and changes him,

26. Just so the statesman, until by reputation and public confidence he has established his leadership, must accommodate himself to the people’s character as he finds it,

27. And make that the object of his efforts, knowing by what things the people are naturally pleased and led.

28. Ignorance of their characters leads to mistakes and failures;

29. The statesman who has attained power and won the people’s confidence can then try to train the character of the citizens,

30. Leading them gently towards that which is better and treating them with mildness;

31. For it is a difficult task to change the multitude.

Chapter 16

  1. But he who would be a statesman, since he is to live as on an open stage,

  2. Must educate his character and put it in order; and because it is not easy to banish evil from one’s character wholly,

  3. He must at least remove and repress those faults which are most flourishing and conspicuous.

  4. For example, Themistocles, when he was thinking of entering public life,

  5. Withdrew from drinking parties and carousals; he was wakeful at night, was sober and deeply thoughtful,

  6. Explaining to his friends that the examples of great men would not let him sleep.

  7. And Pericles also changed his personal habits of life, so that he spoke carefully and with forethought,

  8. Always showed a composed countenance, and trod only one path – that which led to the assembly and the senate.

  9. For a populace is not a simple and easy thing for any chance person to subject to that control which is salutary;

10. But one must be satisfied if the multitude accepts authority without shying, like a suspicious and capricious beast, at face or voice.

11. Since, then, the statesman must not treat even these matters carelessly, he ought not to neglect the things which affect his life and character,

12. To keep them clear of blame and ill report of every kind.

13. For not only are statesmen held responsible for their public words and actions,

14. But people are curious and pry into all their concerns,

15. Wishing to know about their dinners, love affairs, marriages, amusements and every serious interest.

16. What need is there, for instance, to speak of Alcibiades, who,

17. Though he was most active of all the citizens in public affairs and was undefeated as a general,

18. Was ruined by his audacious and dissolute habits in private life,

19. And, because of his extravagance and lack of restraint, deprived the state of the benefit of his other good qualities?

20. Why, the Athenians blamed Cimon for wine-drinking,

21. And the Romans, having nothing else to say, blamed Scipio for sleeping;

22. And the enemies of Pompey the Great, observing that he scratched his head with one finger, reviled him for it!

23. For, just as a mole or a wart on the face is more unpleasant than brand-marks, mutilations, or scars on other parts of the body,

24. So small faults appear great when observed in the lives of leaders and statesmen on account of the opinion which the majority has of governing and public office,

25. Regarding it as a great thing which ought to be clean of all eccentricities and errors.

26. With good reason, therefore, did Livius Drusus the tribune gain in reputation because,

27. When many parts of his house were exposed to the view of his neighbours and an artisan promised to conceal them for only five coins,

28. Drusus replied, ‘Take ten coins and make the whole house open to view, that all the citizens may see how I live.’

29. For he was a man of temperate and well-ordered life.

30. And perhaps he had no need of that exposure to the public view;

31. For the people see through the characters, counsels, acts and lives of public men, even those that seem to be very thickly cloaked;

32. They love and admire one man and dislike and despise another quite as much for his private as for his public practices.

33. ‘But,’ you say, ‘do not states put in office men who live licentiously and wantonly?’

34. They do, but it is just like pregnant women who long for sweetmeats,

35. And seasick persons for salt pickles and the like, which then a little later they vomit up and detest.

36. So the people, because of the luxury of their own lives or through sheer perversity,

37. Or for lack of better leaders, make use of those who happen to turn up, though they dislike or even despise them,

38. Then take pleasure in hearing defamatory and critical things said about them.

39. And remember how the Roman people, when Carbo promised something, unanimously voted that they did not trust him.

40. And at Lacedaemon, when a dissolute man named Demosthenes made a desirable motion, the people rejected it,

41. But the ephors chose by lot one of the elders and told him to make that same motion, in order that it might be made acceptable to the people,

42. Thus pouring, as it were, from a dirty vessel into a clean one.

Chapter 17

  1. The foregoing shows how great is the importance, in a free state, of confidence or lack of confidence in a statesman’s character.

  2. However, we should not on this account neglect the charm and power of eloquence and ascribe everything to virtue,

  3. But, considering oratory to be, not the creator of persuasion but certainly its co-worker, we should qualify Menander’s view that ‘The speaker’s nature, not his speech, persuades’,

  4. For both his nature and his speech do so; unless, indeed, one is to affirm that just as the helmsman, not the tiller, steers the ship,

  5. And the rider, not the rein, turns the horse, so political virtue, employing not speech but the speaker’s character as tiller or rein, sways a state,

  6. Laying hold of it and directing it, as it were, from the stern, which is the easiest way of turning an animal about.

  7. Great kings and emperors of the past dressed themselves in purple robes, carried sceptres, and surrounded themselves with guards and much ceremony,

  8. Yet although they enslaved multitudes by this show, as if they were superior beings,

  9. They still desired to be orators, and did not neglect the charm of speech,

10. Trying to soften by persuasion and overcoming by charms the fierce hearts of the people,

11. Whenever it was not politic or possible to do it by threat or force.

12. How, then, is it possible that a private person of ordinary costume and mien, who wishes to lead a state,

13. May gain power and rule the multitude, unless he possesses persuasion and attractive speech?

14. Now the pilots of ships employ others to give orders to the rowers,

15. But the statesman needs to have in himself the mind that steers and also in himself the speech that gives orders,

16. That he may not require some other man’s voice and be obliged to say,

17. As Iphicrates did when defeated through the eloquence of Aristophon’s orators,

18. ‘My opponents’ actor is better, but my play is superior.’

19. The spokesman who employs speech as his only instrument, moulding and adapting some things,

20. And softening and smoothing off those which are hindrances to his work,

21. Such as would be knots in wood or flaws in iron, is an ornament to the state.

22. For this reason the government of Pericles, though in name a democracy, was in fact the rule of the foremost man because of his power of oratory.

23. For Cimon also was a good man, as were Ephialtes and Thucydides,

24. But when the last named was asked by Archidamus, king of the Spartans, whether he or Pericles was the better wrestler, he replied,

25. ‘Nobody can tell; for whenever I throw him in wrestling, he says he was not thrown and wins by persuading the onlookers.’

26. And this brought not only reputation to Pericles but safety to the state;

27. For while it was swayed by him it preserved its existing prosperity and refrained from foreign entanglements.

28. But Nicias, whose policy was the same, but who lacked powers of persuasion, could not restrain or master the people,

29. But against his will went off to Sicily at the prompting of their intemperance, and together with them suffered disaster.

Chapter 18

  1. The wolf, they say, cannot be held by the ears; but one must lead a people or a state chiefly by the ears,

  2. Not, as some do who have no practice in speaking, and seek uncultured and inartistic holds upon the people, by pulling them by the belly,

  3. With banquets or gifts of money or arranging ballet dances or gladia­torial shows, by which they curry favour with the people.

  4. For leadership of a people is leadership of those who are persuaded by speech;

  5. But enticing the mob by such means is exactly like catching and herding irrational beasts.

  6. The speech of the statesman, however, must not be theatrical,

  7. As if he were making a speech for show and weaving a garland of words for their own sake and not for the sake of serious matter;

  8. On the other hand it must not, as Pytheas said of the speech of Demosthenes, smell of the lamp and elaborate literary labour,

  9. With sharp arguments and with periods precisely measured by rule and compass.

10. No, just as musicians demand that the touch upon the strings exhibit feeling, not mere technique,

11. So the speech of the statesman, counsellor and ruler must not exhibit shrewdness or subtlety,

12. And it must not be to his credit to speak fluently or artistically or distributively;  

13. But his speech must be full of unaffected character, true high-mindedness, a father’s frankness, foresight, and thoughtful concern for others.

14. His speech must also have, in a good cause, a charm that pleases and a winning persuasiveness;

15. In addition to nobility of purpose it must possess grace arising from appropriate and persuasive thoughts.

16. And political oratory, much more than that used in a court of law, admits maxims, historical examples and metaphors,

17. By means of which those who employ them sparingly and at the proper moment move their audiences exceedingly;

18. As did Phocion when he said, with reference to the victory of Leosthenes,

19. That the furlong race of the war was good, but he was fearful about the long-distance race.

20. And in general, sobriety and clarity of style are most fitting for political speech;

21. Rhetorical efforts and grand periods are especially inappropriate in times of danger or war,

22. For as has been said, ‘None should talk foolishly when near the steel.’

23. However, derision and ridicule are sometimes proper parts of the statesman’s speech if employed, not as insults or buffoonery, but for needful reproof and disparagement.

24. That sort of thing is most laudable in rejoinders and replies; but when employed of set purpose and without provocation, it carries a suspicion of malice.

25. But for one who employs wit in self-defence the occasion makes it pardonable and at the same time pleasing,

26. As when Demosthenes, in reply to a man who was suspected of being a thief and who mocked him for writing at night, said,

27. ‘I am aware that I offend you by keeping a light burning.’

28. Witty too was Xenaenetus’ rejoinder to the citizens who reviled him for running away when he was general:

29. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘it was to keep you company, my dears.’

30. But in jesting one must guard against going too far, perhaps offending by jesting at the wrong moment or humiliating the speaker.

31. Polyeuctus said that Demosthenes was the greatest orator, but that Phocion was the cleverest in speaking, because his speech contained the most meaning in the fewest words.