the history-第151章

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ther；　if　the　vision　which　we　saw　had　not　appeared　so　plainly　to　thyself；　wouldst　thou　have　been　still　of　the　same　mind　as　formerly；　and　have　continued　to　dissuade　me　from　warring　against　Greece；　or　wouldst　thou　at　this　time　think　differently？　Come　now；　tell　me　this　honestly。〃　　　　　〃O　king！〃　replied　the　other；　〃may　the　dream　which　hath　appeared　to　us　have　such　issue　as　we　both　desire！　For　my　own　part；　I　am　still　full　of　fear；　and　have　scarcely　power　to　control　myself；　when　I　consider　all　our　dangers；　and　especially　when　I　see　that　the　two　things　which　are　of　most　consequence　are　alike　opposed　to　thee。〃　　　　　〃Thou　strange　man！〃　said　Xerxes　in　reply…　〃what；　I　pray　thee；　are　the　two　things　thou　speakest　of？　Does　my　land　army　seem　to　thee　too　small　in　number；　and　will　the　Greeks；　thinkest　thou；　bring　into　the　field　a　more　numerous　host？　Or　is　it　our　fleet　which　thou　deemest　weaker　than　theirs？　Or　art　thou　fearful　on　both　accounts？　If　in　thy　judgment　we　fall　short　in　either　respect；　it　were　easy　to　bring　together　with　all　speed　another　armament。〃　　　　　〃O　king！〃　said　Artabanus；　〃it　is　not　possible　that　a　man　of　understanding　should　find　fault　with　the　size　of　thy　army　or　the　number　of　thy　ships。　The　more　thou　addest　to　these；　the　more　hostile　will　those　two　things；　whereof　I　spake；　become。　Those　two　things　are　the　land　and　the　sea。　In　all　the　wide　sea　there　is　not；　I　imagine；　anywhere　a　harbour　large　enough　to　receive　thy　vessels；　in　case　a　storm　arise；　and　afford　them　a　sure　protection。　And　yet　thou　wilt　want；　not　one　such　harbour　only；　but　many　in　succession；　along　the　entire　coast　by　which　thou　art　about　to　make　thy　advance。　In　default　then　of　such　harbours；　it　is　well　to　bear　in　mind　that　chances　rule　men；　and　not　men　chances。　Such　is　the　first　of　the　two　dangers；　and　now　I　will　speak　to　thee　of　the　second。　The　land　will　also　be　thine　enemy；　for　if　no　one　resists　thy　advance；　as　thou　proceedest　farther　and　farther；　insensibly　allured　onwards　（for　who　is　ever　sated　with　success？）；　thou　wilt　find　it　more　and　more　hostile。　I　mean　this；　that；　should　nothing　else　withstand　thee；　yet　the　mere　distance；　becoming　greater　as　time　goes　on；　will　at　last　produce　a　famine。　Methinks　it　is　best　for　men；　when　they　take　counsel；　to　be　timorous；　and　imagine　all　possible　calamities；　but　when　the　time　for　action　comes；　then　to　deal　boldly。〃　　　　　Whereto　Xerxes　answered…　〃There　is　reason；　O　Artabanus！　in　everything　which　thou　hast　said；　but　I　pray　thee；　fear　not　all　things　alike；　nor　count　up　every　risk。　For　if　in　each　matter　that　comes　before　us　thou　wilt　look　to　all　possible　chances；　never　wilt　thou　achieve　anything。　Far　better　is　it　to　have　a　stout　heart　always；　and　suffer　one's　share　of　evils；　than　to　be　ever　fearing　what　may　happen；　and　never　incur　a　mischance。　Moreover；　if　thou　wilt　oppose　whatever　is　said　by　others；　without　thyself　showing　us　the　sure　course　which　we　ought　to　take；　thou　art　as　likely　to　lead　us　into　failure　as　they　who　advise　differently；　for　thou　art　but　on　a　par　with　them。　And　as　for　that　sure　course；　how　canst　thou　show　it　us　when　thou　art　but　a　man？　I　do　not　believe　thou　canst。　Success　for　the　most　part　attends　those　who　act　boldly；　not　those　who　weigh　everything；　and　are　slack　to　venture。　Thou　seest　to　how　great　a　height　the　power　of　Persia　has　now　reached…　never　would　it　have　grown　to　this　point　if　they　who　sate　upon　the　throne　before　me　had　been　like…minded　with　thee；　or　even；　though　not　like…minded；　had　listened　to　councillors　of　such　a　spirit。　'Twas　by　brave　ventures　that　they　extended　their　sway；　for　great　empires　can　only　be　conquered　by　great　risks。　We　follow　then　the　example　of　our　fathers　in　making　this　march；　and　we　set　forward　at　the　best　season　of　the　year；　so；　when　we　have　brought　Europe　under　us；　we　shall　return；　without　suffering　from　want　or　experiencing　any　other　calamity。　For　while　on　the　one　hand　we　carry　vast　stores　of　provisions　with　us；　on　the　other　we　shall　have　the　grain　of　all　the　countries　and　nations　that　we　attack；　since　our　march　is　not　directed　against　a　pastoral　people；　but　against　men　who　are　tillers　of　the　ground。〃　　　　　Then　said　Artabanus…　〃If；　sire；　thou　art　determined　that　we　shall　not　fear　anything；　at　least　hearken　to　a　counsel　which　I　wish　to　offer；　for　when　the　matters　in　hand　are　so　many；　one　cannot　but　have　much　to　say。　Thou　knowest　that　Cyrus　the　son　of　Cambyses　reduced　and　made　tributary　to　the　Persians　all　the　race　of　the　Ionians；　except　only　those　of　Attica。　Now　my　advice　is　that　thou　on　no　account　lead　forth　these　men　against　their　fathers；　since　we　are　well　able　to　overcome　them　without　such　aid。　Their　choice；　if　we　take　them　with　us　to　the　war；　lies　between　showing　themselves　the　most　wicked　of　men　by　helping　to　enslave　their　fatherland；　or　the　most　righteous　by　joining　in　the　struggle　to　keep　it　free。　If　then　they　choose　the　side　of　injustice；　they　will　do　us　but　scant　good；　while　if　they　determine　to　act　justly；　they　may　greatly　injure　our　host。　Lay　thou　to　heart　the　old　proverb；　which　says　truly；　'The　beginning　and　end　of　a　matter　are　not　always　seen　at　once。'　　　　　〃Artabanus；〃　answered　Xerxes；　〃there　is　nothing　in　all　that　thou　hast　said；　wherein　thou　art　so　wholly　wrong　as　in　this；　that　thou　suspectest　the　faith　of　the　Ionians。　Have　they　not　given　us　the　surest　proof　of　their　attachment…　a　proof　which　thou　didst　thyself　witness；　and　likewise　all　those　who　fought　with　Darius　against　the　Scythians？　When　it　lay　wholly　with　them　to　save　or　to　destroy　the　entire　Persian　army；　they　dealt　by　us　honourably　and　with　good　faith；　and　did　us　no　hurt　at　all。　Besides；　they　will　leave　behind　them　in　our　country　their　wives；　their　children；　and　their　properties…　can　it　then　be　conceived　that　they　will　attempt　rebellion？　Have　no　fear；　therefore；　on　this　score；　but　keep　a　brave　heart　and　uphold　my　house　and　empire。　To　thee；　and　thee　only；　do　I　intrust　my　sovereignty。〃　　　　　After　Xerxes　had　thus　spoken；　and　had　sent　Artabanus　away　to　return　to　Susa；　he　summoned　before　him　all　the　Persians　of　most　repute；　and　when　they　appeared；　addressed　them　in　these　words：…　　　　　〃Persians；　I　have　brought　you　together　because　I　wished　to　exhort　you　to　behave　bravely；　and　not　to　sully　with　disgrace　the　former　achievements　of　the　Persian　people；　which　are　very　great　and　famous。　Rather　let　us　one　and　all；　singly　and　jointly；　exert　ourselves　to　the　uttermost；　for　the　matter　wherein　we　are　engaged　concerns　the　common　weal。　Strain　every　nerve；　then；　I　beseech　you；　in　this　war。　Brave　warriors　are　the　men　we　march　against；　if　report　says　true；　and　such　that；　if　we　conquer　them；　there　is　not　a　people　in　all　the　world　which　will　venture　thereafter　to　with。　stand　our　arms。　And　now　let　us　offer　prayers　to　the　gods　who　watch　over　the　welfare　of　Persia；　and　then　cross　the　channel。〃　　　　　All　that　day　the　preparations　for　the　passage　continued；　and　on　the　morrow　they　burnt　all　kinds　of　spices　upon　the　bridges；　and　strewed　the　way　with　myrtle　boughs；　while　they　waited　anxiously　for　the　sun；　which　they　hoped　to　see　as　he　rose。　And　now　the　sun　appeared；　and　Xerxes　took　a　golden　goblet　and　poured　from　it　a　libation　into　the　sea；　praying　the　while　with　his　face　turned　to　the　sun　〃that　no　misfortune　might　befall　him　such　as　to　hinder　his