2 Plutarch’s Lives
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rrors is presumed to be insulting over their misfortunes, andany free-spoken expostulation is construed into contempt.Honey itself is searching in sore and ulcerated parts; and thewisest and most judicious counsels prove provoking to dis-tempered minds, unless offered with those soothing and com,pliant approaches which made the poet, for stance, characteriseagreeable things in general by a word expressive of a gratefuland easy touch, exciting nothing of offence or resistance. In-flamed eyes require a retreat into dusky places, amongst coloursof the deepest shades, and are unable to endure the brilliancy oflight. So fares it in the body politic, in times of distress andhumiliation; a certain sensitiveness and soreness of humourprevail, with a weak incapacity of enduring any free and openadvice, even when the necessity of affairs most requires suchplain dealing, and when the consequences of any single errormay be beyond retrieving. At such times the conduct of publicaffairs is on all hands most hazardous. Those who humour thepeople are swallowed up in the common ruin; those whoendeavour to lead them aright perish the first in their attempt. .Astronomers tell us, the sun’s motion is neither exactly paralleiwith that of the heavens in general, nor yet directly and dia-metrically opposite, but describing an oblique line, with imsen-sible declination he steers his course in such a gentle, easy curve,as to dispense his light and influence, in his annual revolution,at several seasons in just proportions to the whole creation. Soit happens in political affairs; if the motions of rulers be con-stantly opposite and cross to the tempers and inclinations of thepeople, they will be resented as arbitrary and harsh; as, on theother side, too much deference, or encouragement, as too oftenit has been, to popular faults and errors, is full of danger andruinous consequences. - But where concession is the response towilling obedience, and a statesman gratifies his people, that hemay the more imperatively recall them to a sense of the commoninterest, then, indeed, human beings, who are ready enough toserve well and submit to much, if they are not always orderedabout and roughly handled, like slaves, may be said to be guidedand governed upon the method that leads to safety. Though itmust be confessed it is a nice point, and extremely difficult, soto temper this lenity as to preserve the authority of the govern-ment. But if such a blessed mixture and temperament may beobtained, it seems to be of all concords and harmonies the mostconcordant and most harmonious. For thus we are taught even. God governs the world, not by irresistible force, but persuasive Phocion . 3 "argument and reason, controlling it into compliance with his _ eternal purposes. Cato the younger is a similar instance. His manners were _ little agreeable or acceptable to the people, and he received veryslender marks of their favour; witness his repulse when he suedfor the consulship, which he lost, as Cicero says, for acting rather _ like a citizen in Plato’s commonwealth, than among the dregs of_Romulus’s posterity, the same thing happening to him, in my_ opinion, as we observe in fruits ripe before their season, whichwe rather take pleasure in looking at and admiring than actuallyuse; so much was his old-fashioned virtue out of the present . mode, among the depraved customs which time and luxury had; introduced, that it appeared, indeed, remarkable and wonderful,_ but was too great and too good to suit the present exigencies, _ being so out of all proportion to the times. Yet his circum-+ ‘ stances were not altogether like Phocion’s, who came to the - helm when the ship of the state was just upon sinking. Cato’s time was, indeed, stormy and tempestuous, yet so, as he was _ able to assist in managing the sails, and lend his helping hand to those who, which he was not allowed to do, commanded at the _ helm, others were to blame for the result; yet his courage and virtue made it in spite of all a hard task for fortune to ruin the commonwealth, and it was only with long time and effort and* by slow degrees, when he himself had all but succeeded ini averting it, that the catastrophe was at last effected. Phocion ‘and he may be well compared together, not for any _ mere general resemblances, as though we should say both were- good men and great statesmen. For, assuredly, there is ditfer-' ence enough among virtues of the same denomination, as between the bravery of Alcibiades and that of Epaminondas,the prudence of Themistocles and that of Aristides, the justiceof Numa and that of Agesilaus. But these men’s virtue, even - looking to the most minute points of difference, bear the same colour, stamp, and character impressed upon them, so as not tobe distinguishable. The mixture is still made in the same exact _ proportions whether we look at the combination to be found in_ them, both of lenity on the one hand, with austerity on the other; their boldness upon some occasions, and caution onothers; their extreme solicitude for the public, and perfectneglect of themselves; their fixed and immovable bent to allvirtuous and honest actions, accompanied with an extremetenderness and scrupulosity as to doing anything which might appear mean or unworthy; so that we should need a very nice
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