第11部分(第5/7 頁)

ENT　of　the　leaves；　I　am　back　again　at　that　day　of　boyhood　（noted　on　the　fly…leaf　by　the　hand　of　one　long　dead）　when　the　book　was　new　and　I　used　it　for　the　first　time。　It　was　a　day　of　summer；　and　perhaps　there　fell　upon　the　unfamiliar　page；　viewed　with　childish　tremor；　half　apprehension　and　half　delight；　a　mellow　sunshine；　which　was　to　linger　for　ever　in　my　mind。

But　I　am　thinking　of　the　Anabasis。　Were　this　the　sole　book　existing　in　Greek；　it　would　be　abundantly　worth　while　to　learn　the　language　in　order　to　read　it。　The　Anabasis　is　an　admirable　bination　of　concise　and　rapid　narrative　with　colour　and　picturesqueness。　Herodotus　wrote　a　prose　epic；　in　which　the　author's　personality　is　ever　before　us。　Xenophon；　with　curiosity　and　love　of　adventure　which　mark　him　of　the　same　race；　but　self…　forgetful　in　the　pursuit　of　a　new　artistic　virtue；　created　the　historical　romance。　What　a　world　of　wonders　in　this　little　book；　all　aglow　with　ambitions　and　conflicts；　with　marvels　of　strange　lands；　full　of　perils　and　rescues；　fresh　with　the　air　of　mountain　and　of　sea！　Think　of　it　for　a　moment　by　the　side　of　Caesar's　mentaries；　not　to　pare　things　inparable；　but　in　order　to　appreciate　the　perfect　art　which　shines　through　Xenophon's　mastery　of　language；　his　brevity　achieving　a　result　so　different　from　that　of　the　like　characteristic　in　the　Roman　writer。　Caesar's　conciseness　es　of　strength　and　pride；　Xenophon's；　of　a　vivid　imagination。　Many　a　single　line　of　the　Anabasis　presents　a　picture　which　deeply　stirs　the　emotions。　A　good　instance　occurs　in　the　fourth　book；　where　a　delightful　passage　of　unsurpassable　narrative　tells　how　the　Greeks　rewarded　and　dismissed　a　guide　who　had　led　them　through　dangerous　country。　The　man　himself　was　in　peril　of　his　life；　laden　with　valuable　things　which　t