The Economist [21]
shall be the place where we will put the things; and we will instruct the housekeeper that she is to take them out thence, and mind to put them back again there; and in this way we shall know whether they are safe or not. If anything is gone, the gaping space will cry out as if it asked for something back.[13] The mere look and aspect of things will argue what wants mending;[14] and the fact of knowing where each thing is will be like having it put into one's hand at once to use without further trouble or debate."
[12] {dokimasometha}, "we will write over each in turn, as it were, 'examined and approved.'"
[13] Lit. "will miss the thing that is not."
[14] "Detect what needs attention."
I must tell you, Socrates, what strikes me as the finest and most accurate arrangement of goods and furniture it was ever my fortune to set eyes on; when I went as a sightseer on board the great Phoenician merchantman,[15] and beheld an endless quantity of goods and gear of all sorts, all separately packed and stowed away within the smallest compass.[16] I need scarce remind you (he said, continuing his narrative) what a vast amount of wooden spars and cables[17] a ship depends on in order to get to moorings; or again, in putting out to sea;[18] you know the host of sails and cordage, rigging[19] as they call it, she requires for sailing; the quantity of engines and machinery of all sorts she is armed with in case she should encounter any hostile craft; the infinitude of arms she carries, with her crew of fighting men aboard. Then all the vessels and utensils, such as people use at home on land, required for the different messes, form a portion of the freight; and besides all this, the hold is heavy laden with a mass of merchandise, the cargo proper, which the master carries with him for the sake of traffic.
[15] See Lucian, lxvi. "The Ship," ad in. (translated by S. T. Irwin).
[16] Lit. "in the tiniest receptacle."
[17] See Holden ad loc. re {xelina, plekta, kremasta}.
[18] "In weighing anchor."
[19] "Suspended tackle" (as opposed to wooden spars and masts, etc.)
Well, all these different things that I have named lay packed there in a space but little larger than a fair-sized dining-room.[20] The several sorts, moreover, as I noticed, lay so well arranged, there could be no entanglement of one with other, nor were searchers needed;[21] and if all were snugly stowed, all were alike get-at- able,[22] much to the avoidance of delay if anything were wanted on the instant.
[20] Lit. "a symmetrically-shaped dining-room, made to hold ten couches."
[21] Lit. "a searcher"; "an inquisitor." Cf. Shakesp. "Rom. and Jul." V. ii. 8.
[22] Lit. "not the reverse of easy to unpack, so as to cause a waste of time and waiting."
Then the pilot's mate[23]--"the look-out man at the prow," to give him his proper title--was, I found, so well acquainted with the place for everything that, even off the ship,[24] he could tell you where each set of things was laid and how many there were of each, just as well as any one who knows his alphabet[25] could tell you how many letters there are in Socrates and the order in which they stand.
[23] Cf. "Pol. Ath." i. 1; Aristoph. "Knights," 543 foll.
[24] Or, "with his eyes shut, at a distance he could say exactly."
[25] Or, "how to spell." See "Mem." IV. iv. 7; Plat. "Alc." i. 113 A.
I saw this same man (continued Ischomachus) examining at leisure[26] everything which could possibly[27] be needful for the service of the ship. His inspection caused me such surprise, I asked him what he was doing, whereupon he answered, "I am inspecting, stranger,"[28] "just considering," says he, "the way the things are lying aboard the ship; in case of accidents, you know, to see if anything is missing, or not lying snug and shipshape.[29] There is no time left, you know," he added, "when God mkes a tempest in the great deep, to set about searching for what you want, or to be giving out anything which is not snug and shipshape in its place. God threatens and chastises sluggards.[30]
[12] {dokimasometha}, "we will write over each in turn, as it were, 'examined and approved.'"
[13] Lit. "will miss the thing that is not."
[14] "Detect what needs attention."
I must tell you, Socrates, what strikes me as the finest and most accurate arrangement of goods and furniture it was ever my fortune to set eyes on; when I went as a sightseer on board the great Phoenician merchantman,[15] and beheld an endless quantity of goods and gear of all sorts, all separately packed and stowed away within the smallest compass.[16] I need scarce remind you (he said, continuing his narrative) what a vast amount of wooden spars and cables[17] a ship depends on in order to get to moorings; or again, in putting out to sea;[18] you know the host of sails and cordage, rigging[19] as they call it, she requires for sailing; the quantity of engines and machinery of all sorts she is armed with in case she should encounter any hostile craft; the infinitude of arms she carries, with her crew of fighting men aboard. Then all the vessels and utensils, such as people use at home on land, required for the different messes, form a portion of the freight; and besides all this, the hold is heavy laden with a mass of merchandise, the cargo proper, which the master carries with him for the sake of traffic.
[15] See Lucian, lxvi. "The Ship," ad in. (translated by S. T. Irwin).
[16] Lit. "in the tiniest receptacle."
[17] See Holden ad loc. re {xelina, plekta, kremasta}.
[18] "In weighing anchor."
[19] "Suspended tackle" (as opposed to wooden spars and masts, etc.)
Well, all these different things that I have named lay packed there in a space but little larger than a fair-sized dining-room.[20] The several sorts, moreover, as I noticed, lay so well arranged, there could be no entanglement of one with other, nor were searchers needed;[21] and if all were snugly stowed, all were alike get-at- able,[22] much to the avoidance of delay if anything were wanted on the instant.
[20] Lit. "a symmetrically-shaped dining-room, made to hold ten couches."
[21] Lit. "a searcher"; "an inquisitor." Cf. Shakesp. "Rom. and Jul." V. ii. 8.
[22] Lit. "not the reverse of easy to unpack, so as to cause a waste of time and waiting."
Then the pilot's mate[23]--"the look-out man at the prow," to give him his proper title--was, I found, so well acquainted with the place for everything that, even off the ship,[24] he could tell you where each set of things was laid and how many there were of each, just as well as any one who knows his alphabet[25] could tell you how many letters there are in Socrates and the order in which they stand.
[23] Cf. "Pol. Ath." i. 1; Aristoph. "Knights," 543 foll.
[24] Or, "with his eyes shut, at a distance he could say exactly."
[25] Or, "how to spell." See "Mem." IV. iv. 7; Plat. "Alc." i. 113 A.
I saw this same man (continued Ischomachus) examining at leisure[26] everything which could possibly[27] be needful for the service of the ship. His inspection caused me such surprise, I asked him what he was doing, whereupon he answered, "I am inspecting, stranger,"[28] "just considering," says he, "the way the things are lying aboard the ship; in case of accidents, you know, to see if anything is missing, or not lying snug and shipshape.[29] There is no time left, you know," he added, "when God mkes a tempest in the great deep, to set about searching for what you want, or to be giving out anything which is not snug and shipshape in its place. God threatens and chastises sluggards.[30]