the essays of montaigne, v10-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


vanity；　when　speaking　of　himself；　and　from　affection　or　envy；　when
speaking　of　others：　his　discourses　and　exhortations　rather　accompanied
with　zeal　and　truth；　than　with　any　exquisite　sufficiency；　and；
throughout；　authority　and　gravity；　which　bespeak　him　a　man　of　good
extraction；　and　brought　up　in　great　affairs。〃

Upon　the　Memoirs　of　Monsieur　du　Bellay　I　find　this：　〃'Tis　always　pleasant
to　read　things　written　by　those　that　have　experienced　how　they　ought　to
be　carried　on；　but　withal；　it　cannot　be　denied　but　there　is　a　manifest
decadence　in　these　two　lords　＇Martin　du　Bellay　and　Guillaume　de　Langey；
brothers；　who　jointly　wrote　the　Memoirs。＇　from　the　freedom　and　liberty
of　writing　that　shine　in　the　elder　historians；　such　as　the　Sire　de
Joinville；　the　familiar　companion　of　St。　Louis；　Eginhard；　chancellor　to
Charlemagne；　and　of　later　date；　Philip　de　Commines。　　What　we　have　here　is
rather　an　apology　for　King　Francis；　against　the　Emperor　Charles　V。；　than
history。　　I　will　not　believe　that　they　have　falsified　anything；　as　to
matter　of　fact；　but　they　make　a　common　practice　of　twisting　the　judgment
of　events；　very　often　contrary　to　reason；　to　our　advantage；　and　of
omitting　whatsoever　is　ticklish　to　be　handled　in　the　life　of　their
master；　witness　the　proceedings　of　Messieurs　de　Montmorency　and　de　Biron；
which　are　here　omitted：　nay；　so　much　as　the　very　name　of　Madame
d'Estampes　is　not　here　to　be　found。　　Secret　actions　an　historian　may
conceal；　but　to　pass　over　in　silence　what　all　the　world　knows　and　things
that　have　drawn　after　them　public　and　such　high　consequences；　is　an
inexcusable　defect。　　In　fine；　whoever　has　a　mind　to　have　a　perfect
knowledge　of　King　Francis　and　the　events　of　his　reign；　let　him　seek　it
elsewhere；　if　my　advice　may　prevail。　　The　only　profit　a　man　can　reap　from
these　Memoirs　is　in　the　special　narrative　of　battles　and　other　exploits
of　war　wherein　these　gentlemen　were　personally　engaged；　in　some　words　and
private　actions　of　the　princes　of　their　time；　and　in　the　treaties　and
negotiations　carried　on　by　the　Seigneur　de　Langey；　where　there　are
everywhere　things　worthy　to　be　known；　and　discourses　above　the　vulgar
strain。〃




CHAPTER　XI

OF　CRUELTY

I　fancy　virtue　to　be　something　else；　and　something　more　noble；　than　good
nature；　and　the　mere　propension　to　goodness；　that　we　are　born　into　the
world　withal。　　Well…disposed　and　well…descended　souls　pursue；　indeed；　the
same　methods；　and　represent　in　their　actions　the　same　face　that　virtue
itself　does：　but　the　word　virtue　imports；　I　know　not　what；　more　great　and
active　than　merely　for　a　man　to　suffer　himself；　by　a　happy　disposition；
to　be　gently　and　quietly　drawn　to　the　rule　of　reason。　　He　who；　by　a
natural　sweetness　and　facility；　should　despise　injuries　received；　would
doubtless　do　a　very　fine　and　laudable　thing；　but　he　who；　provoked　and
nettled　to　the　quick　by　an　offence；　should　fortify　himself　with　the　arms
of　reason　against　the　furious　appetite　of　revenge；　and　after　a　great
conflict；　master　his　own　passion；　would　certainly　do　a　great　deal　more。
The　first　would　do　well；　the　latter　virtuously：　one　action　might　be
called　goodness；　and　the　other　virtue；　for　methinks；　the　very　name　of
virtue　presupposes　difficulty　and　contention；　and　cannot　be　exercised
without　an　opponent。　　'Tis　for　this　reason；　perhaps；　that　we　call　God
good；　mighty；　liberal　and　just；　but　we　do　not　call　Him　virtuous；　being
that　all　His　operations　are　natural　and　without　endeavour。　＇Rousseau；
in　his　Emile；　book　v。；　adopts　this　passage　almost　in　the　same　words。＇
It　has　been　the　opinion　of　many　philosophers；　not　only　Stoics；　but
Epicureans（and　this　addition

　　　　　＇〃Montaigne　stops　here　to　make　his　excuse　for　thus　naming　the
　　　　　Epicureans　with　the　Stoics；　in　conformity　to　the　general　opinion
　　　　　that　the　Epicureans　were　not　so　rigid　in　their　morals　as　the　Stoics；
　　　　　which　is　not　true　in　the　main；　as　he　demonstrates　at　one　view。　　This
　　　　　involved　Montaigne　in　a　tedious　parenthesis；　during　which　it　is
　　　　　proper　that　the　reader　be　attentive；　that　he　may　not　entirely　lose
　　　　　the　thread　of　the　argument。　　In　some　later　editions　of　this　author；
　　　　　it　has　been　attempted　to　remedy　this　inconvenience；　but　without
　　　　　observing　that　Montaigne's　argument　is　rendered　more　feeble　and
　　　　　obscure　by　such　vain　repetitions：　it　is　a　licence　that　ought　not　to
　　　　　be　taken；　because　he　who　publishes　the　work　of　another；　ought　to
　　　　　give　it　as　the　other　composed　ft。　　But；　in　Mr　Cotton's　translation；
　　　　　be　was　so　puzzled　with　this　enormous　parenthesis　that　he　has　quite
　　　　　left　it　out〃Coste。＇

I　borrow　from　the　vulgar　opinion；　which　is　false；　notwithstanding　the
witty　conceit　of　Arcesilaus　in　answer　to　one；　who；　being　reproached　that
many　scholars　went　from　his　school　to　the　Epicurean；　but　never　any　from
thence　to　his　school；　said　in　answer；　〃I　believe　it　indeed；　numbers　of
capons　being　made　out　of　cocks；　but　never　any　cocks　out　of　capons。〃　
＇Diogenes　Laertius；　Life　of　Archesilaus；　lib。　　iv。；　43。＇　For；　in　truth；
the　Epicurean　sect　is　not　at　all　inferior　to　the　Stoic　in　steadiness；　and
the　rigour　of　opinions　and　precepts。　　And　a　certain　Stoic；　showing　more
honesty　than　those　disputants；　who；　in　order　to　quarrel　with　Epicurus；
and　to　throw　the　game　into　their　hands；　make　him　say　what　he　never
thought；　putting　a　wrong　construction　upon　his　words；　clothing　his
sentences；　by　the　strict　rules　of　grammar；　with　another　meaning；　and　a
different　opinion　from　that　which　they　knew　he　entertained　in　his　mind
and　in　his　morals；　the　Stoic；　I　say；　declared　that　he　abandoned　the
Epicurean　sect；　upon　this　among　other　considerations；　that　he　thought
their　road　too　lofty　and　inaccessible；

　　　　　＇〃And　those　are　called　lovers　of　pleasure；　being　in　effect
　　　　　lovers　of　honour　and　justice；　who　cultivate　and　observe　all
　　　　　the　virtues。〃Cicero；　Ep。　　Fam。；　xv。　i；　19。＇

These　philosophers　say　that　it　is　not　enough　to　have　the　soul　seated　in
a　good　place；　of　a　good　temper；　and　well　disposed　to　virtue；　it　is　not
enough　to　have　our　resolutions　and　our　reasoning　fixed　above　all　the
power　of　fortune；　but　that　we　are；　moreover；　to　seek　occasions　wherein　to
put　them　to　the　proof：　they　would　seek　pain；　necessity；　and　contempt　to
contend　with　them　and　to　keep　the　soul　in　breath：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Multum　sibi　adjicit　virtus　lacessita。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Virtue　is　much　strengthened　by　combats。〃
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　or：　　〃Virtue　attacked　adds　to　its　own　force。〃
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Seneca；　Ep。；　13。＇

'Tis　one　of　the　reasons　why　Epaminondas；　who　was　yet　of　a　third　sect；
＇The　Pythagorean。＇　refused　the　riches　fortune　presented　to　him　by
very　lawful　means；　because；　said　he；　I　am　to　contend　with　poverty；　in
which　extreme　he　maintained　himself　to　the　last。　　Socrates　put　himself；
methinks；　upon　a　ruder　trial；　keeping　for　his　exercise　a　confounded
scolding　wife；　which　was　fighting　at　sharps。　　Metellus　having；　of　all　the
Roman　senators；　alone　attempted；　by　the　power　of　virtue；　to　withstand　the
violence　of　Saturninus；　tribune　of　the　people　at　Rome；　who　would；　by　all
means；　cause　an　unjust　law　to　pass　in　favour　of　the　commons；　and；　by　so
doing；　having　incurred　the　capital　penalties　that　Saturninus　had
established　against　the　dissentient；　entertained　those　who；　in　this
extremity；　led　him　to　execution　with　words　to　this　effect：　That　it　was　a
thing　too　easy　and　too　base　to　do　ill；　and　that　to　do　well　where　there
was　no　danger　was　a　common　thing；　but　that　to　do　well　where　there　was
danger　was　the　proper　office　of　a　man　of　virtue。　　These　words　of　Metellus
very　clearly　represent　to　us　what　I　would　make　out；　viz。；　that　virtue
refuses　facility　for　a　companion；　and　that　the　easy；　smooth；　and
descending　way　by　which　the　regular　steps　of　a　sweet　disposition　of
nature　are　conducted　is　not　that　of　a　true　virtue；　she　requires　a　rough
and　stormy　passage；　she　will　have　either　exotic　difficulties　to　wrestle
with；　like　that　of　Metellus；　by　means　whereof　fortune　delights　to
interrupt　the　speed　of　her　career；　or　internal　difficulties；　that　the
inordinate　appetites　and　imperfections　of　our　condition　introduce　to
disturb　her。

I　am　come　thus　far　at　my　ease；　but　here　it　comes　i