the essays of montaigne, v10-第16章

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freely　make　use　of　this　argument；　to　shew　that　it　is　altogether　〃vicious
and　unreasonable；　that　when　it　is　at　the　height；　it　masters　us　to　that
degree　that　a　man's　reason　can　have　no　access；〃　and　instance　our　own
experience　in　the　act　of　love；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Quum　jam　praesagit　gaudia　corpus；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Atque　in　eo　est　Venus；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ut　muliebria　conserat　arva。〃

　　　　　＇None　of　the　translators　of　the　old　editions　used　for　this　etext
　　　　　have　been　willing　to　translate　this　passage　from　Lucretius；　iv。
　　　　　1099；　they　take　a　cop　out　by　bashfully　saying：　〃The　sense　is　in　the
　　　　　preceding　passage　of　the　text。　　D。W。＇

wherein　they　conceive　that　the　pleasure　so　transports　us；　that　our　reason
cannot　perform　its　office；　whilst　we　are　in　such　ecstasy　and　rapture。　　I
know　very　well　it　may　be　otherwise；　and　that　a　man　may　sometimes；　if　he
will；　gain　this　point　over　himself　to　sway　his　soul；　even　in　the　critical
moment；　to　think　of　something　else；　but　then　he　must　ply　it　to　that　bent。
I　know　that　a　man　may　triumph　over　the　utmost　effort　of　this　pleasure：　I
have　experienced　it　in　myself；　and　have　not　found　Venus　so　imperious　a
goddess；　as　many；　and　much　more　virtuous　men　than　I；　declare。　　I　do　not
consider　it　a　miracle；　as　the　Queen　of　Navarre　does　in　one　of　the　Tales
of　her　Heptameron　＇〃Vu　gentil　liure　pour　son　estoffe。〃＇（which　is　a
very　pretty　book　of　its　kind）；　nor　for　a　thing　of　extreme　difficulty；　to
pass　whole　nights；　where　a　man　has　all　the　convenience　and　liberty　he　can
desire；　with　a　long…coveted　mistress；　and　yet　be　true　to　the　pledge　first
given　to　satisfy　himself　with　kisses　and　suchlike　endearments；　without
pressing　any　further。　　I　conceive　that　the　example　of　the　pleasure　of　the
chase　would　be　more　proper；　wherein　though　the　pleasure　be　less；　there　is
the　higher　excitement　of　unexpected　joy；　giving　no　time　for　the　reason；
taken　by　surprise；　to　prepare　itself　for　the　encounter；　when　after　a　long
quest　the　beast　starts　up　on　a　sudden　in　a　place　where；　peradventure；　we
least　expected　it；　the　shock　and　the　ardour　of　the　shouts　and　cries　of
the　hunters　so　strike　us；　that　it　would　be　hard　for　those　who　love　this
lesser　chase；　to　turn　their　thoughts　upon　the　instant　another　way；　and
the　poets　make　Diana　triumph　over　the　torch　and　shafts　of　Cupid：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Quis　non　malarum；　quas　amor　curas　habet；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Haec　inter　obliviscitur？〃

　　　　　＇〃Who；　amongst　such　delights　would　not　remove　out　of　his　thoughts
　　　　　the　anxious　cares　of　love。〃Horace；　Epod。；　ii。　37。＇

To　return　to　what　I　was　saying　before；　I　am　tenderly　compassionate　of
others'　afflictions；　and　should　readily　cry　for　company；　if；　upon　any
occasion　whatever；　I　could　cry　at　all。　　Nothing　tempts　my　tears　but
tears；　and　not　only　those　that　are　real　and　true；　but　whatever　they　are；
feigned　or　painted。　　I　do　not　much　lament　the　dead；　and　should　envy　them
rather；　but　I　very　much　lament　the　dying。　　The　savages　do　not　so　much
offend　me；　in　roasting　and　eating　the　bodies　of　the　dead；　as　they　do　who
torment　and　persecute　the　living。　　Nay；　I　cannot　look　so　much　as　upon　the
ordinary　executions　of　justice；　how　reasonable　soever；　with　a　steady　eye。
Some　one　having　to　give　testimony　of　Julius　Caesar's　clemency；　〃he　was；〃
says　he；　〃mild　in　his　revenges。　　Having　compelled　the　pirates　to　yield　by
whom　he　had　before　been　taken　prisoner　and　put　to　ransom；　forasmuch　as　he
had　threatened　them　with　the　cross；　he　indeed　condemned　them　to　it；　but
it　was　after　they　had　been　first　strangled。　　He　punished　his　secretary
Philemon；　who　had　attempted　to　poison　him；　with　no　greater　severity　than
mere　death。〃　　Without　naming　that　Latin　author；＇Suetonius；　Life　of
Casay；　c。　74。＇　who　thus　dares　to　allege　as　a　testimony　of　mercy　the
killing　only　of　those　by　whom　we　have　been　offended；　it　is　easy　to　guess
that　he　was　struck　with　the　horrid　and　inhuman　examples　of　cruelty
practised　by　the　Roman　tyrants。

For　my　part；　even　in　justice　itself；　all　that　exceeds　a　simple　death
appears　to　me　pure　cruelty；　especially　in　us　who　ought；　having　regard　to
their　souls；　to　dismiss　them　in　a　good　and　calm　condition；　which　cannot
be；　when　we　have　agitated　them　by　insufferable　torments。　　Not　long　since；
a　soldier　who　was　a　prisoner；　perceiving　from　a　tower　where　he　was　shut
up；　that　the　people　began　to　assemble　to　the　place　of　execution；　and　that
the　carpenters　were　busy　erecting　a　scaffold；　he　presently　concluded
that　the　preparation　was　for　him；　and　therefore　entered　into　a　resolution
to　kill　himself；　but　could　find　no　instrument　to　assist　him　in　his　design
except　an　old　rusty　cart…nail　that　fortune　presented　to　him；　with　this　he
first　gave　himself　two　great　wounds　about　his　throat；　but　finding　these
would　not　do；　he　presently　afterwards　gave　himself　a　third　in　the　belly；
where　he　left　the　nail　sticking　up　to　the　head。　　The　first　of　his　keepers
who　came　in　found　him　in　this　condition：　yet　alive；　but　sunk　down　and
exhausted　by　his　wounds。　　To　make　use　of　time；　therefore；　before　he
should　die；　they　made　haste　to　read　his　sentence；　which　having　done；　and
he　hearing　that　he　was　only　condemned　to　be　beheaded；　he　seemed　to　take
new　courage；　accepted　wine　which　he　had　before　refused；　and　thanked　his
judges　for　the　unhoped…for　mildness　of　their　sentence；　saying；　that　he
had　taken　a　resolution　to　despatch　himself　for　fear　of　a　more　severe　and
insupportable　death；　having　entertained　an　opinion；　by　the　preparations
he　had　seen　in　the　place；　that　they　were　resolved　to　torment　him　with
some　horrible　execution；　and　seemed　to　be　delivered　from　death　in　having
it　changed　from　what　he　apprehended。

I　should　advise　that　those　examples　of　severity　by　which　'tis　designed　to
retain　the　people　in　their　duty；　might　be　exercised　upon　the　dead　bodies
of　criminals；　for　to　see　them　deprived　of　sepulture；　to　see　them　boiled
and　divided　into　quarters；　would　almost　work　as　much　upon　the　vulgar；　as
the　pain　they　make　the　living　endure；　though　that　in　effect　be　little　or
nothing；　as　God　himself　says；　〃Who　kill　the　body；　and　after　that　have　no
more　that　they　can　do；〃　＇Luke；　xii。　　4。＇　and　the　poets　singularly
dwell　upon　the　horrors　of　this　picture；　as　something　worse　than　death：

　　　　　　　　　〃Heu！　reliquias　semiustas　regis；　denudatis　ossibus；
　　　　　　　　　　Per　terram　sanie　delibutas　foede　divexarier。〃

　　　　　＇〃Alas！　that　the　half…burnt　remains　of　the　king；　exposing　his　bones；
　　　　　should　be　foully　dragged　along　the　ground　besmeared　with　gore。〃
　　　　　Cicero；　Tusc。　Quaes。；　i。　44。＇

I　happened　to　come　by　one　day　accidentally　at　Rome；　just　as　they　were
upon　executing　Catena；　a　notorious　robber：　he　was　strangled　without　any
emotion　of　the　spectators；　but　when　they　came　to　cut　him　in　quarters；　the
hangman　gave　not　a　blow　that　the　people　did　not　follow　with　a　doleful　cry
and　exclamation；　as　if　every　one　had　lent　his　sense　of　feeling　to　the
miserable　carcase。　　Those　inhuman　excesses　ought　to　be　exercised　upon　the
bark；　and　not　upon　the　quick。　　Artaxerxes；　in　almost　a　like　case；
moderated　the　severity　of　the　ancient　laws　of　Persia；　ordaining　that　the
nobility　who　had　committed　a　fault；　instead　of　being　whipped；　as　they
were　used　to　be；　should　be　stripped　only　and　their　clothes　whipped　for
them；　and　that　whereas　they　were　wont　to　tear　off　their　hair；　they　should
only　take　off　their　high…crowned　tiara。'＇Plutarch；　Notable　Sayings　of
the　Ancient　King。＇　The　so　devout　Egyptians　thought　they　sufficiently
satisfied　the　divine　justice　by　sacrificing　hogs　in　effigy　and
representation；　a　bold　invention　to　pay　God　so　essential　a　substance　in
picture　only　and　in　show。

I　live　in　a　time　wherein　we　abound　in　incredible　examples　of　this　vice；
through　the　licence　of　our　civil　wars；　and　we　see　nothing　in　ancient
histories　more　extreme　than　what　we　have　proof　of　every　day；　but　I
cannot；　any　the　more；　get　used　to　it。　　I　could　hardly　persuade　myself；
before　I　saw　it　with　my　eyes；　that　there　could　be　found　souls　so　cruel
and　fell；　who；　for　the　sole　pleasure　of　murder；　would　commit　it；　would
hack　and　lop　off　the　limbs　of　others；　sharpen　their　wits　to　invent
unusual　torments　and　new　kinds　of　death；　without　hatred；　without　profit；
and　for　no　other