the essays of montaigne, v10-第5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！


a　bait　that　old　age　very　easily　bites　at　of　itself。　　How　often　has　this
gentleman　boasted　to　me　in　how　great　awe　he　kept　his　family；　and　how
exact　an　obedience　and　reverence　they　paid　him！　　How　clearly　he　saw　into
his　own　affairs！

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ille　solos　nescit　omnia。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃He　alone　is　ignorant　of　all　that　is　passing。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Terence；　Adelph。；　iv。　　2；　9。＇

I　do　not　know　any　one　that　can　muster　more　parts；　both　natural　and
acquired；　proper　to　maintain　dominion；　than　he；　yet　he　is　fallen　from　it
like　a　child。　　For　this　reason　it　is　that　I　have　picked　out　him；　amongst
several　others　that　I　know　of　the　same　humour；　for　the　greatest　example。
It　were　matter　for　a　question　in　the　schools；　whether　he　is　better　thus
or　otherwise。　　In　his　presence；　all　submit　to　and　bow　to　him；　and　give　so
much　way　to　his　vanity　that　nobody　ever　resists　him；　he　has　his　fill　of
assents；　of　seeming　fear；　submission；　and　respect。　　Does　he　turn　away　a
servant？　he　packs　up　his　bundle；　and　is　gone；　but　'tis　no　further　than
just　out　of　his　sight：　the　steps　of　old　age　are　so　slow；　the　senses　so
troubled；　that　he　will　live　and　do　his　old　office　in　the　same　house　a
year　together　without　being　perceived。

And　after　a　fit　interval　of　time；　letters　are　pretended　to　come　from　a
great　way　off；　very　humble；　suppliant；　and　full　of　promises　of　amendment；
by　virtue　of　which　he　is　again　received　into　favour。　　Does　Monsieur　make
any　bargain；　or　prepare　any　despatch　that　does　not　please？　'tis
suppressed；　and　causes　afterwards　forged　to　excuse　the　want　of　execution
in　the　one　or　answer　in　the　other。　　No　letters　being　first　brought　to
him；　he　never　sees　any　but　those　that　shall　seem　fit　for　his　knowledge。
If　by　accident　they　fall　first　into　his　own　hand；　being　used　to　trust
somebody　to　read　them　to　him；　he　reads　extempore　what　he　thinks　fit；　and
often　makes　such　a　one　ask　him　pardon　who　abuses　and　rails　at　him　in　his
letter。　　In　short；　he　sees　nothing；　but　by　an　image　prepared　and　designed
beforehand　and　the　most　satisfactory　they　can　invent；　not　to　rouse　and
awaken　his　ill　humour　and　choler。　　I　have　seen；　under　various　aspects；
enough　of　these　modes　of　domestic　government；　long…enduring；　constant；　to
the　like　effect。

Women　　are　evermore　addicted　to　cross　their　husbands：　they　lay　hold　with
both　hands　on　all　occasions　to　contradict　and　oppose　them；　the　first
excuse　serves　for　a　plenary　justification。　　I　have　seen　one　who　robbed
her　husband　wholesale；　that；　as　she　told　her　confessor；　she　might
distribute　the　more　liberal　alms。　　Let　who　will　trust　to　that　religious
dispensation。　　No　management　of　affairs　seems　to　them　of　sufficient
dignity；　if　proceeding　from　the　husband's　assent；　they　must　usurp　it
either　by　insolence　or　cunning；　and　always　injuriously；　or　else　it　has
not　the　grace　and　authority　they　desire。　　When；　as　in　the　case　I　am
speaking　of；　'tis　against　a　poor　old　man　and　for　the　children；　then　they
make　use　of　this　title　to　serve　their　passion　with　glory；　and；　as　for　a
common　service；　easily　cabal；　and　combine　against　his　government　and
dominion。　　If　they　be　males　grown　up　in　full　and　flourishing　health；　they
presently　corrupt；　either　by　force　or　favour；　steward；　receivers；　and　all
the　rout。　　Such　as　have　neither　wife　nor　son　do　not　so　easily　fall　into
this　misfortune；　but　withal　more　cruelly　and　unworthily。　　Cato　the　elder
in　his　time　said：　So　many　servants；　so　many　enemies；　consider；　then；
whether　according　to　the　vast　difference　between　the　purity　of　the　age　he
lived　in　and　the　corruption　of　this　of　ours；　he　does　not　seem　to　shew　us
that　wife；　son；　and　servant；　are　so　many　enemies　to　us？　　'Tis　well　for
old　age　that　it　is　always　accompanied　by　want　of　observation；　ignorance；
and　a　proneness　to　being　deceived。　For　should　we　see　how　we　are　used　and
would　not　acquiesce；　what　would　become　of　us？　　especially　in　such　an　age
as　this；　where　the　very　judges　who　are　to　determine　our　controversies　are
usually　partisans　to　the　young；　and　interested　in　the　cause。　In　case　the
discovery　of　this　cheating　escape　me；　I　cannot　at　least　fail　to　discern
that　I　am　very　fit　to　be　cheated。　　And　can　a　man　ever　enough　exalt　the
value　of　a　friend；　in　comparison　with　these　civil　ties？　　The　very　image
of　it　which　I　see　in　beasts；　so　pure　and　uncorrupted；　how　religiously　do
I　respect　it！　　If　others　deceive　me；　yet　do　I　not；　at　least；　deceive
myself　in　thinking　I　am　able　to　defend　myself　from　them；　or　in　cudgelling
my　brains　to　make　myself　so。　　I　protect　myself　from　such　treasons　in　my
own　bosom；　not　by　an　unquiet　and　tumultuous　curiosity；　but　rather　by
diversion　and　resolution。　　When　I　hear　talk　of　any　one's　condition；　I
never　trouble　myself　to　think　of　him；　I　presently　turn　my　eyes　upon
myself　to　see　in　what　condition　I　am；　whatever　concerns　another　relates
to　me；　the　accident　that　has　befallen　him　gives　me　caution；　and　rouses　me
to　turn　my　defence　that　way。　　We　every　day　and　every　hour　say　things　of
another　that　we　might　properly　say　of　ourselves；　could　we　but　apply　our
observation　to　our　own　concerns；　as　well　as　extend　it　to　others。　　And
several　authors　have　in　this　manner　prejudiced　their　own　cause　by　running
headlong　upon　those　they　attack；　and　darting　those　shafts　against　their
enemies；　that　are　more　properly；　and　with　greater　advantage；　to　be　turned
upon　themselves。

The　late　Mareschal　de　Montluc　having　lost　his　son；　who　died　in　the　island
of　Madeira；　in　truth　a　very　worthy　gentleman　and　of　great　expectation；
did　to　me；　amongst　his　other　regrets；　very　much　insist　upon　what　a　sorrow
and　heart…breaking　it　was　that　he　had　never　made　himself　familiar　with
him；　and　by　that　humour　of　paternal　gravity　and　grimace　to　have　lost　the
opportunity　of　having　an　insight　into　and　of　well　knowing；　his　son；　as
also　of　letting　him　know　the　extreme　affection　he　had　for　him；　and　the
worthy　opinion　he　had　of　his　virtue。　　〃That　poor　boy；〃　said　he；　〃never
saw　in　me　other　than　a　stern　and　disdainful　countenance；　and　is　gone　in　a
belief　that　I　neither　knew　how　to　love　him　nor　esteem　him　according　to
his　desert。　　For　whom　did　I　reserve　the　discovery　of　that　singular
affection　I　had　for　him　in　my　soul？　　Was　it　not　he　himself；　who　ought　to
have　had　all　the　pleasure　of　it；　and　all　the　obligation？　　I　constrained
and　racked　myself　to　put　on；　and　maintain　this　vain　disguise；　and　have　by
that　means　deprived　myself　of　the　pleasure　of　his　conversation；　and；　I
doubt；　in　some　measure；　his　affection；　which　could　not　but　be　very　cold
to　me；　having　never　other　from　me　than　austerity；　nor　felt　other　than　a
tyrannical　manner　of　proceeding。〃

　　　　　＇Madame　de　Sevigne　tells　us　that　she　never　read　this　passage　without
　　　　　tears　in　her　eyes。　　〃My　God！〃　she　exclaims；　〃how　full　is　this　book
　　　　　of　good　sense！〃　　Ed。＇

I　find　this　complaint　to　be　rational　and　rightly　apprehended：　for；　as　I
myself　know　by　too　certain　experience；　there　is　no　so　sweet　consolation
in　the　loss　of　friends　as　the　conscience　of　having　had　no　reserve　or
secret　for　them；　and　to　have　had　with　them　a　perfect　and　entire
communication。　　Oh　my　friend；＇La　Boetie。＇　am　I　the　better　for　being
sensible　of　this；　or　am　I　the　worse？　　I　am；　doubtless；　much　the　better。
I　am　consoled　and　honoured；　in　the　sorrow　for　his　death。　　Is　it　not　a
pious　and　a　pleasing　office　of　my　life　to　be　always　upon　my　friend's
obsequies？　　Can　there　be　any　joy　equal　to　this　privation？

I　open　myself　to　my　family；　as　much　as　I　can；　and　very　willingly　let　them
know　the　state　of　my　opinion　and　good　will　towards　them；　as　I　do　to
everybody　else：　I　make　haste　to　bring　out　and　present　myself　to　them；　for
I　will　not　have　them　mistaken　in　me；　in　anything。　　Amongst　other
particular　customs　of　our　ancient　Gauls；　this；　as　Caesar　reports；＇De
Bello　Gall。；　vi。　　r8。＇　was　one；　that　the　sons　never　presented
themselves　before　their　fathers；　nor　durst　ever　appear　in　their　company
in　public；　till　they　began　to　bear　arms；　as　if　they　would　intimate　by
this；　that　it　was　also　time　for　their　fathers　to　receive　them　into　their
familiarity　and　acquaintance。

I　have　observed　yet　another　sort　of　indiscretion　in　fathers　of　my　time；
that；　not　contented　with　having　deprived　their　children；　during