the essays of montaigne, v10-第6章

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that；　not　contented　with　having　deprived　their　children；　during　their　own
long　lives；　of　the　share　they　naturally　ought　to　have　had　in　their
fortunes；　they　afterwards　leave　to　their　wives　the　same　authority　over
their　estates；　and　liberty　to　dispose　of　them　according　to　their　own
fancy。　　And　I　have　known　a　certain　lord；　one　of　the　principal　officers　of
the　crown；　who；　having　in　reversion　above　fifty　thousand　crowns　yearly
revenue；　died　necessitous　and　overwhelmed　with　debt　at　above　fifty　years
of　age；　his　mother　in　her　extremest　decrepitude　being　yet　in　possession
of　all　his　property　by　the　will　of　his　father；　who　had；　for　his　part；
lived　till　near　fourscore　years　old。　　This　appears　to　me　by　no　means
reasonable。　　And　therefore　I　think　it　of　very　little　advantage　to　a　man；
whose　affairs　are　well　enough；　to　seek　a　wife　who　encumbers　his　estate
with　a　very　great　fortune；　there　is　no　sort　of　foreign　debt　that　brings
more　ruin　to　families　than　this：　my　predecessors　have　ever　been　aware　of
that　danger　and　provided　against　it；　and　so　have　I。　　But　those　who
dissuade　us　from　rich　wives；　for　fear　they　should　be　less　tractable　and
kind；　are　out　in　their　advice　to　make　a　man　lose　a　real　commodity　for　so
frivolous　a　conjecture。　　It　costs　an　unreasonable　woman　no　more　to　pass
over　one　reason　than　another；　they　cherish　themselves　most　where　they　are
most　wrong。　　Injustice　allures　them；　as　the　honour　of　their　virtuous
actions　does　the　good；　and　the　more　riches　they　bring　with　them；　they　are
so　much　the　more　good…natured；　as　women；　who　are　handsome；　are　all　the
more　inclined　and　proud　to　be　chaste。

'Tis　reasonable　to　leave　the　administration　of　affairs　to　the　mothers；
till　the　children　are　old　enough；　according　to　law；　to　manage　them；　but
the　father　has　brought　them；　up　very　ill；　if　he　cannot　hope　that；　when
they　come　to　maturity；　they　will　have　more　wisdom　and　ability　in　the
management　of　affairs　than　his　wife；　considering　the　ordinary　weakness　of
the　sex。　　It　were；　notwithstanding；　to　say　the　truth；　more　against　nature
to　make　the　mothers　depend　upon　the　discretion　of　their　children；　they
ought　to　be　plentifully　provided　for；　to　maintain　themselves　according　to
their　quality　and　age；　by　reason　that　necessity　and　indigence　are　much
more　unbecoming　and　insupportable　to　them　than　to　men；　the　son　should
rather　be　cut　short　than　the　mother。

In　general；　the　most　judicious　distribution　of　our　goods；　when　we　come　to
die；　is；　in　my　opinion；　to　let　them　be　distributed　according　to　the
custom　of　the　country；　the　laws　have　considered　the　matter　better　than　we
know　how　to　do；　and　'tis　wiser　to　let　them　fail　in　their　appointment；
than　rashly　to　run　the　hazard　of　miscarrying　in　ours。　　Nor　are　the　goods
properly　ours；　since；　by　civil　prescription　and　without　us；　they　are　all
destined　to　certain　successors。　　And　although　we　have　some　liberty　beyond
that；　yet　I　think　we　ought　not；　without　great　and　manifest　cause；　to　take
away　that　from　one　which　his　fortune　has　allotted　him；　and　to　which　the
public　equity　gives　him　title；　and　that　it　is　against　reason　；　to　abuse
this　liberty；　in　making　it　serve　our　own　frivolous　and　private　fancies。
My　destiny　has　been　kind　to　me　in　not　presenting　me　with　occasions　to
tempt　me　and　divert　my　affection　from　the　common　and　legitimate
institution。　　I　see　many　with　whom　'tis　time　lost　to　employ　a　long
exercise　of　good　offices：　a　word　ill　taken　obliterates　ten　years'　merit；
he　is　happy　who　is　in　a　position　to　oil　their　goodwill　at　this　last
passage。　　The　last　action　carries　it；　not　the　best　and　most　frequent
offices；　but　the　most　recent　and　present　do　the　work。　　These　are　people
that　play　with　their　wills　as　with　apples　or　rods；　to　gratify　or　chastise
every　action　of　those　who　pretend　to　an　interest　in　their　care。　　'Tis　a
thing　of　too　great　weight　and　consequence　to　be　so　tumbled　and　tossed　and
altered　every　moment；　and　wherein　the　wise　determine　once　for　all；　having
above　all　things　regard　to　reason　and　the　public　observance。　　We　lay
these　masculine　substitutions　too　much　to　heart；　proposing　a　ridiculous
eternity　to　our　names。　　We　are；　moreover；　too　superstitious　in　vain
conjectures　as　to　the　future；　that　we　derive　from　the　words　and　actions
of　children。　　Peradventure　they　might　have　done　me　an　injustice；　in
dispossessing　me　of　my　right；　for　having　been　the　most　dull　and　heavy；
the　most　slow　and　unwilling　at　my　book；　not　of　all　my　brothers　only；　but
of　all　the　boys　in　the　whole　province：　whether　about　learning　my　lesson；
or　about　any　bodily　exercise。　　'Tis　a　folly　to　make　an　election　out　of
the　ordinary　course　upon　the　credit　of　these　divinations　wherein　we　are
so　often　deceived。　　If　the　ordinary　rule　of　descent　were　to　be　violated；
and　the　destinies　corrected　in　the　choice　they　have　made　of　our　heirs；
one　might　more　plausibly　do　it　upon　the　account　of　some　remarkable　and
enormous　personal　deformity；　a　permanent　and　incorrigible　defect；　and　in
the　opinion　of　us　French；　who　are　great　admirers　of　beauty；　an　important
prejudice。

The　pleasant　dialogue　betwixt　Plato's　legislator　and　his　citizens　will　be
an　ornament　to　this　place；　〃What；〃　said　they；　feeling　themselves　about　to
die；　〃may　we　not　dispose　of　our　own　to　whom　we　please？　　God！　　what
cruelty　that　it　shall　not　be　lawful　for　us；　according　as　we　have　been
served　and　attended　in　our　sickness；　in　our　old　age；　in　our　affairs；　to
give　more　or　less　to　those　whom　we　have　found　most　diligent　about　us；　at
our　own　fancy　and　discretion！〃　　To　which　the　legislator　answers　thus：

〃My　friends；　who　are　now；　without　question；　very　soon　to　die；　it　is　hard
for　you　in　the　condition　you　are；　either　to　know　yourselves；　or　what　is
yours；　according　to　the　delphic　inscription。　　I；　who　make　the　laws；　am　of
opinion；　that　you　neither　are　yourselves　your　own；　nor　is　that　yours　of
which　you　are　possessed。　　Both　your　goods　and　you　belong　to　your
families；　as　well　those　past　as　those　to　come；　but；　further；　both　your
family　and　goods　much　more　appertain　to　the　public。　　Wherefore；　lest　any
flatterer　in　your　old　age　or　in　your　sickness；　or　any　passion　of　your
own；　should　unseasonably　prevail　with　you　to　make　an　unjust　will；　I　shall
take　care　to　prevent　that　inconvenience；　but；　having　respect　both　to　the
universal　interests　of　the　city　and　that　of　your　particular　family；　I
shall　establish　laws；　and　make　it　by　good　reasons　appear；　that　private
convenience　ought　to　give　place　to　the　common　benefit。　　Go　then
cheerfully　where　human　necessity　calls　you。　　It　is　for　me；　who　regard　no
more　the　one　thing　than　the　other；　and　who；　as　much　as　in　me　lies；　am
provident　of　the　public　interest；　to　have　a　care　as　to　what　you　leave
behind　you。〃

To　return　to　my　subject：　it　appears　to　me　that　women　are　very　rarely
born；　to　whom　the　prerogative　over　men；　the　maternal　and　natural
excepted；　is　in　any　sort　due；　unless　it　be　for　the　punishment　of　such；
as　in　some　amorous　fever　have　voluntarily　submitted　themselves　to　them：
but　that　in　no　way　concerns　the　old　ones；　of　whom　we　are　now　speaking。
This　consideration　it　is　which　has　made　us　so　willingly　to　enact　and　give
force　to　that　law；　which　was　never　yet　seen　by　any　one；　by　which　women
are　excluded　the　succession　to　our　crown：　and　there　is　hardly　a
government　in　the　world　where　it　is　not　pleaded；　as　it　is　here；　by　the
probability　of　reason　that　authorises　it；　though　fortune　has　given　it
more　credit　in　some　places　than　in　others。　　'Tis　dangerous　to　leave　the
disposal　of　our　succession　to　their　judgment；　according　to　the　choice
they　shall　make　of　children；　which　is　often　fantastic　and　unjust；　for　the
irregular　appetites　and　depraved　tastes　they　have　during　the　time　of
their　being　with　child；　they　have　at　all　other　times　in　the　mind。　　We
commonly　see　them　fond　of　the　most　weak；　ricketty；　and　deformed　children；
or　of　those；　if　they　have　such；　as　are　still　hanging　at　the　breast。　　For；
not　having　sufficient　force　of　reason　to　choose　and　embrace　that　which　is
most　worthy；　they　the　more　willingly　suffer　themselves　to　be　carried
away；　where　the　impressions　of　nature　are　most　alone；　like　animals　that
know　their　young　no　longer　than　they　give　them　suck。　　As　to　the　rest；　it
is　easy　by