the essays of montaigne, v10-第7章

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know　their　young　no　longer　than　they　give　them　suck。　　As　to　the　rest；　it
is　easy　by　experience　to　be　discerned　that　this　natural　affection　to
which　we　give　so　great　authority　has　but　very　weak　roots。　　For　a　very
little　profit；　we　every　day　tear　their　own　children　out　of　the　mothers'
arms；　and　make　them　take　ours　in　their　room：　we　make　them　abandon　their
own　to　some　pitiful　nurse；　to　whom　we　disdain　to　commit　ours；　or　to　some
she…goat；　forbidding　them；　not　only　to　give　them　suck；　what　danger　soever
they　run　thereby；　but；　moreover；　to　take　any　manner　of　care　of　them；　that
they　may　wholly　be　occupied　with　the　care　of　and　attendance　upon　ours；
and　we　see　in　most　of　them　an　adulterate　affection；　more　vehement　than
the　natural；　begotten　by　custom　toward　the　foster　children；　and　a　greater
solicitude　for　the　preservation　of　those　they　have　taken　charge　of；　than
of　their　own。　　And　that　which　I　was　saying　of　goats　was　upon　this
account；　that　it　is　ordinary　all　about　where　I　live；　to　see　the
countrywomen；　when　they　want　milk　of　their　own　for　their　children；　to
call　goats　to　their　assistance；　and　I　have　at　this　hour　two　men…servants
that　never　sucked　women's　milk　more　than　eight　days　after　they　were　born。
These　goats　are　immediately　taught　to　come　to　suckle　the　little　children；
know　their　voices　when　they　cry；　and　come　running　to　them。　　If　any　other
than　this　foster…child　be　presented　to　them；　they　refuse　to　let　it　suck；
and　the　child　in　like　manner　will　refuse　to　suck　another　goat。　　I　saw　one
the　other　day　from　whom　they　had　taken　away　the　goat　that　used　to　nourish
it；　by　reason　the　father　had　only　borrowed　it　of　a　neighbour；　the　child
would　not　touch　any　other　they　could　bring；　and　died；　doubtless　of
hunger。　　Beasts　as　easily　alter　and　corrupt　their　natural　affection　as
we：　I　believe　that　in　what　Herodotus　relates　of　a　certain　district　of
Lybia；　there　are　many　mistakes；　he　says　that　the　women　are　there　in
common；　but　that　the　child；　so　soon　as　it　can　go；　finds　him　out　in　the
crowd　for　his　father；　to　whom　he　is　first　led　by　his　natural　inclination。

Now；　to　consider　this　simple　reason　for　loving　our　children；　that　we　have
begot　them；　therefore　calling　them　our　second　selves；　it　appears；
methinks；　that　there　is　another　kind　of　production　proceeding　from　us；
that　is　of　no　less　recommendation：　for　that　which　we　engender　by　the
soul；　the　issue　of　our　understanding；　courage；　and　abilities；　springs
from　nobler　parts　than　those　of　the　body；　and　that　are　much　more　our　own：
we　are　both　father　and　mother　in　this　generation。　　These　cost　us　a　great
deal　more　and　bring　us　more　honour；　if　they　have　anything　of　good　in
them。　　For　the　value　of　our　other　children　is　much　more　theirs　than　ours；
the　share　we　have　in　them　is　very　little；　but　of　these　all　the　beauty；
all　the　grace　and　value；　are　ours；　and　also　they　more　vividly　represent
us　than　the　others。　　Plato　adds；　that　these　are　immortal　children　that
immortalise　and　deify　their　fathers；　as　Lycurgus；　Solon；　Minos。　　Now；
histories　being　full　of　examples　of　the　common　affection　of　fathers　to
their　children；　it　seems　not　altogether　improper　to　introduce　some　few　of
this　other　kind。　　Heliodorus；　that　good　bishop　of　Trikka；　rather　chose　to
lose　the　dignity；　profit；　and　devotion　of　so　venerable　a　prelacy；　than　to
lose　his　daughter；　a　daughter　that　continues　to　this　day　very　graceful
and　comely；　but；　peradventure；　a　little　too　curiously　and　wantonly
tricked；　and　too　amorous　for　an　ecclesiastical　and　sacerdotal　daughter。
There　was　one　Labienus　at　Rome；　a　man　of　great　worth　and　authority；　and
amongst　other　qualities　excellent　in　all　sorts　of　literature；　who　was；　as
I　take　it；　the　son　of　that　great　Labienus；　the　chief　of　Caesar's　captains
in　the　wars　of　Gaul；　and　who；　afterwards；　siding　with　Pompey　the　great；
so　valiantly　maintained　his　cause；　till　he　was　by　Caesar　defeated　in
Spain。　　This　Labienus；　of　whom　I　am　now　speaking；　had　several　enemies；
envious　of　his　good　qualities；　and；　tis　likely；　the　courtiers　and　minions
of　the　emperors　of　his　time　who　were　very　angry　at　his　freedom　and　the
paternal　humour　which　he　yet　retained　against　tyranny；　with　which　it　is
to　be　supposed　he　had　tinctured　his　books　and　writings。　　His　adversaries
prosecuted　several　pieces　he　had　published　before　the　magistrates　at
Rome；　and　prevailed　so　far　against　him；　as　to　have　them　condemned　to　the
fire。　　It　was　in　him　that　this　new　example　of　punishment　was　begun；　which
was　afterwards　continued　against　others　at　Rome；　to　punish　even　writing
and　studies　with　death。　　There　would　not　be　means　and　matter　enough　of
cruelty；　did　we　not　mix　with　them　things　that　nature　has　exempted　from
all　sense　and　suffering；　as　reputation　and　the　products　of　the　mind；　and
did　we　not　communicate　corporal　punishments　to　the　teachings　and
monuments　of　the　Muses。　　Now；　Labienus　could　not　suffer　this　loss；　nor
survive　these　his　so　dear　issue；　and　therefore　caused　himself　to　be
conveyed　and　shut　up　alive　in　the　monument　of　his　ancestors；　where　he
made　shift　to　kill　and　bury　himself　at　once。　　'Tis　hard　to　shew　a　more
vehement　paternal　affection　than　this。　　Cassius　Severus；　a　man　of　great
eloquence　and　his　very　intimate　friend；　seeing　his　books　burned；　cried
out　that　by　the　same　sentence　they　should　as　well　condemn　him　to　the　fire
too；　seeing　that　he　carried　in　his　memory　all　that　they　contained。　　The
like　accident　befel　Cremutius　Cordus；　who　being　accused　of　having　in　his
books　commended　Brutus　and　Cassius；　that　dirty；　servile；　and　corrupt
Senate；　worthy　a　worse　master　than　Tiberius；　condemned　his　writings　to
the　flame。　　He　was　willing　to　bear　them　company；　and　killed　himself　with
fasting。　　The　good　Lucan；　being　condemned　by　that　rascal　Nero；　at　the
last　gasp　of　his　life；　when　the　greater　part　of　his　blood　was　already
spent　through　the　veins　of　his　arms；　which　he　had　caused　his　physician　to
open　to　make　him　die；　and　when　the　cold　had　seized　upon　all　his
extremities；　and　began　to　approach　his　vital　parts；　the　last　thing　he　had
in　his　memory　was　some　of　the　verses　of　his　Battle　of　Phaysalia；　which　he
recited；　dying　with　them　in　his　mouth。　　What　was　this；　but　taking　a
tender　and　paternal　leave　of　his　children；　in　imitation　of　the
valedictions　and　embraces；　wherewith　we　part　from　ours；　when　we　come　to
die；　and　an　effect　of　that　natural　inclination；　that　suggests　to　our
remembrance　in　this　extremity　those　things　which　were　dearest　to　us
during　the　time　of　our　life？

Can　we　believe　that　Epicurus　who；　as　he　says　himself；　dying　of　the
intolerable　pain　of　the　stone；　had　all　his　consolation　in　the　beauty　of
the　doctrine　he　left　behind　him；　could　have　received　the　same
satisfaction　from　many　children；　though　never　so　well…conditioned　and
brought　up；　had　he　had　them；　as　he　did　from　the　production　of　so　many
rich　writings？　　Or　that；　had　it　been　in　his　choice　to　have　left　behind
him　a　deformed　and　untoward　child　or　a　foolish　and　ridiculous　book；　he；
or　any　other　man　of　his　understanding；　would　not　rather　have　chosen　to
have　run　the　first　misfortune　than　the　other？　　It　had　been；　for　example；
peradventure；　an　impiety　in　St。　Augustin；　if；　on　the　one　hand；　it　had
been　proposed　to　him　to　bury　his　writings；　from　which　religion　has
received　so　great　fruit；　or　on　the　other　to　bury　his　children；　had　he　had
them；　had　he　not　rather　chosen　to　bury　his　children。　　And　I　know　not
whether　I　had　not　much　rather　have　begot　a　very　beautiful　one；　through
society　with　the　Muses；　than　by　lying　with　my　wife。　　To　this；　such　as　it
is；　what　I　give　it　I　give　absolutely　and　irrevocably；　as　men　do　to　their
bodily　children。　　That　little　I　have　done　for　it；　is　no　more　at　my　own
disposal；　it　may　know　many　things　that　are　gone　from　me；　and　from　me　hold
that　which　I　have　not　retained；　and　which；　as　well　as　a　stranger；　I
should　borrow　thence；　should　I　stand　in　need。　　If　I　am　wiser　than　my
book；　it　is　richer　than　I。　　There　are　few　men　addicted　to　poetry；　who
would　not　be　much　prouder　to　be　the　father　to　the　AEneid　than　to　the
handsomest　youth　of　Rome；　and　who　would　not　much　better　bear　the　loss　of
the　one　than　of　the　other。　　For　according　to　Aristotle；　the　poet；　of　all
artificers；　is　the　fondest　of　his　work。