the essays of montaigne, v13-第1章

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The　Essays　of　Montaigne；　V13

by　Michel　de　Montaigne

Translated　by　Charles　Cotton

Edited　by　William　Carew　Hazilitt

1877







CONTENTS　OF　VOLUME　13。


XXXII。　　　　Defence　of　Seneca　and　Plutarch。
XXXIII。　　　The　story　of　Spurina。
XXXIV。　　　　Means　to　carry　on　a　war　according　to　Julius　Caesar。
XXXV。　　　　　Of　three　good　women。
XXXVI。　　　　Of　the　most　excellent　men。
XXXVII。　　　Of　the　resemblance　of　children　to　their　fathers。





CHAPTER　XXXII

DEFENCE　OF　SENECA　AND　PLUTARCH


The　familiarity　I　have　with　these　two　authors；　and　the　assistance　they
have　lent　to　my　age　and　to　my　book；　wholly　compiled　of　what　I　have
borrowed　from　them；　oblige　me　to　stand　up　for　their　honour。

As　to　Seneca；　amongst　a　million　of　little　pamphlets　that　those　of　the　so…
called　reformed　religion　disperse　abroad　for　the　defence　of　their　cause
（and　which　sometimes　proceed　from　so　good　a　hand；　that　'tis　pity　his　pen
is　not　employed　in　a　better　subject）；　I　have　formerly　seen　one；　that　to
make　up　the　parallel　he　would　fain　find　out　betwixt　the　government　of　our
late　poor　King　Charles　IX。　and　that　of　Nero；　compares　the　late　Cardinal
of　Lorraine　with　Seneca；　their　fortunes；　in　having　both　of　them　been　the
prime　ministers　in　the　government　of　their　princes；　and　in　their　manners；
conditions；　and　deportments　to　have　been　very　near　alike。　　Wherein；　in　my
opinion；　he　does　the　said　cardinal　a　very　great　honour；　for　though　I　am
one　of　those　who　have　a　very　high　esteem　for　his　wit；　eloquence；　and　zeal
to　religion　and　the　service　of　his　king；　and　his　good　fortune　to　have
lived　in　an　age　wherein　it　was　so　novel；　so　rare；　and　also　so　necessary
for　the　public　good　to　have　an　ecclesiastical　person　of　such　high　birth
and　dignity；　and　so　sufficient　and　capable　of　his　place；　yet；　to　confess
the　truth；　I　do　not　think　his　capacity　by　many　degrees　near　to　the　other；
nor　his　virtue　either　so　clean；　entire；　or　steady　as　that　of　Seneca。

Now　the　book　whereof　I　speak；　to　bring　about　its　design；　gives　a　very
injurious　description　of　Seneca；　having　borrowed　its　approaches　from　Dion
the　historian；　whose　testimony　I　do　not　at　all　believe　for　besides　that
he　is　inconsistent；　that　after　having　called　Seneca　one　while　very　wise；
and　again　a　mortal　enemy　to　Nero's　vices；　makes　him　elsewhere　avaricious；
an　usurer；　ambitious；　effeminate；　voluptuous；　and　a　false　pretender　to
philosophy；　his　virtue　appears　so　vivid　and　vigorous　in　his　writings；　and
his　vindication　is　so　clear　from　any　of　these　imputations；　as　of　his
riches　and　extraordinarily　expensive　way　of　living；　that　I　cannot　believe
any　testimony　to　the　contrary。　　And　besides；　it　is　much　more　reasonable
to　believe　the　Roman　historians　in　such　things　than　Greeks　and
foreigners。　　Now　Tacitus　and　the　rest　speak　very　honourably　both　of　his
life　and　death；　and　represent　him　to　us　a　very　excellent　and　virtuous
person　in　all　things；　and　I　will　allege　no　other　reproach　against　Dion's
report　but　this；　which　I　cannot　avoid；　namely；　that　he　has　so　weak　a
judgment　in　the　Roman　affairs；　that　he　dares　to　maintain　Julius　Caesar's
cause　against　Pompey　＇And　so　does　this　editor。　　D。W。＇；　and　that　of　Antony
against　Cicero。

Let　us　now　come　to　Plutarch：　Jean　Bodin　is　a　good　author　of　our　times；
and　a　writer　of　much　greater　judgment　than　the　rout　of　scribblers　of　his
age；　and　who　deserves　to　be　read　and　considered。　　I　find　him；　though；　a
little　bold　in　this　passage　of　his　Method　of　history；　where　he　accuses
Plutarch　not　only　of　ignorance　（wherein　I　would　have　let　him　alone：　for
that　is　beyond　my　criticism）；　but　that　he　〃often　writes　things
incredible；　and　absolutely　fabulous　〃：　these　are　his　own　words。　　If　he
had　simply　said；　that　he　had　delivered　things　otherwise　than　they　really
are；　it　had　been　no　great　reproach；　for　what　we　have　not　seen；　we　are
forced　to　receive　from　other　hands；　and　take　upon　trust；　and　I　see　that
he　purposely　sometimes　variously　relates　the　same　story；　as　the　judgment
of　the　three　best　captains　that　ever　were；　given　by　Hannibal；　'tis　one
way　in　the　Life　of　Flammius；　and　another　in　that　of　Pyrrhus。　　But　to
charge　him　with　having　taken　incredible　and　impossible　things　for　current
pay；　is　to　accuse　the　most　judicious　author　in　the　world　of　want　of
judgment。　　And　this　is　his　example；　〃as；〃　says　he；　〃when　he　relates　that
a　Lacedaemonian　boy　suffered　his　bowels　to　be　torn　out　by　a　fox…cub　he
had　stolen；　and　kept　it　still　concealed　under　his　coat　till　he　fell　down
dead；　rather　than　he　would　discover　his　theft。〃　　I　find；　in　the　first
place；　this　example　ill　chosen；　forasmuch　as　it　is　very　hard　to　limit　the
power　of　the　faculties　ofthe　soul；　whereas　we　have　better　authority　to
limit　and　know　the　force　of　the　bodily　limbs；　and　therefore；　if　I　had
been　he；　I　should　rather　have　chosen　an　example　of　this　second　sort；　and
there　are　some　of　these　less　credible：　and　amongst　others；　that　which　he
refates　of　Pyrrhus；　that　〃all　wounded　as　he　was；　he　struck　one　of　his
enemies；　who　was　armed　from　head　to　foot；　so　great　a　blow　with　his　sword；
that　he　clave　him　down　from　his　crown　to　his　seat；　so　that　the　body　was
divided　into　two　parts。〃　　In　this　example　I　find　no　great　miracle；　nor　do
I　admit　the　excuse　with　which　he　defends　Plutarch；　in　having　added　these
words；　〃as　'tis　said；〃　to　suspend　our　belief；　for　unless　it　be　in　things
received　by　authority；　and　the　reverence　to　antiquity　or　religion；　he
would　never　have　himself　admitted；　or　enjoined　us　to　believe　things
incredible　in　themselves；　and　that　these　words；　〃as　'tis　said；〃　are　not
put　in　this　place　to　that　effect；　is　easy　to　be　seen；　because　he
elsewhere　relates　to　us；　upon　this　subject；　of　the　patience　of　the
Lacedaemonian　children；　examples　happening　in　his　time；　more　unlikely　to
prevail　upon　our　faith；　as　what　Cicero　has　also　testified　before　him；　as
having；　as　he　says；　been　upon　the　spot：　that　even　to　their　times　there
were　children　found　who；　in　the　trial　of　patience　they　were　put　to　before
the　altar　of　Diana；　suffered　themselves　to　be　there　whipped　till　the
blood　ran　down　all　over　their　bodies；　not　only　without　crying　out；　but
without　so　much　as　a　groan；　and　some　till　they　there　voluntarily　lost
their　lives：　and　that　which　Plutarch　also；　amongst　a　hundred　other
witnesses；　relates；　that　at　a　sacrifice；　a　burning　coal　having　fallen
into　the　sleeve　of　a　Lacedaemonian　boy；　as　he　was　censing；　he　suffered
his　whole　arm　to　be　burned；　till　the　smell　of　the　broiling　flesh　was
perceived　by　those　present。　　There　was　nothing；　according　to　their
custom；　wherein　their　reputation　was　more　concerned；　nor　for　which　they
were　to　undergo　more　blame　and　disgrace；　than　in　being　taken　in　theft。
I　am　so　fully　satisfied　of　the　greatness　of　those　people；　that　this　story
does　not　only　not　appear　to　me；　as　to　Bodin；　incredible；　but　I　do　not
find　it　so　much　as　rare　and　strange。　　The　Spartan　history　is　full　of　a
thousand　more　cruel　and　rare　examples；　and　is；　indeed；　all　miracle　in
this　respect。

Marcellinus；　concerning　theft；　reports　that　in　his　time　there　was　no　sort
of　torments　which　could　compel　the　Egyptians；　when　taken　in　this　act；
though　a　people　very　much　addicted　to　it；　so　much　as　to　tell　their　name。

A　Spanish　peasant；　being　put　to　the　rack　as　to　the　accomplices　of　the
murder　of　the　Praetor　Lucius　Piso；　cried　out　in　the　height　of　the
torment；　〃that　his　friends　should　not　leave　him；　but　look　on　in　all
assurance；　and　that　no　pain　had　the　power　to　force　from　him　one　word　of
confession；〃　which　was　all　they　could　get　the　first　day。　　The　next　day；
as　they　were　leading　him　a　second　time　to　another　trial；　strongly
disengaging　himself　from　the　hands　of　his　guards；　he　furiously　ran　his
head　against　a　wall；　and　beat　out　his　brains。

Epicharis；　having　tired　and　glutted　the　cruelty　of　Nero's　satellites；　and
undergone　their　fire；　their　beating；　their　racks；　a　whole　day　together；
without　one　syllable　of　confession　of　her　conspiracy；　being　the　next　day
brought　again　to　the　rack；　with　her　limbs　almost　torn　to　pieces；　conveyed
the　lace　of　her　robe　with　a　running　noose　over　one　of　the　arms　of　her
chair；　and　suddenly　slipping　her　head　into　it；　with　the　weight　of　her　own
body　hanged　herself。　　Having　th