the essays of montaigne, v13-第3章

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or　say；　in　general；　that　he　was　mistaken　in　comparing　such　a　Greek　to
such　a　Roman；　when　there　were　others　more　fit　and　better　resembling　to
parallel　him　to。




CHAPTER　XXXIII

THE　STORY　OF　SPURINA

Philosophy　thinks　she　has　not　ill　employed　her　talent　when　she　has　given
the　sovereignty　of　the　soul　and　the　authority　of　restraining　our
appetites　to　reason。　　Amongst　which；　they　who　judge　that　there　is　none
more　violent　than　those　which　spring　from　love；　have　this　opinion　also；
that　they　seize　both　body　and　soul；　and　possess　the　whole　man；　so　that
even　health　itself　depends　upon　them；　and　medicine　is　sometimes
constrained　to　pimp　for　them；　but　one　might；　on　the　contrary；　also　say；
that　the　mixture　of　the　body　brings　an　abatement　and　weakening；　for　such
desires　are　subject　to　satiety；　and　capable　of　material　remedies。

Many；　being　determined　to　rid　their　soul　from　the　continual　alarms　of
this　appetite；　have　made　use　of　incision　and　amputation　of　the　rebelling
members；　others　have　subdued　their　force　and　ardour　by　the　frequent
application　of　cold　things；　as　snow　and　vinegar。　　The　sackcloths　of　our
ancestors　were　for　this　purpose；　which　is　cloth　woven　of　horse　hair；　of
which　some　of　them　made　shirts；　and　others　girdles；　to　torture　and
correct　their　reins。　　A　prince；　not　long　ago；　told　me　that　in　his　youth
upon　a　solemn　festival　in　the　court　of　King　Francis　I。；　where　everybody
was　finely　dressed；　he　would　needs　put　on　his　father's　hair　shirt；　which
was　still　kept　in　the　house；　but　how　great　soever　his　devotion　was；　he
had　not　patience　to　wear　it　till　night；　and　was　sick　a　long　time　after；
adding　withal；　that　he　did　not　think　there　could　be　any　youthful　heat　so
fierce　that　the　use　of　this　recipe　would　not　mortify；　and　yet　perhaps　he
never　essayed　the　most　violent；　for　experience　shows　us；　that　such
emotions　are　often　seen　under　rude　and　slovenly　clothes；　and　that　a　hair
shirt　does　not　always　render　those　chaste　who　wear　it。

Xenocrates　proceeded　with　greater　rigour　in　this　affair；　for　his
disciples；　to　make　trial　of　his　continency；　having　slipt　Lais；　that
beautiful　and　famous　courtesan；　into　his　bed；　quite　naked；　excepting　the
arms　of　her　beauty　and　her　wanton　allurements；　her　philters；　finding
that；　in　despite　of　his　reason　and　philosophical　rules；　his　unruly　flesh
began　to　mutiny；　he　caused　those　members　of　his　to　be　burned　that　he
found　consenting　to　this　rebellion。　　Whereas　the　passions　which　wholly
reside　in　the　soul；　as　ambition；　avarice；　and　the　rest；　find　the　reason
much　more　to　do；　because　it　cannot　there　be　helped　but　by　its　own　means；
neither　are　those　appetites　capable　of　satiety；　but　grow　sharper　and
increase　by　fruition。

The　sole　example　of　Julius　Caesar　may　suffice　to　demonstrate　to　us　the
disparity　of　these　appetites；　for　never　was　man　more　addicted　to　amorous
delights　than　he：　of　which　one　testimony　is　the　peculiar　care　he　had　of
his　person；　to　such　a　degree；　as　to　make　use　of　the　most　lascivious　means
to　that　end　then　in　use；　as　to　have　all　the　hairs　of　his　body　twitched
off；　and　to　wipe　all　over　with　perfumes　with　the　extremest　nicety。
And　he　was　a　beautiful　person　in　himself；　of　a　fair　complexion；　tall；
and　sprightly；　full　faced；　with　quick　hazel　eyes；　if　we　may　believe
Suetonius；　for　the　statues　of　him　that　we　see　at　Rome　do　not　in　all
points　answer　this　description。　　Besides　his　wives；　whom　he　four　times
changed；　without　reckoning　the　amours　of　his　boyhood　with　Nicomedes；　king
of　Bithynia；　he　had　the　maidenhead　of　the　renowned　Cleopatra；　queen　of
Egypt；　witness　the　little　Caesario　whom　he　had　by　her。　　He　also　made　love
to。　　Eunoe；　queen　of　Mauritania；　and　at　Rome；　to　Posthumia；　the　wife　of
Servius　Sulpitius；　to　Lollia；　the　wife　of　Gabinius　to　Tertulla；　the　wife
of　Crassus；　and　even　to　Mutia；　wife　to　the　great　Pompey：　which　was　the
reason；　the　Roman　historians　say；　that　she　was　repudiated　by　her　husband；
which　Plutarch　confesses　to　be　more　than　he　knew；　and　the　Curios；　both
father　and　son；　afterwards　reproached　Pompey；　when　he　married　Caesar's
daughter；　that　he　had　made　himself　son…in…law　to　a　man　who　had　made　him
cuckold；　and　one　whom　he　himself　was　wont　to　call　AEgisthus。　　Besides　all
these；　he　entertained　Servilia；　Cato's　sister　and　mother　to　Marcus
Brutus；　whence；　every　one　believes；　proceeded　the　great　affection　he　had
to　Brutus；　by　reason　that　he　was　born　at　a　time　when　it　was　likely　he
might　be　his　son。　　So　that　I　have　reason；　methinks；　to　take　him　for　a　man
extremely　given　to　this　debauch；　and　of　very　amorous　constitution。　　But
the　other　passion　of　ambition；　with　which　he　was　infinitely　smitten；
arising　in　him　to　contend　with　the　former；　it　was　boon　compelled　to　give
way。

And　here　calling　to　mind　Mohammed；　who　won　Constantinople；　and　finally
exterminated　the　Grecian　name；　I　do　not　know　where　these　two　were　so
evenly　balanced；　equally　an　indefatigable　lecher　and　soldier：　but　where
they　both　meet　in　his　life　and　jostle　one　another；　the　quarrelling
passion　always　gets　the　better　of　the　amorous　one；　and　this　though　it　was
out　of　its　natural　season　never　regained　an　absolute　sovereignty　over　the
other　till　he　had　arrived　at　an　extreme　old　age　and　unable　to　undergo　the
fatigues　of　war。

What　is　related　for　a　contrary　example　of　Ladislaus；　king　of　Naples；　is
very　remarkable；　that　being　a　great　captain；　valiant　and　ambitious；　he
proposed　to　himself　for　the　principal　end　of　his　ambition；　the　execution
of　his　pleasure　and　the　enjoyment　of　some　rare　and　excellent　beauty。　　His
death　sealed　up　all　the　rest：　for　having　by　a　close　and　tedious　siege
reduced　the　city　of　Florence　to　so　great　distress　that　the　inhabitants
were　compelled　to　capitulate　about　surrender；　he　was　content　to　let　them
alone；　provided　they　would　deliver　up　to　him　a　beautiful　maid　he　had
heard　of　in　their　city；　they　were　forced　to　yield　to　it；　and　by　a　private
injury　to　avert　the　public　ruin。　　She　was　the　daughter　of　a　famous
physician　of　his　time；　who；　finding　himself　involved　in　so　foul　a
necessity；　resolved　upon　a　high　attempt。　　As　every　one　was　lending　a　hand
to　trick　up　his　daughter　and　to　adorn　her　with　ornaments　and　jewels　to
render　her　more　agreeable　to　this　new　lover；　he　also　gave　her　a
handkerchief　most　richly　wrought；　and　of　an　exquisite　perfume；　an
implement　they　never　go　without　in　those　parts；　which　she　was　to　make　use
of　at　their　first　approaches。　　This　handkerchief；　poisoned　with　his
greatest　art；　coming　to　be　rubbed　between　the　chafed　flesh　and　open
pores；　both　of　the　one　and　the　other；　so　suddenly　infused　the　poison；
that　immediately　converting　their　warm　into　a　cold　sweat　they　presently
died　in　one　another's　arms。

But　I　return　to　Caesar。　　His　pleasures　never　made　him　steal　one　minute　of
an　hour；　nor　go　one　step　aside　from　occasions　that　might　any　way　conduce
to　his　advancement。　　This　passion　was　so　sovereign　in　him　over　all　the
rest；　and　with　so　absolute　authority　possessed　his　soul；　that　it　guided
him　at　pleasure。　　In　truth；　this　troubles　me；　when；　as　to　everything
else；　I　consider　the　greatness　of　this　man；　and　the　wonderful　parts
wherewith　he　was　endued；　learned　to　that　degree　in　all　sorts　of　knowledge
that　there　is　hardly　any　one　science　of　which　he　has　not　written；　so
great　an　orator　that　many　have　preferred　his　eloquence　to　that　of　Cicero；
and　he；　I　conceive；　did　not　think　himself　inferior　to　him　in　that
particular；　for　his　two　anti…Catos　were　written　to　counterbalance　the
elocution　that　Cicero　had　expended　in　his　Cato。　　As　to　the　rest；　was　ever
soul　so　vigilant；　so　active；　and　so　patient　of　labour　as　his？　and；
doubtless；　it　was　embellished　with　many　rare　seeds　of　virtue；　lively；
natural；　and　not　put　on；　he　was　singularly　sober；　so　far　from　being
delicate　in　his　diet；　that　Oppius　relates；　how　that　having　one　day　at
table　set　before　him　medicated　instead　of　common　oil　in　some　sauce；　he
ate　heartily　of　it；　that　he　might　not　put　his　entertainer　out　of
countenance。　　Another　time　he　caused　his　baker　to　be　whipped　for　serving
him　with　a　finer　than　ordinary　sort　of　bread。　　Cato　himself　was　wont　to
say　of　him；　that　he　was　the　first　sober　man　who　ever　made　it　his　business
to　ruin　his　country。　　And　as　to　the　sa