the essays of montaigne, v5-第10章
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more than his lackey; or a fishwife of the Petit Pont; and yet these will
give you a bellyful of talk; if you will hear them; and peradventure
shall trip as little in their language as the best masters of art in
France。 He knows no rhetoric; nor how in a preface to bribe the
benevolence of the courteous reader; neither does he care to know it。
Indeed all this fine decoration of painting is easily effaced by the
lustre of a simple and blunt truth; these fine flourishes serve only to
amuse the vulgar; of themselves incapable of more solid and nutritive
diet; as Aper very evidently demonstrates in Tacitus。〃 The ambassadors
of Samos; prepared with a long and elegant oration; came to Cleomenes;
king of Sparta; to incite him to a war against the tyrant Polycrates;
who; after he had heard their harangue with great gravity and patience;
gave them this answer: 〃As to the exordium; I remember it not; nor
consequently the middle of your speech; and for what concerns your
conclusion; I will not do what you desire:〃 'Plutarch; Apothegms of the
Lacedaemonians。' a very pretty answer this; methinks; and a pack of
learned orators most sweetly gravelled。 And what did the other man say?
The Athenians were to choose one of two architects for a very great
building they had designed; of these; the first; a pert affected fellow;
offered his service in a long premeditated discourse upon the subject of
the work in hand; and by his oratory inclined the voices of the people in
his favour; but the other in three words: 〃O Athenians; what this man
says; I will do。〃 'Plutarch; Instructions to Statesmen; c。 4。'
When Cicero was in the height and heat of an eloquent harangue; many were
struck with admiration; but Cato only laughed; saying; 〃We have a
pleasant (mirth…making) consul。〃 Let it go before; or come after; a good
sentence or a thing well said; is always in season; if it neither suit
well with what went before; nor has much coherence with what follows
after; it is good in itself。 I am none of those who think that good
rhyme makes a good poem。 Let him make short long; and long short if he
will; 'tis no great matter; if there be invention; and that the wit and
judgment have well performed their offices; I will say; here's a good
poet; but an ill rhymer。
〃Emunctae naris; durus componere versus。〃
'〃Of delicate humour; but of rugged versification。〃
Horace; Sat; iv。 8。'
Let a man; says Horace; divest his work of all method and measure;
〃Tempora certa modosque; et; quod prius ordine verbum est;
Posterius facias; praeponens ultima primis
Invenias etiam disjecti membra poetae。〃
'〃Take away certain rhythms and measures; and make the word which
was first in order come later; putting that which should be last
first; you will still find the scattered remains of the poet。〃
Horace; Sat。; i。 4; 58。'
he will never the more lose himself for that; the very pieces will be
fine by themselves。 Menander's answer had this meaning; who being
reproved by a friend; the time drawing on at which he had promised a
comedy; that he had not yet fallen in hand with it; 〃It is made; and
ready;〃 said he; 〃all but the verses。〃 'Plutarch; Whether the Athenians
more excelled in Arms or in Letters。' Having contrived the subject; and
disposed the scenes in his fancy; he took little care for the rest。
Since Ronsard and Du Bellay have given reputation to our French poesy;
every little dabbler; for aught I see; swells his words as high; and
makes his cadences very near as harmonious as they:
〃Plus sonat; quam valet。〃
'〃More sound than sense〃Seneca; Ep。; 40。'
For the vulgar; there were never so many poetasters as now; but though
they find it no hard matter to imitate their rhyme; they yet fall
infinitely short of imitating the rich descriptions of the one; and the
delicate invention of the other of these masters。
But what will become of our young gentleman; if he be attacked with the
sophistic subtlety of some syllogism? 〃A Westfalia ham makes a man
drink; drink quenches thirst: ergo a Westfalia ham quenches thirst。〃
Why; let him laugh at it; it will be more discretion to do so; than to go
about to answer it; or let him borrow this pleasant evasion from
Aristippus: 〃Why should I trouble myself to untie that; which bound as
it is; gives me so much trouble?〃 'Diogenes Laertius; ii。 70。'
One offering at this dialectic juggling against Cleanthes; Chrysippus
took him short; saying; 〃Reserve these baubles to play with children;
and do not by such fooleries divert the serious thoughts of a man of
years。〃 If these ridiculous subtleties;
〃Contorta et aculeata sophismata;〃
as Cicero calls them; are designed to possess him with an untruth; they
are dangerous; but if they signify no more than only to make him laugh;
I do not see why a man need to be fortified against them。 There are some
so ridiculous; as to go a mile out of their way to hook in a fine word:
〃Aut qui non verba rebus aptant; sed res extrinsecus
arcessunt; quibus verba conveniant。〃
'〃Who do not fit words to the subject; but seek out for things
quite from the purpose to fit the words。〃Quintilian; viii。 3。'
And as another says;
〃Qui; alicujus verbi decore placentis; vocentur ad id;
quod non proposuerant scribere。〃
'〃Who by their fondness of some fine sounding word; are tempted to
something they had no intention to treat of。〃Seneca; Ep。; 59。'
I for my part rather bring in a fine sentence by head and shoulders to
fit my purpose; than divert my designs to hunt after a sentence。 On the
contrary; words are to serve; and to follow a man's purpose; and let
Gascon come in play where French will not do。 I would have things so
excelling; and so wholly possessing the imagination of him that hears;
that he should have something else to do; than to think of words。 The
way of speaking that I love; is natural and plain; the same in writing as
in speaking; and a sinewy and muscular way of expressing a man's self;
short and pithy; not so elegant and artificial as prompt and vehement;
〃Haec demum sapiet dictio; qux feriet;〃
'〃That has most weight and wisdom which pierces the ear。〃 (〃That
utterance indeed will have a taste which shall strike the ear。〃)
Epitaph on Lucan; in Fabricius; Biblioth。 Lat。; ii。 10。'
rather hard than wearisome; free from affectation; irregular;
incontinuous; and bold; where every piece makes up an entire body; not
like a pedant; a preacher; or a pleader; but rather a soldier…like style;
as Suetonius calls that of Julius Caesar; and yet I see no reason why he
should call it so。 I have ever been ready to imitate the negligent garb;
which is yet observable amongst the young men of our time; to wear my
cloak on one shoulder; my cap on one side; a stocking in disorder; which
seems to express a kind of haughty disdain of these exotic ornaments; and
a contempt of the artificial; but I find this negligence of much better
use in the form of speaking。 All affectation; particularly in the French
gaiety and freedom; is ungraceful in a courtier; and in a monarchy every
gentleman ought to be fashioned according to the court model; for which
reason; an easy and natural negligence does well。 I no more like a web
where the knots and seams are to be seen; than a fine figure; so
delicate; that a man may tell all the bones and veins:
〃Quae veritati operam dat oratio; incomposita sit et simplex。〃
'〃Let the language that is dedicated to truth be plain and
unaffected。Seneca; Ep。 40。'
〃Quis accurat loquitur; nisi qui vult putide loqui?〃
'〃For who studies to speak accurately; that does not at the same
time wish to perplex his auditory?〃Idem; Ep。; 75。'
That eloquence prejudices the subject it would advance; that wholly
attracts us to itself。 And as in our outward habit; 'tis a ridiculous
effeminacy to distinguish ourselves by a particular and unusual garb or
fashion; so in language; to study new phrases; and to affect words that