the essays of montaigne, v5-第11章

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fashion；　so　in　language；　to　study　new　phrases；　and　to　affect　words　that
are　not　of　current　use；　proceeds　from　a　puerile　and　scholastic　ambition。
May　I　be　bound　to　speak　no　other　language　than　what　is　spoken　in　the
market…places　of　Paris！　　Aristophanes　the　grammarian　was　quite　out；　when
he　reprehended　Epicurus　for　his　plain　way　of　delivering　himself；　and　the
design　of　his　oratory；　which　was　only　perspicuity　of　speech。
The　imitation　of　words；　by　its　own　facility；　immediately　disperses　itself
through　a　whole　people；　but　the　imitation　of　inventing　and　fitly　applying
those　words　is　of　a　slower　progress。　　The　generality　of　readers；　for
having　found　a　like　robe；　very　mistakingly　imagine　they　have　the　same
body　and　inside　too；　whereas　force　and　sinews　are　never　to　be　borrowed；
the　gloss；　and　outward　ornament；　that　is；　words　and　elocution；　may。　　Most
of　those　I　converse　with；　speak　the　same　language　I　here　write；　but
whether　they　think　the　same　thoughts　I　cannot　say。　　The　Athenians；　says
Plato；　study　fulness　and　elegancy　of　speaking；　the　Lacedaemonians　affect
brevity；　and　those　of　Crete　to　aim　more　at　the　fecundity　of　conception
than　the　fertility　of　speech；　and　these　are　the　best。　　Zeno　used　to　say
that　he　had　two　sorts　of　disciples；　one　that　he　called　cy…ous；
curious　to　learn　things；　and　these　were　his　favourites；　the　other；
aoy…ous；　that　cared　for　nothing　but　words。　　Not　that　fine　speaking　is
not　a　very　good　and　commendable　quality；　but　not　so　excellent　and　so
necessary　as　some　would　make　it；　and　I　am　scandalised　that　our　whole　life
should　be　spent　in　nothing　else。　　I　would　first　understand　my　own
language；　and　that　of　my　neighbours；　with　whom　most　of　my　business　and
conversation　lies。

No　doubt　but　Greek　and　Latin　are　very　great　ornaments；　and　of　very　great
use；　but　we　buy　them　too　dear。　　I　will　here　discover　one　way；　which　has
been　experimented　in　my　own　person；　by　which　they　are　to　be　had　better
cheap；　and　such　may　make　use　of　it　as　will。　　My　late　father　having　made
the　most　precise　inquiry　that　any　man　could　possibly　make　amongst　men　of
the　greatest　learning　and　judgment；　of　an　exact　method　of　education；　was
by　them　cautioned　of　this　inconvenience　then　in　use；　and　made　to　believe；
that　the　tedious　time　we　applied　to　the　learning　of　the　tongues　of　them
who　had　them　for　nothing；　was　the　sole　cause　we　could　not　arrive　to　the
grandeur　of　soul　and　perfection　of　knowledge；　of　the　ancient　Greeks　and
Romans。　　I　do　not；　however；　believe　that　to　be　the　only　cause。　　So　it　is；
that　the　expedient　my　father　found　out　for　this　was；　that　in　my　infancy；
and　before　I　began　to　speak；　he　committed　me　to　the　care　of　a　German；　who
since　died　a　famous　physician　in　France；　totally　ignorant　of　our
language；　and　very　fluent　and　a　great　critic　in　Latin。　　This　man；　whom　he
had　fetched　out　of　his　own　country；　and　whom　he　entertained　with　a　great
salary　for　this　only　one　end；　had　me　continually　with　him；　he　had　with
him　also　joined　two　others；　of　inferior　learning；　to　attend　me；　and　to
relieve　him；　these　spoke　to　me　in　no　other　language　but　Latin。　　As　to　the
rest　of　his　household；　it　was　an　inviolable　rule；　that　neither　himself；
nor　my　mother；　nor　valet；　nor　chambermaid；　should　speak　anything　in　my
company；　but　such　Latin　words　as　each　one　had　learned　to　gabble　with　me。
＇These　passages　are；　the　basis　of　a　small　volume　by　the　Abbe　Mangin：
〃Education　de　Montaigne；　ou；　L'Art　d'enseigner　le　Latin　A　1'instar　des
meres　latines。＇It　is　not　to　be　imagined　how　great　an　advantage　this
proved　to　the　whole　family；　my　father　and　my　mother　by　this　means　learned
Latin　enough　to　understand　it　perfectly　well；　and　to　speak　it　to　such　a
degree　as　was　sufficient　for　any　necessary　use；　as　also　those　of　the
servants　did　who　were　most　frequently　with　me。　　In　short；　we　Latined　it
at　such　a　rate；　that　it　overflowed　to　all　the　neighbouring　villages；
where　there　yet　remain；　that　have　established　themselves　by　custom；
several　Latin　appellations　of　artisans　and　their　tools。　　As　for　what
concerns　myself；　I　was　above　six　years　of　age　before　I　understood　either
French　or　Perigordin；　any　more　than　Arabic；　and　without　art；　book；
grammar；　or　precept；　whipping；　or　the　expense　of　a　tear；　I　had；　by　that
time；　learned　to　speak　as　pure　Latin　as　my　master　himself；　for　I　had　no
means　of　mixing　it　up　with　any　other。　　If；　for　example；　they　were　to　give
me　a　theme　after　the　college　fashion；　they　gave　it　to　others　in　French；
but　to　me　they　were　to　give　it　in　bad　Latin；　to　turn　it　into　that　which
was　good。　　And　Nicolas　Grouchy；　who　wrote　a　book　De　Comitiis　Romanorum；
Guillaume　Guerente；　who　wrote　a　comment　upon　Aristotle：　George　Buchanan；
that　great　Scottish　poet：　and　Marc　Antoine　Muret　（whom　both　France　and
Italy　have　acknowledged　for　the　best　orator　of　his　time）；　my　domestic
tutors；　have　all　of　them　often　told　me　that　I　had　in　my　infancy　that
language　so　very　fluent　and　ready；　that　they　were　afraid　to　enter　into
discourse　with　me。　　And　particularly　Buchanan；　whom　I　since　saw　attending
the　late　Mareschal　de　Brissac；　then　told　me；　that　he　was　about　to　write　a
treatise　of　education；　the　example　of　which　he　intended　to　take　from
mine；　for　he　was　then　tutor　to　that　Comte　de　Brissac　who　afterward　proved
so　valiant　and　so　brave　a　gentleman。

As　to　Greek；　of　which　I　have　but　a　mere　smattering；　my　father　also
designed　to　have　it　taught　me　by　a　device；　but　a　new　one；　and　by　way　of
sport；　tossing　our　declensions　to　and　fro；　after　the　manner　of　those　who；
by　certain　games　of　tables；　learn　geometry　and　arithmetic。　　For　he；
amongst　other　rules；　had　been　advised　to　make　me　relish　science　and　duty
by　an　unforced　will；　and　of　my　own　voluntary　motion；　and　to　educate　my
soul　in　all　liberty　and　delight；　without　any　severity　or　constraint；
which　he　was　an　observer　of　to　such　a　degree；　even　of　superstition；　if　I
may　say　so；　that　some　being　of　opinion　that　it　troubles　and　disturbs　the
brains　of　children　suddenly　to　wake　them　in　the　morning；　and　to　snatch
them　violentlyand　over…hastily　from　sleep　（wherein　they　are　much　more
profoundly　involved　than　we）；　he　caused　me　to　be　wakened　by　the　sound　of
some　musical　instrument；　and　was　never　unprovided　of　a　musician　for　that
purpose。　　By　this　example　you　may　judge　of　the　rest；　this　alone　being
sufficient　to　recommend　both　the　prudence　and　the　affection　of　so　good　a
father；　who　is　not　to　be　blamed　if　he　did　not　reap　fruits　answerable　to
so　exquisite　a　culture。　　Of　this；　two　things　were　the　cause：　first；　a
sterile　and　improper　soil；　for；　though　I　was　of　a　strong　and　healthful
constitution；　and　of　a　disposition　tolerably　sweet　and　tractable；　yet　I
was；　withal；　so　heavy；　idle；　and　indisposed；　that　they　could　not　rouse　me
from　my　sloth；　not　even　to　get　me　out　to　play。　　What　I　saw；　I　saw　clearly
enough；　and　under　this　heavy　complexion　nourished　a　bold　imagination　and
opinions　above　my　age。　　I　had　a　slow　wit　that　would　go　no　faster　than　it
was　led；　a　tardy　understanding；　a　languishing　invention；　and　above　all；
incredible　defect　of　memory；　so　that；　it　is　no　wonder；　if　from　all　these
nothing　considerable　could　be　extracted。　　Secondly；　like　those　who；
impatient　of　along　and　steady　cure；　submit　to　all　sorts　of　prescriptions
and　recipes；　the　good　man　being　extremely　timorous　of　any　way　failing　in
a　thing　he　had　so　wholly　set　his　heart　upon；　suffered　himself　at　last　to
be　overruled　by　the　common　opinions；　which　always　follow　their　leader　as
a　flight　of　cranes；　and　complying　with　the　method　of　the　time；　having　no
more　those　persons　he　had　brought　out　of　Italy；　and　who　had　given　him　the
first　model　of　education；　about　him；　he　sent　me　at　six　years　of　age　to
the　College　of　Guienne；　at　that　time　the　best　and　most　flourishing　in
France。　　And　there　it　was　not　possible　to　add　anything　to　the　care　he　had
to　provide　me　the　most　able　tutors；　with　all　other　circumstances　of
education；　reserving　also　several　particular　rules　contrary　to　the
college　practice；　but　so　it　was；　that　with　all　these　precautions；　it　was
a　college　still。　　My　Latin　immediately　grew　corrupt；　of　which　also　by
discontinuance　I　have　since　lost　all　manner　of　use；　so　that　this　new　way
of　education　served　me　to　no　other　end；　than　only　a