the essays of montaigne, v5-第13章

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Whereas　I　now　find；　that　I　myself　was　to　be　pitied　as　much；　at　least；
as　they；　not　that　experience　has　taught　me　anything　to　alter　my　former
opinions；　though　my　curiosity　has　endeavoured　that　way；　but　reason　has
instructed　me；　that　thus　resolutely　to　condemn　anything　for　false　and
impossible；　is　arrogantly　and　impiously　to　circumscribe　and　limit　the
will　of　God；　and　the　power　of　our　mother　nature；　within　the　bounds　of　my
own　capacity；　than　which　no　folly　can　be　greater。　　If　we　give　the　names
of　monster　and　miracle　to　everything　our　reason　cannot　comprehend；　how
many　are　continually　presented　before　our　eyes？　　Let　us　but　consider
through　what　clouds；　and　as　it　were　groping　in　the　dark；　our　teachers
lead　us　to　the　knowledge　of　most　of　the　things　about　us；　assuredly　we
shall　find　that　it　is　rather　custom　than　knowledge　that　takes　away　their
strangeness

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Jam　nemo；　fessus　saturusque　videndi；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Suspicere　in　coeli　dignatur　lucida　templa；〃

　　　　　＇〃Weary　of　the　sight；　now　no　one　deigns　to　look　up　to　heaven's　lucid
　　　　　temples。〃Lucretius；　ii。　　1037。　　The　text　has　'statiate　videnai'＇

and　that　if　those　things　were　now　newly　presented　to　us；　we　should　think
them　as　incredible；　if　not　more；　than　any　others。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Si　nunc　primum　mortalibus　adsint
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ex　improviso；　si　sint　objecta　repente；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nil　magis　his　rebus　poterat　mirabile　dici；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Aute　minus　ante　quod　auderent　fore　credere　gentes。〃

　　　　　＇Lucretius；　ii。　1032。　　The　sense　of　the　passage　is　in　the　preceding
　　　　　sentence。＇

He　that　had　never　seen　a　river；　imagined　the　first　he　met　with　to　be　the
sea；　and　the　greatest　things　that　have　fallen　within　our　knowledge；　we
conclude　the　extremes　that　nature　makes　of　the　kind。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Scilicet　et　fluvius　qui　non　est　maximus；　ei'st
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Qui　non　ante　aliquem　majorem　vidit；　et　ingens
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Arbor；　homoque　videtur；　et　omnia　de　genere　omni
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Maxima　quae　vidit　quisque；　haec　ingentia　fingit。〃

　　　　　＇〃A　little　river　seems　to　him；　who　has　never　seen　a　larger　river；　a
　　　　　mighty　stream；　and　so　with　other　thingsa　tree；　a　mananything
　　　　　appears　greatest　to　him　that　never　knew　a　greater。〃Idem；　vi。　674。＇

　　　　　　　　　〃Consuetudine　oculorum　assuescunt　animi；　neque　admirantur；
　　　　　　　　　　neque　requirunt　rationes　earum　rerum；　quas　semper　vident。〃

　　　　　＇〃Things　grow　familiar　to　men's　minds　by　being　often　seen；　so　that
　　　　　they　neither　admire　nor　are　they　inquisitive　about　things　they　daily
　　　　　see。〃　Cicero；　De　Natura　Deor。；　lib。　ii。　38。＇

The　novelty；　rather　than　the　greatness　of　things；　tempts　us　to　inquire
into　their　causes。　　We　are　to　judge　with　more　reverence；　and　with　greater
acknowledgment　of　our　own　ignorance　and　infirmity；　of　the　infinite　power
of　nature。　　How　many　unlikely　things　are　there　testified　by　people　worthy
of　faith；　which；　if　we　cannot　persuade　ourselves　absolutely　to　believe；
we　ought　at　least　to　leave　them　in　suspense；　for；　to　condemn　them　as
impossible；　is　by　a　temerarious　presumption　to　pretend　to　know　the　utmost
bounds　of　possibility。　　Did　we　rightly　understand　the　difference　betwixt
the　impossible　and　the　unusual；　and　betwixt　that　which　is　contrary　to　the
order　and　course　of　nature　and　contrary　to　the　common　opinion　of　men；　in
not　believing　rashly；　and　on　the　other　hand；　in　not　being　too
incredulous；　we　should　observe　the　rule　of　'Ne　quid　nimis'　enjoined　by
Chilo。

When　we　find　in　Froissart；　that　the　Comte　de　Foix　　knew　in　Bearn　the
defeat　of　John；　king　of　Castile；　at　Jubera　the　next　day　after　it
happened；　and　the　means　by　which　he　tells　us　he　came　to　do　so；　we　may　be
allowed　to　be　a　little　merry　at　it；　as　also　at　what　our　annals　report；
that　Pope　Honorius；　the　same　day　that　King　Philip　Augustus　died　at
Mantes；　performed　his　public　obsequies　at　Rome；　and　commanded　the　like
throughout　Italy；　the　testimony　of　these　authors　not　being；　perhaps；　of
authority　enough　to　restrain　us。　　But　what　if　Plutarch；　besides　several
examples　that　he　produces　out　of　antiquity；　tells　us；　he　knows　of　certain
knowledge；　that　in　the　time　of　Domitian；　the　news　of　the　battle　lost　by
Antony　in　Germany　was　published　at　Rome；　many　days'　journey　from　thence；
and　dispersed　throughout　the　whole　world；　the　same　day　it　was　fought；
and　if　Caesar　was　of　opinion；　that　it　has　often　happened；　that　the　report
has　preceded　the　incident；　shall　we　not　say；　that　these　simple　people
have　suffered　themselves　to　be　deceived　with　the　vulgar；　for　not　having
been　so　clear…sighted　as　we？　　Is　there　anything　more　delicate；　more
clear；　more　sprightly；　than　Pliny's　judgment；　when　he　is　pleased　to　set
it　to　work？　　Anything　more　remote　from　vanity？　　Setting　aside　his
learning；　of　which　I　make　less　account；　in　which　of　these　excellences　do
any　of　us　excel　him？　　And　yet　there　is　scarce　a　young　schoolboy　that　does
not　convict　him　of　untruth；　and　that　pretends　not　to　instruct　him　in　the
progress　of　the　works　of　nature。　　When　we　read　in　Bouchet　the　miracles　of
St。　Hilary's　relics；　away　with　them：　his　authority　is　not　sufficient　to
deprive　us　of　the　liberty　of　contradicting　him；　but　generally　and　offhand
to　condemn　all　suchlike　stories；　seems　to　me　a　singular　impudence。　　That
great　St。　Augustin'　testifies　to　have　seen　a　blind　child　recover　sight
upon　the　relics　of　St。　Gervasius　and　St。　Protasius　at　Milan；　a　woman　at
Carthage　cured　of　a　cancer；　by　the　sign　of　the　cross　made　upon　her　by　a
woman　newly　baptized；　Hesperius；　a　familiar　friend　of　his；　to　have　driven
away　the　spirits　that　haunted　his　house；　with　a　little　earth　of　the
sepulchre　of　our　Lord；　which　earth；　being　also　transported　thence　into
the　church；　a　paralytic　to　have　there　been　suddenly　cured　by　it；　a　woman
in　a　procession；　having　touched　St。　Stephen's　shrine　with　a　nosegay；　and
rubbing　her　eyes　with　it；　to　have　recovered　her　sight；　lost　many　years
before；　with　several　other　miracles　of　which　he　professes　himself　to　have
been　an　eyewitness：　of　what　shall　we　excuse　him　and　the　two　holy　bishops；
Aurelius　and　Maximinus；　both　of　whom　he　attests　to　the　truth　of　these
things？　　Shall　it　be　of　ignorance；　simplicity；　and　facility；　or　of　malice
and　imposture？　　Is　any　man　now　living　so　impudent　as　to　think　himself
comparable　to　them　in　virtue；　piety；　learning；　judgment；　or　any　kind　of
perfection？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Qui；　ut　rationem　nullam　afferrent；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ipsa　auctoritate　me　frangerent。〃


　　　　　＇〃Who；　though　they　should　adduce　no　reason；　would　convince　me　with
　　　　　their　authority　alone。〃Cicero；　Tusc。　Quaes；　i。　21。＇

'Tis　a　presumption　of　great　danger　and　consequence；　besides　the　absurd
temerity　it　draws　after　it；　to　contemn　what　we　do　not　comprehend。　　For
after；　according　to　your　fine　understanding；　you　have　established　the
limits　of　truth　and　error；　and　that；　afterwards；　there　appears　a
necessity　upon　you　of　believing　stranger　things　than　those　you　have
contradicted；　you　are　already　obliged　to　quit　your　limits。　　Now；　that
which　seems　to　me　so　much　to　disorder　our　consciences　in　the　commotions
we　are　now　in　concerning　religion；　is　the　Catholics　dispensing　so　much
with　their　belief。　　They　fancy　they　appear　moderate；　and　wise；　when　they
grant　to　their　opponents　some　of　the　articles　in　question；　but；　besides
that　they　do　not　discern　what　advantage　it　is　to　those　with　whom　we
contend；　to　begin　to　give　ground　and　to　retire；　and　how　much　this
animates　our　enemy　to　follow　his　blow：　these　articles　which　they　select
as　things　indifferent；　are　sometimes　of　very　great　importance。　　We　are
either　wholly　and　absolutely　to　submit　ourselves　to　the　authority　of　our
ecclesiastical　polity；　or　totally　throw　off　all　obedience　to　it：　'tis　not
for　us　to　determine　what　and　how　much　obedience　we　owe　to　it。　　And　this　I
can　say；　as　having　myself　made　trial　of　it；　that　having　formerly　taken
the　liberty　of　my　own　swing　and　fancy；　and　omitted　or　neglected　certain
rules　of　the　discipline　of　our　Church；　which　seemed　to　me　vain　and
strange　coming　afterwards　to　discourse　of　it　with　learned　men；　I　have
found　those　same　things　to　be　built　upon　very　good　and　solid　ground　and
strong　foundation；　and　that　nothing　but　stupidity　and　ignorance