the essays of montaigne, v5-第2章

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praise　alone　is　worth　the　having。　　For　my　own　part；　there　is　nothing　I
would　not　sooner　do　than　that；　neither　have　I　said　so　much　of　others；　but
to　get　a　better　opportunity　to　explain　myself。　　Nor　in　this　do　I　glance
at　the　composers　of　centos；　who　declare　themselves　for　such；　of　which
sort　of　writers　I　have　in　my　time　known　many　very　ingenious；　and
particularly　one　under　the　name　of　Capilupus；　besides　the　ancients。
These　are　really　men　of　wit；　and　that　make　it　appear　they　are　so；　both　by
that　and　other　ways　of　writing；　as　for　example；　Lipsius；　in　that　learned
and　laborious　contexture　of　his　Politics。

But；　be　it　how　it　will；　and　how　inconsiderable　soever　these　ineptitudes
may　be；　I　will　say　I　never　intended　to　conceal　them；　no　more　than　my　old
bald　grizzled　likeness　before　them；　where　the　painter　has　presented　you
not　with　a　perfect　face；　but　with　mine。　　For　these　are　my　own　particular
opinions　and　fancies；　and　I　deliver　them　as　only　what　I　myself　believe；
and　not　for　what　is　to　be　believed　by　others。　　I　have　no　other　end　in
this　writing；　but　only　to　discover　myself；　who；　also　shall；　peradventure；
be　another　thing　to…morrow；　if　I　chance　to　meet　any　new　instruction　to
change　me。　　I　have　no　authority　to　be　believed；　neither　do　I　desire　it；
being　too　conscious　of　my　own　inerudition　to　be　able　to　instruct　others。

Some　one；　then；　having　seen　the　preceding　chapter；　the　other　day　told　me
at　my　house；　that　I　should　a　little　farther　have　extended　my　discourse　on
the　education　of　children。＇〃　Which；　how　fit　I　am　to　do；　let　my　friends
flatter　me　if　they　please；　I　have　in　the　meantime　no　such　opinion　of　my
own　talent；　as　to　promise　myself　any　very　good　success　from　my
endeavour。〃　　This　passage　would　appear　to　be　an　interpolation　by　Cotton。
At　all　events；　I　do　not　find　it　in　the　original　editions　before　me；　or　in
Coste。＇

Now；　madam；　if　I　had　any　sufficiency　in　this　subject；　I　could　not
possibly　better　employ　it；　than　to　present　my　best　instructions　to　the
little　man　that　threatens　you　shortly　with　a　happy　birth　（for　you　are　too
generous　to　begin　otherwise　than　with　a　male）；　for；　having　had　so　great　a
hand　in　the　treaty　of　your　marriage；　I　have　a　certain　particular　right
and　interest　in　the　greatness　and　prosperity　of　the　issue　that　shall
spring　from　it；　beside　that；　your　having　had　the　best　of　my　services　so
long　in　possession；　sufficiently　obliges　me　to　desire　the　honour　and
advantage　of　all　wherein　you　shall　be　concerned。　　But；　in　truth；　all　I
understand　as　to　that　particular　is　only　this；　that　the　greatest　and　most
important　difficulty　of　human　science　is　the　education　of　children。　　For
as　in　agriculture；　the　husbandry　that　is　to　precede　planting；　as　also
planting　itself；　is　certain；　plain；　and　well　known；　but　after　that　which
is　planted　comes　to　life；　there　is　a　great　deal　more　to　be　done；　more　art
to　be　used；　more　care　to　be　taken；　and　much　more　difficulty　to　cultivate
and　bring　it　to　perfection　so　it　is　with　men；　it　is　no　hard　matter　to　get
children；　but　after　they　are　born；　then　begins　the　trouble；　solicitude；
and　care　rightly　to　train；　principle；　and　bring　them　up。　　The　symptoms　of
their　inclinations　in　that　tender　age　are　so　obscure；　and　the　promises　so
uncertain　and　fallacious；　that　it　is　very　hard　to　establish　any　solid
judgment　or　conjecture　upon　them。　　Look　at　Cimon；　for　example；　and
Themistocles；　and　a　thousand　others；　who　very　much　deceived　the
expectation　men　had　of　them。　　Cubs　of　bears　and　puppies　readily　discover
their　natural　inclination；　but　men；　so　soon　as　ever　they　are　grownup；
applying　themselves　to　certain　habits；　engaging　themselves　in　certain
opinions；　and　conforming　themselves　to　particular　laws　and　customs；
easily　alter；　or　at　least　disguise；　their　true　and　real　disposition；　and
yet　it　is　hard　to　force　the　propension　of　nature。　　Whence　it　comes　to
pass；　that　for　not　having　chosen　the　right　course；　we　often　take　very
great　pains；　and　consume　a　good　part　of　our　time　m　training　up　children
to　things；　for　which；　by　their　natural　constitution；　they　are　totally
unfit。　　In　this　difficulty；　nevertheless；　I　am　clearly　of　opinion；　that
they　ought　to　be　elemented　in　the　best　and　most　advantageous　studies；
without　taking　too　much　notice　of；　or　being　too　superstitious　in　those
light　prognostics　they　give　of　themselves　in　their　tender　years；　and　to
which　Plato；　in　his　Republic；　gives；　methinks；　too　much　authority。

Madam；　science　is　a　very　great　ornament；　and　a　thing　of　marvellous　use；
especially　in　persons　raised　to　that　degree　of　fortune　in　which　you　are。
And；　in　truth；　in　persons　of　mean　and　low　condition；　it　cannot　perform
its　true　and　genuine　office；　being　naturally　more　prompt　to　assist　in　the
conduct　of　war；　in　the　government　of　peoples；　in　negotiating　the　leagues
and　friendships　of　princes　and　foreign　nations；　than　in　forming　a
syllogism　in　logic；　in　pleading　a　process　in　law；　or　in　prescribing　a
dose　of　pills　in　physic。　　Wherefore；　madam；　believing　you　will　not　omit
this　so　necessary　feature　in　the　education　of　your　children；　who　yourself
have　tasted　its　sweetness；　and　are　of　a　learned　extraction　（for　we　yet
have　the　writings　of　the　ancient　Counts　of　Foix；　from　whom　my　lord；　your
husband；　and　yourself；　are　both　of　you　descended；　and　Monsieur　de
Candale；　your　uncle；　every　day　obliges　the　world　with　others；　which　will
extend　the　knowledge　of　this　quality　in　your　family　for　so　many
succeeding　ages）；　I　will；　upon　this　occasion；　presume　to　acquaint　your
ladyship　with　one　particular　fancy　of　my　own；　contrary　to　the　common
method；　which　is　all　I　am　able　to　contribute　to　your　service　in　this
affair。

The　charge　of　the　tutor　you　shall　provide　for　your　son；　upon　the　choice
of　whom　depends　the　whole　success　of　his　education；　has　several　other
great　and　considerable　parts　and　duties　required　in　so　important　a　trust；
besides　that　of　which　I　am　about　to　speak：　these；　however；　I　shall　not
mention；　as　being　unable　to　add　anything　of　moment　to　the　common　rules：
and　in　this；　wherein　I　take　upon　me　to　advise；　he　may　follow　it　so　far
only　as　it　shall　appear　advisable。

For　a；　boy　of　quality　then；　who　pretends　to　letters　not　upon　the　account
of　profit　（for　so　mean　an　object　is　unworthy　of　the　grace　and　favour
of　the　Muses；　and　moreover；　in　it　a　man　directs　his　service　to　and
depends　upon　others）；　nor　so　much　for　outward　ornament；　as　for　his　own
proper　and　peculiar　use；　and　to　furnish　and　enrich　himself　within；　having
rather　a　desire　to　come　out　an　accomplished　cavalier　than　a　mere　scholar
or　learned　man；　for　such　a　one；　I　say；　I　would；　also；　have　his　friends
solicitous　to　find　him　out　a　tutor；　who　has　rather　a　well…made　than　a
well…filled　head；　＇〃'Tete　bien　faite'；　an　expression　created　by
Montaigne；　and　which　has　remained　a　part　of　our　language。〃Servan。＇
seeking；　indeed；　both　the　one　and　the　other；　but　rather　of　the　two　to
prefer　manners　and　judgment　to　mere　learning；　and　that　this　man　should
exercise　his　charge　after　a　new　method。

'Tis　the　custom　of　pedagogues　to　be　eternally　thundering　in　their　pupil's
ears；　as　they　were　pouring　into　a　funnel；　whilst　the　business　of　the
pupil　is　only　to　repeat　what　the　others　have　said：　now　I　would　have　a
tutor　to　correct　this　error；　and；　that　at　the　very　first；　he　should
according　to　the　capacity　he　has　to　deal　with；　put　it　to　the　test；
permitting　his　pupil　himself　to　taste　things；　and　of　himself　to　discern
and　choose　them；　sometimes　opening　the　way　to　him；　and　sometimes　leaving
him　to　open　it　for　himself；　that　is；　I　would　not　have　him　alone　to　invent
and　speak；　but　that　he　should　also　hear　his　pupil　speak　in　turn。
Socrates；　and　since　him　Arcesilaus；　made　first　their　scholars　speak；　and
then　they　spoke　to　them　＇Diogenes　Laertius；　iv。　36。＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Obest　plerumque　iis；　qui　discere　volunt；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　auctoritas　eorum；　qui　docent。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　authority　of　those　who　teach；　is　very　often　an　impediment　to
　　　　　those　who　desire　to　learn。〃Cicero；　De　Natura　Deor。；　i。　5。＇

It　is　good　to　make　him；　like　a　young　horse；　trot　before　him；　that　he　may
judge　of　his　going；　and　how　much　he　is　to　abate　of　his　own　speed；　to
accommodate　himself　to　the　vigour　and　capacity　of　the　other。　　For