the essays of montaigne, v5-第3章

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accommodate　himself　to　the　vigour　and　capacity　of　the　other。　　For　want　of
which　due　proportion　we　spoil　all；　which　also　to　know　how　to　adjust；　and
to　keep　within　an　exact　and　due　measure；　is　one　of　the　hardest　things　I
know；　and　'tis　the　effect　of　a　high　and　well…tempered　soul；　to　know　how
to　condescend　to　such　puerile　motions　and　to　govern　and　direct　them。
I　walk　firmer　and　more　secure　up　hill　than　down。

Such　as；　according　to　our　common　way　of　teaching；　undertake；　with　one　and
the　same　lesson；　and　the　same　measure　of　direction；　to　instruct　several
boys　of　differing　and　unequal　capacities；　are　infinitely　mistaken；　and
'tis　no　wonder；　if　in　a　whole　multitude　of　scholars；　there　are　not　found
above　two　or　three　who　bring　away　any　good　account　of　their　time　and
discipline。　　Let　the　master　not　only　examine　him　about　the　grammatical
construction　of　the　bare　words　of　his　lesson；　but　about　the　sense　and　let
him　judge　of　the　profit　he　has　made；　not　by　the　testimony　of　his　memory；
but　by　that　of　his　life。　　Let　him　make　him　put　what　he　has　learned　into　a
hundred　several　forms；　and　accommodate　it　to　so　many　several　subjects；　to
see　if　he　yet　rightly　comprehends　it；　and　has　made　it　his　own；　taking
instruction　of　his　progress　by　the　pedagogic　institutions　of　Plato。　　'Tis
a　sign　of　crudity　and　indigestion　to　disgorge　what　we　eat　in　the　same
condition　it　was　swallowed；　the　stomach　has　not　performed　its　office
unless　it　have　altered　the　form　and　condition　of　what　was　committed　to　it
to　concoct。　　Our　minds　work　only　upon　trust；　when　bound　and　compelled　to
follow　the　appetite　of　another's　fancy；　enslaved　and　captivated　under　the
authority　of　another's　instruction；　we　have　been　so　subjected　to　the
trammel；　that　we　have　no　free；　nor　natural　pace　of　our　own；　our　own
vigour　and　liberty　are　extinct　and　gone：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Nunquam　tutelae　suae　fiunt。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃They　are　ever　in　wardship。〃Seneca；　Ep。；　33。＇

I　was　privately　carried　at　Pisa　to　see　a　very　honest　man；　but　so　great　an
Aristotelian；　that　his　most　usual　thesis　was：　〃That　the　touchstone　and
square　of　all　solid　imagination；　and　of　all　truth；　was　an　absolute
conformity　to　Aristotle's　doctrine；　and　that　all　besides　was　nothing　but
inanity　and　chimera；　for　that　he　had　seen　all；　and　said　all。〃　A　position；
that　for　having　been　a　little　too　injuriously　and　broadly　interpreted；
brought　him　once　and　long　kept　him　in　great　danger　of　the　Inquisition　at
Rome。

Let　him　make　him　examine　and　thoroughly　sift　everything　he　reads；　and
lodge　nothing　in　his　fancy　upon　simple　authority　and　upon　trust。
Aristotle's　principles　will　then　be　no　more　principles　to　him；　than　those
of　Epicurus　and　the　Stoics：　let　this　diversity　of　opinions　be　propounded
to；　and　laid　before　him；　he　will　himself　choose；　if　he　be　able；　if　not；
he　will　remain　in　doubt。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Che　non　men　the　saver；　dubbiar　m'　aggrata。〃

　　　　　＇〃I　love　to　doubt；　as　well　as　to　know。〃Dante；　Inferno；　xi。　93＇

for；　if　he　embrace　the　opinions　of　Xenophon　and　Plato；　by　his　own　reason；
they　will　no　more　be　theirs；　but　become　his　own。　　Who　follows　another；
follows　nothing；　finds　nothing；　nay；　is　inquisitive　after　nothing。

　　　　　　　　　　〃Non　sumus　sub　rege；　sibi　quisque　se　vindicet。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃We　are　under　no　king；　let　each　vindicate　himself。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Seneca；　Ep。；33＇

Let　him；　at　least；　know　that　he　knows。　　It　will　be　necessary　that　he
imbibe　their　knowledge；　not　that　he　be　corrupted　with　their　precepts；
and　no　matter　if　he　forget　where　he　had　his　learning；　provided　he　know
how　to　apply　it　to　his　own　use。　　Truth　and　reason　are　common　to　every
one；　and　are　no　more　his　who　spake　them　first；　than　his　who　speaks　them
after：　'tis　no　more　according　to　Plato；　than　according　to　me；　since　both
he　and　I　equally　see　and　understand　them。　　Bees　cull　their　several　sweets
from　this　flower　and　that　blossom；　here　and　there　where　they　find　them；
but　themselves　afterwards　make　the　honey；　which　is　all　and　purely　their
own；　and　no　more　thyme　and　marjoram：　so　the　several　fragments　he　borrows
from　others；　he　will　transform　and　shuffle　together　to　compile　a　work
that　shall　be　absolutely　his　own；　that　is　to　say；　his　judgment：
his　instruction；　labour　and　study；　tend　to　nothing　else　but　to　form　that。
He　is　not　obliged　to　discover　whence　he　got　the　materials　that　have
assisted　him；　but　only　to　produce　what　he　has　himself　done　with　them。
Men　that　live　upon　pillage　and　borrowing；　expose　their　purchases　and
buildings　to　every　one's　view：　but　do　not　proclaim　how　they　came　by　the
money。　　We　do　not　see　the　fees　and　perquisites　of　a　gentleman　of　the　long
robe；　but　we　see　the　alliances　wherewith　he　fortifies　himself　and　his
family；　and　the　titles　and　honours　he　has　obtained　for　him　and　his。　　No
man　divulges　his　revenue；　or；　at　least；　which　way　it　comes　in　but　every
one　publishes　his　acquisitions。　　The　advantages　of　our　study　are　to
become　better　and　more　wise。　　'Tis；　says　Epicharmus；　the　understanding
that　sees　and　hears；　'tis　the　understanding　that　improves　everything；
that　orders　everything；　and　that　acts；　rules；　and　reigns：　all　other
faculties　are　blind；　and　deaf；　and　without　soul。　　And　certainly　we　render
it　timorous　and　servile；　in　not　allowing　it　the　liberty　and　privilege　to
do　anything　of　itself。　　Whoever　asked　his　pupil　what　he　thought　of
grammar　and　rhetoric；　or　of　such　and　such　a　sentence　of　Cicero？　　Our
masters　stick　them；　full　feathered；　in　our　memories；　and　there　establish
them　like　oracles；　of　which　the　letters　and　syllables　are　of　the
substance　of　the　thing。　　To　know　by　rote；　is　no　knowledge；　and　signifies
no　more　but　only　to　retain　what　one　has　intrusted　to　our　memory。　　That
which　a　man　rightly　knows　and　understands；　he　is　the　free　disposer　of　at
his　own　full　liberty；　without　any　regard　to　the　author　from　whence　he　had
it；　or　fumbling　over　the　leaves　of　his　book。　　A　mere　bookish　learning　is
a　poor；　paltry　learning；　it　may　serve　for　ornament；　but　there　is　yet　no
foundation　for　any　superstructure　to　be　built　upon　it；　according　to　the
opinion　of　Plato；　who　says；　that　constancy；　faith；　and　sincerity；　are　the
true　philosophy；　and　the　other　sciences；　that　are　directed　to　other　ends；
mere　adulterate　paint。　　I　could　wish　that　Paluel　or　Pompey；　those　two
noted　dancers　of　my　time；　could　have　taught　us　to　cut　capers；　by　only
seeing　them　do　it；　without　stirring　from　our　places；　as　these　men　pretend
to　inform　the　understanding　without　ever　setting　it　to　work；　or　that　we
could　learn　to　ride；　handle　a　pike；　touch　a　lute；　or　sing　without　the
trouble　of　practice；　as　these　attempt　to　make　us　judge　and　speak　well；
without　exercising　us　in　judging　or　speaking。　　Now　in　this　initiation　of
our　studies　in　their　progress；　whatsoever　presents　itself　before　us　is
book　sufficient；　a　roguish　trick　of　a　page；　a　sottish　mistake　of　a
servant；　a　jest　at　the　table；　are　so　many　new　subjects。

And　for　this　reason；　conversation　with　men　is　of　very　great　use　and
travel　into　foreign　countries；　not　to　bring　back　（as　most　of　our　young
monsieurs　do）　an　account　only　of　how　many　paces　Santa　Rotonda　＇The
Pantheon　of　Agrippa。＇　is　in　circuit；　or　of　the　richness　of　Signora
Livia's　petticoats；　or；　as　some　others；　how　much　Nero's　face；　in　a　statue
in　such　an　old　ruin；　is　longer　and　broader　than　that　made　for　him　on　some
medal；　but　to　be　able　chiefly　to　give　an　account　of　the　humours；　manners；
customs；　and　laws　of　those　nations　where　he　has　been；　and　that　we　may
whet　and　sharpen　our　wits　by　rubbing　them　against　those　of　others。　　I
would　that　a　boy　should　be　sent　abroad　very　young；　and　first；　so　as　to
kill　two　birds　with　one　stone；　into　those　neighbouring　nations　whose
language　is　most　differing　from　our　own；　and　to　which；　if　it　be　not
formed　betimes；　the　tongue　will　grow　too　stiff　to　bend。

And　also　'tis　the　general　opinion　of　all；　that　a　child　should　not　be
brought　up　in　his　mother's　lap。　　Mothers　are　too　tender；　and　their
natural　affection　is　apt　to　make　the　most　discreet　of　them　all　so
overfond；　that　they　can　neither　find　in　their　hearts　to　give　them　due
correction　for　the　faults　they　may　commit；　nor　suffer　them　to　be　inured
to　hardships　and　hazards；　as　they　ought　to　be。　　They　will　not　endure