the essays of montaigne, v5-第5章

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beauty　of　the　arras；　or　the　flavour　of　the　wine；　many　things　that　have
been　very　finely　said　at　the　lower　end　of　the　table　have　been　lost　and
thrown　away。　　Let　him　examine　every　man's　talent；　a　peasant；　a
bricklayer；　a　passenger：　one　may　learn　something　from　every　one　of　these
in　their　several　capacities；　and　something　will　be　picked　out　of　their
discourse　whereof　some　use　may　be　made　at　one　time　or　another；　nay；　even
the　folly　and　impertinence　of　others　will　contribute　to　his　instruction。
By　observing　the　graces　and　manners　of　all　he　sees；　he　will　create　to
himself　an　emulation　of　the　good；　and　a　contempt　of　the　bad。

Let　an　honest　curiosity　be　suggested　to　his　fancy　of　being　inquisitive
after　everything；　whatever　there　is　singular　and　rare　near　the　place
where　he　is；　let　him　go　and　see　it；　a　fine　house；　a　noble　fountain；　an
eminent　man；　the　place　where　a　battle　has　been　anciently　fought；　the
passages　of　Caesar　and　Charlemagne：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Qux　tellus　sit　lenta　gelu；　quae　putris　ab　aestu；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ventus　in　Italiam　quis　bene　vela　ferat。〃

　　　　　＇〃What　country　is　bound　in　frost；　what　land　is　friable　with　heat；
　　　　　what　wind　serves　fairest　for　Italy。〃Propertius；　iv。　3；　39。＇

Let　him　inquire　into　the　manners；　revenues；　and　alliances　of　princes；
things　in　themselves　very　pleasant　to　learn；　and　very　useful　to　know。

In　this　conversing　with　men；　I　mean　also；　and　principally；　those　who　only
live　in　the　records　of　history；　he　shall；　by　reading　those　books；
converse　with　the　great　and　heroic　souls　of　the　best　ages。　　'Tis　an　idle
and　vain　study　to　those　who　make　it　so　by　doing　it　after　a　negligent
manner；　but　to　those　who　do　it　with　care　and　observation；　'tis　a　study　of
inestimable　fruit　and　value；　and　the　only　study；　as　Plato　reports；　that
the　Lacedaemonians　reserved　to　themselves。　　What　profit　shall　he　not　reap
as　to　the　business　of　men；　by　reading　the　Lives　of　Plutarch？　　But；
withal；　let　my　governor　remember　to　what　end　his　instructions　are
principally　directed；　and　that　he　do　not　so　much　imprint　in　his　pupil's
memory　the　date　of　the　ruin　of　Carthage；　as　the　manners　of　Hannibal　and
Scipio；　nor　so　much　where　Marcellus　died；　as　why　it　was　unworthy　of　his
duty　that　he　died　there。　　Let　him　not　teach　him　so　much　the　narrative
parts　of　history　as　to　judge　them；　the　reading　of　them；　in　my　opinion；
is　a　thing　that　of　all　others　we　apply　ourselves　unto　with　the　most
differing　measure。　　I　have　read　a　hundred　things　in　Livy　that　another　has
not；　or　not　taken　notice　of　at　least；　and　Plutarch　has　read　a　hundred
more　there　than　ever　I　could　find；　or　than；　peradventure；　that　author
ever　wrote；　to　some　it　is　merely　a　grammar　study；　to　others　the　very
anatomy　of　philosophy；　by　which　the　most　abstruse　parts　of　our　human
nature　penetrate。　　There　are　in　Plutarch　many　long　discourses　very　worthy
to　be　carefully　read　and　observed；　for　he　is；　in　my　opinion；　of　all
others　the　greatest　master　in　that　kind　of　writing；　but　there　are　a
thousand　others　which　he　has　only　touched　and　glanced　upon；　where　he　only
points　with　his　finger　to　direct　us　which　way　we　may　go　if　we　will；　and
contents　himself　sometimes　with　giving　only　one　brisk　hit　in　the　nicest
article　of　the　question；　whence　we　are　to　grope　out　the　rest。　　As；　for
example；　where　he　says'＇In　the　Essay　on　False　Shame。＇　that　the
inhabitants　of　Asia　came　to　be　vassals　to　one　only；　for　not　having　been
able　to　pronounce　one　syllable；　which　is　No。　　Which　saying　of　his　gave
perhaps　matter　and　occasion　to　La　Boetie　to　write　his　〃Voluntary
Servitude。〃　　Only　to　see　him　pick　out　a　light　action　in　a　man's　life；　or
a　mere　word　that　does　not　seem　to　amount　even　to　that；　is　itself　a　whole
discourse。　　'Tis　to　our　prejudice　that　men　of　understanding　should　so
immoderately　affect　brevity；　no　doubt　their　reputation　is　the　better　by
it；　but　in　the　meantime　we　are　the　worse。　　Plutarch　had　rather　we　should
applaud　his　judgment　than　commend　his　knowledge；　and　had　rather　leave　us
with　an　appetite　to　read　more；　than　glutted　with　that　we　have　already
read。　　He　knew　very　well；　that　a　man　may　say　too　much　even　upon　the　best
subjects；　and　that　Alexandridas　justly　reproached　him　who　made　very　good。
but　too　long　speeches　to　the　Ephori；　when　he　said：　〃O　stranger！　　thou
speakest　the　things　thou　shouldst　speak；　but　not　as　thou　shouldst　speak
them。〃　＇Plutarch；　Apothegms　of　the　Lacedamonians。＇　Such　as　have　lean
and　spare　bodies　stuff　themselves　out　with　clothes；　so　they　who　are
defective　in　matter　endeavour　to　make　amends　with　words。

Human　understanding　is　marvellously　enlightened　by　daily　conversation
with　men；　for　we　are；　otherwise；　compressed　and　heaped　up　in　ourselves；
and　have　our　sight　limited　to　the　length　of　our　own　noses。　　One　asking
Socrates　of　what　country　he　was；　he　did　not　make　answer；　of　Athens；　but
of　the　world；＇Cicero；　Tusc。　Quaes。；　v。　37；　Plutarch；　On　Exile；　c。　4。＇
he　whose　imagination　was　fuller　and　wider；　embraced　the　whole　world　for
his　country；　and　extended　his　society　and　friendship　to　all　mankind；
not　as　we　do；　who　look　no　further　than　our　feet。　　When　the　vines　of　my
village　are　nipped　with　the　frost；　my　parish　priest　presently　concludes；
that　the　indignation　of　God　has　gone　out　against　all　the　human　race；　and
that　the　cannibals　have　already　got　the　pip。　　Who　is　it　that；　seeing　the
havoc　of　these　civil　wars　of　ours；　does　not　cry　out；　that　the　machine　of
the　world　is　near　dissolution；　and　that　the　day　of　judgment　is　at　hand；
without　considering；　that　many　worse　things　have　been　seen；　and　that　in
the　meantime；　people　are　very　merry　in　a　thousand　other　parts　of　the
earth　for　all　this？　　For　my　part；　considering　the　licence　and　impunity
that　always　attend　such　commotions；　I　wonder　they　are　so　moderate；　and
that　there　is　no　more　mischief　done。　　To　him　who　feels　the　hailstones
patter　about　his　ears；　the　whole　hemisphere　appears　to　be　in　storm　and
tempest；　like　the　ridiculous　Savoyard；　who　said　very　gravely；　that　if
that　simple　king　of　France　could　have　managed　his　fortune　as　he　should
have　done；　he　might　in　time　have　come　to　have　been　steward　of　the
household　to　the　duke　his　master：　the　fellow　could　not；　in　his　shallow
imagination；　conceive　that　there　could　be　anything　greater　than　a　Duke　of
Savoy。　　And；　in　truth；　we　are　all　of　us；　insensibly；　in　this　error；　an
error　of　a　very　great　weight　and　very　pernicious　consequence。　　But
whoever　shall　represent　to　his　fancy；　as　in　a　picture；　that　great　image
of　our　mother　nature；　in　her　full　majesty　and　lustre；　whoever　in　her　face
shall　read　so　general　and　so　constant　a　variety；　whoever　shall　observe
himself　in　that　figure；　and　not　himself　but　a　whole　kingdom；　no　bigger
than　the　least　touch　or　prick　of　a　pencil　in　comparison　of　the　whole；
that　man　alone　is　able　to　value　things　according　to　their　true　estimate
and　grandeur。

This　great　world　which　some　do　yet　multiply　as　several　species　under　one
genus；　is　the　mirror　wherein　we　are　to　behold　ourselves；　to　be　able　to
know　ourselves　as　we　ought　to　do　in　the　true　bias。　　In　short；　I　would
have　this　to　be　the　book　my　young　gentleman　should　study　with　the　most
attention。　　So　many　humours；　so　many　sects；　so　many　judgments；　opinions；
laws；　and　customs；　teach　us　to　judge　aright　of　our　own；　and　inform　our
understanding　to　discover　its　imperfection　and　natural　infirmity；　which
is　no　trivial　speculation。　　So　many　mutations　of　states　and　kingdoms；　and
so　many　turns　and　revolutions　of　public　fortune；　will　make　us　wise　enough
to　make　no　great　wonder　of　our　own。　　So　many　great　names；　so　many　famous
victories　and　conquests　drowned　and　swallowed　in　oblivion；　render　our
hopes　ridiculous　of　eternising　our　names　by　the　taking　of　half…a…score　of
light　horse；　or　a　henroost；　which　only　derives　its　memory　from　its　ruin。
The　pride　and　arrogance　of　so　many　foreign　pomps；　the　inflated　majesty　of
so　many　courts　and　grandeurs；　accustom　and　fortify　our　sight　without
closing　our　eyes　to　behold　the　lustre　of　our　own；　so　many　trillions　of
men；　buried　before　us；　encourage　us　not　to　fear　to　go　seek　such　good
company　in　the　other　world：　and　so　of　the　rest　Pythagoras　was　want　to
say；＇Cicero；　Tusc。　Quaes。；　v。　　3。＇　that　our　life　resembles　the　great
and