the essays of montaigne, v4-第12章

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within　there　was　not　a　more　polished　soul　upon　earth。　　I　have　often
purposely　put　him　upon　arguments　quite　wide　of　his　profession；　wherein　I
found　he　had　so　clear　an　insight；　so　quick　an　apprehension；　so　solid　a
judgment；　that　a　man　would　have　thought　he　had　never　practised　any　other
thing　but　arms；　and　been　all　his　life　employed　in　affairs　of　State。
These　are　great　and　vigorous　natures；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Queis　arte　benigna
　　　　　　　　　　Et　meliore　luto　finxit　praecordia　Titan。〃

　　　　　＇〃Whom　benign　Titan　（Prometheus）　has　framed　of　better　clay。〃
　　　　　Juvenal；　xiv。　34。＇

that　can　keep　themselves　upright　in　despite　of　a　pedantic　education。　　But
it　is　not　enough　that　our　education　does　not　spoil　us；　it　must；　moreover；
alter　us　for　the　better。

Some　of　our　Parliaments；　when　they　are　to　admit　officers；　examine　only
their　learning；　to　which　some　of　the　others　also　add　the　trial　of
understanding；　by　asking　their　judgment　of　some　case　in　law；　of　these　the
latter；　methinks；　proceed　with　the　better　method；　for　although　both　are
necessary；　and　that　it　is　very　requisite　they　should　be　defective　in
neither；　yet；　in　truth；　knowledge　is　not　so　absolutely　necessary　as
judgment；　the　last　may　make　shift　without　the　other；　but　the　other　never
without　this。　　For　as　the　Greek　verse　says

　　　　　＇〃To　what　use　serves　learning；　if　understanding　be　away。〃
　　　　　Apud　Stobaeus；　tit。　iii。；　p。　37　（1609）。＇

Would　to　God　that；　for　the　good　of　our　judicature；　these　societies　were
as　well　furnished　with　understanding　and　conscience　as　they　are　with
knowledge。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Non　vita；　sed　scolae　discimus。〃

　　　　　＇〃We　do　not　study　for　life；　but　only　for　the　school。〃
　　　　　Seneca；　Ep。；　106。＇

We　are　not　to　tie　learning　to　the　soul；　but　to　work　and　incorporate　them
together：　not　to　tincture　it　only；　but　to　give　it　a　thorough　and　perfect
dye；　which；　if　it　will　not　take　colour；　and　meliorate　its　imperfect
state；　it　were　without　question　better　to　let　it　alone。　　'Tis　a　dangerous
weapon；　that　will　hinder　and　wound　its　master；　if　put　into　an　awkward　and
unskilful　hand：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ut　fuerit　melius　non　didicisse。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃So　that　it　were　better　not　to　have　learned。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Cicero；　Tusc。　Quaes。；　ii。　4。＇

And　this；　peradventure；　is　the　reason　why　neither　we　nor　theology　require
much　learning　in　women；　and　that　Francis；　Duke　of　Brittany；　son　of　John
V。；　one　talking　with　him　about　his　marriage　with　Isabella　the　daughter　of
Scotland；　and　adding　that　she　was　homely　bred；　and　without　any　manner　of
learning；　made　answer；　that　he　liked　her　the　better；　and　that　a　woman　was
wise　enough；　if　she　could　distinguish　her　husband's　shirt　from　his
doublet。　　So　that　it　is　no　so　great　wonder；　as　they　make　of　it；　that　our
ancestors　had　letters　in　no　greater　esteem；　and　that　even　to　this　day
they　are　but　rarely　met　with　in　the　principal　councils　of　princes；　and　if
the　end　and　design　of　acquiring　riches；　which　is　the　only　thing　we
propose　to　ourselves；　by　the　means　of　law；　physic；　pedantry；　and　even
divinity　itself；　did　not　uphold　and　keep　them　in　credit；　you　would；　with
doubt；　see　them　in　as　pitiful　a　condition　as　ever。　　And　what　loss　would
this　be；　if　they　neither　instruct　us　to　think　well　nor　to　do　well？

　　　　　　　　　　〃Postquam　docti　prodierunt；　boni　desunt。〃

　　　　　＇Seneca；　Ep。；　95。　　〃Since　the　'savans'　have　made　their　appearance
　　　　　among　us；　the　good　people　have　become　eclipsed。〃
　　　　　Rousseau；　Discours　sur　les　Lettres。＇

All　other　knowledge　is　hurtful　to　him　who　has　not　the　science　of
goodness。

But　the　reason　I　glanced　upon　but　now；　may　it　not　also　hence　proceed；
that；　our　studies　in　France　having　almost　no　other　aim　but　profit；　except
as　to　those　who；　by　nature　born　to　offices　and　employments　rather　of
glory　than　gain；　addict　themselves　to　letters；　if　at　all；　only　for　so
short　a　time　（being　taken　from　their　studies　before　they　can　come　to　have
any　taste　of　them；　to　a　profession　that　has　nothing　to　do　with　books）；
there　ordinarily　remain　no　others　to　apply　themselves　wholly　to　learning；
but　people　of　mean　condition；　who　in　that　only　seek　the　means　to　live；
and　by　such　people；　whose　souls　are；　both　by　nature　and　by　domestic
education　and　example；　of　the　basest　alloy　the　fruits　of　knowledge　are
immaturely　gathered　and　ill　digested；　and　delivered　to　their　recipients
quite　another　thing。　　For　it　is　not　for　knowledge　to　enlighten　a　soul
that　is　dark　of　itself；　nor　to　make　a　blind　man　see。　　Her　business　is　not
to　find　a　man's　eyes；　but　to　guide；　govern；　and　direct　them；　provided　he
have　sound　feet　and　straight　legs　to　go　upon。　　Knowledge　is　an　excellent
drug；　but　no　drug　has　virtue　enough　to　preserve　itself　from　corruption
and　decay；　if　the　vessel　be　tainted　and　impure　wherein　it　is　put　to　keep。
Such　a　one　may　have　a　sight　clear　enough　who　looks　asquint；　and
consequently　sees　what　is　good；　but　does　not　follow　it；　and　sees
knowledge；　but　makes　no　use　of　it。　　Plato's　principal　institution　in　his
Republic　is　to　fit　his　citizens　with　employments　suitable　to　their
nature。　　Nature　can　do　all；　and　does　all。　　Cripples　are　very　unfit　for
exercises　of　the　body；　and　lame　souls　for　exercises　of　the　mind。
Degenerate　and　vulgar　souls　are　unworthy　of　philosophy。　　If　we　see　a
shoemaker　with　his　shoes　out　at　the　toes；　we　say；　'tis　no　wonder；　for；
commonly；　none　go　worse　shod　than　they。　　In　like　manner；　experience　often
presents　us　a　physician　worse　physicked；　a　divine　less　reformed；　and
（constantly）　a　scholar　of　less　sufficiency；　than　other　people。

Old　Aristo　of　Chios　had　reason　to　say　that　philosophers　did　their
auditors　harm；　forasmuch　as　most　of　the　souls　of　those　that　heard　them
were　not　capable　of　deriving　benefit　from　instruction；　which；　if　not
applied　to　good；　would　certainly　be　applied　to　ill：

　　　　　＇〃They　proceeded　effeminate　debauchees　from　the　school　of
　　　　　Aristippus；　cynics　from　that　of　Zeno。〃
　　　　　Cicero；　De　Natura　Deor。；iii。；　31。＇

In　that　excellent　institution　that　Xenophon　attributes　to　the　Persians；
we　find　that　they　taught　their　children　virtue；　as　other　nations　do
letters。　　Plato　tells　us　that　the　eldest　son　in　their　royal　succession
was　thus　brought　up；　after　his　birth　he　was　delivered；　not　to　women；　but
to　eunuchs　of　the　greatest　authority　about　their　kings　for　their　virtue；
whose　charge　it　was　to　keep　his　body　healthful　and　in　good　plight；　and
after　he　came　to　seven　years　of　age；　to　teach　him　to　ride　and　to　go
a…hunting。　　When　he　arrived　at　fourteen　he　was　transferred　into　the　hands
of　four；　the　wisest；　the　most　just；　the　most　temperate；　and　most　valiant
of　the　nation；　of　whom　the　first　was　to　instruct　him　in　religion；　the
second　to　be　always　upright　and　sincere；　the　third　to　conquer　his
appetites　and　desires；　and　the　fourth　to　despise　all　danger。

It　is　a　thing　worthy　of　very　great　consideration；　that　in　that　excellent；
and；　in　truth；　for　its　perfection；　prodigious　form　of　civil　regimen　set
down　by　Lycurgus；　though　so　solicitous　of　the　education　of　children；
as　a　thing　of　the　greatest　concern；　and　even　in　the　very　seat　of　the
Muses；　he　should　make　so　little　mention　of　learning；　as　if　that　generous
youth；　disdaining　all　other　subjection　but　that　of　virtue；　ought　to　be
supplied；　instead　of　tutors　to　read　to　them　arts　and　sciences；　with　such
masters　as　should　only　instruct　them　in　valour；　prudence；　and　justice；
an　example　that　Plato　has　followed　in　his　laws。　　The　manner　of　their
discipline　was　to　propound　to　them　questions　in　judgment　upon　men　and
their　actions；　and　if　they　commended　or　condemned　this　or　that　person　or
fact；　they　were　to　give　a　reason　for　so　doing；　by　which　means　they　at
once　sharpened　their　understanding；　and　learned　what　was　right。
Astyages；　in　Xenophon；　asks　Cyrus　to　give　an　account　of　his　last　lesson；
and　thus　it　was；　〃A　great　boy　in　our　school；　having　a　little　short
cassock；　by　force　took　a　longer　from　another　that　was　not　so　tall　as　he；
and　gave　him　his　own　in　exchange：　whereupon　I；　being　appointed　judge　of
the　controversy；　gave　judgment；　that　I　thought　it　best　each　should　keep
the　coat　he　had；　for　that　they　both　of　them　were　better　fitted　with　that
of　one　another　than　with　their　own：　upon　which　my　master　told　me；　I