the essays of montaigne, v4-第13章

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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　had
done　ill；　in　that　I　had　only　considered　the　fitness　of　the　garments；
whereas　I　ought　to　have　considered　the　justice　of　the　thing；　which
required　that　no　one　should　have　anything　forcibly　taken　from　him　that　is
his　own。〃　　And　Cyrus　adds　that　he　was　whipped　for　his　pains；　as　we　are　in
our　villages　for　forgetting　the　first　aorist　of　。

　　　　　＇Cotton's　version　of　this　story　commences　differently；　and　includes
　　　　　a　passage　which　is　not　in　any　of　the　editions　of　the　original　before
　　　　　me：

　　　　　〃Mandane；　in　Xenophon；　asking　Cyrus　how　he　would　do　to　learn
　　　　　justice；　and　the　other　virtues　amongst　the　Medes；　having　left　all
　　　　　his　masters　behind　him　in　Persia？　　He　made　answer；　that　he　had
　　　　　learned　those　things　long　since；　that　his　master　had　often　made　him
　　　　　a　judge　of　the　differences　amongst　his　schoolfellows；　and　had　one
　　　　　day　whipped　him　for　giving　a　wrong　sentence。〃　W。C。H。＇

My　pedant　must　make　me　a　very　learned　oration；　'in　genere　demonstrativo'；
before　he　can　persuade　me　that　his　school　is　like　unto　that。　　They　knew
how　to　go　the　readiest　way　to　work；　and　seeing　that　science；　when　most
rightly　applied　and　best　understood；　can　do　no　more　but　teach　us
prudence；　moral　honesty；　and　resolution；　they　thought　fit；　at　first　hand；
to　initiate　their　children　with　the　knowledge　of　effects；　and　to　instruct
them；　not　by　hearsay　and　rote；　but　by　the　experiment　of　action；　in　lively
forming　and　moulding　them；　not　only　by　words　and　precepts；　but　chiefly　by
works　and　examples；　to　the　end　it　might　not　be　a　knowledge　in　the　mind
only；　but　its　complexion　and　habit：　not　an　acquisition；　but　a　natural
possession。　　One　asking　to　this　purpose；　Agesilaus；　what　he　thought　most
proper　for　boys　to　learn？　　〃What　they　ought　to　do　when　they　come　to　be
men；〃　said　he。＇Plutarch；　Apothegms　of　the　Lacedamonians。　　Rousseau
adopts　the　expression　in　his　Diswuys　sur　tes　Lettres。＇　It　is　no　wonder；
if　such　an　institution　produced　so　admirable　effects。

They　used　to　go；　it　is　said；　to　the　other　cities　of　Greece；　to　inquire
out　rhetoricians；　painters；　and　musicians；　but　to　Lacedaemon　for
legislators；　magistrates；　and　generals　of　armies；　at　Athens　they　learned
to　speak　well：　here　to　do　well；　there　to　disengage　themselves　from　a
sophistical　argument；　and　to　unravel　the　imposture　of　captious
syllogisms；　here　to　evade　the　baits　and　allurements　of　pleasure；　and　with
a　noble　courage　and　resolution　to　conquer　the　menaces　of　fortune　and
death；　those　cudgelled　their　brains　about　words；　these　made　it　their
business　to　inquire　into　things；　there　was　an　eternal　babble　of　the
tongue；　here　a　continual　exercise　of　the　soul。　　And　therefore　it　is
nothing　strange　if；　when　Antipater　demanded　of　them　fifty　children　for
hostages；　they　made　answer；　quite　contrary　to　what　we　should　do；　that
they　would　rather　give　him　twice　as　many　full…grown　men；　so　much　did　they
value　the　loss　of　their　country's　education。　　When　Agesilaus　courted
Xenophon　to　send　his　children　to　Sparta　to　be　bred；　〃it　is　not；〃　said　he；
〃there　to　learn　logic　or　rhetoric；　but　to　be　instructed　in　the　noblest　of
all　sciences；　namely；　the　science　to　obey　and　to　command。〃　＇Plutarch；
Life　of　Agesilaus；　c。　7。＇

It　is　very　pleasant　to　see　Socrates；　after　his　manner；　rallying　Hippias；
＇Plato's　Dialogues：　Hippias　Major。＇　who　recounts　to　him　what　a　world
of　money　he　has　got；　especially　in　certain　little　villages　of　Sicily；　by
teaching　school；　and　that　he　made　never　a　penny　at　Sparta：　〃What　a
sottish　and　stupid　people；〃　said　Socrates；　〃are　they；　without　sense　or
understanding；　that　make　no　account　either　of　grammar　or　poetry；　and　only
busy　themselves　in　studying　the　genealogies　and　successions　of　their
kings；　the　foundations；　rises；　and　declensions　of　states；　and　such　tales
of　a　tub！〃　　After　which；　having　made　Hippias　from　one　step　to　another
acknowledge　the　excellency　of　their　form　of　public　administration；　and
the　felicity　and　virtue　of　their　private　life；　he　leaves　him　to　guess　at
the　conclusion　he　makes　of　the　inutilities　of　his　pedantic　arts。

Examples　have　demonstrated　to　us　that　in　military　affairs；　and　all　others
of　the　like　active　nature；　the　study　of　sciences　more　softens　and
untempers　the　courages　of　men　than　it　in　any　way　fortifies　and　excites
them。　　The　most　potent　empire　that　at　this　day　appears　to　be　in　the　whole
world　is　that　of　the　Turks；　a　people　equally　inured　to　the　estimation　of
arms　and　the　contempt　of　letters。　　I　find　Rome　was　more　valiant　before
she　grew　so　learned。　　The　most　warlike　nations　at　this　time　in　being　are
the　most　rude　and　ignorant：　the　Scythians；　the　Parthians；　Tamerlane；
serve　for　sufficient　proof　of　this。　　When　the　Goths　overran　Greece；　the
only　thing　that　preserved　all　the　libraries　from　the　fire　was；　that　some
one　possessed　them　with　an　opinion　that　they　were　to　leave　this　kind　of
furniture　entire　to　the　enemy；　as　being　most　proper　to　divert　them　from
the　exercise　of　arms；　and　to　fix　them　to　a　lazy　and　sedentary　life。
When　our　King　Charles　VIII。；　almost　without　striking　a　blow；　saw　himself
possessed　of　the　kingdom　of　Naples　and　a　considerable　part　of　Tuscany；
the　nobles　about　him　attributed　this　unexpected　facility　of　conquest　to
this；　that　the　princes　and　nobles　of　Italy；　more　studied　to　render
themselves　ingenious　and　learned；　than　vigorous　and　warlike。










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