the essays of montaigne, v4-第2章

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with　the　mere　motions　of　his　neck　and　shoulders　for　want　of　hands；　tossed
them　into　the　air；　and　caught　them　again；　darted　a　dagger；　and　cracked　a
whip　as　well　as　any　coachman　in　France。

But　the　effects　of　custom　are　much　more　manifest　in　the　strange
impressions　she　imprints　in　our　minds；　where　she　meets　with　less
resistance。　　What　has　she　not　the　power　to　impose　upon　our　judgments　and
beliefs？　　Is　there　any　so　fantastic　opinion　（omitting　the　gross
impostures　of　religions；　with　which　we　see　so　many　great　nations；　and　so
many　understanding　men；　so　strangely　besotted；　for　this　being　beyond　the
reach　of　human　reason；　any　error　is　more　excusable　in　such　as　are　not
endued；　through　the　divine　bounty；　with　an　extraordinary　illumination
from　above）；　but；　of　other　opinions；　are　there　any　so　extravagant；　that
she　has　not　planted　and　established　for　laws　in　those　parts　of　the　world
upon　which　she　has　been　pleased　to　exercise　her　power？　　And　therefore
that　ancient　exclamation　was　exceeding　just：

　　　　　　　〃Non　pudet　physicum；　id　est　speculatorem　venatoremque　naturae；
　　　　　　　　ab　animis　consuetudine　imbutis　petere　testimonium　veritatis？〃

　　　　　＇〃Is　it　not　a　shame　for　a　natural　philosopher；　that　is；　for　an
　　　　　observer　and　hunter　of　nature；　to　seek　testimony　of　the　truth　from
　　　　　minds　prepossessed　by　custom？〃Cicero；　De　Natura　Deor。；　i。　30。＇

I　do　believe；　that　no　so　absurd　or　ridiculous　fancy　can　enter　into　human
imagination；　that　does　not　meet　with　some　example　of　public　practice；　and
that；　consequently；　our　reason　does　not　ground　and　back　up。　　There　are
people；　amongst　whom　it　is　the　fashion　to　turn　their　backs　upon　him　they
salute；　and　never　look　upon　the　man　they　intend　to　honour。　　There　is　a
place；　where；　whenever　the　king　spits；　the　greatest　ladies　of　his　court
put　out　their　hands　to　receive　it；　and　another　nation；　where　the　most
eminent　persons　about　him　stoop　to　take　up　his　ordure　in　a　linen　cloth。
Let　us　here　steal　room　to　insert　a　story。

A　French　gentleman　was　always　wont　to　blow　his　nose　with　his　fingers　（a
thing　very　much　against　our　fashion）；　and　he　justifying　himself　for　so
doing；　and　he　was　a　man　famous　for　pleasant　repartees；　he　asked　me；　what
privilege　this　filthy　excrement　had；　that　we　must　carry　about　us　a　fine
handkerchief　to　receive　it；　and；　which　was　more；　afterwards　to　lap　it
carefully　up；　and　carry　it　all　day　about　in　our　pockets；　which；　he　said；
could　not　but　be　much　more　nauseous　and　offensive；　than　to　see　it　thrown
away；　as　we　did　all　other　evacuations。　　I　found　that　what　he　said　was　not
altogether　without　reason；　and　by　being　frequently　in　his　company；　that
slovenly　action　of　his　was　at　last　grown　familiar　to　me；　which
nevertheless　we　make　a　face　at；　when　we　hear　it　reported　of　another
country。　　Miracles　appear　to　be　so；　according　to　our　ignorance　of　nature；
and　not　according　to　the　essence　of　nature　the　continually　being
accustomed　to　anything；　blinds　the　eye　of　our　judgment。　　Barbarians　are
no　more　a　wonder　to　us；　than　we　are　to　them；　nor　with　any　more　reason；　as
every　one　would　confess；　if　after　having　travelled　over　those　remote
examples；　men　could　settle　themselves　to　reflect　upon；　and　rightly　to
confer　them；　with　their　own。　　Human　reason　is　a　tincture　almost　equally
infused　into　all　our　opinions　and　manners；　of　what　form　soever　they　are；
infinite　in　matter；　infinite　in　diversity。　　But　I　return　to　my　subject。

There　are　peoples；　where；　his　wife　and　children　excepted；　no　one　speaks
to　the　king　but　through　a　tube。　　In　one　and　the　same　nation；　the　virgins
discover　those　parts　that　modesty　should　persuade　them　to　hide；　and　the
married　women　carefully　cover　and　conceal　them。　　To　which；　this　custom；
in　another　place；　has　some　relation；　where　chastity；　but　in　marriage；　is
of　no　esteem；　for　unmarried　women　may　prostitute　themselves　to　as　many　as
they　please；　and　being　got　with　child；　may　lawfully　take　physic；　in　the
sight　of　every　one；　to　destroy　their　fruit。　　And；　in　another　place；　if　a
tradesman　marry；　all　of　the　same　condition；　who　are　invited　to　the
wedding；　lie　with　the　bride　before　him；　and　the　greater　number　of　them
there　is；　the　greater　is　her　honour；　and　the　opinion　of　her　ability　and
strength：　if　an　officer　marry；　'tis　the　same；　the　same　with　a　labourer；
or　one　of　mean　condition；　but　then　it　belongs　to　the　lord　of　the　place　to
perform　that　office；　and　yet　a　severe　loyalty　during　marriage　is
afterward　strictly　enjoined。　　There　are　places　where　brothels　of　young
men　are　kept　for　the　pleasure　of　women；　where　the　wives　go　to　war　as　well
as　the　husbands；　and　not　only　share　in　the　dangers　of　battle；　but；
moreover；　in　the　honours　of　command。　　Others；　where　they　wear　rings　not
only　through　their　noses；　lips；　cheeks；　and　on　their　toes；　but　also
weighty　gimmals　of　gold　thrust　through　their　paps　and　buttocks；　where；　in
eating；　they　wipe　their　fingers　upon　their　thighs；　genitories；　and　the
soles　of　their　feet：　where　children　are　excluded；　and　brothers　and
nephews　only　inherit；　and　elsewhere；　nephews　only；　saving　in　the
succession　of　the　prince：　where；　for　the　regulation　of　community　in　goods
and　estates；　observed　in　the　country；　certain　sovereign　magistrates　have
committed　to　them　the　universal　charge　and　overseeing　of　the　agriculture；
and　distribution　of　the　fruits；　according　to　the　necessity　of　every　one
where　they　lament　the　death　of　children；　and　feast　at　the　decease　of　old
men：　where　they　lie　ten　or　twelve　in　a　bed；　men　and　their　wives　together：
where　women；　whose　husbands　come　to　violent　ends；　may　marry　again；　and
others　not：　where　the　condition　of　women　is　looked　upon　with　such
contempt；　that　they　kill　all　the　native　females；　and　buy　wives　of　their
neighbours　to　supply　their　use；　where　husbands　may　repudiate　their　wives；
without　showing　any　cause；　but　wives　cannot　part　from　their　husbands；　for
what　cause　soever；　where　husbands　may　sell　their　wives　in　case　of
sterility；　where　they　boil　the　bodies　of　their　dead；　and　afterward　pound
them　to　a　pulp；　which　they　mix　with　their　wine；　and　drink　it；　where　the
most　coveted　sepulture　is　to　be　eaten　by　dogs；　and　elsewhere　by　birds；
where　they　believe　the　souls　of　the　blessed　live　in　all　manner　of
liberty；　in　delightful　fields；　furnished　with　all　sorts　of　delicacies；
and　that　it　is　these　souls；　repeating　the　words　we　utter；　which　we　call
Echo；　where　they　fight　in　the　water；　and　shoot　their　arrows　with　the　most
mortal　aim；　swimming；　where；　for　a　sign　of　subjection；　they　lift　up　their
shoulders；　and　hang　down　their　heads；　where　they　put　off　their　shoes　when
they　enter　the　king's　palace；　where　the　eunuchs；　who　take　charge　of　the
sacred　women；　have；　moreover；　their　lips　and　noses　cut　off；　that　they　may
not　be　loved；　where　the　priests　put　out　their　own　eyes；　to　be　better
acquainted　with　their　demons；　and　the　better　to　receive　their　oracles；
where　every　one　makes　to　himself　a　deity　of　what　he　likes　best；　the
hunter　of　a　lion　or　a　fox；　the　fisher　of　some　fish；　idols　of　every　human
action　or　passion；　in　which　place；　the　sun；　the　moon；　and　the　earth　are
the　'principal　deities；　and　the　form　of　taking　an　oath　is；　to　touch　the
earth；　looking　up　to　heaven；　where　both　flesh　and　fish　is　eaten　raw；
where　the　greatest　oath　they　take　is；　to　swear　by　the　name　of　some　dead
person　of　reputation；　laying　their　hand　upon　his　tomb；　where　the
newyear's　gift　the　king　sends　every　year　to　the　princes；　his　vassals；　is
fire；　which　being　brought；　all　the　old　fire　is　put　out；　and　the
neighbouring　people　are　bound　to　fetch　of　the　new；　every　one　for
themselves；　upon　pain　of　high　treason；　where；　when　the　king；　to　betake
himself　wholly　to　devotion；　retires　from　his　administration　（which　often
falls　out）；　his　next　successor　is　obliged　to　do　the　same；　and　the　right
of　the　kingdom　devolves　to　the　third　in　succession：　where　they　vary　the
form　of　government；　according　to　the　seeming　necessity　of　affairs：　depose
the　king　when　they　think　good；　substituting　certain　elders　to　govern　in
his　stead；　and　sometimes　transferring　it　into　the　hands　of　the
commonality：　where　men　and　women　are　both　circumcised　and　also　baptized：
where　the　soldier；　who　in　one　or　several　engagements；　has　been　so
fortunate　as　to　prese