the essays of montaigne, v4-第3章

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where　the　soldier；　who　in　one　or　several　engagements；　has　been　so
fortunate　as　to　present　seven　of　the　enemies'　heads　to　the　king；　is　made
noble：　where　they　live　in　that　rare　and　unsociable　opinion　of　the
mortality　of　the　soul：　where　the　women　are　delivered　without　pain　or
fear：　where　the　women　wear　copper　leggings　upon　both　legs；　and　if　a　louse
bite　them；　are　bound　in　magnanimity　to　bite　them　again；　and　dare　not
marry；　till　first　they　have　made　their　king　a　tender　of　their　virginity；
if　he　please　to　accept　it：　where　the　ordinary　way　of　salutation　is　by
putting　a　finger　down　to　the　earth；　and　then　pointing　it　up　toward
heaven：　where　men　carry　burdens　upon　their　heads；　and　women　on　their
shoulders；　where　the　women　make　water　standing；　and　the　men　squatting：
where　they　send　their　blood　in　token　of　friendship；　and　offer　incense　to
the　men　they　would　honour；　like　gods：　where；　not　only　to　the　fourth；　but
in　any　other　remote　degree；　kindred　are　not　permitted　to　marry：　where　the
children　are　four　years　at　nurse；　and　often　twelve；　in　which　place；　also；
it　is　accounted　mortal　to　give　the　child　suck　the　first　day　after　it　is
born：　where　the　correction　of　the　male　children　is　peculiarly　designed　to
the　fathers；　and　to　the　mothers　of　the　girls；　the　punishment　being　to
hang　them　by　the　heels　in　the　smoke：　where　they　circumcise　the　women：
where　they　eat　all　sorts　of　herbs；　without　other　scruple　than　of　the
badness　of　the　smell：　where　all　things　are　open　the　finest　houses；
furnished　in　the　richest　manner；　without　doors；　windows；　trunks；　or
chests　to　lock；　a　thief　being　there　punished　double　what　they　are　in
other　places：　where　they　crack　lice　with　their　teeth　like　monkeys；　and
abhor　to　see　them　killed　with　one's　nails：　where　in　all　their　lives　they
neither　cut　their　hair　nor　pare　their　nails；　and；　in　another　place；　pare
those　of　the　right　hand　only；　letting　the　left　grow　for　ornament　and
bravery：　where　they　suffer　the　hair　on　the　right　side　to　grow　as　long　as
it　will；　and　shave　the　other；　and　in　the　neighbouring　provinces；　some　let
their　hair　grow　long　before；　and　some　behind；　shaving　close　the　rest：
where　parents　let　out　their　children；　and　husbands　their　wives；　to　their
guests　to　hire：　where　a　man　may　get　his　own　mother　with　child；　and
fathers　make　use　of　their　own　daughters　or　sons；　without　scandal：　where；
at　their　solemn　feasts；　they　interchangeably　lend　their　children　to　one
another；　without　any　consideration　of　nearness　of　blood。　　In　one　place；
men　feed　upon　human　flesh；　in　another；　'tis　reputed　a　pious　office　for　a
man　to　kill　his　father　at　a　certain　age；　elsewhere；　the　fathers　dispose
of　their　children；　whilst　yet　in　their　mothers'　wombs；　some　to　be
preserved　and　carefully　brought　up；　and　others　to　be　abandoned　or　made
away。　　Elsewhere　the　old　husbands　lend　their　wives　to　young　men；　and　in
another　place　they　are　in　common　without　offence；　in　one　place
particularly；　the　women　take　it　for　a　mark　of　honour　to　have　as　many　gay
fringed　tassels　at　the　bottom　of　their　garment；　as　they　have　lain　with
several　men。　　Moreover；　has　not　custom　made　a　republic　of　women
separately　by　themselves？　has　it　not　put　arms　into　their　hands；　and　made
them　raise　armies　and　fight　battles？　　And　does　she　not；　by　her　own
precept；　instruct　the　most　ignorant　vulgar；　and　make　them　perfect　in
things　which　all　the　philosophy　in　the　world　could　never　beat　into　the
heads　of　the　wisest　men？　　For　we　know　entire　nations；　where　death　was　not
only　despised；　but　entertained　with　the　greatest　triumph；　where　children
of　seven　years　old　suffered　themselves　to　be　whipped　to　death；　without
changing　countenance；　where　riches　were　in　such　contempt；　that　the
meanest　citizen　would　not　have　deigned　to　stoop　to　take　up　a　purse　of
crowns。　　And　we　know　regions；　very　fruitful　in　all　manner　of　provisions；
where；　notwithstanding；　the　most　ordinary　diet；　and　that　they　are　most
pleased　with；　is　only　bread；　cresses；　and　water。　　Did　not　custom；
moreover；　work　that　miracle　in　Chios　that；　in　seven　hundred　years；　it　was
never　known　that　ever　maid　or　wife　committed　any　act　to　the　prejudice　of
her　honour？

To　conclude；　there　is　nothing；　in　my　opinion；　that　she　does　not；　or　may
not　do；　and　therefore；　with　very　good　reason　it　is　that　Pindar　calls　her
the　ruler　of　the　world。　　He　that　was　seen　to　beat　his　father；　and
reproved　for　so　doing；　made　answer；　that　it　was　the　custom　of　their
family；　that；　in　like　manner；　his　father　had　beaten　his　grandfather；　his
grandfather　his　great…grandfather；　〃And　this；〃　says　he；　pointing　to　his
son；　〃when　he　comes　to　my　age；　shall　beat　me。〃　　And　the　father；　whom　the
son　dragged　and　hauled　along　the　streets；　commanded　him　to　stop　at　a
certain　door；　for　he　himself；　he　said；　had　dragged　his　father　no　farther；
that　being　the　utmost　limit　of　the　hereditary　outrage　the　sons　used　to
practise　upon　the　fathers　in　their　family。　　It　is　as　much　by　custom　as
infirmity；　says　Aristotle；　that　women　tear　their　hair；　bite　their　nails；
and　eat　coals　and　earth；　and　more　by　custom　than　nature　that　men　abuse
themselves　with　one　another。

The　laws　of　conscience；　which　we　pretend　to　be　derived　from　nature；
proceed　from　custom；　every　one；　having　an　inward　veneration　for　the
opinions　and　manners　approved　and　received　amongst　his　own　people；
cannot；　without　very　great　reluctance；　depart　from　them；　nor　apply
himself　to　them　without　applause。　　In　times　past；　when　those　of　Crete
would　curse　any　one；　they　prayed　the　gods　to　engage　him　in　some　ill
custom。　　But　the　principal　effect　of　its　power　is；　so　to　seize　and
ensnare　us；　that　it　is　hardly　in　us　to　disengage　ourselves　from　its
gripe；　or　so　to　come　to　ourselves；　as　to　consider　of　and　to　weigh　the
things　it　enjoins。　　To　say　the　truth；　by　reason　that　we　suck　it　in　with
our　milk；　and　that　the　face　of　the　world　presents　itself　in　this　posture
to　our　first　sight；　it　seems　as　if　we　were　born　upon　condition　to　follow
on　this　track；　and　the　common　fancies　that　we　find　in　repute　everywhere
about　us；　and　infused　into　our　minds　with　the　seed　of　our　fathers；　appear
to　be　the　most　universal　and　genuine；　from　whence　it　comes　to　pass；　that
whatever　is　off　the　hinges　of　custom；　is　believed　to　be　also　off　the
hinges　of　reason；　how　unreasonably　for　the　most　part；　God　knows。

If；　as　we　who　study　ourselves　have　learned　to　do；　every　one　who　hears　a
good　sentence；　would　immediately　consider　how　it　does　in　any　way　touch
his　own　private　concern；　every　one　would　find；　that　it　was　not　so　much　a
good　saying；　as　a　severe　lash　to　the　ordinary　stupidity　of　his　own
judgment：　but　men　receive　the　precepts　and　admonitions　of　truth；　as
directed　to　the　common　sort；　and　never　to　themselves；　and　instead　of
applying　them　to　their　own　manners；　do　only　very　ignorantly　and
unprofitably　commit　them　to　memory。　　But　let　us　return　to　the　empire　of
custom。

Such　people　as　have　been　bred　up　to　liberty；　and　subject　to　no　other
dominion　but　the　authority　of　their　own　will；　look　upon　all　other　form　of
government　as　monstrous　and　contrary　to　nature。　　Those　who　are　inured　to
monarchy　do　the　same；　and　what　opportunity　soever　fortune　presents　them
with　to　change；　even　then；　when　with　the　greatest　difficulties　they　have
disengaged　themselves　from　one　master；　that　was　troublesome　and　grievous
to　them；　they　presently　run；　with　the　same　difficulties；　to　create
another；　being　unable　to　take　into　hatred　subjection　itself。

'Tis　by　the　mediation　of　custom；　that　every　one　is　content　with　the　place
where　he　is　planted　by　nature；　and　the　Highlanders　of　Scotland　no　more
pant　after　Touraine；　than　the　Scythians　after　Thessaly。　　Darius　asking
certain　Greeks　what　they　would　take　to　assume　the　custom　of　the　Indians；
of　eating　the　dead　bodies　of　their　fathers　（for　that　was　their　use；
believing　they　could　not　give　them　a　better　nor　more　noble　sepulture　than
to　bury　them　in　their　own　bodies）；　they　made　answer；　that　nothing　in　the
world　should　hire　them　to　do　it；　but　having　also　tried　to　persuade　the
Indians　to　leave　their　custom；　and；　after　the　Greek　manner；　to　burn　the
bodies　of　their　fathers；　they　conceived　a　still　greater　horror　at　the
motion。＇Herodotus；　iii。　38。＇　Every　one　does　the　same；　for　use　veils
from