the essays of montaigne, v4-第6章

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　　　　　Chrysippus。〃Cicero；　De　Natura　Deor。；　iii。　2。＇

God　knows；　in　the　present　quarrel　of　our　civil　war；　where　there　are　a
hundred　articles　to　dash　out　and　to　put　in；　great　and　very　considerable；
how　many　there　are　who　can　truly　boast；　they　have　exactly　and　perfectly
weighed　and　understood　the　grounds　and　reasons　of　the　one　and　the　other
party；　'tis　a　number；　if　they　make　any　number；　that　would　be　able　to　give
us　very　little　disturbance。　　But　what　becomes　of　all　the　rest；　under　what
ensigns　do　they　march；　in　what　quarter　do　they　lie？　　Theirs　have　the　same
effect　with　other　weak　and　ill…applied　medicines；　they　have　only　set　the
humours　they　would　purge　more　violently　in　work；　stirred　and　exasperated
by　the　conflict；　and　left　them　still　behind。　　The　potion　was　too　weak　to
purge；　but　strong　enough　to　weaken　us；　so　that　it　does　not　work；　but　we
keep　it　still　in　our　bodies；　and　reap　nothing　from　the　operation　but
intestine　gripes　and　dolours。

So　it　is；　nevertheless；　that　Fortune　still　reserving　her　authority　in
defiance　of　whatever　we　are　able　to　do　or　say；　sometimes　presents　us　with
a　necessity　so　urgent；　that　'tis　requisite　the　laws　should　a　little　yield
and　give　way；　and　when　one　opposes　the　increase　of　an　innovation　that
thus　intrudes　itself　by　violence；　to　keep　a　man's　self　in　so　doing；　in
all　places　and　in　all　things　within　bounds　and　rules　against　those　who
have　the　power；　and　to　whom　all　things　are　lawful　that　may　in　any　way
serve　to　advance　their　design；　who　have　no　other　law　nor　rule　but　what
serves　best　to　their　own　purpose；　'tis　a　dangerous　obligation　and　an
intolerable　inequality：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Aditum　nocendi　perfido　praestat　fides；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Putting　faith　in　a　treacherous　person；　opens　the　door　to
　　　　　　　　　　harm。〃　Seneca；　OEdip。；　act　iii。；　verse　686。＇

forasmuch　as　the　ordinary　discipline　of　a　healthful　state　does　not
provide　against　these　extraordinary　accidents；　it　presupposes　a　body　that
supports　itself　in　its　principal　members　and　offices；　and　a　common
consent　to　its　obedience　and　observation。　　A　legitimate　proceeding　is
cold；　heavy；　and　constrained；　and　not　fit　to　make　head　against　a
headstrong　and　unbridled　proceeding。　　'Tis　known　to　be　to　this　day　cast
in　the　dish　of　those　two　great　men；　Octavius　and　Cato；　in　the　two　civil
wars　of　Sylla　and　Caesar；　that　they　would　rather　suffer　their　country　to
undergo　the　last　extremities；　than　relieve　their　fellow…citizens　at　the
expense　of　its　laws；　or　be　guilty　of　any　innovation；　for　in　truth；　in
these　last　necessities；　where　there　is　no　other　remedy；　it　would；
peradventure；　be　more　discreetly　done；　to　stoop　and　yield　a　little　to
receive　the　blow；　than；　by　opposing　without　possibility　of　doing　good；
to　give　occasion　to　violence　to　trample　all　under　foot；　and　better　to
make　the　laws　do　what　they　can；　when　they　cannot　do　what　they　would。
After　this　manner　did　he＇Agesilaus。＇　who　suspended　them　for　four…and…
twenty　hours；　and　he　who；　for　once　shifted　a　day　in　the　calendar；　and
that　other　＇Alexander　the　Great。＇　who　of　the　month　of　June　made　a
second　of　May。　　The　Lacedaemonians　themselves；　who　were　so　religious
observers　of　the　laws　of　their　country；　being　straitened　by　one　of　their
own　edicts；　by　which　it　was　expressly　forbidden　to　choose　the　same　man
twice　to　be　admiral；　and　on　the　other　side；　their　affairs　necessarily
requiring；　that　Lysander　should　again　take　upon　him　that　command；　they
made　one　Aratus　admiral；　'tis　true；　but　withal；　Lysander　went　general　of
the　navy；　and；　by　the　same　subtlety；　one　of　their　ambassadors　being　sent
to　the　Athenians　to　obtain　the　revocation　of　some　decree；　and　Pericles
remonstrating　to　him；　that　it　was　forbidden　to　take　away　the　tablet
wherein　a　law　had　once　been　engrossed；　he　advised　him　to　turn　it　only；
that　being　not　forbidden；　and　Plutarch　commends　Philopoemen；　that　being
born　to　command；　he　knew　how　to　do　it；　not　only　according　to　the　laws；
but　also　to　overrule　even　the　laws　themselves；　when　the　public　necessity
so　required。




CHAPTER　XXIII

VARIOUS　EVENTS　FROM　THE　SAME　COUNSEL

Jacques　Amiot；　grand　almoner　of　France；　one　day　related　to　me　this　story；
much　to　the　honour　of　a　prince　of　ours　（and　ours　he　was　upon　several　very
good　accounts；　though　originally　of　foreign　extraction）；＇The　Duc　de
Guise；　surnamed　Le　Balafre。＇that　in　the　time　of　our　first　commotions；
at　the　siege　of　Rouen；＇In　1562＇　this　prince；　having　been　advertised
by　the　queen…mother　of　a　conspiracy　against　his　life；　and　in　her　letters
particular　notice　being　given　him　of　the　person　who　was　to　execute　the
business　（who　was　a　gentleman　of　Anjou　or　of　Maine；　and　who　to　this
effect　ordinarily　frequented　this　prince's　house）；　discovered　not　a
syllable　of　this　intelligence　to　any　one　whatever；　but　going　the　next　day
to　the　St。　Catherine's　Mount；＇An　eminence　outside　Rouen　overlooking　the
Seine。　　D。W。＇　from　which　our　battery　played　against　the　town　（for　it
was　during　the　time　of　the　siege）；　and　having　in　company　with　him　the
said　lord　almoner；　and　another　bishop；　he　saw　this　gentleman；　who　had
been　denoted　to　him；　and　presently　sent　for　him；　to　whom；　being　come
before　him；　seeing　him　already　pale　and　trembling　with　the　conscience　of
his　guilt；　he　thus　said；　〃Monsieur；〃　such　an　one；　〃you　guess　what　I　have
to　say　to　you；　your　countenance　discovers　it；　'tis　in　vain　to　disguise
your　practice；　for　I　am　so　well　informed　of　your　business；　that　it　will
but　make　worse　for　you；　to　go　about　to　conceal　or　deny　it：　you　know　very
well　such　and　such　passages〃　（which　were　the　most　secret　circumstances　of
his　conspiracy）；　〃and　therefore　be　sure；　as　you　tender　your　own　life；
to　confess　to　me　the　whole　truth　of　the　design。〃　　The　poor　man　seeing
himself　thus　trapped　and　convicted　（for　the　whole　business　had　been
discovered　to　the　queen　by　one　of　the　accomplices）；　was　in　such　a　taking；
he　knew　not　what　to　do；　but；　folding　his　hands；　to　beg　and　sue　for　mercy；
he　threw　himself　at　his　prince's　feet；　who　taking　him　up；　proceeded　to
say；　〃Come；　sir；　tell　me；　have　I　at　any　time　done　you　offence？　　or　have
I；　through　private　hatred　or　malice；　offended　any　kinsman　or　friend　of
yours？　　It　is　not　above　three　weeks　that　I　have　known　you；　what
inducement；　then；　could　move　you　to　attempt　my　death？〃　　To　which　the
gentleman　with　a　trembling　voice　replied；　〃That　it　was　no　particular
grudge　he　had　to　his　person；　but　the　general　interest　and　concern　of　his
party；　and　that　he　had　been　put　upon　it　by　some　who　had　persuaded　him　it
would　be　a　meritorious　act；　by　any　means；　to　extirpate　so　great　and　so
powerful　an　enemy　of　their　religion。〃　　〃Well；〃　said　the　prince；　〃I　will
now　let　you　see；　how　much　more　charitable　the　religion　is　that　I
maintain；　than　that　which　you　profess：　yours　has　counselled　you　to　kill
me；　without　hearing　me　speak；　and　without　ever　having　given　you　any　cause
of　offence；　and　mine　commands　me　to　forgive　you；　convict　as　you　are；　by
your　own　confession；　of　a　design　to　kill　me　without　reason。＇Imitated　by
Voltaire。　　See　Nodier；　Questions；　p。　165。＇　Get　you　gone；　let　me　see　you
no　more；　and；　if　you　are　wise；　choose　henceforward　honester　men　for　your
counsellors　in　your　designs。〃　＇Dampmartin；　La　Fortune　de　la　Coup；　liv。
ii。；　p。　139＇

The　Emperor　Augustus；＇This　story　is　taken　from　Seneca；　De　Clementia；
i。　　9。＇　being　in　Gaul；　had　certain　information　of　a　conspiracy　L。　Cinna
was　contriving　against　him；　he　therefore　resolved　to　make　him　an　example；
and；　to　that　end；　sent　to　summon　his　friends　to　meet　the　next　morning　in
counsel。　　But　the　night　between　he　passed　in　great　unquietness　of　mind；
considering　that　he　was　about　to　put　to　death　a　young　man；　of　an
illustrious　family；　and　nephew　to　the　great　Pompey；　and　this　made　him
break　out　into　several　passionate　complainings。　　〃What　then；〃　said　he；
〃is　it　possible　that　I　am　to　live　in　perpetual　anxiety　and　alarm；　and
suffer　my　would…be　assassin；　meantime；　to　walk　abroad　at　liberty？　　Shall
he　go　unpunished；　after　having　conspired　against　my　life；　a　life　that　I
have　hitherto　defended　in　so　many　civil　wars；　in　so　many　battles　by　land
and　by　sea？　　And　after　having　settled　the　universal　peace　of　the　whole
world；　shall　this　man　be　pardoned；　who　has　cons