the essays of montaigne, v4-第7章

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and　by　sea？　　And　after　having　settled　the　universal　peace　of　the　whole
world；　shall　this　man　be　pardoned；　who　has　conspired　not　only　to　murder；
but　to　sacrifice　me？〃for　the　conspiracy　was　to　kill　him　at　sacrifice。
After　which；　remaining　for　some　time　silent；　he　began　again；　in　louder
tones；　and　exclaimed　against　himself；　saying：　　〃Why　livest　thou；　if　it　be
for　the　good　of　so　many　that　thou　shouldst　die？　must　there　be　no　end　of
thy　revenges　and　cruelties？　　Is　thy　life　of　so　great　value；　that　so　many
mischiefs　must　be　done　to　preserve　it？〃　　His　wife　Livia；　seeing　him　in
this　perplexity：　〃Will　you　take　a　woman's　counsel？〃　　said　she。　　〃Do　as
the　physicians　do；　who；　when　the　ordinary　recipes　will　do　no　good；　make
trial　of　the　contrary。　　By　severity　you　have　hitherto　prevailed　nothing；
Lepidus　has　followed　Salvidienus；　Murena；　Lepidus；　Caepio；　Murena；
Egnatius；　Caepio。　　Begin　now；　and　try　how　sweetness　and　clemency　will
succeed。　　Cinna　is　convict；　forgive　him；　he　will　never　henceforth　have
the　heart　to　hurt　thee；　and　it　will　be　an　act　to　thy　glory。〃　　Augustus
was　well　pleased　that　he　had　met　with　an　advocate　of　his　own　humour；
wherefore；　having　thanked　his　wife；　and；　in　the　morning；　countermanded
his　friends　he　had　before　summoned　to　council；　he　commanded　Cinna　all
alone　to　be　brought　to　him；　who　being　accordingly　come；　and　a　chair　by
his　appointment　set　him；　having　ordered　all　the　rest　out　of　the　room；　he
spake　to　him　after　this　manner：　〃In　the　first　place；　Cinna；　I　demand　of
thee　patient　audience；　do　not　interrupt　me　in　what　I　am　about　to　say；　and
I　will　afterwards　give　thee　time　and　leisure　to　answer。　　Thou　knowest；
Cinna；　＇This　passage；　borrowed　from　Seneca；　has　been　paraphrased　in
verse　by　Corneille。　　See　Nodier；　Questions　de　la　Literature　llgale；　1828；
pp。　7；　160。　　The　monologue　of　Augustus　in　this　chapter　is　also　from
Seneca。　　Ibid。；　164。＇　that　having　taken　thee　prisoner　in　the　enemy's
camp；　and　thou　an　enemy；　not　only　so　become；　but　born　so；　I　gave　thee　thy
life；　restored　to　thee　all　thy　goods；　and；　finally；　put　thee　in　so　good　a
posture；　by　my　bounty；　of　living　well　and　at　thy　ease；　that　the
victorious　envied　the　conquered。　The　sacerdotal　office　which　thou　madest
suit　to　me　for；　I　conferred　upon　thee；　after　having　denied　it　to　others；
whose　fathers　have　ever　borne　arms　in　my　service。　　After　so　many
obligations；　thou　hast　undertaken　to　kill　me。〃　　At　which　Cinna　crying　out
that　he　was　very　far　from　entertaining　any　so　wicked　a　thought：　〃Thou
dost　not　keep　thy　promise；　Cinna；〃　continued　Augustus；　〃that　thou　wouldst
not　interrupt　me。　　Yes；　thou　hast　undertaken　to　murder　me　in　such　a
place；　on　such　a　day；　in　such　and　such　company；　and　in　such　a　manner。〃
At　which　words；　seeing　Cinna　astounded　and　silent；　not　upon　the　account
of　his　promise　so　to　be；　but　interdict　with　the　weight　of　his　conscience：
〃Why；〃　proceeded　Augustus；　〃to　what　end　wouldst　thou　do　it？　　Is　it　to　be
emperor？　　Believe　me；　the　Republic　is　in　very　ill　condition；　if　I　am　the
only　man　betwixt　thee　and　the　empire。　　Thou　art　not　able　so　much　as　to
defend　thy　own　house；　and　but　t'other　day　was　baffled　in　a　suit；　by　the
opposed　interest　of　a　mere　manumitted　slave。　　What；　hast　thou　neither
means　nor　power　in　any　other　thing；　but　only　to　undertake　Caesar？　　I　quit
the　throne；　if　there　be　no　other　than　I　to　obstruct　thy　hopes。　　Canst
thou　believe　that　Paulus；　that　Fabius；　that　the　Cossii　and　the　Servilii；
and　so　many　noble　Romans；　not　only　so　in　title；　but　who　by　their　virtue
honour　their　nobility；　would　suffer　or　endure　thee？〃　　After　this；　and　a
great　deal　more　that　he　said　to　him　（for　he　was　two　long　hours　in
speaking）；　〃Now　go；　Cinna；　go　thy　way：　I　give　thee　that　life　as　traitor
and　parricide；　which　I　before　gave　thee　in　the　quality　of　an　enemy。　　Let
friendship　from　this　time　forward　begin　betwixt　us；　and　let　us　show
whether　I　have　given；　or　thou　hast　received　thy　life　with　the　better
faith〃；　and　so　departed　from　him。　　Some　time　after；　he　preferred　him　to
the　consular　dignity；　complaining　that　he　had　not　the　confidence　to
demand　it；　had　him　ever　after　for　his　very　great　friend；　and　was；　at
last；　made　by　him　sole　heir　to　all　his　estate。　　Now；　from　the　time　of
this　accident　which　befell　Augustus　in　the　fortieth　year　of　his　age；　he
never　had　any　conspiracy　or　attempt　against　him；　and　so　reaped　the　due
reward　of　this　his　so　generous　clemency。　　But　it　did　not　so　happen　with
our　prince；　his　moderation　and　mercy　not　so　securing　him；　but　that　he
afterwards　fell　into　the　toils　of　the　like　treason；＇The　Duc　de　Guise
was　assassinated　in　1563　by　Poltrot。＇so　vain　and　futile　a　thing　is
human　prudence；　throughout　all　our　projects；　counsels　and　precautions；
Fortune　will　still　be　mistress　of　events。

We　repute　physicians　fortunate　when　they　hit　upon　a　lucky　cure；　as　if
there　was　no　other　art　but　theirs　that　could　not　stand　upon　its　own　legs；
and　whose　foundations　are　too　weak　to　support　itself　upon　its　own　basis；
as　if　no　other　art　stood　in　need　of　Fortune's　hand　to　help　it。　　For　my
part；　I　think　of　physic　as　much　good　or　ill　as　any　one　would　have　me：
for；　thanks　be　to　God；　we　have　no　traffic　together。　　I　am　of　a　quite
contrary　humour　to　other　men；　for　I　always　despise　it；　but　when　I　am
sick；　instead　of　recanting；　or　entering　into　composition　with　it；　I
begin；　moreover；　to　hate　and　fear　it；　telling　them　who　importune　me　to
take　physic；　that　at　all　events　they　must　give　me　time　to　recover　my
strength　and　health；　that　I　may　be　the　better　able　to　support　and
encounter　the　violence　and　danger　of　their　potions。　　I　let　nature　work；
supposing　her　to　be　sufficiently　armed　with　teeth　and　claws　to　defend
herself　from　the　assaults　of　infirmity；　and　to　uphold　that　contexture；
the　dissolution　of　which　she　flies　and　abhors。　　I　am　afraid；　lest；
instead　of　assisting　her　when　close　grappled　and　struggling　with　disease；
I　should　assist　her　adversary；　and　burden　her　still　more　with　work　to　do。

Now；　I　say；　that　not　in　physic　only；　but　in　other　more　certain　arts；
fortune　has　a　very　great　part。

The　poetic　raptures；　the　flights　of　fancy；　that　ravish　and　transport　the
author　out　of　himself；　why　should　we　not　attribute　them　to　his　good
fortune；　since　he　himself　confesses　that　they　exceed　his　sufficiency　and
force；　and　acknowledges　them　to　proceed　from　something　else　than　himself；
and　that　he　has　them　no　more　in　his　power　than　the　orators　say　they　have
those　extraordinary　motions　and　agitations　that　sometimes　push　them
beyond　their　design。　　It　is　the　same　in　painting；　where　touches　shall
sometimes　slip　from　the　hand　of　the　painter；　so　surpassing　both　his
conception　and　his　art；　as　to　beget　his　own　admiration　and　astonishment。
But　Fortune　does　yet　more　evidently　manifest　the　share　she　has　in　all
things　of　this　kind；　by　the　graces　and　elegances　we　find　in　them；　not
only　beyond　the　intention；　but　even　without　the　knowledge　of　the　workman：
a　competent　reader　often　discovers　in　other　men's　writings　other
perfections　than　the　author　himself　either　intended　or　perceived；　a
richer　sense　and　more　quaint　expression。

As　to　military　enterprises；　every　one　sees　how　great　a　hand　Fortune　has
in　them。　　Even　in　our　counsels　and　deliberations　there　must；　certainly；
be　something　of　chance　and　good…luck　mixed　with　human　prudence；　for　all
that　our　wisdom　can　do　alone　is　no　great　matter；　the　more　piercing；
quick；　and　apprehensive　it　is；　the　weaker　it　finds　itself；　and　is　by　so
much　more　apt　to　mistrust　itself。　　I　am　of　Sylla's　opinion；　＇〃Who　freed
his　great　deeds　from　envy　by　ever　attributing　them　to　his　good　fortune；
and　finally　by　surnaming　himself　Faustus；　the　Lucky。Plutarch；　How　far　a
Man　may　praise　Himself；　c。　9。＇　and　when　I　closely　examine　the　most
glorious　exploits　of　war；　I　perceive；　methinks；　that　those　who　carry　them
on　make　use　of　counsel　and　debate　only　for　custom's　sake；　and　leave　the
best　part　of　the　enterprise　to　Fortune；　and　relying　upon　her　aid；
transgress；　at　every　turn；　the　bounds　of　military　conduct　and　the　rules
of　war。　　There　happen；　sometimes；　fortuitous　alacrities　and　strange
furies　in　their　deliberations；　that　for　the　most　part　prompt　them　to
follow　the　worst　grounded　counsels；　and　swell　their　cou