the essays of montaigne, v2-第10章

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the　Emperor；　especially　at　a　time　when　he　was　in　a　treaty　of　marriage
with　his　niece；　daughter　to　the　King　of　Denmark；　who　is　now　dowager　of
Lorraine；　could　not　manifest　any　practice　and　conference　with　us　without
his　great　interest。　　For　this　commission　one　Merveille；　a　Milanese
gentleman；　and　an　equerry　to　the　King；　being　thought　very　fit；　was
accordingly　despatched　thither　with　private　credentials；　and　instructions
as　ambassador；　and　with　other　letters　of　recommendation　to　the　Duke　about
his　own　private　concerns；　the　better　to　mask　and　colour　the　business；　and
was　so　long　in　that　court；　that　the　Emperor　at　last　had　some　inkling　of
his　real　employment　there；　which　was　the　occasion　of　what　followed　after；
as　we　suppose；　which　was；　that　under　pretence　of　some　murder；　his　trial
was　in　two　days　despatched；　and　his　head　in　the　night　struck　off　in
prison。　　Messire　Francesco　being　come；　and　prepared　with　a　long
counterfeit　history　of　the　affair　（for　the　King　had　applied　himself　to
all　the　princes　of　Christendom；　as　well　as　to　the　Duke　himself；　to　demand
satisfaction）；　had　his　audience　at　the　morning　council；　where；　after　he
had　for　the　support　of　his　cause　laid　open　several　plausible
justifications　of　the　fact；　that　his　master　had　never　looked　upon　this
Merveille　for　other　than　a　private　gentleman　and　his　own　subject；　who　was
there　only　in　order　to　his　own　business；　neither　had　he　ever　lived　under
any　other　aspect；　absolutely　disowning　that　he　had　ever　heard　he　was　one
of　the　King's　household　or　that　his　Majesty　so　much　as　knew　him；　so　far
was　he　from　taking　him　for　an　ambassador：　the　King；　in　his　turn；　pressing
him　with　several　objections　and　demands；　and　challenging　him　on　all
sides；　tripped　him　up　at　last　by　asking；　why；　then；　the　execution　was
performed　by　night；　and　as　it　were　by　stealth？　　At　which　the　poor
confounded　ambassador；　the　more　handsomely　to　disengage　himself；　made
answer；　that　the　Duke　would　have　been　very　loth；　out　of　respect　to　his
Majesty；　that　such　an　execution　should　have　been　performed　by　day。　　Any
one　may　guess　if　he　was　not　well　rated　when　he　came　home；　for　having　so
grossly　tripped　in　the　presence　of　a　prince　of　so　delicate　a　nostril　as
King　Francis。

Pope　Julius　II。　having　sent　an　ambassador　to　the　King　of　England　to
animate　him　against　King　Francis；　the　ambassador　having　had　his　audience；
and　the　King；　before　he　would　give　an　answer；　insisting　upon　the
difficulties　he　should　find　in　setting　on　foot　so　great　a　preparation　as
would　be　necessary　to　attack　so　potent　a　King；　and　urging　some　reasons　to
that　effect；　the　ambassador　very　unseasonably　replied　that　he　had　also
himself　considered　the　same　difficulties；　and　had　represented　them　to　the
Pope。　　From　which　saying　of　his；　so　directly　opposite　to　the　thing
propounded　and　the　business　he　came　about；　which　was　immediately　to
incite　him　to　war；　the　King　of　England　first　derived　the　argument　（which
he　afterward　found　to　be　true）；　that　this　ambassador；　in　his　own　mind；
was　on　the　side　of　the　French；　of　which　having　advertised　his　master；　his
estate　at　his　return　home　was　confiscated；　and　he　himself　very　narrowly
escaped　the　losing　of　his　head。　＇Erasmi　Op。　（1703）；　iv。　col。　684。＇




CHAPTER　X

OF　QUICK　OR　SLOW　SPEECH

　　　　　　　　　　〃Onc　ne　furent　a　touts　toutes　graces　donnees。〃

　　　　　＇〃All　graces　were　never　yet　given　to　any　one　man。〃A　verse
　　　　　in　one　of　La　Brebis'　Sonnets。＇

So　we　see　in　the　gift　of　eloquence；　wherein　some　have　such　a　facility　and
promptness；　and　that　which　we　call　a　present　wit　so　easy；　that　they　are
ever　ready　upon　all　occasions；　and　never　to　be　surprised；　and　others　more
heavy　and　slow；　never　venture　to　utter　anything　but　what　they　have　long
premeditated；　and　taken　great　care　and　pains　to　fit　and　prepare。

Now；　as　we　teach　young　ladies　those　sports　and　exercises　which　are　most
proper　to　set　out　the　grace　and　beauty　of　those　parts　wherein　their
chiefest　ornament　and　perfection　lie；　so　it　should　be　in　these　two
advantages　of　eloquence；　to　which　the　lawyers　and　preachers　of　our　age
seem　principally　to　pretend。　　If　I　were　worthy　to　advise；　the　slow
speaker；　methinks；　should　be　more　proper　for　the　pulpit；　and　the　other
for　the　bar：　and　that　because　the　employment　of　the　first　does　naturally
allow　him　all　the　leisure　he　can　desire　to　prepare　himself；　and　besides；
his　career　is　performed　in　an　even　and　unintermitted　line；　without　stop
or　interruption；　whereas　the　pleader's　business　and　interest　compels　him
to　enter　the　lists　upon　all　occasions；　and　the　unexpected　objections　and
replies　of　his　adverse　party　jostle　him　out　of　his　course；　and　put　him；
upon　the　instant；　to　pump　for　new　and　extempore　answers　and　defences。
Yet；　at　the　interview　betwixt　Pope　Clement　and　King　Francis　at
Marseilles；　it　happened；　quite　contrary；　that　Monsieur　Poyet；　a　man　bred
up　all　his　life　at　the　bar；　and　in　the　highest　repute　for　eloquence；
having　the　charge　of　making　the　harangue　to　the　Pope　committed　to　him；
and　having　so　long　meditated　on　it　beforehand；　as；　so　they　said；　to　have
brought　it　ready　made　along　with　him　from　Paris；　the　very　day　it　was　to
have　been　pronounced；　the　Pope；　fearing　something　might　be　said　that
might　give　offence　to　the　other　princes'　ambassadors　who　were　there
attending　on　him；　sent　to　acquaint　the　King　with　the　argument　which　he
conceived　most　suiting　to　the　time　and　place；　but；　by　chance；　quite
another　thing　to　that　Monsieur　de　Poyet　had　taken　so　much　pains　about：　so
that　the　fine　speech　he　had　prepared　was　of　no　use；　and　he　was　upon　the
instant　to　contrive　another；　which　finding　himself　unable　to　do；　Cardinal
du　Bellay　was　constrained　to　perform　that　office。　　The　pleader's　part　is；
doubtless；　much　harder　than　that　of　the　preacher；　and　yet；　in　my　opinion；
we　see　more　passable　lawyers　than　preachers；　at　all　events　in　France。
It　should　seem　that　the　nature　of　wit　is　to　have　its　operation　prompt　and
sudden；　and　that　of　judgment　to　have　it　more　deliberate　and　more　slow。
But　he　who　remains　totally　silent；　for　want　of　leisure　to　prepare　himself
to　speak　well；　and　he　also　whom　leisure　does　noways　benefit　to　better
speaking；　are　equally　unhappy。

'Tis　said　of　Severus　Cassius　that　he　spoke　best　extempore；　that　he　stood
more　obliged　to　fortune　than　to　his　own　diligence；　that　it　was　an
advantage　to　him　to　be　interrupted　in　speaking；　and　that　his　adversaries
were　afraid　to　nettle　him；　lest　his　anger　should　redouble　his　eloquence。
I　know；　experimentally；　the　disposition　of　nature　so　impatient　of　tedious
and　elaborate　premeditation；　that　if　it　do　not　go　frankly　and　gaily　to
work；　it　can　perform　nothing　to　purpose。　　We　say　of　some　compositions
that　they　stink　of　oil　and　of　the　lamp；　by　reason　of　a　certain　rough
harshness　that　laborious　handling　imprints　upon　those　where　it　has　been
employed。　　But　besides　this；　the　solicitude　of　doing　well；　and　a　certain
striving　and　contending　of　a　mind　too　far　strained　and　overbent　upon　its
undertaking；　breaks　and　hinders　itself　like　water；　that　by　force　of　its
own　pressing　violence　and　abundance；　cannot　find　a　ready　issue　through
the　neck　of　a　bottle　or　a　narrow　sluice。　　In　this　condition　of　nature；
of　which　I　am　now　speaking；　there　is　this　also；　that　it　would　not　be
disordered　and　stimulated　with　such　passions　as　the　fury　of　Cassius　（for
such　a　motion　would　be　too　violent　and　rude）；　it　would　not　be　jostled；
but　solicited；　it　would　be　roused　and　heated　by　unexpected；　sudden；　and
accidental　occasions。　　If　it　be　left　to　itself；　it　flags　and　languishes；
agitation　only　gives　it　grace　and　vigour。　　I　am　always　worst　in　my　own
possession；　and　when　wholly　at　my　own　disposition：　accident　has　more
title　to　anything　that　comes　from　me　than　I；　occasion；　company；　and　even
the　very　rising　and　falling　of　my　own　voice；　extract　more　from　my　fancy
than　I　can　find；　when　I　sound　and　employ　it　by　myself。　　By　which　means；
the　things　I　say　are　better　than　those　I　write；　if　either　were　to　be
preferred；　where　neither　is　worth　anything。　　This；　also；　befalls　me；　that
I　do　not　find　myself　where　I　seek　myself；　and　I　light　upon　things　more　by
chance　than　by　any　inquisition　of　my　own　judgment。　　I　perhaps　sometimes
hit　upon　something　whe