the essays of montaigne, v2-第12章

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spurious　and　base；　yet　so；　that　if　any　of　those　exiles；　notwithstanding；
should；　peradventure；　in　growing　up　give　any　good　hope　of　himself；　he
might　be　recalled；　as；　also；　that　such　as　had　been　retained；　should　be
exiled；　in　case　they　gave　little　expectation　of　themselves　in　their　early
growth。

I　see　some　who　are　mightily　given　to　study　and　comment　upon　their
almanacs；　and　produce　them　to　us　as　an　authority　when　anything　has　fallen
out　pat；　and；　for　that　matter；　it　is　hardly　possible　but　that　these
alleged　authorities　sometimes　stumble　upon　a　truth　amongst　an　infinite
number　of　lies。

　　　　　　　　　　〃Quis　est　enim；　qui　totum　diem　jaculans
　　　　　　　　　　non　aliquando　collineet？〃

　　　　　＇〃For　who　shoots　all　day　at　butts　that　does　not　sometimes　hit　the
　　　　　white？〃Cicero；　De　Divin。；　ii。　59。＇

I　think　never　the　better　of　them　for　some　such　accidental　hit。　　There
would　be　more　certainty　in　it　if　there　were　a　rule　and　a　truth　of　always
lying。　　Besides；　nobody　records　their　flimflams　and　false　prognostics；
forasmuch　as　they　are　infinite　and　common；　but　if　they　chop　upon　one
truth；　that　carries　a　mighty　report；　as　being　rare；　incredible；　and
prodigious。　　So　Diogenes；　surnamed　the　Atheist；　answered　him　in
Samothrace；　who；　showing　him　in　the　temple　the　several　offerings　and
stories　in　painting　of　those　who　had　escaped　shipwreck；　said　to　him；
〃Look；　you　who　think　the　gods　have　no　care　of　human　things；　what　do　you
say　to　so　many　persons　preserved　from　death　by　their　especial　favour？〃
〃Why；　I　say；〃　answered　he；　〃that　their　pictures　are　not　here　who　were
cast　away；　who　are　by　much　the　greater　number。〃　＇Cicero；　De　Natura
Deor。；　i。　　37。＇

Cicero　observes　that　of　all　the　philosophers　who　have　acknowledged　a
deity；　Xenophanes　the　Colophonian　only　has　endeavoured　to　eradicate　all
manner　of　divination　＇Cicero；　De　Divin。；　i。　3。＇；　which　makes　it　the
less　a　wonder　if　we　have　now　and　then　seen　some　of　our　princes；　sometimes
to　their　own　cost；　rely　too　much　upon　these　vanities。　　I　had　given
anything　with　my　own　eyes　to　see　those　two　great　marvels；　the　book　of
Joachim　the　Calabrian　abbot；　which　foretold　all　the　future　Popes；　their
names　and　qualities；　and　that　of　the　Emperor　Leo；　which　prophesied　all
the　emperors　and　patriarchs　of　Greece。　　This　I　have　been　an　eyewitness
of；　that　in　public　confusions；　men　astonished　at　their　fortune；　have
abandoned　their　own　reason；　superstitiously　to　seek　out　in　the　stars　the
ancient　causes　and　menaces　of　the　present　mishaps；　and　in　my　time　have
been　so　strangely　successful　in　it；　as　to　make　me　believe　that　this　being
an　amusement　of　sharp　and　volatile　wits；　those　who　have　been　versed　in
this　knack　of　unfolding　and　untying　riddles；　are　capable；　in　any　sort　of
writing；　to　find　out　what　they　desire。　　But　above　all；　that　which　gives
them　the　greatest　room　to　play　in；　is　the　obscure；　ambiguous；　and
fantastic　gibberish　of　the　prophetic　canting；　where　their　authors　deliver
nothing　of　clear　sense；　but　shroud　all　in　riddle；　to　the　end　that
posterity　may　interpret　and　apply　it　according　to　its　own　fancy。

Socrates　demon　might；　perhaps；　be　no　other　but　a　certain　impulsion　of　the
will；　which　obtruded　itself　upon　him　without　the　advice　or　consent　of　his
judgment；　and　in　a　soul　so　enlightened　as　his　was；　and　so　prepared　by　a
continual　exercise　of　wisdom…and　virtue；　'tis　to　be　supposed　those
inclinations　of　his；　though　sudden　and　undigested；　were　very　important
and　worthy　to　be　followed。　　Every　one　finds　in　himself　some　image　of　such
agitations；　of　a　prompt；　vehement；　and　fortuitous　opinion；　and　I　may　well
allow　them　some　authority；　who　attribute　so　little　to　our　prudence；　and
who　also　myself　have　had　some；　weak　in　reason；　but　violent　in　persuasion
and　dissuasion；　which　were　most　frequent　with　Socrates；　＇Plato；　in　his
account　of　Theages　the　Pythagorean＇　by　which　I　have　suffered　myself　to
be　carried　away　so　fortunately；　and　so　much　to　my　own　advantage；　that
they　might　have　been　judged　to　have　had　something　in　them　of　a　divine
inspiration。




CHAPTER　XII

OF　CONSTANCY

The　law　of　resolution　and　constancy　does　not　imply　that　we　ought　not；　as
much　as　in　us　lies；　to　decline　and　secure　ourselves　from　the　mischiefs
and　inconveniences　that　threaten　us；　nor；　consequently；　that　we　shall　not
fear　lest　they　should　surprise　us：　on　the　contrary；　all　decent　and　honest
ways　and　means　of　securing　ourselves　from　harms；　are　not　only　permitted；
but；　moreover；　commendable；　and　the　business　of　constancy　chiefly　is；
bravely　to　stand　to；　and　stoutly　to　suffer　those　inconveniences　which　are
not　possibly　to　be　avoided。　　So　that　there　is　no　supple　motion　of　body；
nor　any　movement　in　the　handling　of　arms；　how　irregular　or　ungraceful
soever；　that　we　need　condemn；　if　they　serve　to　protect　us　from　the　blow
that　is　made　against　us。

Several　very　warlike　nations　have　made　use　of　a　retreating　and　flying　way
of　fight　as　a　thing　of　singular　advantage；　and；　by　so　doing；　have　made
their　backs　more　dangerous　to　their　enemies　than　their　faces。　　Of　which
kind　of　fighting　the　Turks　still　retain　something　in　their　practice　of
arms；　and　Socrates；　in　Plato；　laughs　at　Laches；　who　had　defined　fortitude
to　be　a　standing　firm　in　the　ranks　against　the　enemy。　　〃What！〃　says　he；
〃would　it；　then；　be　a　reputed　cowardice　to　overcome　them　by　giving
ground？〃　urging；　at　the　same　time；　the　authority　of　Homer；　who　commends
in　AEneas　the　science　of　flight。　　And　whereas　Laches；　considering　better
of　it；　admits　the　practice　as　to　the　Scythians；　and；　in　general；　all
cavalry　whatever；　he　again　attacks　him　with　the　example　of　the
Lacedaemonian　foota　nation　of　all　other　the　most　obstinate　in
maintaining　their　groundwho；　in　the　battle　of　Plataea；　not　being　able
to　break　into　the　Persian　phalanx；　bethought　themselves　to　disperse　and
retire；　that　by　the　enemy　supposing　they　fled；　they　might　break　and
disunite　that　vast　body　of　men　in　the　pursuit；　and　by　that　stratagem
obtained　the　victory。

As　for　the　Scythians；　'tis　said　of　them；　that　when　Darius　went　his
expedition　to　subdue　them；　he　sent；　by　a　herald；　highly　to　reproach　their
king；　that　he　always　retired　before　him　and　declined　a　battle；　to　which
Idanthyrses；　＇Herod。；　iv。　　127。＇　for　that　was　his　name；　returned
answer；　that　it　was　not　for　fear　of　him；　or　of　any　man　living；　that　he
did　so；　but　that　it　was　the　way　of　marching　in　practice　with　his　nation；
who　had　neither　tilled　fields；　cities；　nor　houses　to　defend；　or　to　fear
the　enemy　should　make　any　advantage　of　but　that　if　he　had　such　a　stomach
to　fight；　let　him　but　come　to　view　their　ancient　places　of　sepulture；　and
there　he　should　have　his　fill。

Nevertheless；　as　to　cannon…shot；　when　a　body　of　men　are　drawn　up　in　the
face　of　a　train　of　artillery；　as　the　occasion　of　war　often　requires；　it
is　unhandsome　to　quit　their　post　to　avoid　the　danger；　forasmuch　as　by
reason　of　its　violence　and　swiftness　we　account　it　inevitable；　and　many　a
one；　by　ducking；　stepping　aside；　and　such　other　motions　of　fear；　has
been；　at　all　events；　sufficiently　laughed　at　by　his　companions。　　And　yet；
in　the　expedition　that　the　Emperor　Charles　V。　made　against　us　into
Provence；　the　Marquis　de　Guast　going　to　reconnoitre　the　city　of　Arles；
and　advancing　out　of　the　cover　of　a　windmill；　under　favour　of　which　he
had　made　his　approach；　was　perceived　by　the　Seigneurs　de　Bonneval　and　the
Seneschal　of　Agenois；　who　were　walking　upon　the　'theatre　aux　ayenes'；　who
having　shown　him　to　the　Sieur　de　Villiers；　commissary　of　the　artillery；
he　pointed　a　culverin　so　admirably　well；　and　levelled　it　so　exactly　right
against　him；　that　had　not　the　Marquis；　seeing　fire　given　to　it；　slipped
aside；　it　was　certainly　concluded　the　shot　had　taken　him　full　in　the
body。　　And；　in　like　manner；　some　years　before；　Lorenzo　de'　Medici；　Duke
of　Urbino；　and　father　to　the　queen…mother　＇Catherine　de'　Medici；　mother
of　Henry　III。＇　laying　siege　to　Mondolfo；　a　place　in　the　territories　of
the　Vicariat　in　Italy；　seeing　the　cannoneer　give　fire　to　a　piece　that
pointed　directly　against　him；　it　was　well　for　him　that　he　ducked；　for
otherwise　the　shot；　that　only　razed　the　top　of　his　head；　had　doubtless
hit　him　full　in　the　breast。　　To　say　truth；　I　do　not　think　that