the essays of montaigne, v2-第2章

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punishment　for　all：　and　yet　Sylla's　host；　having　in　the　city　of　Perugia
＇Plutarch　says　Preneste；　a　town　of　Latium。＇　manifested　the　same
virtue；　obtained　nothing　by　it；　either　for　himself　or　his　fellow…
citizens。

And；　directly　contrary　to　my　first　examples；　the　bravest　of　all　men；　and
who　was　reputed　so　gracious　to　all　those　he　overcame；　Alexander；　having；
after　many　great　difficulties；　forced　the　city　of　Gaza；　and；　entering；
found　Betis；　who　commanded　there；　and　of　whose　valour　in　the　time　of　this
siege　he　had　most　marvellous　manifest　proof；　alone；　forsaken　by　all　his
soldiers；　his　armour　hacked　and　hewed　to　pieces；　covered　all　over　with
blood　and　wounds；　and　yet　still　fighting　in　the　crowd　of　a　number　of
Macedonians；　who　were　laying　on　him　on　all　sides；　he　said　to　him；　nettled
at　so　dear…bought　a　victory　（for；　in　addition　to　the　other　damage；　he　had
two　wounds　newly　received　in　his　own　person）；　〃Thou　shalt　not　die；　Betis；
as　thou　dost　intend；　be　sure　thou　shall　suffer　all　the　torments　that　can
be　inflicted　on　a　captive。〃　　To　which　menace　the　other　returning　no　other
answer；　but　only　a　fierce　and　disdainful　look；　〃What；〃　says　Alexander；
observing　his　haughty　and　obstinate　silence；　〃is　he　too　stiff　to　bend　a
knee！　　Is　he　too　proud　to　utter　one　suppliant　word！　　Truly；　I　will
conquer　this　silence；　and　if　I　cannot　force　a　word　from　his　mouth；　I
will；　at　least；　extract　a　groan　from　his　heart。〃　　And　thereupon
converting　his　anger　into　fury；　presently　commanded　his　heels　to　be　bored
through；　causing　him；　alive；　to　be　dragged；　mangled；　and　dismembered　at　a
cart's　tail。＇Quintus　Curtius；　iv。　6。　　This　act　of　cruelty　has　been
doubted；　notwithstanding　the　statement　of　Curtius。＇　Was　it　that　the
height　of　courage　was　so　natural　and　familiar　to　this　conqueror；　that
because　he　could　not　admire；　he　respected　it　the　less？　　Or　was　it　that　he
conceived　valour　to　be　a　virtue　so　peculiar　to　himself；　that　his　pride
could　not；　without　envy；　endure　it　in　another？　　Or　was　it　that　the
natural　impetuosity　of　his　fury　was　incapable　of　opposition？　　Certainly；
had　it　been　capable　of　moderation；　it　is　to　be　believed　that　in　the　sack
and　desolation　of　Thebes；　to　see　so　many　valiant　men；　lost　and　totally
destitute　of　any　further　defence；　cruelly　massacred　before　his　eyes；
would　have　appeased　it：　where　there　were　above　six　thousand　put　to　the
sword；　of　whom　not　one　was　seen　to　fly；　or　heard　to　cry　out　for　quarter；
but；　on　the　contrary；　every　one　running　here　and　there　to　seek　out　and　to
provoke　the　victorious　enemy　to　help　them　to　an　honourable　end。　　Not　one
was　seen　who；　however　weakened　with　wounds；　did　not　in　his　last　gasp　yet
endeavour　to　revenge　himself；　and　with　all　the　arms　of　a　brave　despair；
to　sweeten　his　own　death　in　the　death　of　an　enemy。　　Yet　did　their　valour
create　no　pity；　and　the　length　of　one　day　was　not　enough　to　satiate　the
thirst　of　the　conqueror's　revenge；　but　the　slaughter　continued　to　the
last　drop　of　blood　that　was　capable　of　being　shed；　and　stopped　not　till
it　met　with　none　but　unarmed　persons；　old　men；　women；　and　children；　of
them　to　carry　away　to　the　number　of　thirty　thousand　slaves。




CHAPTER　II

OF　SORROW

No　man　living　is　more　free　from　this　passion　than　I；　who　yet　neither　like
it　in　myself　nor　admire　it　in　others；　and　yet　generally　the　world；　as　a
settled　thing；　is　pleased　to　grace　it　with　a　particular　esteem；　clothing
therewith　wisdom；　virtue；　and　conscience。　　Foolish　and　sordid　guise！
＇〃No　man　is　more　free　from　this　passion　than　I；　for　I　neither　love　nor
regard　it：　albeit　the　world　hath　undertaken；　as　it　were　upon　covenant；　to
grace　it　with　a　particular　favour。　　Therewith　they　adorne　age；　vertue；
and　conscience。　　Oh　foolish　and　base　ornament！〃　　Florio；　1613；　p。　3＇
The　Italians　have　more　fitly　baptized　by　this　name　＇La　tristezza＇
malignity；　for　'tis　a　quality　always　hurtful；　always　idle　and　vain；　and
as　being　cowardly；　mean；　and　base；　it　is　by　the　Stoics　expressly　and
particularly　forbidden　to　their　sages。

But　the　story　＇Herodotus；　iii。　　14。＇　says　that　Psammenitus；　King　of
Egypt；　being　defeated　and　taken　prisoner　by　Cambyses；　King　of　Persia；
seeing　his　own　daughter　pass　by　him　as　prisoner；　and　in　a　wretched　habit；
with　a　bucket　to　draw　water；　though　his　friends　about　him　were　so
concerned　as　to　break　out　into　tears　and　lamentations；　yet　he　himself
remained　unmoved；　without　uttering　a　word；　his　eyes　fixed　upon　the
ground；　and　seeing；　moreover；　his　son　immediately　after　led　to　execution；
still　maintained　the　same　countenance；　till　spying　at　last　one　of　his
domestic　and　familiar　friends　dragged　away　amongst　the　captives；　he　fell
to　tearing　his　hair　and　beating　his　breast；　with　all　the　other
extravagances　of　extreme　sorrow。

A　story　that　may　very　fitly　be　coupled　with　another　of　the　same　kind；　of
recent　date；　of　a　prince　of　our　own　nation；　who　being　at　Trent；　and
having　news　there　brought　him　of　the　death　of　his　elder　brother；　a
brother　on　whom　depended　the　whole　support　and　honour　of　his　house；　and
soon　after　of　that　of　a　younger　brother；　the　second　hope　of　his　family；
and　having　withstood　these　two　assaults　with　an　exemplary　resolution；　one
of　his　servants　happening　a　few　days　after　to　die；　he　suffered　his
constancy　to　be　overcome　by　this　last　accident；　and；　parting　with　his
courage；　so　abandoned　himself　to　sorrow　and　mourning；　that　some　thence
were　forward　to　conclude　that　he　was　only　touched　to　the　quick　by　this
last　stroke　of　fortune；　but；　in　truth；　it　was；　that　being　before　brimful
of　grief；　the　least　addition　overflowed　the　bounds　of　all　patience。
Which；　I　think；　might　also　be　said　of　the　former　example；　did　not　the
story　proceed　to　tell　us　that　Cambyses　asking　Psammenitus；　〃Why；　not
being　moved　at　the　calamity　of　his　son　and　daughter；　he　should　with　so
great　impatience　bear　the　misfortune　of　his　friend？〃　　〃It　is；〃　answered
he；　〃because　only　this　last　affliction　was　to　be　manifested　by　tears；　the
two　first　far　exceeding　all　manner　of　expression。〃

And；　peradventure；　something　like　this　might　be　working　in　the　fancy　of
the　ancient　painter；＇Cicero；　De　Orator。；　c。　22　；　Pliny；　xxxv。　10。＇
who　having；　in　the　sacrifice　of　Iphigenia；　to　represent　the　sorrow　of　the
assistants　proportionably　to　the　several　degrees　of　interest　every　one
had　in　the　death　of　this　fair　innocent　virgin；　and　having；　in　the　other
figures；　laid　out　the　utmost　power　of　his　art；　when　he　came　to　that　of
her　father；　he　drew　him　with　a　veil　over　his　face；　meaning　thereby　that
no　kind　of　countenance　was　capable　of　expressing　such　a　degree　of　sorrow。
Which　is　also　the　reason　why　the　poets　feign　the　miserable　mother；　Niobe；
having　first　lost　seven　sons；　and　then　afterwards　as　many　daughters
（overwhelmed　with　her　losses）；　to　have　been　at　last　transformed　into　a
rock

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Diriguisse　malis；〃

　　　　　＇〃Petrified　with　her　misfortunes。〃Ovid；　Met。；　vi。　304。＇

thereby　to　express　that　melancholic；　dumb；　and　deaf　stupefaction；　which
benumbs　all　our　faculties；　when　oppressed　with　accidents　greater　than　we
are　able　to　bear。　　And；　indeed；　the　violence　and　impression　of　an
excessive　grief　must　of　necessity　astonish　the　soul；　and　wholly　deprive
her　of　her　ordinary　functions：　as　it　happens　to　every　one　of　us；　who；
upon　any　sudden　alarm　of　very　ill　news；　find　ourselves　surprised；
stupefied；　and　in　a　manner　deprived　of　all　power　of　motion；　so　that　the
soul；　beginning　to　vent　itself　in　tears　and　lamentations；　seems　to　free
and　disengage　itself　from　the　sudden　oppression；　and　to　have　obtained
some　room　to　work　itself　out　at　greater　liberty。

　　　　　　　　　　〃Et　via　vix　tandem　voci　laxata　dolore　est。〃

　　　　　＇〃And　at　length　and　with　difficulty　is　a　passage　opened　by　grief　for
　　　　　utterance。〃AEneid；　xi。　151。＇

In　the　war　that　Ferdinand　made　upon　the　widow　of　King　John　of　Hungary；
about　Buda；　a　man…at…arms　was　particularly　taken　notice　of　by　every　one
for　his　singular　gallant　behaviour　in　a　certain　encounter；　and；　unknown；
highly　commended；　and　lamented；　being　left　dead　upon　the　place：　but　by
none　so　much　as　by　Raisciac；　a　German　lord；　who　was　infinitely　enamoured
of　so　rare　a　valour。　　The　body　being　brought　off；　and　the　count；　with　the
common　curiosity　comi