the essays of montaigne, v2-第8章

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CHAPTER　VII

THAT　THE　INTENTION　IS　JUDGE　OF　OUR　ACTIONS

'Tis　a　saying；　〃That　death　discharges　us　of　all　our　obligations。〃　　I　know
some　who　have　taken　it　in　another　sense。　　Henry　VII。；　King　of　England；
articled　with　Don　Philip；　son　to　Maximilian　the　emperor；　or　（to　place　him
more　honourably）　father　to　the　Emperor　Charles　V。；　that　the　said　Philip
should　deliver　up　the　Duke　of　Suffolk　of　the　White　Rose；　his　enemy；　who
was　fled　into　the　Low　Countries；　into　his　hands；　which　Philip　accordingly
did；　but　upon　condition；　nevertheless；　that　Henry　should　attempt　nothing
against　the　life　of　the　said　Duke；　but　coming　to　die；　the　king　in　his
last　will　commanded　his　son　to　put　him　to　death　immediately　after　his
decease。　　And　lately；　in　the　tragedy　that　the　Duke　of　Alva　presented　to
us　in　the　persons　of　the　Counts　Horn　and　Egmont　at　Brussels；
＇Decapitated　4th　June　1568＇　there　were　very　remarkable　passages；　and
one　amongst　the　rest；　that　Count　Egmont　（upon　the　security　of　whose　word
and　faith　Count　Horn　had　come　and　surrendered　himself　to　the　Duke　of
Alva）　earnestly　entreated　that　he　might　first　mount　the　scaffold；　to　the
end　that　death　might　disengage　him　from　the　obligation　he　had　passed　to
the　other。　　In　which　case；　methinks；　death　did　not　acquit　the　former　of
his　promise；　and　that　the　second　was　discharged　from　it　without　dying。
We　cannot　be　bound　beyond　what　we　are　able　to　perform；　by　reason　that
effect　and　performance　are　not　at　all　in　our　power；　and　that；　indeed；　we
are　masters　of　nothing　but　the　will；　in　which；　by　necessity；　all　the
rules　and　whole　duty　of　mankind　are　founded　and　established：　therefore
Count　Egmont；　conceiving　his　soul　and　will　indebted　to　his　promise；
although　he　had　not　the　power　to　make　it　good；　had　doubtless　been
absolved　of　his　duty；　even　though　he　had　outlived　the　other；　but　the　King
of　England　wilfully　and　premeditately　breaking　his　faith；　was　no　more　to
be　excused　for　deferring　the　execution　of　his　infidelity　till　after　his
death　than　the　mason　in　Herodotus；　who　having　inviolably；　during　the　time
of　his　life；　kept　the　secret　of　the　treasure　of　the　King　of　Egypt；　his
master；　at　his　death　discovered　it　to　his　children。　＇Herod。；　ii。　　121。＇

I　have　taken　notice　of　several　in　my　time；　who；　convicted　by　their
consciences　of　unjustly　detaining　the　goods　of　another；　have　endeavoured
to　make　amends　by　their　will；　and　after　their　decease；　but　they　had　as
good　do　nothing；　as　either　in　taking　so　much　time　in　so　pressing　an
affair；　or　in　going　about　to　remedy　a　wrong　with　so　little
dissatisfaction　or　injury　to　themselves。　　They　owe；　over　and　above；
something　of　their　own；　and　by　how　much　their　payment　is　more　strict　and
incommodious　to　themselves；　by　so　much　is　their　restitution　more　just
meritorious。　　Penitency　requires　penalty；　but　they　yet　do　worse　than
these；　who　reserve　the　animosity　against　their　neighbour　to　the　last
gasp；　having　concealed　it　during　their　life；　wherein　they　manifest　little
regard　of　their　own　honour；　irritating　the　party　offended　in　their
memory；　and　less　to　their　the　power；　even　out　of　to　make　their　malice　die
with　them；　but　extending　the　life　of　their　hatred　even　beyond　their　own。
Unjust　judges；　who　defer　judgment　to　a　time　wherein　they　can　have　no
knowledge　of　the　cause！　　For　my　part；　I　shall　take　care；　if　I　can；　that
my　death　discover　nothing　that　my　life　has　not　first　and　openly　declared。




CHAPTER　VIII

OF　IDLENESS

As　we　see　some　grounds　that　have　long　lain　idle　and　untilled；　when　grown
rich　and　fertile　by　rest；　to　abound　with　and　spend　their　virtue　in　the
product　of　innumerable　sorts　of　weeds　and　wild　herbs　that　are
unprofitable；　and　that　to　make　them　perform　their　true　office；　we　are　to
cultivate　and　prepare　them　for　such　seeds　as　are　proper　for　our　service；
and　as　we　see　women　that；　without　knowledge　of　man；　do　sometimes　of
themselves　bring　forth　inanimate　and　formless　lumps　of　flesh；　but　that　to
cause　a　natural　and　perfect　generation　they　are　to　be　husbanded　with
another　kind　of　seed：　even　so　it　is　with　minds；　which　if　not　applied　to
some　certain　study　that　may　fix　and　restrain　them；　run　into　a　thousand
extravagances；　eternally　roving　here　and　there　in　the　vague　expanse　of
the　imagination

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Sicut　aqua　tremulum　labris　ubi　lumen　ahenis；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Sole　repercussum；　aut　radiantis　imagine　lunae；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Omnia　pervolitat　late　loca；　jamque　sub　auras
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Erigitur；　summique　ferit　laquearia　tecti。〃

　　　　　＇〃As　when　in　brazen　vats　of　water　the　trembling　beams　of　light；
　　　　　reflected　from　the　sun；　or　from　the　image　of　the　radiant　moon；
　　　　　swiftly　float　over　every　place　around；　and　now　are　darted　up　on
　　　　　high；　and　strike　the　ceilings　of　the　upmost　roof。〃
　　　　　AEneid；　viii。　22。＇

in　which　wild　agitation　there　is　no　folly；　nor　idle　fancy　they　do　not
light　upon：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Velut　aegri　somnia；　vanae
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Finguntur　species。〃

　　　　　＇〃As　a　sick　man's　dreams；　creating　vain　phantasms。〃
　　　　　Hor。；　De　Arte　Poetica；　7。＇

The　soul　that　has　no　established　aim　loses　itself；　for；　as　it　is　said

　　　　　　　　　　〃Quisquis　ubique　habitat；　Maxime；　nusquam　habitat。〃

　　　　　＇〃He　who　lives　everywhere；　lives　nowhere。〃Martial；　vii。　　73。＇

When　I　lately　retired　to　my　own　house；　with　a　resolution；　as　much　as
possibly　I　could；　to　avoid　all　manner　of　concern　in　affairs；　and　to　spend
in　privacy　and　repose　the　little　remainder　of　time　I　have　to　live；　I
fancied　I　could　not　more　oblige　my　mind　than　to　suffer　it　at　full　leisure
to　entertain　and　divert　itself；　which　I　now　hoped　it　might　henceforth　do；
as　being　by　time　become　more　settled　and　mature；　but　I　find

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Variam　semper　dant　otia　mentem；〃

　　　　　＇〃Leisure　ever　creates　varied　thought。〃Lucan；　iv。　704＇

that；　quite　contrary；　it　is　like　a　horse　that　has　broke　from　his　rider；
who　voluntarily　runs　into　a　much　more　violent　career　than　any　horseman
would　put　him　to；　and　creates　me　so　many　chimaeras　and　fantastic
monsters；　one　upon　another；　without　order　or　design；　that；　the　better　at
leisure　to　contemplate　their　strangeness　and　absurdity；　I　have　begun　to
commit　them　to　writing；　hoping　in　time　to　make　it　ashamed　of　itself。




CHAPTER　IX

OF　LIARS

There　is　not　a　man　living　whom　it　would　so　little　become　to　speak　from
memory　as　myself；　for　I　have　scarcely　any　at　all；　and　do　not　think　that
the　world　has　another　so　marvellously　treacherous　as　mine。　　My　other
faculties　are　all　sufficiently　ordinary　and　mean；　but　in　this　I　think
myself　very　rare　and　singular；　and　deserving　to　be　thought　famous。
Besides　the　natural　inconvenience　I　suffer　by　it　（for；　certes；　the
necessary　use　of　memory　considered；　Plato　had　reason　when　he　called　it　a
great　and　powerful　goddess）；　in　my　country；　when　they　would　say　a　man　has
no　sense；　they　say；　such　an　one　has　no　memory；　and　when　I　complain　of　the
defect　of　mine；　they　do　not　believe　me；　and　reprove　me；　as　though　I
accused　myself　for　a　fool：　not　discerning　the　difference　betwixt　memory
and　understanding；　which　is　to　make　matters　still　worse　for　me。　　But　they
do　me　wrong；　for　experience；　rather；　daily　shows　us；　on　the　contrary；
that　a　strong　memory　is　commonly　coupled　with　infirm　judgment。　　They　do；
me；　moreover　（who　am　so　perfect　in　nothing　as　in　friendship）；　a　great
wrong　in　this；　that　they　make　the　same　words　which　accuse　my　infirmity；
represent　me　for　an　ungrateful　person；　they　bring　my　affections　into
question　upon　the　account　of　my　memory；　and　from　a　natural　imperfection；
make　out　a　defect　of　conscience。　　〃He　has　forgot；〃　says　one；　〃this
request；　or　that　promise；　he　no　more　remembers　his　friends；　he　has　forgot
to　say　or　do；　or　conceal　such　and　such　a　thing；　for　my　sake。〃　　And；
truly；　I　am　apt　enough　to　forget　many　things；　but　to　neglect　anything　my
friend　has　given　me　in　charge；　I　never　do　it。　　And　it　should　be　enough；
methinks；　that　I　feel　the　misery　and　inconvenience　of　it；　without
branding　me　with　malice；　a　vice　so　contrary　to　my　humour。

However；　I　derive　these　comforts　from　my　infirmity：　first；　that　it　is　an
evil　from　which　principally　I　have　found　reason　to　correct　a　worse；　that
would　easily　enough　have　grown　upon　me；　namely；　ambitio