the essays of montaigne, v15-第10章

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I　can　give　them　here；　let　us　reserve　them　for　a　nobler　place；　but　for
examples　of　ordinary　lustre；　do　we　not　every　day　see　women　amongst　us　who
surrender　themselves　for　their　husbands　sole　benefit；　and　by　their
express　order　and　mediation？　and；　of　old；　Phaulius　the　Argian；　who
offered　his　to　King　Philip　out　of　ambition；　as　Galba　did　it　out　of
civility；　who；　having　entertained　Maecenas　at　supper；　and　observing　that
his　wife　and　he　began　to　cast　glances　at　one　another　and　to　make　eyes　and
signs；　let　himself　sink　down　upon　his　cushion；　like　one　in　a　profound
sleep；　to　give　opportunity　to　their　desires：　which　he　handsomely
confessed；　for　thereupon　a　servant　having　made　bold　to　lay　hands　on　the
plate　upon　the　table；　he　frankly　cried；　〃What；　you　rogue？　do　you　not　see
that　I　only　sleep　for　Maecenas？〃　Such　there　may　be；　whose　manners　may　be
lewd　enough；　whose　will　may　be　more　reformed　than　another；　who　outwardly
carries　herself　after　a　more　regular　manner。　　As　we　see　some　who　complain
of　having　vowed　chastity　before　they　knew　what　they　did；　and　I　have　also
known　others　really；　complain　of　having　been　given　up　to　debauchery
before　they　were　of　the　years　of　discretion。　　The　vice　of　the　parents　or
the　impulse　of　nature；　which　is　a　rough　counsellor；　may　be　the　cause。

In　the　East　Indies；　though　chastity　is　of　singular　reputation；　yet　custom
permitted　a　married　woman　to　prostitute　herself　to　any　one　who　presented
her　with　an　elephant；　and　that　with　glory；　to　have　been　valued　at　so　high
a　rate。　　Phaedo　the　philosopher；　a　man　of　birth；　after　the　taking　of　his
country　Elis；　made　it　his　trade　to　prostitute　the　beauty　of　his　youth；　so
long　as　it　lasted；　to　any　one　that　would；　for　money　thereby　to　gain　his
living：　and　Solon　was　the　first　in　Greece；　'tis　said；　who　by　his　laws
gave　liberty　to　women；　at　the　expense　of　their　chastity；　to　provide　for
the　necessities　of　life；　a　custom　that　Herodotus　says　had　been　received
in　many　governments　before　his　time。　　And　besides；　what　fruit　is　there　of
this　painful　solicitude？　　For　what　justice　soever　there　is　in　this
passion；　we　are　yet　to　consider　whether　it　turns　to　account　or　no：　does
any　one　think　to　curb　them；　with　all　his　industry？

　　　　　　　　　〃Pone　seram；　cohibe：　sed　quis　custodiet　ipsos
　　　　　　　　　　Custodes？　　cauta　est；　et　ab　illis　incipit　uxor。〃

　　　　　＇〃Put　on　a　lock；　shut　them　up　under　a　guard；　but　who　shall　guard
　　　　　the　guard？　　she　knows　what　she　is　about；　and　begins　with　them。〃
　　　　　Juvenal；　vi。　346。＇

What　commodity　will　not　serve　their　turn；　in　so　knowing　an　age？

Curiosity　is　vicious　throughout；　but　'tis　pernicious　here。　　'Tis　folly　to
examine　into　a　disease　for　which　there　is　no　physic　that　does　not　inflame
and　make　it　worse；　of　which　the　shame　grows　still　greater　and　more　public
by　jealousy；　and　of　which　the　revenge　more　wounds　our　children　than　it
heals　us。　　You　wither　and　die　in　the　search　of　so　obscure　a　proof。　　How
miserably　have　they　of　my　time　arrived　at　that　knowledge　who　have　been　so
unhappy　as　to　have　found　it　out？　　If　the　informer　does　not　at　the　same
time　apply　a　remedy　and　bring　relief；　'tis　an　injurious　information；　and
that　better　deserves　a　stab　than　the　lie。　　We　no　less　laugh　at　him　who
takes　pains　to　prevent　it；　than　at　him　who　is　a　cuckold　and　knows　it　not。
The　character　of　cuckold　is　indelible：　who　once　has　it　carries　it　to　his
grave；　the　punishment　proclaims　it　more　than　the　fault。　　It　is　to　much
purpose　to　drag　out　of　obscurity　and　doubt　our　private　misfortunes；
thence　to　expose　them　on　tragic　scaffolds；　and　misfortunes　that　only　hurt
us　by　being　known；　for　we　say　a　good　wife　or　a　happy　marriage；　not　that
they　are　really　so；　but　because　no　one　says　to　the　contrary。　　Men　should
be　so　discreet　as　to　evade　this　tormenting　and　unprofitable　knowledge：
and　the　Romans　had　a　custom；　when　returning　from　any　expedition；　to　send
home　before　to　acquaint　their　wives　with　their　coming；　that　they　might
not　surprise　them；　and　to　this　purpose　it　is　that　a　certain　nation　has
introduced　a　custom；　that　the　priest　shall　on　the　wedding…day　open　the
way　to　the　bride；　to　free　the　husband　from　the　doubt　and　curiosity　of
examining　in　the　first　assault；　whether　she　comes　a　virgin　to　his　bed；　or
has　been　at　the　trade　before。

But　the　world　will　be　talking。　　I　know；　a　hundred　honest　men　cuckolds；
honestly　and　not　unbeseemingly；　a　worthy　man　is　pitied；　not　disesteemed
for　it。　　Order　it　so　that　your　virtue　may　conquer　your　misfortune；　that
good　men　may　curse　the　occasion；　and　that　he　who　wrongs　you　may　tremble
but　to　think　on't。　　And；　moreover；　who　escapes　being　talked　of　at　the
same　rate；　from　the　least　even　to　the　greatest？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Tot　qui　legionibus　imperitivit
　　　　　　　　　　〃Et　melior　quam　to　multis　fuit；　improbe；　rebus。〃

　　　　　＇〃Many　who　have　commanded　legions；　many　a　man　much　better　far　than
　　　　　you；　you　rascal。〃Lucretius；　iii。　1039；　1041。＇

Seest　thou　how　many　honest　men　are　reproached　with　this　in　thy　presence；
believe　that　thou　art　no　more　spared　elsewhere。　　But；　the　very　ladies
will　be　laughing　too；　and　what　are　they　so　apt　to　laugh　at　in　this
virtuous　age　of　ours　as　at　a　peaceable　and　well…composed　marriage？　　Each
amongst　you　has　made　somebody　cuckold；　and　nature　runs　much　in　parallel；
in　compensation；　and　turn　for　turn。　　The　frequency　of　this　accident　ought
long　since　to　have　made　it　more　easy；　'tis　now　passed　into　custom。

Miserable　passion！　which　has　this　also；　that　it　is　incommunicable；

　　　　　　　　　　〃Fors　etiam　nostris　invidit　questibus　aures；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Fortune　also　refuses　ear　to　our　complaints。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Catullus；　lxvii。＇

for　to　what　friend　dare　you　intrust　your　griefs；　who；　if　he　does　not
laugh　at　them；　will　not　make　use　of　the　occasion　to　get　a　share　of　the
quarry？　　The　sharps；　as　well　as　the　sweets　of　marriage；　are　kept　secret
by　the　wise；　and　amongst　its　other　troublesome　conditions　this　to　a
prating　fellow；　as　I　am；　is　one　of　the　chief；　that　custom　has　rendered　it
indecent　and　prejudicial　to　communicate　to　any　one　all　that　a　man　knows
and　all　that　a　man　feels。　　To　give　women　the　same　counsel　against
jealousy　would　be　so　much　time　lost；　their　very　being　is　so　made　up　of
suspicion；　vanity；　and　curiosity；　that　to　cure　them　by　any　legitimate　way
is　not　to　be　hoped。　　They　often　recover　of　this　infirmity　by　a　form　of
health　much　more　to　be　feared　than　the　disease　itself；　for　as　there　are
enchantments　that　cannot　take　away　the　evil　but　by　throwing　it　upon
another；　they　also　willingly　transfer　this　ever　to　their　husbands；　when
they　shake　it　off　themselves。　　And　yet　I　know　not；　to　speak　truth；
whether　a　man　can　suffer　worse　from　them　than　their　jealousy；　'tis　the
most　dangerous　of　all　their　conditions；　as　the　head　is　of　all　their
members。　　Pittacus　used　to　say；　＇Plutarch；　On　Contentment；　c。　II。＇
that　every　one　had　his　trouble；　and　that　his　was　the　jealous　head　of　his
wife；　but　for　which　he　should　think　himself　perfectly　happy。　　A　mighty
inconvenience；　sure；　which　could　poison　the　whole　life　of　so　just；　so
wise；　and　so　valiant　a　man；　what　must　we　other　little　fellows　do？　　The
senate　of　Marseilles　had　reason　to　grant　him　his　request　who　begged　leave
to　kill　himself　that　he　might　be　delivered　from　the　clamour　of　his　wife；
for　'tis　a　mischief　that　is　never　removed　but　by　removing　the　whole
piece；　and　that　has　no　remedy　but　flight　or　patience；　though　both　of　them
very　hard。　　He　was；　methinks；　an　understanding　fellow　who　said；　'twas　a
happy　marriage　betwixt　a　blind　wife　and　a　deaf　husband。

Let　us　also　consider　whether　the　great　and　violent　severity　of　obligation
we　enjoin　them　does　not　produce　two　effects　contrary　to　our　design
namely；　whether　it　does　not　render　the　pursuants　more　eager　to　attack；
and　the　women　more　easy　to　yield。　　For　as　to　the　first；　by　raising　the
value　of　the　place；　we　raise　the　value　and　the　desire　of　the　conquest。
Might　it　not　be　Venus　herself；　who　so　cunningly　enhanced　the　price　of　her
merchandise；　by　making　the　laws　her　bawds；　knowing　how　insipid　a　delight
it　would　be　that　was　not　heightened　by　fancy　and　hardness　to　achieve？
In　short；　'tis　all　swine's　flesh；　varied　by　sauces；　as　Flaminius'　host
said。　　Cupid　is　a　roguish　god；　who　makes