the essays of montaigne, v15-第12章
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The sciences treat of things too refinedly; after an artificial; very
different from the common and natural; way。 My page makes love; and
understands it; but read to him Leo Hebraeus 'Leo the Jew; Ficinus;
Cardinal Bembo; and Mario Equicola all wrote Treatises on Love。'
and Ficinus; where they speak of love; its thoughts and actions; he
understands it not。 I do not find in Aristotle most of my ordinary
motions; they are there covered and disguised in another robe for the use
of the schools。 Good speed them! were I of the trade; I would as much
naturalise art as they artificialise nature。 Let us let Bembo and
Equicola alone。
When I write; I can very well spare both the company and the remembrance
of books; lest they should interrupt my progress; and also; in truth; the
best authors too much humble and discourage me: I am very much of the
painter's mind; who; having represented cocks most wretchedly ill;
charged all his boys not to suffer any natural cock to come into his
shop; and had rather need to give myself a little lustre; of the
invention of Antigenides the musician; who; when he was asked to sing or
play; took care beforehand that the auditory should; either before or
after; be satiated with some other ill musicians。 But I can hardly be
without Plutarch; he is so universal and so full; that upon all
occasions; and what extravagant subject soever you take in hand; he will
still be at your elbow; and hold out to you a liberal and not to be
exhausted hand of riches and embellishments。 It vexes me that he is so
exposed to be the spoil of those who are conversant with him: I can
scarce cast an eye upon him but I purloin either a leg or a wing。
And also for this design of mine 'tis convenient for me for me to write
at home; in a wild country; where I have nobody to assist or relieve me;
where I hardly see a man who understands the Latin of his Paternoster;
and of French a little less。 I might have made it better elsewhere; but
then the work would have been less my own; and its principal end and
perfection is to be exactly mine。 I readily correct an accidental error;
of which I am full; as I run carelessly on; but for my ordinary and
constant imperfections; it were a kind of treason to put them out。 When
another tells me; or that I say to myself; 〃Thou art too thick of
figures: this is a word of rough Gascon: that is a dangerous phrase (I do
not reject any of those that are used in the common streets of France;
they who would fight custom with grammar are triflers): this is an
ignorant discourse: this is a paradoxical discourse: that is going too
far: thou makest thyself too merry at times: men will think thou sayest a
thing in good earnest which thou only speakest in jest。〃〃Yes; I know;
but I correct the faults of inadvertence; not those of custom。 Do I not
talk at the same rate throughout? Do I not represent myself to the life?
'Tis enough that I have done what I designed; all the world knows me in
my book; and my book in me。〃
Now I have an apish; imitative quality: when I used to write verses (and
I never made any but Latin); they evidently discovered the poet I had
last read; and some of my first essays have a little exotic taste: I
speak something another kind of language at Paris than I do at Montaigne。
Whoever I steadfastly look upon easily leaves some impression of his upon
me; whatever I consider I usurp; whether a foolish countenance; a
disagreeable look; or a ridiculous way of speaking; and vices most of
all; because they seize and stick to me; and will not leave hold without
shaking。 I swear more by imitation than by complexion: a murderous
imitation; like that of the apes so terrible both in stature and
strength; that Alexander met with in a certain country of the Indies; and
which he would have had much ado any other way to have subdued; but they
afforded him the means by that inclination of theirs to imitate whatever
they saw done; for by that the hunters were taught to put on shoes in
their sight; and to tie them fast with many knots; and to muffle up their
heads in caps all composed of running nooses; and to seem to anoint their
eyes with glue; so did those poor beasts employ their imitation to their
own ruin they glued up their own eyes; haltered and bound themselves。
The other faculty of playing the mimic; and ingeniously acting the words
and gestures of another; purposely to make people merry and to raise
their admiration; is no more in me than in a stock。 When I swear my own
oath; 'tis only; by God! of all oaths the most direct。 They say that
Socrates swore by the dog; Zeno had for his oath the same interjection at
this time in use amongst the Italians; Cappari! Pythagoras swore By
water and air。 I am so apt; without thinking of it; to receive these
superficial impressions; that if I have Majesty or Highness in my mouth
three days together; they come out instead of Excellency and Lordship
eight days after; and what I say to…day in sport and fooling I shall say
the same to…morrow seriously。 Wherefore; in writing; I more unwillingly
undertake beaten arguments; lest I should handle them at another's
expense。 Every subject is equally fertile to me: a fly will serve the
purpose; and 'tis well if this I have in hand has not been undertaken at
the recommendation of as flighty a will。 I may begin; with that which
pleases me best; for the subjects are all linked to one another。
But my soul displeases me; in that it ordinarily produces its deepest and
most airy conceits and which please me best; when I least expect or study
for them; and which suddenly vanish; having at the instant; nothing to
apply them to; on horseback; at table; and in bed: but most on horseback;
where I am most given to think。 My speaking is a little nicely jealous
of silence and attention: if I am talking my best; whoever interrupts me;
stops me。 In travelling; the necessity of the way will often put a stop
to discourse; besides which I; for the most part; travel without company
fit for regular discourses; by which means I have all the leisure I would
to entertain myself。 It falls out as it does in my dreams; whilst
dreaming I recommend them to my memory (for I am apt to dream that I
dream); but; the next morning; I may represent to myself of what
complexion they were; whether gay; or sad; or strange; but what they
were; as to the rest; the more I endeavour to retrieve them; the deeper I
plunge them in oblivion。 So of thoughts that come accidentally into my
head; I have no more but a vain image remaining in my memory; only enough
to make me torment myself in their quest to no purpose。
Well; then; laying books aside; and more simply and materially speaking;
I find; after all; that Love is nothing else but the thirst of enjoying
the object desired; or Venus any other thing than the pleasure of
discharging one's vessels; just as the pleasure nature gives in
discharging other parts; that either by immoderation or indiscretion
become vicious。 According to Socrates; love is the appetite of
generation by the mediation of beauty。 And when I consider the
ridiculous titillation of this pleasure; the absurd; crack…brained; wild
motions with which it inspires Zeno and Cratippus; the indiscreet rage;
the countenance inflamed with fury and cruelty in the sweetest effects of
love; and then that austere air; so grave; severe; ecstatic; in so wanton
an action; that our delights and our excrements are promiscuously
shuffled together; and that the supreme pleasure brings along with it; as
in pain; fainting and complaining; I believe it to be true; as Plato
says; that the gods made man for their sport:
〃Quaenam ista jocandi
Saevitia!〃
'〃With a sportive cruelty〃 (Or:) 〃What an unkindness there is in
jesting!〃Claudian in Eutrop。 i。 24。'
and that it was in mockery that nature has ordered the most agitative of
actions and the most common; to make us equal; and to put fools and wise
men; beasts and us; on a level。 Even the most contemplative and prudent
man; when I imagine him in this posture; I hold him an impudent fellow to
pretend to be prudent and contempla