the essays of montaigne, v15-第7章

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to　glorify　themselves　in　the　enjoyment　they　have　of　it；　and　coming　to　be
widows；　they　throw　it　behind；　and　cover　it　with　their　headcloths。　　The
most　modest　matrons　of　Rome　thought　it　an　honour　to　offer　flowers　and
garlands　to　the　god　Priapus；　and　they　made　the　virgins；　at　the　time　of
their　espousals；　sit　upon　his　shameful　parts。　　And　I　know　not　whether　I
have　not　in　my　time　seen　some　air　of　like　devotion。　　What　was　the　meaning
of　that　ridiculous　piece　of　the　chaussuye　of　our　forefathers；　and　that　is
still　worn　by　our　Swiss？　＇〃Cod…pieces　worn〃Cotton｝　To　what　end　do　we
make　a　show　of　our　implements　in　figure　under　our　breeches；　and　often；
which　is　worse；　above　their　natural　size；　by　falsehood　and　imposture？
I　have　half　a　mind　to　believe　that　this　sort　of　vestment　was　invented　in
the　better　and　more　conscientious　ages；　that　the　world　might　not　be
deceived；　and　that　every　one　should　give　a　public　account　of　his
proportions：　the　simple　nations　wear　them　yet；　and　near　about　the　real
size。　　In　those　days；　the　tailor　took　measure　of　it；　as　the　shoemaker
does　now　of　a　man's　foot。　　That　good　man；　who；　when　I　was　young；　gelded
so　many　noble　and　ancient　statues　in　his　great　city；　that　they　might　not
corrupt　the　sight　of　the　ladies；　according　to　the　advice　of　this　other
ancient　worthy：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Flagitii　principium　est；　nudare　inter　gives　corpora；〃

　　　　　＇〃'Tis　the　beginning　of　wickedness　to　expose　their　persons　among　the
　　　　　citizens〃Ennius；　ap。　Cicero；　Tusc。　Quaes。；　iv。　33。＇

should　have　called　to　mind；　that；　as　in　the　mysteries　of　the　Bona　Dea；
all　masculine　appearance　was　excluded；　he　did　nothing；　if　he　did　not　geld
horses　and　asses；　in　short；　all　nature：

　　　　　　　　　〃Omne　adeo　genus　in　terris；　hominumque；　ferarumque；
　　　　　　　　　　Et　genus　aequoreum；　pecudes；　pictaeque　volucres；
　　　　　　　　　　In　furias　ignemque　ruunt。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃So　that　all　living　things；　men　and　animals；　wild　or　tame；
　　　　　　　　　　and　fish　and　gaudy　fowl；　rush　to　this　flame　of　love。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Virgil；　Georg。；　iii。　244。＇

The　gods；　says　Plato；　have　given　us　one　disobedient　and　unruly　member
that；　like　a　furious　animal；　attempts；　by　the　violence　of　its　appetite；
to　subject　all　things　to　it；　and　so　they　have　given　to　women　one　like　a
greedy　and　ravenous　animal；　which；　if　it　be　refused　food　in　season；　grows
wild；　impatient　of　delay；　and　infusing　its　rage　into　their　bodies；　stops
the　passages；　and　hinders　respiration；　causing　a　thousand　ills；　till；
having　imbibed　the　fruit　of　the　common　thirst；　it　has　plentifully　bedewed
the　bottom　of　their　matrix。　　Now　my　legislator　＇The　Pope　who；　as
Montaigne　has　told　us；　took　it　into　his　head　to　geld　the　statues。＇
should　also　have　considered　that；　peradventure；　it　were　a　chaster　and
more　fruitful　usage　to　let　them　know　the　fact　as　it　is　betimes；　than
permit　them　to　guess　according　to　the　liberty　and　heat　of　their　own
fancy；　instead　of　the　real　parts　they　substitute；　through　hope　and
desire；　others　that　are　three　times　more　extravagant；　and　a　certain
friend　of　mine　lost　himself　by　producing　his　in　place　and　time　when　the
opportunity　was　not　present　to　put　them　to　their　more　serious　use。　　What
mischief　do　not　those　pictures　of　prodigious　dimension　do　that　the　boys
make　upon　the　staircases　and　galleries　of　the　royal　houses？　they　give　the
ladies　a　cruel　contempt　of　our　natural　furniture。　　And　what　do　we　know
but　that　Plato；　after　other　well…instituted　republics；　ordered　that　the
men　and　women；　old　and　young；　should　expose　themselves　naked　to　the　view
of　one　another；　in　his　gymnastic　exercises；　upon　that　very　account？　　The
Indian　women　who　see　the　men　in　their　natural　state；　have　at　least　cooled
the　sense　of　seeing。　　And　let　the　women　of　the　kingdom　of　Pegu　say　what
they　will；　who　below　the　waist　have　nothing　to　cover　them　but　a　cloth
slit　before；　and　so　strait；　that　what　decency　and　modesty　soever　they
pretend　by　it；　at　every　step　all　is　to　be　seen；　that　it　is　an　invention
to　allure　the　men　to　them；　and　to　divert　them　from　boys；　to　whom　that
nation　is　generally　inclined；　yet；　peradventure　they　lose　more　by　it　than
they　get；　and　one　may　venture　to　say；　that　an　entire　appetite　is　more
sharp　than　one　already　half…glutted　by　the　eyes。　　Livia　was　wont　to　say；
that　to　a　virtuous　woman　a　naked　man　was　but　a　statue。　　The　Lacedaemonian
women；　more　virgins　when　wives　than　our　daughters　are；　saw　every　day　the
young　men　of　their　city　stripped　naked　in　their　exercises；　themselves
little　heeding　to　cover　their　thighs　in　walking；　believing　themselves；
says　Plato；　sufficiently　covered　by　their　virtue　without　any　other　robe。
But　those；　of　whom　St。　Augustin　speaks；　have　given　nudity　a　wonderful
power　of　temptation；　who　have　made　it　a　doubt；　whether　women　at　the　day
of　judgment　shall　rise　again　in　their　own　sex；　and　not　rather　in　ours；
for　fear　of　tempting　us　again　in　that　holy　state。　　In　brief；　we　allure
and　flesh　them　by　all　sorts　of　ways：　we　incessantly　heat　and　stir　up
their　imagination；　and　then　we　find　fault。　　Let　us　confess　the　truth；
there　is　scarce　one　of　us　who　does　not　more　apprehend　the　shame　that
accrues　to　him　by　the　vices　of　his　wife　than　by　his　own；　and　that　is　not
more　solicitous　（a　wonderful　charity）　of　the　conscience　of　his　virtuous
wife　than　of　his　own；　who　had　not　rather　commit　theft　and　sacrilege；　and
that　his　wife　was　a　murderess　and　a　heretic；　than　that　she　should　not　be
more　chaste　than　her　husband：　an　unjust　estimate　of　vices。　　Both　we　and
they　are　capable　of　a　thousand　corruptions　more　prejudicial　and　unnatural
than　lust：　but　we　weigh　vices；　not　according　to　nature；　but　according　to
our　interest；　by　which　means　they　take　so　many　unequal　forms。

The　austerity　of　our　decrees　renders　the　application　of　women　to　this
vice　more　violent　and　vicious　than　its　own　condition　needs；　and　engages
it　in　consequences　worse　than　their　cause：　they　will　readily　offer　to　go
to　the　law　courts　to　seek　for　gain；　and　to　the　wars　to　get　reputation；
rather　than　in　the　midst　of　ease　and　delights；　to　have　to　keep　so
difficult　a　guard。　　Do　not　they　very　well　see　that　there　is　neither
merchant　nor　soldier　who　will　not　leave　his　business　to　run　after　this
sport；　or　the　porter　or　cobbler；　toiled　and　tired　out　as　they　are　with
labour　and　hunger？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Num　tu；　qux　tenuit　dives　Achaemenes；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Aut　pinguis　Phrygiae　Mygdonias　opes；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Permutare　velis　crine　Licymnim？
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Plenas　aut　Arabum　domos；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Dum　fragrantia　detorquet　ad　oscula
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Cervicem；　aut　facili　sxvitia　negat；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quae　poscente　magis　gaudeat　eripi；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Interdum　rapere　occupet？〃

　　　　　＇〃Wouldst　thou　not　exchange　all　that　the　wealthy　Arhaemenes　had；
　　　　　or　the　Mygdonian　riches　of　fertile　Phrygia；　for　one　ringlet　of
　　　　　Licymnia's　hair？　　or　the　treasures　of　the　Arabians；　when　she　turns
　　　　　her　head　to　you　for　fragrant　kisses；　or　with　easily　assuaged　anger
　　　　　denies　them；　which　she　would　rather　by　far　you　took　by　force；　and
　　　　　sometimes　herself　snatches　one！〃Horace；　Od。；　ii。　12；　21。＇

I　do　not　know　whether　the　exploits　of　Alexander　and　Caesar　really　surpass
the　resolution　of　a　beautiful　young　woman；　bred　up　after　our　fashion；　in
the　light　and　commerce　of　the　world；　assailed　by　so　many　contrary
examples；　and　yet　keeping　herself　entire　in　the　midst　of　a　thousand
continual　and　powerful　solicitations。　　There　is　no　doing　more　difficult
than　that　not　doing；　nor　more　active：

I　hold　it　more　easy　to　carry　a　suit　of　armour　all　the　days　of　one's　life
than　a　maidenhead；　and　the　vow　of　virginity　of　all　others　is　the　most
noble；　as　being　the　hardest　to　keep：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Diaboli　virtus　in　lumbis　est；〃

says　St。　　Jerome。　　We　have；　doubtless；　resigned　to　the　ladies　the　most
difficult　and　most　vigorous　of　all　human　endeavours；　and　let　us　resign　to
them　the　glory　too。　　This　ought　to　encourage　them　to　be　obstinate　in　it；
'tis　a　brave　thing　for　them　to　defy　us；　and　to　spurn　under　foot　that　vain
pre…eminence　of　valour　and　virtue　that　we　pretend　to　have　over　them；　they
will　find　if　they　do　but　observe　it；　that　they　will　not　only　be　much　more
esteemed　for　it；　but　also　much　more