the essays of montaigne, v19-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　commotion　of　her　city；　had　the　advantage　over　Leonidas　her　father；
she；　like　a　good　daughter；　stuck　close　to　her　father　in　all　his　misery
and　exile；　in　opposition　to　the　conqueror。　　But　so　soon　as　the　chance　of
war　turned；　she　changed　her　will　with　the　change　of　fortune；　and　bravely
turned　to　her　husband's　side；　whom　she　accompanied　throughout；　where　his
ruin　carried　him：　admitting；　as　it　appears　to　me；　no　other　choice　than　to
cleave　to　the　side　that　stood　most　in　need　of　her；　and　where　she　could
best　manifest　her　compassion。　　I　am　naturally　more　apt　to　follow　the
example　of　Flaminius；　who　rather　gave　his　assistance　to　those　who　had
most　need　of　him　than　to　those　who　had　power　to　do　him　good；　than　I　do　to
that　of　Pyrrhus；　who　was　of　an　humour　to　truckle　under　the　great　and　to
domineer　over　the　poor。

Long　sittings　at　table　both　trouble　me　and　do　me　harm；　for；　be　it　that　I
was　so　accustomed　when　a　child；　I　eat　all　the　while　I　sit。　　Therefore　it
is　that　at　my　own　house；　though　the　meals　there　are　of　the　shortest；　I
usually　sit　down　a　little　while　after　the　rest；　after　the　manner　of
Augustus；　but　I　do　not　imitate　him　in　rising　also　before　the　rest；　on　the
contrary；　I　love　to　sit　still　a　long　time　after；　and　to　hear　them　talk；
provided　I　am　none　of　the　talkers：　for　I　tire　and　hurt　myself　with
speaking　upon　a　full　stomach；　as　much　as　I　find　it　very　wholesome　and
pleasant　to　argue　and　to　strain　my　voice　before　dinner。

The　ancient　Greeks　and　Romans　had　more　reason　than　we　in　setting　apart
for　eating；　which　is　a　principal　action　of　life；　if　they　were　not
prevented　by　other　extraordinary　business；　many　hours　and　the　greatest
part　of　the　night；　eating　and　drinking　more　deliberately　than　we　do；　who
perform　all　our　actions　post…haste；　and　in　extending　this　natural
pleasure　to　more　leisure　and　better　use；　intermixing　with　profitable
conversation。

They　whose　concern　it　is　to　have　a　care　of　me；　may　very　easily　hinder　me
from　eating　anything　they　think　will　do　me　harm；　for　in　such　matters　I
never　covet　nor　miss　anything　I　do　not　see；　but　withal；　if　it　once　comes
in　my　sight；　'tis　in　vain　to　persuade　me　to　forbear；　so　that　when　I
design　to　fast　I　must　be　kept　apart　from　the　suppers；　and　must　have　only
so　much　given　me　as　is　required　for　a　prescribed　collation；　for　if　to
table；　I　forget　my　resolution。　　When　I　order　my　cook　to　alter　the　manner
of　dressing　any　dish；　all　my　family　know　what　it　means；　that　my　stomach
is　out　of　order；　and　that　I　shall　not　touch　it。

I　love　to　have　all　meats；　that　will　endure　it；　very　little　boiled　or
roasted；　and　prefer　them　very　high；　and　even；　as　to　several；　quite　gone。
Nothing　but　hardness　generally　offends　me　（of　any　other　quality　I　am　as
patient　and　indifferent　as　any　man　I　have　known）；　so　that；　contrary　to
the　common　humour；　even　in　fish　it　often　happens　that　I　find　them　both
too　fresh　and　too　firm；　not　for　want　of　teeth；　which　I　ever　had　good；
even　to　excellence；　and　which　age　does　not　now　begin　to　threaten；　I　have
always　been　used　every　morning　to　rub　them　with　a　napkin；　and　before　and
after　dinner。　　God　is　favourable　to　those　whom　He　makes　to　die　by
degrees；　'tis　the　only　benefit　of　old　age；　the　last　death　will　be　so　much
the　less　painful；　it　will　kill　but　a　half　or　a　quarter　of　a　man。　　There
is　one　tooth　lately　fallen　out　without　drawing　and　without　pain；　it　was
the　natural　term　of　its　duration；　in　that　part　of　my　being　and　several
others；　are　already　dead；　others　half　dead；　of　those　that　were　most
active　and　in　the　first　rank　during　my　vigorous　years；　'tis　so　I　melt　and
steal　away　from　myself。　　What　a　folly　it　would　be　in　my　understanding　to
apprehend　the　height　of　this　fall；　already　so　much　advanced；　as　if　it
were　from　the　very　top！　　I　hope　I　shall　not。　　I；　in　truth；　receive　a
principal　consolation　in　meditating　my　death；　that　it　will　be　just　and
natural；　and　that　henceforward　I　cannot　herein　either　require　or　hope
from　Destiny　any　other　but　unlawful　favour。　　Men　make　themselves　believe
that　we　formerly　had　longer　lives　as　well　as　greater　stature。　　But　they
deceive　themselves；　and　Solon；　who　was　of　those　elder　times；　limits　the
duration　of　life　to　threescore　and　ten　years。　I；　who　have　so　much　and　so
universally　adored　that　〃The　mean　is　best；〃　of　the　passed　time；　and　who
have　concluded　the　most　moderate　measures　to　be　the　most　perfect；　shall
I　pretend　to　an　immeasurable　and　prodigious　old　age？　　Whatever　happens
contrary　to　the　course　of　nature　may　be　troublesome；　but　what　comes
according　to　her　should　always　be　pleasant：

　　　　　〃Omnia；　quae　secundum　naturam　fiunt；　sunt　habenda　in　bonis。〃

　　　　　＇〃All　things　that　are　done　according　to　nature
　　　　　are　to　be　accounted　good。〃Cicero；　De　Senect。；　c。　19。＇

And　so；　says　Plato；　the　death　which　is　occasioned　by　wounds　and　diseases
is　violent；　but　that　which　comes　upon　us；　old　age　conducting　us　to　it；　is
of　all　others　the　most　easy；　and　in　some　sort　delicious：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Vitam　adolescentibus　vis　aufert；　senibus　maturitas。〃

　　　　　＇〃Young　men　are　taken　away　by　violence；　old　men　by　maturity。〃
　　　　　Cicero；　ubi　sup。＇

Death　mixes　and　confounds　itself　throughout　with　life；　decay　anticipates
its　hour；　and　shoulders　itself　even　into　the　course　of　our　advance。
I　have　portraits　of　myself　taken　at　five…and…twenty　and　five…and…thirty
years　of　age。　　I　compare　them　with　that　lately　drawn：　how　many　times　is
it　no　longer　me；　how　much　more　is　my　present　image　unlike　the　former；
than　unlike　my　dying　one？　　It　is　too　much　to　abuse　nature；　to　make　her
trot　so　far　that　she　must　be　forced　to　leave　us；　and　abandon　our　conduct；
our　eyes；　teeth；　legs；　and　all　the　rest　to　the　mercy　of　a　foreign　and
haggard　countenance；　and　to　resign　us　into　the　hands　of　art；　being　weary
of　following　us　herself。

I　am　not　excessively　fond　either　of　salads　or　fruits；　except　melons。　　My
father　hated　all　sorts　of　sauces；　I　love　them　all。　　Eating　too　much　hurts
me；　but；　as　to　the　quality　of　what　I　eat；　I　do　not　yet　certainly　know
that　any　sort　of　meat　disagrees　with　me；　neither　have　I　observed　that
either　full　moon　or　decrease；　autumn　or　spring；　have　any　influence　upon
me。　　We　have　in　us　motions　that　are　inconstant　and　unknown；　for　example；
I　found　radishes　first　grateful　to　my　stomach；　since　that　nauseous；　and
now　again　grateful。　　In　several　other　things；　I　find　my　stomach　and
appetite　vary　after　the　same　manner；　I　have　changed　again　and　again　from
white　wine　to　claret；　from　claret　to　white　wine。

I　am　a　great　lover　of　fish；　and　consequently　make　my　fasts　feasts　and
feasts　fasts；　and　I　believe　what　some　people　say；　that　it　is　more　easy　of
digestion　than　flesh。　　As　I　make　a　conscience　of　eating　flesh　upon　fish…
days；　so　does　my　taste　make　a　conscience　of　mixing　fish　and　flesh；　the
difference　betwixt　them　seems　to　me　too　remote。

From　my　youth；　I　have　sometimes　kept　out　of　the　way　at　meals；　either　to
sharpen　my　appetite　against　the　next　morning　（for；　as　Epicurus　fasted　and
made　lean　meals　to　accustom　his　pleasure　to　make　shift　without　abundance；
I；　on　the　contrary；　do　it　to　prepare　my　pleasure　to　make　better　and　more
cheerful　use　of　abundance）；　or　else　I　fasted　to　preserve　my　vigour　for
the　service　of　some　action　of　body　or　mind：　for　both　the　one　and　the
other　of　these　is　cruelly　dulled　in　me　by　repletion；　and；　above　all
things；　I　hate　that　foolish　coupling　of　so　healthful　and　sprightly　a
goddess　with　that　little　belching　god；　bloated　with　the　fumes　of　his
liquor＇　Montaigne　did　not　approve　of　coupling　Bacchus　with　Venus。＇
or　to　cure　my　sick　stomach；　or　for　want　of　fit　company；　for　I　say；　as　the
same　Epicurus　did；　that　one　is　not　so　much　to　regard　what　he　eats；　as
with　whom；　and　I　commend　Chilo；　that　he　would　not　engage　himself　to　be　at
Periander's　feast　till　he　was　first　informed　who　were　to　be　the　other
guests；　no　dish　is　so　acceptable　to　me；　nor　no　sauce　so　appetising；　as
that　which　is　extracted　from　society。　　I　think　it　more　wholesome　to　eat
more　leisurely　and　less；　and　to　eat　oftener；　but　I　would　have　appetite
and　hunger　attended　to；　I　should　take　no　pleasure　to　be　fed　with　three　or
four　pitiful　and　stinted　repasts　a　day；　after　a　medicinal　manner：　who
will　assure　me　that；　if　I　have　a