the essays of montaigne, v19-第16章

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meanest　and　most　popular　actions　of　men。　　And　his　head　full　of　that
wonderful　enterprise　of　Hannibal　and　Africa；　visiting　the　schools　in
Sicily；　and　attending　philosophical　lectures；　to　the　extent　of　arming　the
blind　envy　of　his　enemies　at　Rome。　　Nor　is　there　anything　more　remarkable
in　Socrates　than　that；　old　as　he　was；　he　found　time　to　make　himself
taught　dancing　and　playing　upon　instruments；　and　thought　it　time　well
spent。　　This　same　man　was　seen　in　an　ecstasy；　standing　upon　his　feet　a
whole　day　and　a　night　together；　in　the　presence　of　all　the　Grecian　army；
surprised　and　absorbed　by　some　profound　thought。　　He　was　the　first；
amongst　so　many　valiant　men　of　the　army；　to　run　to　the　relief　of
Alcibiades；　oppressed　with　the　enemy；　to　shield　him　with　his　own　body；
and　disengage　him　from　the　crowd　by　absolute　force　of　arms。　　It　was　he
who；　in　the　Delian　battle；　raised　and　saved　Xenophon　when　fallen　from　his
horse；　and　who；　amongst　all　the　people　of　Athens；　enraged　as　he　was　at　so
unworthy　a　spectacle；　first　presented　himself　to　rescue　Theramenes；　whom
the　thirty　tyrants　were　leading　to　execution　by　their　satellites；　and
desisted　not　from　his　bold　enterprise　but　at　the　remonstrance　of
Theramenes　himself；　though　he　was　only　followed　by　two　more　in　all。　　He
was　seen；　when　courted　by　a　beauty　with　whom　he　was　in　love；　to　maintain
at　need　a　severe　abstinence。　　He　was　seen　ever　to　go　to　the　wars；　and
walk　upon　ice；　with　bare　feet；　to　wear　the　same　robe；　winter　and　summer；
to　surpass　all　his　companions　in　patience　of　bearing　hardships；　and　to
eat　no　more　at　a　feast　than　at　his　own　private　dinner。　　He　was　seen；　for
seven…and…twenty　years　together；　to　endure　hunger；　poverty；　the
indocility　of　his　children；　and　the　nails　of　his　wife；　with　the　same
countenance。　　And；　in　the　end；　calumny；　tyranny；　imprisonment；　fetters；
and　poison。　　But　was　this　man　obliged　to　drink　full　bumpers　by　any　rule
of　civility？　　he　was　also　the　man　of　the　whole　army　with　whom　the
advantage　in　drinking；　remained。　　And　he　never　refused　to　play　at
noisettes；　nor　to　ride　the　hobby…horse　with　children；　and　it　became　him
well；　for　all　actions；　says　philosophy；　equally　become　and　equally　honour
a　wise　man。　　We　have　enough　wherewithal　to　do　it；　and　we　ought　never　to
be　weary　of　presenting　the　image　of　this　great　man　in　all　the　patterns
and　forms　of　perfection。　　There　are　very　few　examples　of　life；　full　and
pure；　and　we　wrong　our　teaching　every　day；　to　propose　to　ourselves　those
that　are　weak　and　imperfect；　scarce　good　for　any　one　service；　and　rather
pull　us　back；　corrupters　rather　than　correctors　of　manners。　　The　people
deceive　themselves；　a　man　goes　much　more　easily　indeed　by　the　ends；　where
the　extremity　serves　for　a　bound；　a　stop；　and　guide；　than　by　the　middle
way；　large　and　open；　and　according　to　art；　more　than　according　to　nature：
but　withal　much　less　nobly　and　commendably。

Greatness　of　soul　consists　not　so　much　in　mounting　and　in　pressing
forward；　as　in　knowing　how　to　govern　and　circumscribe　itself；　it　takes
everything　for　great；　that　is　enough；　and　demonstrates　itself　in
preferring　moderate　to　eminent　things。　　There　is　nothing　so　fine　and
legitimate　as　well　and　duly　to　play　the　man；　nor　science　so　arduous　as
well　and　naturally　to　know　how　to　live　this　life；　and　of　all　the
infirmities　we　have；　'tis　the　most　barbarous　to　despise　our　being。

Whoever　has　a　mind　to　isolate　his　spirit；　when　the　body　is　ill　at　ease；
to　preserve　it　from　the　contagion；　let　him　by　all　means　do　it　if　he　can：
but　otherwise　let　him　on　the　contrary　favour　and　assist　it；　and　not
refuse　to　participate　of　its　natural　pleasures　with　a　conjugal
complacency；　bringing　to　it；　if　it　be　the　wiser；　moderation；　lest　by
indiscretion　they　should　get　confounded　with　displeasure。　　Intemperance
is　the　pest　of　pleasure；　and　temperance　is　not　its　scourge；　but　rather
its　seasoning。　　Euxodus；　who　therein　established　the　sovereign　good；　and
his　companions；　who　set　so　high　a　value　upon　it；　tasted　it　in　its　most
charming　sweetness；　by　the　means　of　temperance；　which　in　them　was
singular　and　exemplary。

I　enjoin　my　soul　to　look　upon　pain　and　pleasure　with　an　eye　equally
regulated：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Eodem　enim　vitio　est　effusio　animi　in　laetitia
　　　　　　　　　　quo　in　dolore　contractio；〃

　　　　　＇〃For　from　the　same　imperfection　arises　the　expansion　of　the
　　　　　mind　in　pleasure　and　its　contraction　in　sorrow。〃
　　　　　Cicero；　Tusc。　　Quaes。；　iv。　31。＇

and　equally　firm；　but　the　one　gaily　and　the　other　severely；　and　so　far　as
it　is　able；　to　be　careful　to　extinguish　the　one　as　to　extend　the　other。
The　judging　rightly　of　good　brings　along　with　it　the　judging　soundly　of
evil：　pain　has　something　of　the　inevitable　in　its　tender　beginnings；　and
pleasure　something　of　the　evitable　in　its　excessive　end。　　Plato　couples
them　together；　and　wills　that　it　should　be　equally　the　office　of
fortitude　to　fight　against　pain；　and　against　the　immoderate　and　charming
blandishments　of　pleasure：　they　are　two　fountains；　from　which　whoever
draws；　when　and　as　much　as　he　needs；　whether　city；　man；　or　beast；　is　very
fortunate。　　The　first　is　to　be　taken　medicinally　and　upon　necessity；　and
more　scantily；　the　other　for　thirst；　but　not　to；　drunkenness。　　Pain；
pleasure；　love　and　hatred　are　the　first　things　that　a　child　is　sensible
of：　if；　when　reason　comes；　they　apply　it　to　themselves；　that　is　virtue。

I　have　a　special　vocabulary　of　my　own；　I　〃pass　away　time；〃　when　it　is　ill
and　uneasy；　but　when　'tis　good　I　do　not　pass　it　away：　〃I　taste　it　over
again　and　adhere　to　it〃；　one　must　run　over　the　ill　and　settle　upon　the
good。　　This　ordinary　phrase　of　pastime；　and　passing　away　the　time；
represents　the　usage　of　those　wise　sort　of　people　who　think　they　cannot
do　better　with　their　lives　than　to　let　them　run　out　and　slide　away；　pass
them　over；　and　baulk　them；　and；　as　much　as　they　can；　ignore　them　and　shun
them　as　a　thing　of　troublesome　and　contemptible　quality：　but　I　know　it　to
be　another　kind　of　thing；　and　find　it　both　valuable　and　commodious；　even
in　its　latest　decay；　wherein　I　now　enjoy　it；　and　nature　has　delivered　it
into　our　hands　in　such　and　so　favourable　circumstances　that　we　have　only
ourselves　to　blame　if　it　be　troublesome　to　us；　or　escapes　us
unprofitably：

　　　　　〃Stulti　vita　ingrata　est；　trepida　est；　tota　in　futurum　fertur。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　life　of　a　fool　is　thankless；　timorous；　and　wholly　bent　upon
　　　　　the　future。〃Seneca；　Ep：；　15。＇

Nevertheless　I　compose　myself　to　lose　mine　without　regret；　but　withal　as
a　thing　that　is　perishable　by　its　condition；　not　that　it　molests　or
annoys　me。　　Nor　does　it　properly　well　become　any　not　to　be　displeased
when　they　die；　excepting　such　as　are　pleased　to　live。　　There　is　good
husbandry　in　enjoying　it：　I　enjoy　it　double　to　what　others　do；　for　the
measure　of　its　fruition　depends　upon　our　more　or　less　application　to　it。
Chiefly　that　I　perceive　mine　to　be　so　short　in　time；　I　desire　to　extend
it　in　weight；　I　will　stop　the　promptitude　of　its　flight　by　the
promptitude　of　my　grasp；　and　by　the　vigour　of　using　it　compensate　the
speed　of　its　running　away。　　In　proportion　as　the　possession　of　life　is
more　short；　I　must　make　it　so　much　deeper　and　fuller。

Others　feel　the　pleasure　of　content　and　prosperity；　I　feel　it　too；　as
well　as　they；　but　not　as　it　passes　and　slips　by；　one　should　study；　taste；
and　ruminate　upon　it　to　render　condign　thanks　to　Him　who　grants　it　to　us。
They　enjoy　the　other　pleasures　as　they　do　that　of　sleep；　without　knowing
it。　　To　the　end　that　even　sleep　itself　should　not　so　stupidly　escape　from
me；　I　have　formerly　caused　myself　to　be　disturbed　in　my　sleep；　so　that　I
might　the　better　and　more　sensibly　relish　and　taste　it。　　I　ponder　with
myself　of　content；　I　do　not　skim　over；　but　sound　it；　and　I　bend　my
reason；　now　grown　perverse　and　peevish；　to　entertain　it。　　Do　I　find
myself　in　any　calm　composedness？　　is　there　any　pleasure　that　tickles　me？
I　do　not　suffer　it　to　dally　with　my　senses　only；　I　associate　my　soul　to
it　too：　not　there　to　engage　itself；　but　therein　to　take　delight；　not
there　to　lose　itself；　but　to　be　present　there；　and　I　employ　it；　on　its
part；　to　view　itself　in　this　prosperous　state；　to　weigh　and　appreciate
its　happin