the essays of montaigne, v1-第4章

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least　entitled　to　attention；　and　that　the　enemies　of　that　immortal
renown；　in　their　fury；　had　addressed　themselves　in　the　first　instance　to
the　destruction　of　what　was　most　beautiful　and　worthiest　of　preservation；
and　that　the　buildings　of　this　bastard　Rome；　raised　upon　the　ancient
productions；　although　they　might　excite　the　admiration　of　the　present
age；　reminded　him　of　the　crows'　and　sparrows'　nests　built　in　the　walls
and　arches　of　the　old　churches；　destroyed　by　the　Huguenots。　　Again；　he
was　apprehensive；　seeing　the　space　which　this　grave　occupied；　that　the
whole　might　not　have　been　recovered；　and　that　the　burial　itself　had　been
buried。　　And；　moreover；　to　see　a　wretched　heap　of　rubbish；　as　pieces　of
tile　and　pottery；　grow　（as　it　had　ages　since）　to　a　height　equal　to　that
of　Mount　Gurson；＇In　Perigord。＇and　thrice　the　width　of　it；　appeared　to
show　a　conspiracy　of　destiny　against　the　glory　and　pre…eminence　of　that
city；　affording　at　the　same　time　a　novel　and　extraordinary　proof　of　its
departed　greatness。　　He　（Montaigne）　observed　that　it　was　difficult　to
believe　considering　the　limited　area　taken　up　by　any　of　her　seven　hills
and　particularly　the　two　most　favoured　ones；　the　Capitoline　and　the
Palatine；　that　so　many　buildings　stood　on　the　site。　　Judging　only　from
what　is　left　of　the　Temple　of　Concord；　along　the　'Forum　Romanum'；　of
which　the　fall　seems　quite　recent；　like　that　of　some　huge　mountain　split
into　horrible　crags；　it　does　not　look　as　if　more　than　two　such　edifices
could　have　found　room　on　the　Capitoline；　on　which　there　were　at　one
period　from　five…and…twenty　to　thirty　temples；　besides　private　dwellings。
But；　in　point　of　fact；　there　is　scarcely　any　probability　of　the　views
which　we　take　of　the　city　being　correct；　its　plan　and　form　having　changed
infinitely；　for　instance；　the　'Velabrum'；　which　on　account　of　its
depressed　level；　received　the　sewage　of　the　city；　and　had　a　lake；　has
been　raised　by　artificial　accumulation　to　a　height　with　the　other　hills；
and　Mount　Savello　has；　in　truth；　grown　simply　out　of　the　ruins　of　the
theatre　of　Marcellus。　　He　believed　that　an　ancient　Roman　would　not
recognise　the　place　again。　　It　often　happened　that　in　digging　down　into
earth　the　workmen　came　upon　the　crown　of　some　lofty　column；　which；　though
thus　buried；　was　still　standing　upright。　　The　people　there　have　no
recourse　to　other　foundations　than　the　vaults　and　arches　of　the　old
houses；　upon　which；　as　on　slabs　of　rock；　they　raise　their　modern　palaces。
It　is　easy　to　see　that　several　of　the　ancient　streets　are　thirty　feet
below　those　at　present　in　use。〃

Sceptical　as　Montaigne　shows　himself　in　his　books；　yet　during　his　sojourn
at　Rome　he　manifested　a　great　regard　for　religion。　　He　solicited　the
honour　of　being　admitted　to　kiss　the　feet　of　the　Holy　Father；　Gregory
XIII。；　and　the　Pontiff　exhorted　him　always　to　continue　in　the　devotion
which　he　had　hitherto　exhibited　to　the　Church　and　the　service　of　the　Most
Christian　King。

〃After　this；　one　sees；〃　says　the　editor　of　the　Journal；　〃Montaigne
employing　all　his　time　in　making　excursions　bout　the　neighbourhood　on
horseback　or　on　foot；　in　visits；　in　observations　of　every　kind。　　The
churches；　the　stations；　the　processions　even；　the　sermons；　then　the
palaces；　the　vineyards；　the　gardens；　the　public　amusements；　as　the
Carnival；　&c。nothing　was　overlooked。　　He　saw　a　Jewish　child
circumcised；　and　wrote　down　a　most　minute　account　of　the　operation。　　He
met　at　San　Sisto　a　Muscovite　ambassador；　the　second　who　had　come　to　Rome
since　the　pontificate　of　Paul　III。　　This　minister　had　despatches　from　his
court　for　Venice；　addressed　to　the　'Grand　Governor　of　the　Signory'。　　The
court　of　Muscovy　had　at　that　time　such　limited　relations　with　the　other
powers　of　Europe；　and　it　was　so　imperfect　in　its　information；　that　it
thought　Venice　to　be　a　dependency　of　the　Holy　See。〃

Of　all　the　particulars　with　which　he　has　furnished　us　during　his　stay　at
Rome；　the　following　passage　in　reference　to　the　Essays　is　not　the　least
singular：　〃The　Master　of　the　Sacred　Palace　returned　him　his　Essays；
castigated　in　accordance　with　the　views　of　the　learned　monks。　　'He　had
only　been　able　to　form　a　judgment　of　them；'　said　he；　'through　a　certain
French　monk；　not　understanding　French　himself'〃we　leave　Montaigne
himself　to　tell　the　story〃and　he　received　so　complacently　my　excuses
and　explanations　on　each　of　the　passages　which　had　been　animadverted　upon
by　the　French　monk；　that　he　concluded　by　leaving　me　at　liberty　to　revise
the　text　agreeably　to　the　dictates　of　my　own　conscience。　　I　begged　him；
on　the　contrary；　to　abide　by　the　opinion　of　the　person　who　had　criticised
me；　confessing；　among　other　matters；　as；　for　example；　in　my　use　of　the
word　fortune；　in　quoting　historical　poets；　in　my　apology　for　Julian；　in
my　animadversion　on　the　theory　that　he　who　prayed　ought　to　be　exempt　from
vicious　inclinations　for　the　time　being；　item；　in　my　estimate　of　cruelty；
as　something　beyond　simple　death；　item；　in　my　view　that　a　child　ought　to
be　brought　up　to　do　everything；　and　so　on；　that　these　were　my　opinions；
which　I　did　not　think　wrong；　as　to　other　things；　I　said　that　the
corrector　understood　not　my　meaning。　　The　Master；　who　is　a　clever　man；
made　many　excuses　for　me；　and　gave　me　to　suppose　that　he　did　not　concur
in　the　suggested　improvements；　and　pleaded　very　ingeniously　for　me　in　my
presence　against　another　（also　an　Italian）　who　opposed　my　sentiments。〃

Such　is　what　passed　between　Montaigne　and　these　two　personages　at　that
time；　but　when　the　Essayist　was　leaving；　and　went　to　bid　them　farewell；
they　used　very　different　language　to　him。　　〃They　prayed　me；〃　says　he；
〃to　pay　no　attention　to　the　censure　passed　on　my　book；　in　which　other
French　persons　had　apprised　them　that　there　were　many　foolish　things；
adding；　that　they　honoured　my　affectionate　intention　towards　the　Church；
and　my　capacity；　and　had　so　high　an　opinion　of　my　candour　and
conscientiousness　that　they　should　leave　it　to　me　to　make　such
alterations　as　were　proper　in　the　book；　when　I　reprinted　it；　among　other
things；　the　word　fortune。　　To　excuse　themselves　for　what　they　had　said
against　my　book；　they　instanced　works　of　our　time　by　cardinals　and　other
divines　of　excellent　repute　which　had　been　blamed　for　similar　faults；
which　in　no　way　affected　reputation　of　the　author；　or　of　the　publication
as　a　whole；　they　requested　me　to　lend　the　Church　the　support　of　my
eloquence　（this　was　their　fair　speech）；　and　to　make　longer　stay　in　the
place；　where　I　should　be　free　from　all　further　intrusion　on　their　part。
It　seemed　to　me　that　we　parted　very　good　friends。〃

Before　quitting　Rome；　Montaigne　received　his　diploma　of　citizenship；　by
which　he　was　greatly　flattered；　and　after　a　visit　to　Tivoli　he　set　out
for　Loretto；　stopping　at　Ancona；　Fano；　and　Urbino。　　He　arrived　at　the
beginning　of　May　1581；　at　Bagno　della　Villa；　where　he　established
himself；　order　to　try　the　waters。　　There；　we　find　in　the　Journal；　of　his
own　accord　the　Essayist　lived　in　the　strictest　conformity　with　the
regime；　and　henceforth　we　only　hear　of　diet；　the　effect　which　the　waters
had　by　degrees　upon　system；　of　the　manner　in　which　he　took　them；　in　a
word；　he　does　not　omit　an　item　of　the　circumstances　connected　with　his
daily　routine；　his　habit　of　body；　his　baths；　and　the　rest。　　It　was　no
longer　the　journal　of　a　traveller　which　he　kept；　but　the　diary　of　an
invalid；＇〃I　am　reading　Montaigne's　Travels；　which　have　lately　been
found；　there　is　little　in　them　but　the　baths　and　medicines　he　took；　and
what　he　had　everywhere　for　dinner。〃H。　　Walpole　to　Sir　Horace　Mann；　June
8；　1774。＇　attentive　to　the　minutest　details　of　the　cure　which　he　was
endeavouring　to　accomplish：　a　sort　of　memorandum　book；　in　which　he　was
noting　down　everything　that　he　felt　and　did；　for　the　benefit　of　his
medical　man　at　home；　who　would　have　the　care　of　his　health　on　his　return；
and　the　attendance　on　his　subsequent　infirmities。　　Montaigne　gives　it　as
his　reason　and　justification　for　enlarging　to　this　extent　here；　that　he
had　omitted；　to　his　regret；　to　do　so　in　his　visits　to　other　baths；　which
might　have　saved　him　the　trouble　of　writing　at　such　great　length　now；　but
it　is　perhaps　a　better