the essays of montaigne, v8-第10章

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himself　master　of　those　vices　that　are　most　natural　and　vehement　in　him。
But　what　shall　we　say　of　those　who　settle　their　whole　course　of　life　upon
the　profit　and　emolument　of　sins；　which　they　know　to　be　mortal？　　How　many
trades　and　vocations　have　we　admitted　and　countenanced　amongst　us；　whose
very　essence　is　vicious？　　And　he　that；　confessing　himself　to　me；
voluntarily　told　me　that　he　had　all　his　lifetime　professed　and　practised
a　religion；　in　his　opinion　damnable　and　contrary　to　that　he　had　in　his
heart；　only　to　preserve　his　credit　and　the　honour　of　his　employments；　how
could　his　courage　suffer　so　infamous　a　confession？　　What　can　men　say　to
the　divine　justice　upon　this　subject？

Their　repentance　consisting　in　a　visible　and　manifest　reparation；　they
lose　the　colour　of　alleging　it　both　to　God　and　man。　　Are　they　so　impudent
as　to　sue　for　remission　without　satisfaction　and　without　penitence？
I　look　upon　these　as　in　the　same　condition　with　the　first：　but　the
obstinacy　is　not　there　so　easy　to　be　overcome。　　This　contrariety　and
volubility　of　opinion　so　sudden；　so　violent；　that　they　feign；　are　a　kind
of　miracle　to　me：　they　present　us　with　the　state　of　an　indigestible　agony
of　mind。

It　seemed　to　me　a　fantastic　imagination　in　those　who；　these　late　years
past；　were　wont　to　reproach　every　man　they　knew　to　be　of　any
extraordinary　parts；　and　made　profession　of　the　Catholic　religion；　that
it　was　but　outwardly；　maintaining；　moreover；　to　do　him　honour　forsooth；
that　whatever　he　might　pretend　to　the　contrary　he　could　not　but　in　his
heart　be　of　their　reformed　opinion。　　An　untoward　disease；　that　a　man
should　be　so　riveted　to　his　own　belief　as　to　fancy　that　others　cannot
believe　otherwise　than　as　he　does；　and　yet　worse；　that　they　should
entertain　so　vicious　an　opinion　of　such　great　parts　as　to　think　any　man
so　qualified；　should　prefer　any　present　advantage　of　fortune　to　the
promises　of　eternal　life　and　the　menaces　of　eternal　damnation。　　They　may
believe　me：　could　anything　have　tempted　my　youth；　the　ambition　of　the
danger　and　difficulties　in　the　late　commotions　had　not　been　the　least
motives。

It　is　not　without　very　good　reason；　in　my　opinion；　that　the　Church
interdicts　the　promiscuous；　indiscreet；　and　irreverent　use　of　the　holy
and　divine　Psalms；　with　which　the　Holy　Ghost　inspired　King　David。　　We
ought　not　to　mix　God　in　our　actions；　but　with　the　highest　reverence　and
caution；　that　poesy　is　too　holy　to　be　put　to　no　other　use　than　to
exercise　the　lungs　and　to　delight　our　ears；　it　ought　to　come　from　the
conscience；　and　not　from　the　tongue。　　It　is　not　fit　that　a　prentice　in
his　shop；　amongst　his　vain　and　frivolous　thoughts；　should　be　permitted　to
pass　away　his　time　and　divert　himself　with　such　sacred　things。　　Neither
is　it　decent　to　see　the　Holy　Book　of　the　holy　mysteries　of　our　belief
tumbled　up　and　down　a　hall　or　a　kitchen　they　were　formerly　mysteries；　but
are　now　become　sports　and　recreations。　　'Tis　a　book　too　serious　and　too
venerable　to　be　cursorily　or　slightly　turned　over：　the　reading　of　the
scripture　ought　to　be　a　temperate　and　premeditated　act；　and　to　which　men
should　always　add　this　devout　preface；　'sursum　corda'；　preparing　even　the
body　to　so　humble　and　composed　a　gesture　and　countenance　as　shall
evidence　a　particular　veneration　and　attention。　　Neither　is　it　a　book　for
everyone　to　fist；　but　the　study　of　select　men　set　apart　for　that　purpose；
and　whom　Almighty　God　has　been　pleased　to　call　to　that　office　and　sacred
function：　the　wicked　and　ignorant　grow　worse　by　it。　　'Tis；　not　a　story　to
tell；　but　a　history　to　revere；　fear；　and　adore。　　Are　not　they　then
pleasant　men　who　think　they　have　rendered　this　fit　for　the　people's
handling　by　translating　it　into　the　vulgar　tongue？　　Does　the
understanding　of　all　therein　contained　only　stick　at　words？　　Shall　I
venture　to　say　further；　that　by　coming　so　near　to　understand　a　little；
they　are　much　wider　of　the　whole　scope　than　before。　　A　pure　and　simple
ignorance　and　wholly　depending　upon　the　exposition　of　qualified　persons；
was　far　more　learned　and　salutary　than　this　vain　and　verbal　knowledge；
which　has　only　temerity　and　presumption。

And　I　do　further　believe　that　the　liberty　every　one　has　taken　to　disperse
the　sacred　writ　into　so　many　idioms　carries　with　it　a　great　deal　more　of
danger　than　utility。　　The　Jews；　Mohammedans；　and　almost　all　other
peoples；　have　reverentially　espoused　the　language　wherein　their　mysteries
were　first　conceived；　and　have　expressly；　and　not　without　colour　of
reason；　forbidden　the　alteration　of　them　into　any　other。　　Are　we　assured
that　in　Biscay　and　in　Brittany　there　are　enough　competent　judges　of　this
affair　to　establish　this　translation　into　their　own　language？　　The
universal　Church　has　not　a　more　difficult　and　solemn　judgment　to　make。
In　preaching　and　speaking　the　interpretation　is　vague；　free；　mutable；　and
of　a　piece　by　itself；　so　'tis　not　the　same　thing。

One　of　our　Greek　historians　age　justly　censures　the　he　lived　in；　because
the　secrets　of　the　Christian　religion　were　dispersed　into　the　hands　of
every　mechanic；　to　expound　and　argue　upon；　according　to　his　own　fancy；
and　that　we　ought　to　be　much　ashamed；　we　who　by　God's　especial　favour
enjoy　the　pure　mysteries　of　piety；　to　suffer　them　to　be　profaned　by　the
ignorant　rabble；　considering　that　the　Gentiles　expressly　forbad　Socrates；
Plato；　and　the　other　sages　to　inquire　into　or　so　much　as　mention　the
things　committed　to　the　priests　of　Delphi；　and　he　says；　moreover；　that
the　factions　of　princes　upon　theological　subjects　are　armed　not　with　zeal
but　fury；　that　zeal　springs　from　the　divine　wisdom　and　justice；　and
governs　itself　with　prudence　and　moderation；　but　degenerates　into　hatred
and　envy；　producing　tares　and　nettles　instead　of　corn　and　wine　when
conducted　by　human　passions。　　And　it　was　truly　said　by　another；　who；
advising　the　Emperor　Theodosius；　told　him　that　disputes　did　not　so　much
rock　the　schisms　of　the　Church　asleep；　as　it　roused　and　animated
heresies；　that；　therefore；　all　contentions　and　dialectic　disputations
were　to　be　avoided；　and　men　absolutely　to　acquiesce　in　the　prescriptions
and　formulas　of　faith　established　by　the　ancients。　　And　the　Emperor
Andronicus　having　overheard　some　great　men　at　high　words　in　his　palace
with　Lapodius　about　a　point　of　ours　of　great　importance；　gave　them　so
severe　a　check　as　to　threaten　to　cause　them　to　be　thrown　into　the　river
if　they　did　not　desist。　　The　very　women　and　children　nowadays　take　upon
them　to　lecture　the　oldest　and　most　experienced　men　about　the
ecclesiastical　laws；　whereas　the　first　of　those　of　Plato　forbids　them　to
inquire　so　much　as　into　the　civil　laws；　which　were　to　stand　instead　of
divine　ordinances；　and；　allowing　the　old　men　to　confer　amongst　themselves
or　with　the　magistrate　about　those　things；　he　adds；　provided　it　be　not　in
the　presence　of　young　or　profane　persons。

A　bishop　has　left　in　writing　that　at　the　other　end　of　the　world　there　is
an　isle；　by　the　ancients　called　Dioscorides；　abundantly　fertile　in　all
sorts　of　trees　and　fruits；　and　of　an　exceedingly　healthful　air；　the
inhabitants　of　which　are　Christians；　having　churches　and　altars；　only
adorned　with　crosses　without　any　other　images；　great　observers　of　fasts
and　feasts；　exact　payers　of　their　tithes　to　the　priests；　and　so　chaste；
that　none　of　them　is　permitted　to　have　to　do　with　more　than　one　woman　in
his　life　＇What　Osorius　says　is　that　these　people　only　had　one　wife　at　a
time。　＇　as　to　the　rest；　so　content　with　their　condition；　that　environed
with　the　sea　they　know　nothing　of　navigation；　and　so　simple　that　they
understand　not　one　syllable　of　the　religion　they　profess　and　wherein　they
are　so　devout：　a　thing　incredible　to　such　as　do　not　know　that　the　Pagans；
who　are　so　zealous　idolaters；　know　nothing　more　of　their　gods　than　their
bare　names　and　their　statues。　　The　ancient　beginning　of　'Menalippus'；　a
tragedy　of　Euripides；　ran　thus：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃O　Jupiter！　　for　that　name　alone
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Of　what　thou　art　to　me　is　known。〃

I　have　also　known　in　my　time　some　men's　writings　found　fault　with　for
being　purely　human　and　philosophical；　without　any　mixture　of　theology；
and　yet；　with　some　show　of　reason；　it　mi