the essays of montaigne, v8-第3章

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one　may　easily　carry　about　with　him　a　month's　provision）；　they　know　how
to　feed　upon　the　blood　of　their　horses　as　well　as　the　Muscovite　and
Tartar；　and　salt　it　for　their　use。

These　new…discovered　people　of　the　Indies　＇Mexico　and　Yucatan　　D。W。＇；
when　the　Spaniards　first　landed　amongst　them；　had　so　great　an　opinion
both　of　the　men　and　horses；　that　they　looked　upon　the　first　as　gods　and
the　other　as　animals　ennobled　above　their　nature；　insomuch　that　after
they　were　subdued；　coming　to　the　men　to　sue　for　peace　and　pardon；　and　to
bring　them　gold　and　provisions；　they　failed　not　to　offer　of　the　same　to
the　horses；　with　the　same　kind　of　harangue　to　them　they　had　made　to　the
others：　interpreting　their　neighing　for　a　language　of　truce　and
friendship。

In　the　other　Indies；　to　ride　upon　an　elephant　was　the　first　and　royal
place　of　honour；　the　second　to　ride　in　a　coach　with　four　horses；　the
third　to　ride　upon　a　camel；　and　the　last　and　least　honour　to　be　carried
or　drawn　by　one　horse　only。　　Some　one　of　our　late　writers　tells　us　that
he　has　been　in　countries　in　those　parts　where　they　ride　upon　oxen　with
pads；　stirrups；　and　bridles；　and　very　much　at　their　ease。

Quintus　Fabius　Maximus　Rullianus；　in　a　battle　with　the　Samnites；　seeing
his　horse；　after　three　or　four　charges；　had　failed　of　breaking　into　the
enemy's　battalion；　took　this　course；　to　make　them　unbridle　all　their
horses　and　spur　their　hardest；　so　that　having　nothing　to　check　their
career；　they　might　through　weapons　and　men　open　the　way　to　his　foot；　who
by　that　means　gave　them　a　bloody　defeat。　　The　same　command　was　given　by
Quintus　Fulvius　Flaccus　against　the　Celtiberians：

　　　　　＇〃You　will　do　your　business　with　greater　advantage　of　your　horses'
　　　　　strength；　if　you　send　them　unbridled　upon　the　enemy；　as　it　is
　　　　　recorded　the　Roman　horse　to　their　great　glory　have　often　done；　their
　　　　　bits　being　taken　off；　they　charged　through　and　again　back　through
　　　　　the　enemy's　ranks　with　great　slaughter；　breaking　down　all　their
　　　　　spears。〃Idem；　xl。　40。＇

The　Duke　of　Muscovy　was　anciently　obliged　to　pay　this　reverence　to　the
Tartars；　that　when　they　sent　an　embassy　to　him　he　went　out　to　meet　them
on　foot；　and　presented　them　with　a　goblet　of　mares'　milk　（a　beverage　of
greatest　esteem　amongst　them）；　and　if；　in　drinking；　a　drop　fell　by　chance
upon　their　horse's　mane；　he　was　bound　to　lick　it　off　with　his　tongue。
The　army　that　Bajazet　had　sent　into　Russia　was　overwhelmed　with　so
dreadful　a　tempest　of　snow；　that　to　shelter　and　preserve　themselves　from
the　cold；　many　killed　and　embowelled　their　horses；　to　creep　into　their
bellies　and　enjoy　the　benefit　of　that　vital　heat。　　Bajazet；　after　that
furious　battle　wherein　he　was　overthrown　by　Tamerlane；　　was　in　a　hopeful
way　of　securing　his　own　person　by　the　fleetness　of　an　Arabian　mare　he　had
under　him；　had　he　not　been　constrained　to　let　her　drink　her　fill　at　the
ford　of　a　river　in　his　way；　which　rendered　her　so　heavy　and　indisposed；
that　he　was　afterwards　easily　overtaken　by　those　that　pursued　him。　　They
say；　indeed；　that　to　let　a　horse　stale　takes　him　off　his　mettle；　but　as
to　drinking；　I　should　rather　have　thought　it　would　refresh　him。

Croesus；　marching　his　army　through　certain　waste　lands　near　Sardis；　met
with　an　infinite　number　of　serpents；　which　the　horses　devoured　with　great
appetite；　and　which　Herodotus　says　was　a　prodigy　of　ominous　portent　to
his　affairs。

We　call　a　horse　entire；　that　has　his　mane　and　ears　so；　and　no　other　will
pass　muster。　　The　Lacedaemonians；　having　defeated　the　Athenians　in
Sicily；　returning　triumphant　from　the　victory　into　the　city　of　Syracuse；
amongst　other　insolences；　caused　all　the　horses　they　had　taken　to　be
shorn　and　led　in　triumph。　　Alexander　fought　with　a　nation　called　Dahas；
whose　discipline　it　was　to　march　two　and　two　together　armed　on　one　horse；
to　the　war；　and　being　in　fight；　one　of　them　alighted；　and　so　they　fought
on　horseback　and　on　foot；　one　after　another　by　turns。

I　do　not　think　that　for　graceful　riding　any　nation　in　the　world　excels
the　French。　　A　good　horseman；　according　to　our　way　of　speaking；　seems
rather　to　have　respect　to　the　courage　of　the　man　than　address　in　riding。
Of　all　that　ever　I　saw；　the　most　knowing　in　that　art；　who　had　the　best
seat　and　the　best　method　in　breaking　horses；　was　Monsieur　de　Carnavalet；
who　served　our　King　Henry　II。

I　have　seen　a　man　ride　with　both　his　feet　upon　the　saddle；　take　off　his
saddle；　and　at　his　return　take　it　up　again　and　replace　it；　riding　all　the
while　full　speed；　having　galloped　over　a　cap；　make　at　it　very　good　shots
backwards　with　his　bow；　take　up　anything　from　the　ground；　setting　one
foot　on　the　ground　and　the　other　in　the　stirrup：　with　twenty　other　ape's
tricks；　which　he　got　his　living　by。

There　has　been　seen　in　my　time　at　Constantinople　two　men　upon　one　horse；
who；　in　the　height　of　its　speed；　would　throw　themselves　off　and　into　the
saddle　again　by　turn；　and　one　who　bridled　and　saddled　his　horse　with
nothing　but　his　teeth；　an　other　who　betwixt　two　horses；　one　foot　upon　one
saddle　and　the　other　upon　another；　carrying　the　other　man　upon　his
shoulders；　would　ride　full　career；　the　other　standing　bolt　upright　upon
and　making　very　good　shots　with　his　bow；　several　who　would　ride　full
speed　with　their　heels　upward；　and　their　heads　upon　the　saddle　betwixt
several　scimitars；　with　the　points　upwards；　fixed　in　the　harness。　　When　I
was　a　boy；　the　prince　of　Sulmona；　riding　an　unbroken　horse　at　Naples；
prone　to　all　sorts　of　action；　held　reals　＇A　small　coin　of　Spain；　the
Two　Sicilies；　&c。＇　under　his　knees　and　toes；　as　if　they　had　been　nailed
there；　to　shew　the　firmness　of　his　seat。




CHAPTER　XLIX

OF　ANCIENT　CUSTOMS

I　should　willingly　pardon　our　people　for　admitting　no　other　pattern　or
rule　of　perfection　than　their　own　peculiar　manners　and　customs；　for　'tis
a　common　vice；　not　of　the　vulgar　only；　but　almost　of　all　men；　to　walk　in
the　beaten　road　their　ancestors　have　trod　before　them。　　I　am　content；
when　they　see　Fabricius　or　Laelius；　that　they　look　upon　their　countenance
and　behaviour　as　barbarous；　seeing　they　are　neither　clothed　nor　fashioned
according　to　our　mode。　　But　I　find　fault　with　their　singular　indiscretion
in　suffering　themselves　to　be　so　blinded　and　imposed　upon　by　the
authority　of　the　present　usage　as　every　month　to　alter　their　opinion；　if
custom　so　require；　and　that　they　should　so　vary　their　judgment　in　their
own　particular　concern。　　When　they　wore　the　busk　of　their　doublets　up　as
high　as　their　breasts；　they　stiffly　maintained　that　they　were　in　their
proper　place；　some　years　after　it　was　slipped　down　betwixt　their　thighs；
and　then　they　could　laugh　at　the　former　fashion　as　uneasy　and
intolerable。　　The　fashion　now　in　use　makes　them　absolutely　condemn　the
other　two　with　so　great　resolution　and　so　universal　consent；　that　a　man
would　think　there　was　a　certain　kind　of　madness　crept　in　amongst　them；
that　infatuates　their　understandings　to　this　strange　degree。　　Now；　seeing
that　our　change　of　fashions　is　so　prompt　and　sudden；　that　the　inventions
of　all　the　tailors　in　the　world　cannot　furnish　out　new　whim…whams　enow　to
feed　our　vanity　withal；　there　will　often　be　a　necessity　that　the　despised
forms　must　again　come　in　vogue；　these　immediately　after　fall　into　the
same　contempt；　and　that　the　same　judgment　must；　in　the　space　of　fifteen
or　twenty　years；　take　up　half…a…dozen　not　only　divers　but　contrary
opinions；　with　an　incredible　lightness　and　inconstancy；　there　is　not　any
of　us　so　discreet；　who　suffers　not　himself　to　be　gulled　with　this
contradiction；　and　both　in　external　and　internal　sight　to　be　insensibly
blinded。

I　wish　to　muster　up　here　some　old　customs　that　I　have　in　memory；　some　of
them　the　same　with　ours；　the　others　different；　to　the　end　that；　bearing
in　mind　this　continual　variation　of　human　things；　we　may　have　our
judgment　more　clearly　and　firmly　settled。

The　thing　in　use　amongst　us　of　fighting　with　rapier　and　cloak　was　in
practice　amongst　the　Romans　also：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Sinistras　sagis　involvunt；　gladiosque　distringunt；〃

　　　　　＇〃They　wrapt　their　cloaks　upon　the　left　arm；　and　drew　their
　　　　　swords。〃De　Bello　Civili；　i。　75。＇

says　Caesar