the essays of montaigne, v8-第5章

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　　　　　mocking　tongue　is　thrust　out；　as　the　tongue　of　the　thirsty　Apulian
　　　　　dog。〃Persius；　i。　58。＇

The　Argian　and　Roman　ladies　mourned　in　white；　as　ours　did　formerly　and
should　do　still；　were　I　to　govern　in　this　point。　　But　there　are　whole
books　on　this　subject。




CHAPTER　L

OF　DEMOCRITUS　AND　HERACLITUS

The　judgment　is　an　utensil　proper　for　all　subjects；　and　will　have　an　oar
in　everything：　which　is　the　reason；　that　in　these　Essays　I　take　hold　of
all　occasions　where；　though　it　happen　to　be　a　subject　I　do　not　very　well
understand；　I　try；　however；　sounding　it　at　a　distance；　and　finding　it　too
deep　for　my　stature；　I　keep　me　on　the　shore；　and　this　knowledge　that　a
man　can　proceed　no　further；　is　one　effect　of　its　virtue；　yes；　one　of
those　of　which　it　is　most　proud。　　One　while　in　an　idle　and　frivolous
subject；　I　try　to　find　out　matter　whereof　to　compose　a　body；　and　then　to
prop　and　support　it；　another　while；　I　employ　it　in　a　noble　subject；　one
that　has　been　tossed　and　tumbled　by　a　thousand　hands；　wherein　a　man　can
scarce　possibly　introduce　anything　of　his　own；　the　way　being　so　beaten　on
every　side　that　he　must　of　necessity　walk　in　the　steps　of　another：　in
such　a　case；　'tis　the　work　of　the　judgment　to　take　the　way　that　seems
best；　and　of　a　thousand　paths；　to　determine　that　this　or　that　is　the
best。　　I　leave　the　choice　of　my　arguments　to　fortune；　and　take　that　she
first　presents　to　me；　they　are　all　alike　to　me；　I　never　design　to　go
through　any　of　them；　for　I　never　see　all　of　anything：　neither　do　they　who
so　largely　promise　to　show　it　others。　　Of　a　hundred　members　and　faces
that　everything　has；　I　take　one；　onewhile　to　look　it　over　only；　another
while　to　ripple　up　the　skin；　and　sometimes　to　pinch　it　to　the　bones：　I
give　a　stab；　not　so　wide　but　as　deep　as　I　can；　and　am　for　the　most　part
tempted　to　take　it　in　hand　by　some　new　light　I　discover　in　it。　　Did　I
know　myself　less；　I　might　perhaps　venture　to　handle　something　or　other　to
the　bottom；　and　to　be　deceived　in　my　own　inability；　but　sprinkling　here
one　word　and　there　another；　patterns　cut　from　several　pieces　and
scattered　without　design　and　without　engaging　myself　too　far；　I　am　not
responsible　for　them；　or　obliged　to　keep　close　to　my　subject；　without
varying　at　my　own　liberty　and　pleasure；　and　giving　up　myself　to　doubt　and
uncertainty；　and　to　my　own　governing　method；　ignorance。

All　motion　discovers　us：　the　very　same　soul　of　Caesar；　that　made　itself
so　conspicuous　in　marshalling　and　commanding　the　battle　of　Pharsalia；　was
also　seen　as　solicitous　and　busy　in　the　softer　affairs　of　love　and
leisure。　　A　man　makes　a　judgment　of　a　horse；　not　only　by　seeing　him　when
he　is　showing　off　his　paces；　but　by　his　very　walk；　nay；　and　by　seeing　him
stand　in　the　stable。

Amongst　the　functions　of　the　soul；　there　are　some　of　a　lower　and　meaner
form；　he　who　does　not　see　her　in　those　inferior　offices　as　well　as　in
those　of　nobler　note；　never　fully　discovers　her；　and；　peradventure；　she
is　best　shown　where　she　moves　her　simpler　pace。　　The　winds　of　passions
take　most　hold　of　her　in　her　highest　flights；　and　the　rather　by　reason
that　she　wholly　applies　herself　to；　and　exercises　her　whole　virtue　upon；
every　particular　subject；　and　never　handles　more　than　one　thing　at　a
time；　and　that　not　according　to　it；　but　according　to　herself。　　Things　in
respect　to　themselves　have；　peradventure；　their　weight；　measures；　and
conditions；　but　when　we　once　take　them　into　us；　the　soul　forms　them　as
she　pleases。　　Death　is　terrible　to　Cicero；　coveted　by　Cato；　indifferent
to　Socrates。　　Health；　conscience；　authority；　knowledge；　riches；　beauty；
and　their　contraries；　all　strip　themselves　at　their　entering　into　us；　and
receive　a　new　robe；　and　of　another　fashion；　from　the　soul；　and　of　what
colour；　brown；　bright；　green；　dark；　and　of　what　quality；　sharp；　sweet；
deep；　or　superficial；　as　best　pleases　each　of　them；　for　they　are　not
agreed　upon　any　common　standard　of　forms；　rules；　or　proceedings；　every
one　is　a　queen　in　her　own　dominions。　　Let　us；　therefore；　no　more　excuse
ourselves　upon　the　external　qualities　of　things；　it　belongs　to　us　to　give
ourselves　an　account　of　them。　　Our　good　or　ill　has　no　other　dependence
but　on　ourselves。　　'Tis　there　that　our　offerings　and　our　vows　are　due；
and　not　to　fortune　she　has　no　power　over　our　manners；　on　the　contrary；
they　draw　and　make　her　follow　in　their　train；　and　cast　her　in　their　own
mould。　　Why　should　not　I　judge　of　Alexander　at　table；　ranting　and
drinking　at　the　prodigious　rate　he　sometimes　used　to　do？

Or；　if　he　played　at　chess？　　what　string　of　his　soul　was　not　touched　by
this　idle　and　childish　game？　　I　hate　and　avoid　it；　because　it　is　not　play
enough；　that　it　is　too　grave　and　serious　a　diversion；　and　I　am　ashamed　to
lay　out　as　much　thought　and　study　upon　it　as　would　serve　to　much　better
uses。　　He　did　not　more　pump　his　brains　about　his　glorious　expedition　into
the　Indies；　nor　than　another　in　unravelling　a　passage　upon　which　depends
the　safety　of　mankind。　　To　what　a　degree　does　this　ridiculous　diversion
molest　the　soul；　when　all　her　faculties　are　summoned　together　upon　this
trivial　account！　and　how　fair　an　opportunity　she　herein　gives　every　one
to　know　and　to　make　a　right　judgment　of　himself？　　I　do　not　more
thoroughly　sift　myself　in　any　other　posture　than　this：　what　passion　are
we　exempted　from　in　it？　　Anger；　spite；　malice；　impatience；　and　a　vehement
desire　of　getting　the　better　in　a　concern　wherein　it　were　more　excusable
to　be　ambitious　of　being　overcome；　for　to　be　eminent；　to　excel　above　the
common　rate　in　frivolous　things；　nowise　befits　a　man　of　honour。　　What　I
say　in　this　example　may　be　said　in　all　others。　　Every　particle；　every
employment　of　man　manifests　him　equally　with　any　other。

Democritus　and　Heraclitus　were　two　philosophers；　of　whom　the　first；
finding　human　condition　ridiculous　and　vain；　never　appeared　abroad　but
with　a　jeering　and　laughing　countenance；　whereas　Heraclitus　commiserating
that　same　condition　of　ours；　appeared　always　with　a　sorrowful　look；　and
tears　in　his　eyes：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Alter
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ridebat；　quoties　a　limine　moverat　unum
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Protuleratque　pedem；　flebat　contrarius　alter。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　one　always；　as　often　as　he　had　stepped　one　pace　from　his
　　　　　threshold；　laughed；　the　other　always　wept。〃Juvenal；　Sat。；　x。　28。＇

　　　　　　　　　　＇Or；　as　Voltaire：　〃Life　is　a　comedy　to　those　who　think；
　　　　　　　　　　a　tragedy　to　those　who　feel。〃　　D。W。＇

I　am　clearly　for　the　first　humour；　not　because　it　is　more　pleasant　to
laugh　than　to　weep；　but　because　it　expresses　more　contempt　and
condemnation　than　the　other；　and　I　think　we　can　never　be　despised
according　to　our　full　desert。　　Compassion　and　bewailing　seem　to　imply
some　esteem　of　and　value　for　the　thing　bemoaned；　whereas　the　things　we
laugh　at　are　by　that　expressed　to　be　of　no　moment。　　I　do　not　think　that
we　are　so　unhappy　as　we　are　vain；　or　have　in　us　so　much　malice　as　folly；
we　are　not　so　full　of　mischief　as　inanity；　nor　so　miserable　as　we　are
vile　and　mean。　　And　therefore　Diogenes；　who　passed　away　his　time　in
rolling　himself　in　his　tub；　and　made　nothing　of　the　great　Alexander；
esteeming　us　no　better　than　flies　or　bladders　puffed　up　with　wind；　was　a
sharper　and　more　penetrating；　and；　consequently　in　my　opinion；　a　juster
judge　than　Timon；　surnamed　the　Man…hater；　for　what　a　man　hates　he　lays　to
heart。　　This　last　was　an　enemy　to　all　mankind；　who　passionately　desired
our　ruin；　and　avoided　our　conversation　as　dangerous；　proceeding　from
wicked　and　depraved　natures：　the　other　valued　us　so　little　that　we　could
neither　trouble　nor　infect　him　by　our　example；　and　left　us　to　herd　one
with　another；　not　out　of　fear；　but　from　contempt　of　our　society：
concluding　us　as　incapable　of　doing　good　as　evil。

Of　the　same　strain　was　Statilius'　answer；　when　Brutus　courted　him　into
the　conspiracy　against　Caesar；　he　was　satisfied　that　the　enterprise　was
just；　but　he　did　not　think　mankind　worthy　of　a　wise　man's　concern'；
according　to　the　doctrine　of　Hegesias；　who　said；　that　a　wise　man　ought　to
do　nothing　but　for　himself；　forasmuch　as　he　only　was　worthy　of　it：　and　to
the　saying　of　Theodorus；　that　it　was　not　reasonable　a　wise　man　sho