the essays of montaigne, v3-第2章

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that　those　ground　their　opinion　who　disapprove　of　capital　or　sanguinary
punishments　inflicted　upon　heretics　and　misbelievers；　and　theirs　also　who
advocate　or　a　judge　is　not　accountable　for　having　from　mere　ignorance
failed　in　his　administration。

But　as　to　cowardice；　it　is　certain　that　the　most　usual　way　of　chastising
it　is　by　ignominy　and　and　it　is　supposed　that　this　practice　brought　into
use　by　the　legislator　Charondas；　and　that；　before　his　time；　the　laws　of
Greece　punished　those　with　death　who　fled　from　a　battle；　whereas　he
ordained　only　that　they　be　for　three　days　exposed　in　the　public　dressed
in　woman's　attire；　hoping　yet　for　some　service　from　them；　having　awakened
their　courage　by　this　open　shame：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Suffundere　malis　homims　sanguinem；　quam　effundere。〃

　　　　　＇〃Rather　bring　the　blood　into　a　man's　cheek　than　let　it　out　of　his
　　　　　body。〃　　Tertullian　in　his　Apologetics。＇

It　appears　also　that　the　Roman　laws　did　anciently　punish　those　with　death
who　had　run　away；　for　Ammianus　Marcellinus　says　that　the　Emperor　Julian
commanded　ten　of　his　soldiers；　who　had　turned　their　backs　in　an　encounter
against　the　Parthians；　to　be　first　degraded；　and　afterward　put　to　death；
according；　says　he；　to　the　ancient　laws；＇Ammianus　Marcellinus；　xxiv。
4；　xxv。　i。＇　and　yet　elsewhere　for　the　like　offence　he　only　condemned
others　to　remain　amongst　the　prisoners　under　the　baggage　ensign。　　The
severe　punishment　the　people　of　Rome　inflicted　upon　those　who　fled　from
the　battle　of　Cannae；　and　those　who　ran　away　with　Aeneius　Fulvius　at　his
defeat；　did　not　extend　to　death。　　And　yet；　methinks；　'tis　to　be　feared；
lest　disgrace　should　make　such　delinquents　desperate；　and　not　only　faint
friends；　but　enemies。

Of　late　memory；＇In　1523＇　the　Seigneur　de　Frauget；　lieutenant　to　the
Mareschal　de　Chatillon's　company；　having　by　the　Mareschal　de　Chabannes
been　put　in　government　of　Fuentarabia　in　the　place　of　Monsieur　de　Lude；
and　having　surrendered　it　to　the　Spaniard；　he　was　for　that　condemned　to
be　degraded　from　all　nobility；　and　both　himself　and　his　posterity
declared　ignoble；　taxable；　and　for　ever　incapable　of　bearing　arms；　which
severe　sentence　was　afterwards　accordingly　executed　at　Lyons。＇In　1536＇
　And；　since　that；　all　the　gentlemen　who　were　in　Guise　when　the　Count　of
Nassau　entered　into　it；　underwent　the　same　punishment；　as　several　others
have　done　since　for　the　like　offence。　　Notwithstanding；　in　case　of　such　a
manifest　ignorance　or　cowardice　as　exceeds　all　ordinary　example；　'tis　but
reason　to　take　it　for　a　sufficient　proof　of　treachery　and　malice；　and　for
such　to　be　punished。




CHAPTER　XVI

A　PROCEEDING　OF　SOME　AMBASSADORS

I　observe　in　my　travels　this　custom；　ever　to　learn　something　from　the
information　of　those　with　whom　I　confer　（which　is　the　best　school　of　all
others）；　and　to　put　my　company　upon　those　subjects　they　are　the　best　able
to　speak　of：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Basti　al　nocchiero　ragionar　de'　venti；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Al　bifolco　dei　tori；　et　le　sue　piaghe
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Conti'l　guerrier；　conti'l　pastor　gli　armenti。〃

　　　　　＇〃Let　the　sailor　content　himself　with　talking　of　the　winds；　the
　　　　　cowherd　of　his　oxen；　the　soldier　of　his　wounds；　the　shepherd　of　his
　　　　　flocks。〃An　Italian　translation　of　Propertius；　ii。　i；　43＇

For　it　often　falls　out　that；　on　the　contrary；　every　one　will　rather
choose　to　be　prating　of　another　man's　province　than　his　own；　thinking　it
so　much　new　reputation　acquired；　witness　the　jeer　Archidamus　put　upon
Pertander；　〃that　he　had　quitted　the　glory　of　being　an　excellent　physician
to　gain　the　repute　of　a　very　bad　poet。　＇Plutarch；　Apoth。　of　the
Lacedaemonians；　'in　voce'　Archidamus。＇　And　do　but　observe　how　large　and
ample　Caesar　is　to　make　us　understand　his　inventions　of　building　bridges
and　contriving　engines　of　war；＇De　Bello　Gall。；　iv。　17。＇　and　how
succinct　and　reserved　in　comparison；　where　he　speaks　of　the　offices　of
his　profession；　his　own　valour；　and　military　conduct。　　His　exploits
sufficiently　prove　him　a　great　captain；　and　that　he　knew　well　enough；　but
he　would　be　thought　an　excellent　engineer　to　boot；　a　quality　something
different；　and　not　necessary　to　be　expected　in　him。　　The　elder　Dionysius
was　a　very　great　captain；　as　it　befitted　his　fortune　he　should　be；　but　he
took　very　great　pains　to　get　a　particular　reputation　by　poetry；　and　yet
he　was　never　cut　out　for　a　poet。　　A　man　of　the　legal　profession　being　not
long　since　brought　to　see　a　study　furnished　with　all　sorts　of　books；　both
of　his　own　and　all　other　faculties；　took　no　occasion　at　all　to　entertain
himself　with　any　of　them；　but　fell　very　rudely　and　magisterially　to
descant　upon　a　barricade　placed　on　the　winding　stair　before　the　study
door；　a　thing　that　a　hundred　captains　and　common　soldiers　see　every　day
without　taking　any　notice　or　offence。

　　　　　　　　　　〃Optat　ephippia　bos　piger；　optat　arare　caballus。〃

　　　　　＇The　lazy　ox　desires　a　saddle　and　bridle；　the　horse　wants　to
　　　　　plough。〃Hor。；　Ep。；　i。　14；43。＇

By　this　course　a　man　shall　never　improve　himself；　nor　arrive　at　any
perfection　in　anything。　　He　must；　therefore；　make　it　his　business　always
to　put　the　architect；　the　painter；　the　statuary；　every　mechanic　artisan；
upon　discourse　of　their　own　capacities。

And；　to　this　purpose；　in　reading　histories；　which　is　everybody's　subject；
I　use　to　consider　what　kind　of　men　are　the　authors：　if　they　be　persons
that　profess　nothing　but　mere　letters；　I；　in　and　from　them；　principally
observe　and　learn　style　and　language；　if　physicians；　I　the　rather　incline
to　credit　what　they　report　of　the　temperature　of　the　air；　of　the　health
and　complexions　of　princes；　of　wounds　and　diseases；　if　lawyers；　we　are
from　them　to　take　notice　of　the　controversies　of　rights　and　wrongs；　the
establishment　of　laws　and　civil　government；　and　the　like；　if　divines；　the
affairs　of　the　Church；　ecclesiastical　censures；　marriages；　and
dispensations；　if　courtiers；　manners　and　ceremonies；　if　soldiers；　the
things　that　properly　belong　to　their　trade；　and；　principally；　the
accounts　of　the　actions　and　enterprises　wherein　they　were　personally
engaged；　if　ambassadors；　we　are　to　observe　negotiations；　intelligences；
and　practices；　and　the　manner　how　they　are　to　be　carried　on。

And　this　is　the　reason　why　（which　perhaps　I　should　have　lightly　passed
over　in　another）　I　dwelt　upon　and　maturely　considered　one　passage　in　the
history　written　by　Monsieur　de　Langey；　a　man　of　very　great　judgment　in
things　of　that　nature：　after　having　given　a　narrative　of　the　fine　oration
Charles　V。　had　made　in　the　Consistory　at　Rome；　and　in　the　presence　of　the
Bishop　of　Macon　and　Monsieur　du　Velly；　our　ambassadors　there；　wherein　he
had　mixed　several　injurious　expressions　to　the　dishonour　of　our　nation；
and　amongst　the　rest；　〃that　if　his　captains　and　soldiers　were　not　men　of
another　kind　of　fidelity；　resolution；　and　sufficiency　in　the　knowledge　of
arms　than　those　of　the　King；　he　would　immediately　go　with　a　rope　about
his　neck　and　sue　to　him　for　mercy〃　（and　it　should　seem　the　Emperor　had
really　this；　or　a　very　little　better　opinion　of　our　military　men；　for　he
afterwards；　twice　or　thrice　in　his　life；　said　the　very　same　thing）；　as
also；　that　he　challenged　the　King　to　fight　him　in　his　shirt　with　rapier
and　poignard　in　a　boat。　　The　said　Sieur　de　Langey；　pursuing　his　history；
adds　that　the　forenamed　ambassadors；　sending　a　despatch　to　the　King　of
these　things；　concealed　the　greatest　part；　and　particularly　the　last　two
passages。　　At　which　I　could　not　but　wonder　that　it　should　be　in　the　power
of　an　ambassador　to　dispense　with　anything　which　he　ought　to　signify　to
his　master；　especially　of　so　great　importance　as　this；　coming　from　the
mouth　of　such　a　person；　and　spoken　in　so　great　an　assembly；　and　I　should
rather　conceive　it　had　been　the　servant's　duty　faithfully　to　have
represented　to　him　the　whole　thing　as　it　passed；　to　the　end　that　the
liberty　of　selecting；　disposing；　judging；　and　concluding　might　have
remained　in　him：　for　either　to　conceal　or　to　disguise　the　truth　for　fear
he　should　take　it　otherwise　than　he　ought　to　do；　and　lest　it　should
prompt　him　to　some　extravagant　resolution；　and；　in　the　meantime；　to　leave
him　ignorant　of　his　affairs；　shoul