the essays of montaigne, v6-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


intermissions　and　paroxysms；　that　has　seized　but　on　one　part　of　us。
Whereas　in　friendship；　'tis　a　general　and　universal　fire；　but　temperate
and　equal；　a　constant　established　heat；　all　gentle　and　smooth；　without
poignancy　or　roughness。　　Moreover；　in　love；　'tis　no　other　than　frantic
desire　for　that　which　flies　from　us：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Come　segue　la　lepre　il　cacciatore
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Al　freddo；　al　caldo；　alla　montagna；　al　lito；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ne　piu　l'estima　poi　the　presa　vede；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　E　sol　dietro　a　chi　fugge　affretta　il　piede〃

　　　　　＇〃As　the　hunter　pursues　the　hare；　in　cold　and　heat；　to　the　mountain；
　　　　　to　the　shore；　nor　cares　for　it　farther　when　he　sees　it　taken；　and
　　　　　only　delights　in　chasing　that　which　flees　from　him。〃Aristo；　x。　7。＇

so　soon　as　it　enters　unto　the　terms　of　friendship；　that　is　to　say；　into　a
concurrence　of　desires；　it　vanishes　and　is　gone；　fruition　destroys　it；
as　having　only　a　fleshly　end；　and　such　a　one　as　is　subject　to　satiety。
Friendship；　on　the　contrary；　is　enjoyed　proportionably　as　it　is　desired；
and　only　grows　up；　is　nourished　and　improved　by　enjoyment；　as　being　of
itself　spiritual；　and　the　soul　growing　still　more　refined　by　practice。
Under　this　perfect　friendship；　the　other　fleeting　affections　have　in　my
younger　years　found　some　place　in　me；　to　say　nothing　of　him；　who　himself
so　confesses　but　too　much　in　his　verses；　so　that　I　had　both　these
passions；　but　always　so；　that　I　could　myself　well　enough　distinguish
them；　and　never　in　any　degree　of　comparison　with　one　another；　the　first
maintaining　its　flight　in　so　lofty　and　so　brave　a　place；　as　with　disdain
to　look　down；　and　see　the　other　flying　at　a　far　humbler　pitch　below。

As　concerning　marriage；　besides　that　it　is　a　covenant；　the　entrance　into
which　only　is　free；　but　the　continuance　in　it　forced　and　compulsory；
having　another　dependence　than　that　of　our　own　free　will；　and　a　bargain
commonly　contracted　to　other　ends；　there　almost　always　happens　a　thousand
intricacies　in　it　to　unravel；　enough　to　break　the　thread　and　to　divert
the　current　of　a　lively　affection：　whereas　friendship　has　no　manner　of
business　or　traffic　with　aught　but　itself。　　Moreover；　to　say　truth；　the
ordinary　talent　of　women　is　not　such　as　is　sufficient　to　maintain　the
conference　and　communication　required　to　the　support　of　this　sacred　tie；
nor　do　they　appear　to　be　endued　with　constancy　of　mind；　to　sustain　the
pinch　of　so　hard　and　durable　a　knot。　　And　doubtless；　if　without　this；
there　could　be　such　a　free　and　voluntary　familiarity　contracted；　where
not　only　the　souls　might　have　this　entire　fruition；　but　the　bodies　also
might　share　in　the　alliance；　and　a　man　be　engaged　throughout；　the
friendship　would　certainly　be　more　full　and　perfect；　but　it　is　without
example　that　this　sex　has　ever　yet　arrived　at　such　perfection；　and；　by
the　common　consent　of　the　ancient　schools；　it　is　wholly　rejected　from　it。

That　other　Grecian　licence　is　justly　abhorred　by　our　manners；　which　also；
from　having；　according　to　their　practice；　a　so　necessary　disparity　of　age
and　difference　of　offices　betwixt　the　lovers；　answered　no　more　to　the
perfect　union　and　harmony　that　we　here　require　than　the　other：

　　　　　　　　　〃Quis　est　enim　iste　amor　amicitiae？　cur　neque　deformem
　　　　　　　　　　adolescentem　quisquam　amat；　neque　formosum　senem？〃

　　　　　＇〃For　what　is　that　friendly　love？　why　does　no　one　love　a　deformed
　　　　　youth　or　a　comely　old　man？〃Cicero；　Tusc。　　Quaes。；　iv。　33。＇

Neither　will　that　very　picture　that　the　Academy　presents　of　it；　as　I
conceive；　contradict　me；　when　I　say；　that　this　first　fury　inspired　by　the
son　of　Venus　into　the　heart　of　the　lover；　upon　sight　of　the　flower　and
prime　of　a　springing　and　blossoming　youth；　to　which　they　allow　all　the
insolent　and　passionate　efforts　that　an　immoderate　ardour　can　produce；
was　simply　founded　upon　external　beauty；　the　false　image　of　corporal
generation；　for　it　could　not　ground　this　love　upon　the　soul；　the　sight　of
which　as　yet　lay　concealed；　was　but　now　springing；　and　not　of　maturity　to
blossom；　that　this　fury；　if　it　seized　upon　a　low　spirit；　the　means　by
which　it　preferred　its　suit　were　rich　presents；　favour　in　advancement　to
dignities；　and　such　trumpery；　which　they　by　no　means　approve；　if　on　a
more　generous　soul；　the　pursuit　was　suitably　generous；　by　philosophical
instructions；　precepts　to　revere　religion；　to　obey　the　laws；　to　die　for
the　good　of　one's　country；　by　examples　of　valour；　prudence；　and　justice；
the　lover　studying　to　render　himself　acceptable　by　the　grace　and　beauty
of　the　soul；　that　of　his　body　being　long　since　faded　and　decayed；　hoping
by　this　mental　society　to　establish　a　more　firm　and　lasting　contract。
When　this　courtship　came　to　effect　in　due　season　（for　that　which　they　do
not　require　in　the　lover；　namely；　leisure　and　discretion　in　his　pursuit；
they　strictly　require　in　the　person　loved；　forasmuch　as　he　is　to　judge　of
an　internal　beauty；　of　difficult　knowledge　and　abstruse　discovery）；　then
there　sprung　in　the　person　loved　the　desire　of　a　spiritual　conception；
by　the　mediation　of　a　spiritual　beauty。　　This　was　the　principal；　the
corporeal；　an　accidental　and　secondary　matter；　quite　the　contrary　as　to
the　lover。　　For　this　reason　they　prefer　the　person　beloved；　maintaining
that　the　gods　in　like　manner　preferred　him　too；　and　very　much　blame　the
poet　AEschylus　for　having；　in　the　loves　of　Achilles　and　Patroclus；　given
the　lover's　part　to　Achilles；　who　was　in　the　first　and　beardless　flower
of　his　adolescence；　and　the　handsomest　of　all　the　Greeks。　　After　this
general　community；　the　sovereign；　and　most　worthy　part　presiding　and
governing；　and　performing　its　proper　offices；　they　say；　that　thence　great
utility　was　derived；　both　by　private　and　public　concerns；　that　it
constituted　the　force　and　power　of　the　countries　where　it　prevailed；　and
the　chiefest　security　of　liberty　and　justice。　　Of　which　the　healthy　loves
of　Harmodius　and　Aristogiton　are　instances。　　And　therefore　it　is　that
they　called　it　sacred　and　divine；　and　conceive　that　nothing　but　the
violence　of　tyrants　and　the　baseness　of　the　common　people　are　inimical　to
it。　　Finally；　all　that　can　be　said　in　favour　of　the　Academy　is；　that　it
was　a　love　which　ended　in　friendship；　which　well　enough　agrees　with　the
Stoical　definition　of　love：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Amorem　conatum　esse　amicitiae　faciendae
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ex　pulchritudinis　specie。〃

　　　　　＇〃Love　is　a　desire　of　contracting　friendship　arising　from　the　beauty
　　　　　of　the　object。〃Cicero；　Tusc。　Quaes。；　vi。　34。＇

I　return　to　my　own　more　just　and　true　description：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Omnino　amicitiae；　corroboratis　jam　confirmatisque；
　　　　　　　　　　et　ingeniis；　et　aetatibus；　judicandae　sunt。〃

　　　　　＇〃Those　are　only　to　be　reputed　friendships　that　are　fortified　and
　　　　　confirmed　by　judgement　and　the　length　of　time。〃
　　　　　Cicero；　De　Amicit。；c。　20。＇

For　the　rest；　what　we　commonly　call　friends　and　friendships；　are　nothing
but　acquaintance　and　familiarities；　either　occasionally　contracted；　or
upon　some　design；　by　means　of　which　there　happens　some　little　intercourse
betwixt　our　souls。　　But　in　the　friendship　I　speak　of；　they　mix　and　work
themselves　into　one　piece；　with　so　universal　a　mixture；　that　there　is　no
more　sign　of　the　seam　by　which　they　were　first　conjoined。　　If　a　man
should　importune　me　to　give　a　reason　why　I　loved　him；　I　find　it　could　no
otherwise　be　expressed；　than　by　making　answer：　because　it　was　he；　because
it　was　I。　　There　is；　beyond　all　that　I　am　able　to　say；　I　know　not　what
inexplicable　and　fated　power　that　brought　on　this　union。　　We　sought　one
another　long　before　we　met；　and　by　the　characters　we　heard　of　one
another；　which　wrought　upon　our　affections　more　than；　in　reason；　mere
reports　should　do；　I　think　'twas　by　some　secret　appointment　of　heaven。
We　embraced　in　our　names；　and　at　our　first　meeting；　which　was
accidentally　at　a　great　city　entertainment；　we　found　ourselves　so
mutually　taken　with　one　another；　so　acquainted；　and　so　endeared　betwixt
ourselves；　that　from　thenceforward　nothing　was　so　near　to　us　as　one
another。　　He　wrote　an　excellent　Latin　satire；　since　printed；　wherein　he
excuses　the　precipitation　of　our　intelligence；　so　suddenly　come　to
perfection