the essays of montaigne, v6-第9章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Hos　natura　modos　primum　dedit。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃These　were　the　manners　first　taught　by　nature。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Virgil；　Georgics；　ii。　20。＇

As　to　the　rest；　they　live　in　a　country　very　pleasant　and　temperate；　so
that；　as　my　witnesses　inform　me；　'tis　rare　to　hear　of　a　sick　person；　and
they　moreover　assure　me；　that　they　never　saw　any　of　the　natives；　either
paralytic；　bleareyed；　toothless；　or　crooked　with　age。　　The　situation　of
their　country　is　along　the　sea…shore；　enclosed　on　the　other　side　towards
the　land；　with　great　and　high　mountains；　having　about　a　hundred　leagues
in　breadth　between。　　They　have　great　store　of　fish　and　flesh；　that　have
no　resemblance　to　those　of　ours：　which　they　eat　without　any　other
cookery；　than　plain　boiling；　roasting；　and　broiling。　　The　first　that　rode
a　horse　thither；　though　in　several　other　voyages　he　had　contracted　an
acquaintance　and　familiarity　with　them；　put　them　into　so　terrible　a
fright；　with　his　centaur　appearance；　that　they　killed　him　with　their
arrows　before　they　could　come　to　discover　who　he　was。　　Their　buildings
are　very　long；　and　of　capacity　to　hold　two　or　three　hundred　people；　made
of　the　barks　of　tall　trees；　reared　with　one　end　upon　the　ground；　and
leaning　to　and　supporting　one　another　at　the　top；　like　some　of　our　barns；
of　which　the　covering　hangs　down　to　the　very　ground；　and　serves　for　the
side　walls。　They　have　wood　so　hard；　that　they　cut　with　it；　and　make　their
swords　of　it；　and　their　grills　of　it　to　broil　their　meat。　　Their　beds　are
of　cotton；　hung　swinging　from　the　roof；　like　our　seamen's　hammocks；　every
man　his　own；　for　the　wives　lie　apart　from　their　husbands。　　They　rise　with
the　sun；　and　so　soon　as　they　are　up；　eat　for　all　day；　for　they　have　no
more　meals　but　that；　they　do　not　then　drink；　as　Suidas　reports　of　some
other　people　of　the　East　that　never　drank　at　their　meals；　but　drink　very
often　all　day　after；　and　sometimes　to　a　rousing　pitch。　　Their　drink　is
made　of　a　certain　root；　and　is　of　the　colour　of　our　claret；　and　they
never　drink　it　but　lukewarm。　　It　will　not　keep　above　two　or　three　days；
it　has　a　somewhat　sharp；　brisk　taste；　is　nothing　heady；　but　very
comfortable　to　the　stomach；　laxative　to　strangers；　but　a　very　pleasant
beverage　to　such　as　are　accustomed　to　it。　　They　make　use；　instead　of
bread；　of　a　certain　white　compound；　like　coriander　seeds；　I　have　tasted
of　it；　the　taste　is　sweet　and　a　little　flat。　　The　whole　day　is　spent　in
dancing。　　Their　young　men　go　a…hunting　after　wild　beasts　with　bows　and
arrows；　one　part　of　their　women　are　employed　in　preparing　their　drink　the
while；　which　is　their　chief　employment。　　One　of　their　old　men；　in　the
morning　before　they　fall　to　eating；　preaches　to　the　whole　family；　walking
from　the　one　end　of　the　house　to　the　other；　and　several　times　repeating
the　same　sentence；　till　he　has　finished　the　round；　for　their　houses　are
at　least　a　hundred　yards　long。　　Valour　towards　their　enemies　and　love
towards　their　wives；　are　the　two　heads　of　his　discourse；　never　failing　in
the　close；　to　put　them　in　mind；　that　'tis　their　wives　who　provide　them
their　drink　warm　and　well　seasoned。　　The　fashion　of　their　beds；　ropes；
swords；　and　of　the　wooden　bracelets　they　tie　about　their　wrists；　when
they　go　to　fight；　and　of　the　great　canes；　bored　hollow　at　one　end；　by　the
sound　of　which　they　keep　the　cadence　of　their　dances；　are　to　be　seen　in
several　places；　and　amongst　others；　at　my　house。　　They　shave　all　over；
and　much　more　neatly　than　we；　without　other　razor　than　one　of　wood　or
stone。　　They　believe　in　the　immortality　of　the　soul；　and　that　those　who
have　merited　well　of　the　gods　are　lodged　in　that　part　of　heaven　where　the
sun　rises；　and　the　accursed　in　the　west。

They　have　I　know　not　what　kind　of　priests　and　prophets；　who　very　rarely
present　themselves　to　the　people；　having　their　abode　in　the　mountains。
At　their　arrival；　there　is　a　great　feast；　and　solemn　assembly　of　many
villages：　each　house；　as　I　have　described；　makes　a　village；　and　they　are
about　a　French　league　distant　from　one　another。　　This　prophet　declaims　to
them　in　public；　exhorting　them　to　virtue　and　their　duty：　but　all　their
ethics　are　comprised　in　these　two　articles；　resolution　in　war；　and
affection　to　their　wives。　　He　also　prophesies　to　them　events　to　come；　and
the　issues　they　are　to　expect　from　their　enterprises；　and　prompts　them　to
or　diverts　them　from　war：　but　let　him　look　to't；　for　if　he　fail　in　his
divination；　and　anything　happen　otherwise　than　he　has　foretold；　he　is　cut
into　a　thousand　pieces；　if　he　be　caught；　and　condemned　for　a　false
prophet：　for　that　reason；　if　any　of　them　has　been　mistaken；　he　is　no　more
heard　of。

Divination　is　a　gift　of　God；　and　therefore　to　abuse　it；　ought　to　be　a
punishable　imposture。　　Amongst　the　Scythians；　where　their　diviners　failed
in　the　promised　effect；　they　were　laid；　bound　hand　and　foot；　upon　carts
loaded　with　firs　and　bavins；　and　drawn　by　oxen；　on　which　they　were　burned
to　death。＇Herodotus；　iv。　　69。＇　Such　as　only　meddle　with　things
subject　to　the　conduct　of　human　capacity；　are　excusable　in　doing　the　best
they　can：　but　those　other　fellows　that　come　to　delude　us　with　assurances
of　an　extraordinary　faculty；　beyond　our　understanding；　ought　they　not　to
be　punished；　when　they　do　not　make　good　the　effect　of　their　promise；　and
for　the　temerity　of　their　imposture？

They　have　continual　war　with　the　nations　that　live　further　within　the
mainland；　beyond　their　mountains；　to　which　they　go　naked；　and　without
other　arms　than　their　bows　and　wooden　swords；　fashioned　at　one　end　like
the　head　of　our　javelins。　　The　obstinacy　of　their　battles　is　wonderful；
and　they　never　end　without　great　effusion　of　blood：　for　as　to　running
away；　they　know　not　what　it　is。　　Every　one　for　a　trophy　brings　home　the
head　of　an　enemy　he　has　killed；　which　he　fixes　over　the　door　of　his
house。　　After　having　a　long　time　treated　their　prisoners　very　well；　and
given　them　all　the　regales　they　can　think　of；　he　to　whom　the　prisoner
belongs；　invites　a　great　assembly　of　his　friends。　　They　being　come；　he
ties　a　rope　to　one　of　the　arms　of　the　prisoner；　of　which；　at　a　distance；
out　of　his　reach；　he　holds　the　one　end　himself；　and　gives　to　the　friend
he　loves　best　the　other　arm　to　hold　after　the　same　manner；　which　being。
done；　they　two；　in　the　presence　of　all　the　assembly；　despatch　him　with
their　swords。　　After　that；　they　roast　him；　eat　him　amongst　them；　and　send
some　chops　to　their　absent　friends。　　They　do　not　do　this；　as　some　think；
for　nourishment；　as　the　Scythians　anciently　did；　but　as　a　representation
of　an　extreme　revenge；　as　will　appear　by　this：　that　having　observed　the
Portuguese；　who　were　in　league　with　their　enemies；　to　inflict　another
sort　of　death　upon　any　of　them　they　took　prisoners；　which　was　to　set　them
up　to　the　girdle　in　the　earth；　to　shoot　at　the　remaining　part　till　it　was
stuck　full　of　arrows；　and　then　to　hang　them；　they　thought　those　people　of
the　other　world　（as　being　men　who　had　sown　the　knowledge　of　a　great　many
vices　amongst　their　neighbours；　and　who　were　much　greater　masters　in　all
sorts　of　mischief　than　they）　did　not　exercise　this　sort　of　revenge
without　a　meaning；　and　that　it　must　needs　be　more　painful　than　theirs；
they　began　to　leave　their　old　way；　and　to　follow　this。　　I　am　not　sorry
that　we　should　here　take　notice　of　the　barbarous　horror　of　so　cruel　an
action；　but　that；　seeing　so　clearly　into　their　faults；　we　should　be　so
blind　to　our　own。　　I　conceive　there　is　more　barbarity　in　eating　a　man
alive；　than　when　he　is　dead；　in　tearing　a　body　limb　from　limb　by　racks
and　torments；　that　is　yet　in　perfect　sense；　in　roasting　it　by　degrees；　in
causing　it　to　be　bitten　and　worried　by　dogs　and　swine　（as　we　have　not
only　read；　but　lately　seen；　not　amongst　inveterate　and　mortal　enemies；
but　among　neighbours　and　fellow…citizens；　and；　which　is　worse；　under
colour　of　piety　and　religion）；　than　to　roast　and　eat　him　after　he　is
dead。

Chrysippus　and　Zeno；　the　two　heads　of　the　Stoic　sect；　were　of　opinion
that　there　was　no　hurt　in　making　use　of　our　dead　carcasses；　in　what　way
soever　for　our　necessity；　and　in　feeding　upon　them　too；＇Diogenes
Laertius；　vii。　　188。＇　as　our　own　ancestors；　who　being　besieged