the essays of montaigne, v16-第6章

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engagement；　where　every　one　is　on　their　side？　　Methinks　I　see　those
paladins　of　ancient　times　presenting　themselves　to　jousts　and　battle　with
enchanted　arms　and　bodies。　　Brisson；

　　　　　＇Plutarch；　On　Satisfaction　or　Tranquillity　of　the　Mind。　　But　in　his
　　　　　essay；　How　a　Man　may　Distinguish　a　Flatterer　from　a　Friend；　he　calls
　　　　　him　Chriso。＇

running　against　Alexander；　purposely　missed　his　blow；　and　made　a　fault　in
his　career；　Alexander　chid　him　for　it；　but　he　ought　to　have　had　him
whipped。　　Upon　this　consideration　Carneades　said；　that　〃the　sons　of
princes　learned　nothing　right　but　to　manage　horses；　by　reason　that；　in
all　their　other　exercises；　every　one　bends　and　yields　to　them；　but　a
horse；　that　is　neither　a　flatterer　nor　a　courtier；　throws　the　son　of　a
king　with　no　more　ceremony　than　he　would　throw　that　of　a　porter。〃

Homer　was　fain　to　consent　that　Venus；　so　sweet　and　delicate　a　goddess　as
she　was；　should　be　wounded　at　the　battle　of　Troy；　thereby　to　ascribe
courage　and　boldness　to　her　qualities　that　cannot　possibly　be　in　those
who　are　exempt　from　danger。　　The　gods　are　made　to　be　angry；　to　fear；　to
run　away；　to　be　jealous；　to　grieve；　to　be　transported　with　passions；　to
honour　them　with　the　virtues　that；　amongst　us；　are　built　upon　these
imperfections。　Who　does　not　participate　in　the　hazard　and　difficulty；　can
claim　no　interest　in　the　honour　and　pleasure　that　are　the　consequents　of
hazardous　actions。　　'Tis　pity　a　man　should　be　so　potent　that　all　things
must　give　way　to　him；　fortune　therein　sets　you　too　remote　from　society；
and　places　you　in　too　great　a　solitude。　　This　easiness　and　mean　facility
of　making　all　things　bow　under　you；　is　an　enemy　to　all　sorts　of　pleasure：
'tis　to　slide；　not　to　go；　'tis　to　sleep；　and　not　to　live。　　Conceive　man
accompanied　with　omnipotence：　you　overwhelm　him；　he　must　beg　disturbance
and　opposition　as　an　alms：　his　being　and　his　good　are　in　indigence。　Evil
to　man　is　in　its　turn　good；　and　good　evil。　Neither　is　pain　always　to　be
shunned；　nor　pleasure　always　to　be　pursued。

Their　good　qualities　are　dead　and　lost；　for　they　can　only　be　perceived　by
comparison；　and　we　put　them　out　of　this：　they　have　little　knowledge　of
true　praise；　having　their　ears　deafened　with　so　continual　and　uniform　an
approbation。　　Have　they　to　do　with　the　stupidest　of　all　their　subjects？
they　have　no　means　to　take　any　advantage　of　him；　if　he　but　say：　〃'Tis
because　he　is　my　king；〃　he　thinks　he　has　said　enough　to　express　that　he
therefore　suffered　himself　to　be　overcome。　　This　quality　stifles　and
consumes　the　other　true　and　essential　qualities：　they　are　sunk　in　the
royalty；　and　leave　them　nothing　to　recommend　themselves　with　but　actions
that　directly　concern　and　serve　the　function　of　their　place；　'tis　so　much
to　be　a　king；　that　this　alone　remains　to　them。　　The　outer　glare　that
environs　him　conceals　and　shrouds　him　from　us；　our　sight　is　there
repelled　and　dissipated；　being　filled　and　stopped　by　this　prevailing
light。　　The　senate　awarded　the　prize　of　eloquence　to　Tiberius；　he　refused
it；　esteeming　that　though　it　had　been　just；　he　could　derive　no　advantage
from　a　judgment　so　partial；　and　that　was　so　little　free　to　judge。

As　we　give　them　all　advantages　of　honour；　so　do　we　soothe　and　authorise
all　their　vices　and　defects；　not　only　by　approbation；　but　by　imitation
also。　　Every　one　of　Alexander's　followers　carried　his　head　on　one　side；
as　he　did；　and　the　flatterers　of　Dionysius　ran　against　one　another　in　his
presence；　and　stumbled　at　and　overturned　whatever　was　under　foot；　to　shew
they　were　as　purblind　as　he。　　Hernia　itself　has　also　served　to　recommend
a　man　to　favour；　I　have　seen　deafness　affected；　and　because　the　master
hated　his　wife；　Plutarch　＇who；　however；　only　gives　one　instance；　and　in
this　he　tells　us　that　the　man　visited　his　wife　privately。＇　has　seen　his
courtiers　repudiate　theirs；　whom　they　loved；　and；　which　is　yet　more；
uncleanliness　and　all　manner　of　dissoluteness　have　so　been　in　fashion；　as
also　disloyalty；　blasphemy；　cruelty；　heresy；　superstition；　irreligion；
effeminacy；　and　worse；　if　worse　there　be；　and　by　an　example　yet　more
dangerous　than　that　of　Mithridates'　flatterers；　who；　as　their　master
pretended　to　the　honour　of　a　good　physician；　came　to　him　to　have
incisions　and　cauteries　made　in　their　limbs；　for　these　others　suffered
the　soul；　a　more　delicate　and　noble　part；　to　be　cauterised。

But　to　end　where　I　began：　the　Emperor　Adrian；　disputing　with　the
philosopher　Favorinus　about　the　interpretation　of　some　word；　Favorinus
soon　yielded　him　the　victory；　for　which　his　friends　rebuking　him；　〃You
talk　simply；〃　said　he；　〃would　you　not　have　him　wiser　than　I；　who　commands
thirty　legions？〃　　Augustus　wrote　verses　against　Asinius　Pollio；　and　〃I；〃
said　Pollio；　〃say　nothing；　for　it　is　not　prudence　to　write　in　contest
with　him　who　has　power　to　proscribe。〃　　And　they　were　right。　　For
Dionysius；　because　he　could　not　equal　Philoxenus　in　poesy　and　Plato　in
discourse；　condemned　the　one　to　the　quarries；　and　sent　the　other　to　be
sold　for　a　slave　into　the　island　of　AEgina。




CHAPTER　VIII

OF　THE　ART　OF　CONFERENCE

'Tis　a　custom　of　our　justice　to　condemn　some　for　a　warning　to　others。　　To
condemn　them　for　having　done　amiss；　were　folly；　as　Plato　says；

　　　　　＇Diogenes　Laertius；　however；　in　his　Life　of　Plato；　iii。　181；　says
　　　　　that　Plato's　offence　was　the　speaking　too　freely　to　the　tyrant。＇

for　what　is　done　can　never　be　undone；　but　'tis　to　the　end　they　may　offend
no　more；　and　that　others　may　avoid　the　example　of　their　offence：　we　do
not　correct　the　man　we　hang；　we　correct　others　by　him。　　I　do　the　same；　my
errors　are　sometimes　natural；　incorrigible；　and　irremediable：　but　the
good　which　virtuous　men　do　to　the　public；　in　making　themselves　imitated；
I；　peradventure；　may　do　in　making　my　manners　avoided：

　　　　　　　　　〃Nonne　vides；　Albi　ut　male　vivat　filius？　utque
　　　　　　　　　　Barrus　inops？　　magnum　documentum；　ne　patriam　rein
　　　　　　　　　　Perdere　guis　velit；〃

　　　　　＇〃Dost　thou　not　see　how　ill　the　son　of　Albus　lives？　　and　how　the
　　　　　indigent　Barrus？　a　great　warning　lest　any　one　should　incline　to
　　　　　dissipate　his　patrimony。〃Horace；　Sat。；　i。　4；　109。＇

publishing　and　accusing　my　own　imperfections；　some　one　will　learn　to　be
afraid　of　them。　　The　parts　that　I　most　esteem　in　myself；　derive　more
honour　from　decrying；　than　for　commending　myself　which　is　the　reason　why
I　so　often　fall　into；　and　so　much　insist　upon　that　strain。　　But；　when　all
is　summed　up；　a　man　never　speaks　of　himself　without　loss；　a　man's
accusations　of　himself　are　always　believed；　his　praises　never：　There　may；
peradventure；　be　some　of　my　own　complexion　who　better　instruct　myself　by
contrariety　than　by　similitude；　and　by　avoiding　than　by　imitation。　　The
elder　Cato　was　regarding　this　sort　of　discipline；　when　he　said；　〃that　the
wise　may　learn　more　of　fools；　than　fools　can　of　the　wise〃；　and　Pausanias
tells　us　of　an　ancient　player　upon　the　harp；　who　was　wont　to　make　his
scholars　go　to　hear　one　who　played　very　ill；　who　lived　over　against　him；
that　they　might　learn　to　hate　his　discords　and　false　measures。　　The
horror　of　cruelty　more　inclines　me　to　clemency；　than　any　example　of
clemency　could　possibly　do。　　A　good　rider　does　not　so　much　mend　my　seat；
as　an　awkward　attorney　or　a　Venetian；　on　horseback；　and　a　clownish　way　of
speaking　more　reforms　mine　than　the　most　correct。　　The　ridiculous　and
simple　look　of　another　always　warns　and　advises　me；　that　which　pricks；
rouses　and　incites　much　better　than　that　which　tickles。　　The　time　is　now
proper　for　us　to　reform　backward；　more　by　dissenting　than　by　agreeing；　by
differing　more　than　by　consent。　　Profiting　little　by　good　examples；　I
make　use　of　those　that　are　ill；　which　are　everywhere　to　be　found：　I
endeavour　to　render　myself　as　agreeable　as　I　see　others　offensive；　as
constant　as　I　see　others　fickle；　as　affable　as　I　see　others　rough；　as
good　as　I　see　others　evil：　but　I　propose　to　myself　impracticable
measures。

The　most　fruitful　and　natural　exercise　of　the　mind；　in　my　opinion；　is
conversation；　I　find　the　use　of　it　more　sweet　than　of　any　other　action　of
life；　and　for　that　reason　it　is　that；　if　I　were　now　compelled　to　choose；
I　should　sooner；　I　think；　consent　to　lose　my　sight；　than　my　hearing　and
speech。　　The　Athenians；　and　also　the　Romans；　kept　this　exercise　in　great
honour　in　their　academies；　the　Italians　retain　some　traces　of　it　to　this
day；　to　their　great　advantage；　as　is　manifest　by　the　comparison　of　our
understandings　with　theirs。　　The　study　of　books　is　a　languishing　and
feeble　motion　that　heats　not；　whereas　conversation　teaches　and　exercises
at　once。　　If　I　converse　with　a　strong　mind　and　a　rough　disputant；　he
presses　upon　my　flanks；　and　pricks　me　right　and　left；　his　imaginations
stir　up　mine；　jealousy；　glory；　and　contention；　stimulate　and　raise　me　up
to　something　above　myself；　and　acquiescence　is　a　quality　altogether
tedious　in　discourse。　　But；　as　our　mind　fortifies　itself　by　the
communication　of　vigorous　and　regular　understandings；　'tis　not　to　be
expressed　how　much　it　loses　and　degenerates　by　the　continual　commerce　and
familiarity　we　have　with　mean　and　weak　spirits；　there　is　no　contagion
that　spreads　like　that；　I　know　sufficiently　by　experience　what　'tis　worth
a　yard。　　I　love　to　discourse　and　dispute；　but　it　is　with　but　few　men；　and
for　myself；　for　to　do　it　as　a　spectacle　and　entertainment　to　great
persons；　and　to　make　of　a　man's　wit　and　words　competitive　parade　is；　in
my　opinion；　very　unbecoming　a　man　of　honour。

Folly　is　a　bad　quality；　but　not　to　be　able　to　endure　it；　to　fret　and　vex
at　it；　as　I　do；　is　another　sort　of　disease　little　less　troublesome　than
folly　itself；　and　is　the　thing　that　I　will　now　accuse　in　myself。　　I　enter
into　conference；　and　dispute　with　great　liberty　and　facility；　forasmuch
as　opinion　meets　in　me　with　a　soil　very　unfit　for　penetration；　and
wherein　to　take　any　deep　root；　no　propositions　astonish　me；　no　belief
offends　me；　though　never　so　contrary　to　my　own；　there　is　no　so　frivolous
and　extravagant　fancy　that　does　not　seem　to　me　suitable　to　the　production
of　human　wit。　　We；　who　deprive　our　judgment　of　the　right　of　determining；
look　indifferently　upon　the　diverse　opinions；　and　if　we　incline　not　our
judgment　to　them；　yet　we　easily　give　them　the　hearing：　Where　one　scale　is
totally　empty；　I　let　the　other　waver　under　an　old　wife's　dreams；　and　I
think　myself　excusable；　if　I　prefer　the　odd　number；　Thursday　rather　than
Friday；　if　I　had　rather　be　the　twelfth　or　fourteenth　than　the　thirteenth
at　table；　if　I　had　rather；　on　a　journey；　see　a　hare　run　by　me　than　cross
my　way；　and　rather　give　my　man　my　left　foot　than　my　right；　when　he　comes
to　put　on　my　stockings。　　All　such　reveries　as　are　in　credit　around　us；
deserve　at　least　a　hearing：　for　my　part；　they　only　with　me　import
inanity；　but　they　import　that。　　Moreover；　vulgar　and　casual　opinions　are
something　more　than　nothing　in　nature；　and　he　who　will　not　suffer　himself
to　proceed　so　far；　falls；　peradventure；　into　the　vice　of　obstinacy；　to
avoid　that　of　superstition。

The　contradictions　of　judgments；　then；　neither　offend　nor　alter；　they
only　rouse　and　exercise；　me。　We　evade　correction；　whereas　we　ought　to
offer　and　present　ourselves　to　it；　especially