the essays of montaigne, v10-第9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！


the　history　only；　but　for　himself；　so　great　an　excellence　and　perfection
he　has　above　all　the　rest；　though　Sallust　be　one　of　the　number。　　In
earnest；　I　read　this　author　with　more　reverence　and　respect　than　is
usually　allowed　to　human　writings；　one　while　considering　him　in　his
person；　by　his　actions　and　miraculous　greatness；　and　another　in　the
purity　and　inimitable　polish　of　his　language；　wherein　he　not　only　excels
all　other　historians；　as　Cicero　confesses；　　but；　peradventure；　even
Cicero　himself；　speaking　of　his　enemies　with　so　much　sincerity　in　his
judgment；　that；　the　false　colours　with　which　he　strives　to　palliate　his
evil　cause；　and　the　ordure　of　his　pestilent　ambition　excepted；　I　think
there　is　no　fault　to　be　objected　against　him；　saving　this；　that　he　speaks
too　sparingly　of　himself；　seeing　so　many　great　things　could　not　have　been
performed　under　his　conduct；　but　that　his　own　personal　acts　must
necessarily　have　had　a　greater　share　in　them　than　he　attributes　to　them。

I　love　historians；　whether　of　the　simple　sort；　or　of　the　higher　order。
The　simple；　who　have　nothing　of　their　own　to　mix　with　it；　and　who　only
make　it　their　business　to　collect　all　that　comes　to　their　knowledge；　and
faithfully　to　record　all　things；　without　choice　or　discrimination；　leave
to　us　the　entire　judgment　of　discerning　the　truth。　　Such；　for　example；
amongst　others；　is　honest　Froissart；　who　has　proceeded　in　his　undertaking
with　so　frank　a　plainness　that；　having　committed　an　error；　he　is　not
ashamed　to　confess　and　correct　it　in　the　place　where　the　finger　has　been
laid；　and　who　represents　to　us　even　the　variety　of　rumours　that　were　then
spread　abroad；　and　the　different　reports　that　were　made　to　him；　'tis　the
naked　and　inform　matter　of　history；　and　of　which　every　one　may　make　his
profit；　according　to　his　understanding。　　The　more　excellent　sort　of
historians　have　judgment　to　pick　out　what　is　most　worthy　to　be　known；
and；　of　two　reports；　to　examine　which　is　the　most　likely　to　be　true：　from
the　condition　of　princes　and　their　humours；　they　conclude　their　counsels；
and　attribute　to　them　words　proper　for　the　occasion；　such　have　title　to
assume　the　authority　of　regulating　our　belief　to　what　they　themselves
believe；　but　certainly；　this　privilege　belongs　to　very　few。　　For　the
middle　sort　of　historians；　of　which　the　most　part　are；　they　spoil　all；
they　will　chew　our　meat　for　us；　they　take　upon　them　to　judge　of；　and
consequently；　to　incline　the　history　to　their　own　fancy；　for　if　the
judgment　lean　to　one　side；　a　man　cannot　avoid　wresting　and　writhing　his
narrative　to　that　bias；　they　undertake　to　select　things　worthy　to　be
known；　and　yet　often　conceal　from　us　such　a　word；　such　a　private　action；
as　would　much　better　instruct　us；　omit；　as　incredible；　such　things　as
they　do　not　understand；　and　peradventure　some；　because　they　cannot
express　good　French　or　Latin。　　Let　them　display　their　eloquence　and
intelligence；　and　judge　according　to　their　own　fancy：　but　let　them；
withal；　leave　us　something　to　judge　of　after　them；　and　neither　alter　nor
disguise；　by　their　abridgments　and　at　their　own　choice；　anything　of　the
substance　of　the　matter；　but　deliver　it　to　us　pure　and　entire　in　all　its
dimensions。

For　the　most　part；　and　especially　in　these　latter　ages；　persons　are
culled　out　for　this　work　from　amongst　the　common　people；　upon　the　sole
consideration　of　well…speaking；　as　if　we　were　to　learn　grammar　from　them；
and　the　men　so　chosen　have　fair　reason；　being　hired　for　no　other　end　and
pretending　to　nothing　but　babble；　not　to　be　very　solicitous　of　any　part
but　that；　and　so；　with　a　fine　jingle　of　words；　prepare　us　a　pretty
contexture　of　reports　they　pick　up　in　the　streets。　　The　only　good
histories　are　those　that　have　been　written　themselves　who　held　command　in
the　affairs　whereof　they　write；　or　who　participated　in　the　conduct　of
them；　or；　at　least；　who　have　had　the　conduct　of　others　of　the　same
nature。　　Such　are　almost　all　the　Greek　and　Roman　histories：　for；　several
eye…witnesses　having　written　of　the　same　subject；　in　the　time　when
grandeur　and　learning　commonly　met　in　the　same　person；　if　there　happen　to
be　an　error；　it　must　of　necessity　be　a　very　slight　one；　and　upon　a　very
doubtful　incident。　　What　can　a　man　expect　from　a　physician　who　writes　of
war；　or　from　a　mere　scholar；　treating　of　the　designs　of　princes？　　If　we
could　take　notice　how　scrupulous　the　Romans　were　in　this；　there　would
need　but　this　example：　Asinius　Pollio　found　in　the　histories　of　Caesar
himself　something　misreported；　a　mistake　occasioned；　either　by　reason　he
could　not　have　his　eye　in　all　parts　of　his　army　at　once　and　had　given
credit　to　some　individual　persons　who　had　not　delivered　him　a　very　true
account；　or　else；　for　not　having　had　too　perfect　notice　given　him　by　his
lieutenants　of　what　they　had　done　in　his　absence。＇Suetonius；　Life　of
Caesar；　c。　56。＇　By　which　we　may　see；　whether　the　inquisition　after
truth　be　not　very　delicate；　when　a　man　cannot　believe　the　report　of　a
battle　from　the　knowledge　of　him　who　there　commanded；　nor　from　the
soldiers　who　were　engaged　in　it；　unless；　after　the　method　of　a　judicial
inquiry；　the　witnesses　be　confronted　and　objections　considered　upon　the
proof　of　the　least　detail　of　every　incident。　　In　good　earnest　the
knowledge　we　have　of　our　own　affairs；　is　much　more　obscure：　but　that　has
been　sufficiently　handled　by　Bodin；　and　according　to　my　own　sentiment　
＇In　the　work　by　jean　Bodin；　entitled　〃Methodus　ad　facilem　historiarum
cognitionem。〃　　1566。＇　A　little　to　aid　the　weakness　of　my　memory　（so
extreme　that　it　has　happened　to　me　more　than　once；　to　take　books　again
into　my　hand　as　new　and　unseen；　that　I　had　carefully　read　over　a　few
years　before；　and　scribbled　with　my　notes）　I　have　adopted　a　custom　of
late；　to　note　at　the　end　of　every　book　（that　is；　of　those　I　never　intend
to　read　again）　the　time　when　I　made　an　end　on't；　and　the　judgment　I　had
made　of　it；　to　the　end　that　this　might；　at　least；　represent　to　me　the
character　and　general　idea　I　had　conceived　of　the　author　in　reading　it；
and　I　will　here　transcribe　some　of　those　annotations。

I　wrote　this；　some　ten　years　ago；　in　my　Guicciardini　（of　what　language
soever　my　books　speak　to　me　in；　I　always　speak　to　them　in　my　own）：　〃He　is
a　diligent　historiographer；　from　whom；　in　my　opinion；　a　man　may　learn　the
truth　of　the　affairs　of　his　time；　as　exactly　as　from　any　other；　in　the
most　of　which　he　was　himself　also　a　personal　actor；　and　in　honourable
command。　　There　is　no　appearance　that　he　disguised　anything；　either　upon
the　account　of　hatred；　favour；　or　vanity；　of　which　the　free　censures　he
passes　upon　the　great　ones；　and　particularly　those　by　whom　he　was
advanced　and　employed　in　commands　of　great　trust　and　honour；　as　Pope
Clement　VII。；　give　ample　testimony。　　As　to　that　part　which　he　thinks
himself　the　best　at；　namely；　his　digressions　and　discourses；　he　has
indeed　some　very　good；　and　enriched　with　fine　features；　but　he　is　too
fond　of　them：　for；　to　leave　nothing　unsaid；　having　a　subject　so　full；
ample；　almost　infinite；　he　degenerates　into　pedantry　and　smacks　a　little
of　scholastic　prattle。　　I　have　also　observed　this　in　him；　that　of　so　many
souls　and　so　many　effects；　so　many　motives　and　so　many　counsels　as　he
judges；　he　never　attributes　any　one　to　virtue；　religion；　or　conscience；
as　if　all　these　were　utterly　extinct　in　the　world：　and　of　all　the
actions；　how　brave　soever　in　outward　show　they　appear　in　themselves；　he
always　refers　the　cause　and　motive　to　some　vicious　occasion　or　some
prospect　of　profit。　　It　is　impossible　to　imagine　but　that；　amongst　such
an　infinite　number　of　actions　as　he　makes　mention　of；　there　must　be　some
one　produced　by　the　way　of　honest　reason。　　No　corruption　could　so
universally　have　infected　men　that　some　one　would　not　escape　the
contagion　which　makes　me　suspect　that　his　own　taste　was　vicious；　whence
it　might　happen　that　he　judged　other　men　by　himself。〃

In　my　Philip　de　Commines　there　is　this　written：　〃You　will　here　find　the
language　sweet　and　delightful；　of　a　natural　simplicity；　the　narration
pure；　with　the　good　faith　of　the　author　conspicuous　therein；　free　from
vanity；　when　speaking　of　himself；　and　from　affection　or　envy；　when
speaking　of　others：　his　discourses　and　exhortations　rather　accompanied
with　zeal　and　truth；　than　with　any　exquisite　sufficiency；　and；
throughout；　authority　and　gravity；　which　bespeak　him　a　man　of　good
extraction；　and　brought　up　in　great　affairs。〃

Upon　the　Memoirs　of　Monsieur　du　Bellay　I　find　this：　〃'Tis　always　pleasant
to　read　things　written　by　those　that　have　experienced　how　they　ought　to
be　carried　on；　but　withal；　it　cannot　be　denied　but　there　is　a　manifest
decadence　in　these　two　lords　＇Martin　du　Bellay　and　Guillaume　de　Langey；
brothers；　who　jointly　wrote　the　Memoirs。＇　from　the　freedom　and　liberty
of　writing　that　shine　in　the　elder　historians；　such　as　the　Sire　de
Joinville；　the　familiar　companion　of　St。　Louis；　Eginhard；　chancellor　to
Charlemagne；　and　of　later　date；　Philip　de　Commines。　　What　we　have　here　is
rather　an　apology　for　King　Francis；　against　the　Emperor　Charles　V。；　than
history。　　I　will　not　believe　that　they　have　falsified　anything；　as　to
matter　of　fact；　but　they　make　a　common　practice　of　twisting　the　judgment
of　events；　very　often　contrary　to　reason；　to　our　advantage；　and　of
omitting　whatsoever　is　ticklish　to　be　handled　in　the　life　of　their
master；　witness　the　proceedings　of　Messieurs　de　Montmorency　and　de　Biron；
which　are　here　omitted：　nay；　so　much　as　the　very　name　of　Madame
d'Estampes　is　not　here　to　be　found。　　Secret　actions　an　historian　may
conceal；　but　to　pass　over　in　silence　what　all　the　world　knows　and　things
that　have　drawn　after　them　public　and　such　high　consequences；　is　an
inexcusable　defect。　　In　fine；　whoever　has　a　mind　to　have　a　perfect
knowledge　of　King　Francis　and　the　events　of　his　reign；　let　him　seek　it
elsewhere；　if　my　advice　may　prevail。　　The　only　profit　a　man　can　reap　from
these　Memoirs　is　in　the　special　narrative　of　battles　and　other　exploits
of　war　wherein　these　gentlemen　were　personally　engaged；　in　some　words　and
private　actions　of　the　princes　of　their　time；　and　in　the　treaties　and
negotiations　carried　on　by　the　Seigneur　de　Langey；　where　there　are
everywhere　things　worthy　to　be　known；　and　discourses　above　the　vulgar
strain。〃




CHAPTER　XI

OF　CRUELTY

I　fancy　virtue　to　be　something　else；　and　something　more　noble；　than　good
nature；　and　the　mere　propension　to　goodness；　that　we　are　born　into　the
world　withal。　　Well…disposed　and　well…descended　souls　pursue；　indeed；　the
same　methods；　and　represent　in　their　actions　the　same　face　that　virtue
itself　does：　but　the　word　virtue　imports；　I　know　not　what；　more　great　and
active　than　merely　for　a　man　to　suffer　himself；　by　a　happy　disposition；
to　be　gently　and　quietly　drawn　to　the　rule　of　reason。　　He　who；　by　a
natural　sweetness　and　facility；　should　despise　injuries　received；　would
doubtless　do　a　very　fine　and　laudable　thing；　but　he　who；　provoked　and
nettled　to　the　quick　by　an　offence；　should　fortify　himself　with　the　arms
of　reason　against　the　furious　appetite　of　revenge；　and　after　a　great
conflict；　master　his　own　passion；　would　certainly　do　a　great　deal　more。
The　first　would　do　well；　the　latte