the essays of montaigne, v3-第9章

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unruly　in　its　tumidity　and　impatience；　when　we　do　not　require　it；　and　so
unseasonably　disobedient；　when　we　stand　most　in　need　of　it：　so
imperiously　contesting　in　authority　with　the　will；　and　with　so　much
haughty　obstinacy　denying　all　solicitation；　both　of　hand　and　mind。　　And
yet；　though　his　rebellion　is　so　universally　complained　of；　and　that　proof
is　thence　deduced　to　condemn　him；　if　he　had；　nevertheless；　feed　me　to
plead　his　cause；　I　should　peradventure；　bring　the　rest　of　his　fellow…
members　into　suspicion　of　complotting　this　mischief　against　him；　out　of
pure　envy　at　the　importance　and　pleasure　especial　to　his　employment；　and
to　have；　by　confederacy；　armed　the　whole　world　against　him；　by
malevolently　charging　him　alone；　with　their　common　offence。　　For　let　any
one　consider；　whether　there　is　any　one　part　of　our　bodies　that　does　not
often　refuse　to　perform　its　office　at　the　precept　of　the　will；　and　that
does　not　often　exercise　its　function　in　defiance　of　her　command。　　They
have　every　one　of　them　passions　of　their　own；　that　rouse　and　awaken；
stupefy　and　benumb　them；　without　our　leave　or　consent。　　How　often　do　the
involuntary　motions　of　the　countenance　discover　our　inward　thoughts；　and
betray　our　most　private　secrets　to　the　bystanders。　　The　same　cause　that
animates　this　member；　does　also；　without　our　knowledge；　animate　the
lungs；　pulse；　and　heart；　the　sight　of　a　pleasing　object　imperceptibly
diffusing　a　flame　through　all　our　parts；　with　a　feverish　motion。　　Is
there　nothing　but　these　veins　and　muscles　that　swell　and　flag　without　the
consent；　not　only　of　the　will；　but　even　of　our　knowledge　also？　　We　do　not
command　our　hairs　to　stand　on　end；　nor　our　skin　to　shiver　either　with
fear　or　desire；　the　hands　often　convey　themselves　to　parts　to　which　we　do
not　direct　them；　the　tongue　will　be　interdict；　and　the　voice　congealed；
when　we　know　not　how　to　help　it。　　When　we　have　nothing　to　eat；　and　would
willingly　forbid　it；　the　appetite　does　not；　for　all　that；　forbear　to　stir
up　the　parts　that　are　subject　to　it；　no　more　nor　less　than　the　other
appetite　we　were　speaking　of；　and　in　like　manner；　as　unseasonably　leaves
us；　when　it　thinks　fit。　　The　vessels　that　serve　to　discharge　the　belly
have　their　own　proper　dilatations　and　compressions；　without　and　beyond
our　concurrence；　as　well　as　those　which　are　destined　to　purge　the　reins；
and　that　which；　to　justify　the　prerogative　of　the　will；　St。　Augustine
urges；　of　having　seen　a　man　who　could　command　his　rear　to　discharge　as
often　together　as　he　pleased；　Vives；　his　commentator；　yet　further
fortifies　with　another　example　in　his　time；of　one　that　could　break　wind
in　tune；　but　these　cases　do　not　suppose　any　more　pure　obedience　in　that
part；　for　is　anything　commonly　more　tumultuary　or　indiscreet？　　To　which
let　me　add；　that　I　myself　knew　one　so　rude　and　ungoverned；　as　for　forty
years　together　made　his　master　vent　with　one　continued　and　unintermitted
outbursting；　and　'tis　like　will　do　so　till　he　die　of　it。　　And　I　could
heartily　wish；　that　I　only　knew　by　reading；　how　often　a　man's　belly；　by
the　denial　of　one　single　puff；　brings　him　to　the　very　door　of　an
exceeding　painful　death；　and　that　the　emperor；＇The　Emperor　Claudius；
who；　however；　according　to　Suetonius　（Vita；　c。　32）；　only　intended　to
authorise　this　singular　privilege　by　an　edict。＇　who　gave　liberty　to　let
fly　in　all　places；　had；　at　the　same　time；　given　us　power　to　do　it。　　But
for　our　will；　in　whose　behalf　we　prefer　this　accusation；　with　how　much
greater　probability　may　we　reproach　herself　with　mutiny　and　sedition；　for
her　irregularity　and　disobedience？　　Does　she　always　will　what　we　would
have　her　to　do？　　Does　she　not　often　will　what　we　forbid　her　to　will；　and
that　to　our　manifest　prejudice？　　Does　she　suffer　herself；　more　than　any
of　the　rest；　to　be　governed　and　directed　by　the　results　of　our　reason？
To　conclude；　I　should　move；　in　the　behalf　of　the　gentleman；　my　client；　it
might　be　considered；　that　in　this　fact；　his　cause　being　inseparably　and
indistinctly　conjoined　with　an　accessory；　yet　he　only　is　called　in
question；　and　that　by　arguments　and　accusations；　which　cannot　be　charged
upon　the　other；　whose　business；　indeed；　it　is　sometimes　inopportunely　to
invite；　but　never　to　refuse；　and　invite；　moreover；　after　a　tacit　and
quiet　manner；　and　therefore　is　the　malice　and　injustice　of　his　accusers
most　manifestly　apparent。　　But　be　it　how　it　will；　protesting　against　the
proceedings　of　the　advocates　and　judges；　nature　will；　in　the　meantime；
proceed　after　her　own　way；　who　had　done　but　well；　had　she　endowed　this
member　with　some　particular　privilege；　the　author　of　the　sole　immortal
work　of　mortals；　a　divine　work；　according　to　Socrates；　and　love；　the
desire　of　immortality；　and　himself　an　immortal　demon。

Some　one；　perhaps；　by　such　an　effect　of　imagination　may　have　had　the　good
luck　to　leave　behind　him　here；　the　scrofula；　which　his　companion　who　has
come　after；　has　carried　with　him　into　Spain。　　And　'tis　for　this　reason
you　may　see　why　men　in　such　cases　require　a　mind　prepared　for　the　thing
that　is　to　be　done。　　Why　do　the　physicians　possess；　before　hand；　their
patients'　credulity　with　so　many　false　promises　of　cure；　if　not　to　the
end；　that　the　effect　of　imagination　may　supply　the　imposture　of　their
decoctions？　　They　know　very　well；　that　a　great　master　of　their　trade　has
given　it　under　his　hand；　that　he　has　known　some　with　whom　the　very　sight
of　physic　would　work。　　All　which　conceits　come　now　into　my　head；　by　the
remembrance　of　a　story　was　told　me　by　a　domestic　apothecary　of　my
father's；　a　blunt　Swiss；　a　nation　not　much　addicted　to　vanity　and　lying；
of　a　merchant　he　had　long　known　at　Toulouse；　who　being　a　valetudinary；
and　much　afflicted　with　the　stone；　had　often　occasion　to　take　clysters；
of　which　he　caused　several　sorts　to　be　prescribed　him　by　the　physicians；
acccording　to　the　accidents　of　his　disease；　which；　being　brought　him；　and
none　of　the　usual　forms；　as　feeling　if　it　were　not　too　hot；　and　the　like；
being　omitted；　he　lay　down；　the　syringe　advanced；　and　all　ceremonies
performed；　injection　alone　excepted；　after　which；　the　apothecary　being
gone；　and　the　patient　accommodated　as　if　he　had　really　received　a
clyster；　he　found　the　same　operation　and　effect　that　those　do　who　have
taken　one　indeed；　and　if　at　any　time　the　physician　did　not　find　the
operation　sufficient；　he　would　usually　give　him　two　or　three　more　doses；
after　the　same　manner。　　And　the　fellow　swore；　that　to　save　charges　（for
he　paid　as　if　he　had　really　taken　them）　this　sick　man's　wife；　having
sometimes　made　trial　of　warm　water　only；　the　effect　discovered　the　cheat；
and　finding　these　would　do　no　good；　was　fain　to　return　to　the　old　way。

A　woman　fancying　she　had　swallowed　a　pin　in　a　piece　of　bread；　cried　and
lamented　as　though　she　had　an　intolerable　pain　in　her　throat；　where　she
thought　she　felt　it　stick；　but　an　ingenious　fellow　that　was　brought　to
her；　seeing　no　outward　tumour　nor　alteration；　supposing　it　to　be　only　a
conceit　taken　at　some　crust　of　bread　that　had　hurt　her　as　it　went　down；
caused　her　to　vomit；　and；　unseen；　threw　a　crooked　pin　into　the　basin；
which　the　woman　no　sooner　saw；　but　believing　she　had　cast　it　up；　she
presently　found　herself　eased　of　her　pain。　　I　myself　knew　a　gentleman；
who　having　treated　a　large　company　at　his　house；　three　or　four　days　after
bragged　in　jest　（for　there　was　no　such　thing）；　that　he　had　made　them　eat
of　a　baked　cat；　at　which；　a　young　gentlewoman；　who　had　been　at　the　feast；
took　such　a　horror；　that　falling　into　a　violent　vomiting　and　fever；　there
was　no　possible　means　to　save　her。　　Even　brute　beasts　are　subject　to　the
force　of　imagination　as　well　as　we；　witness　dogs；　who　die　of　grief　for
the　loss　of　their　masters；　and　bark　and　tremble　and　start　in　their　sleep；
so　horses　will　kick　and　whinny　in　their　sleep。

Now　all　this　may　be　attributed　to　the　close　affinity　and　relation　betwixt
the　soul　and　the　body　intercommunicating　their　fortunes；　but　'tis　quite
another　thing　when　the　imagination　works　not　only　upon　one's　own
particular　body；　but　upon　that　of　others　also。　　And　as　an　infected　body
communicates　its　malady　to　those　that　approach　or　live　near　it；　as　we　see
in　the　plague；　the　smallpox；　and　sore　eyes；　that　run　through　whole
families　and　cities：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Dum　spectant　oculi　laesos；　laeduntur　et　ipsi；
　　　　　　　　　　Multaque　corporibus　transitione　nocent。〃

　　　　　＇〃When　we　look　at　people　with　sore　eyes；　our　own　eyes　become　sore。
　　　　　Many　things　are　hurtful　to　our　bodies　by　transition。〃
　　　　　Ovid；　De　Rem。　Amor。；　615。＇

so　the　imagination；　being　vehemently　agitated；　darts　out　infection
capable　of　offending　the　foreign　object。　　The　ancients　had　an　opinion　of
certain　women　of　Scythia；　that　being　animated　and　enraged　against　any
one；　they　killed　him　only　with　their　looks。　　Tortoises　and　ostriches
hatch　their　eggs　with　only　looking　on　them；　which　infers　that　their　eyes
have　in　them　some　ejaculative　virtue。　　And　the　eyes　of　witches　are　said
to　be　assailant　and　hurtful：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Nescio　quis　teneros　oculus　mihi　fascinat　agnos。〃

　　　　　＇〃Some　eye；　I　know　not　whose　is　bewitching　my　tender　lambs。〃
　　　　　Virgil；　Eclog。；　iii。　　103。＇

Magicians　are　no　very　good　authority　with　me。　　But　we　experimentally　see
that　women　impart　the　marks　of　their　fancy　to　the　children　they　carry　in
the　womb；　witness　her　that　was　brought　to　bed　of　a　Moor；　and　there　was
presented　to　Charles　the　Emperor　and　King　of　Bohemia；　a　girl　from　about
Pisa；　all　over　rough　and　covered　with　hair；　whom　her　mother　said　to　be　so
conceived　by　reason　of　a　picture　of　St。　John　the　Baptist；　that　hung
within　the　curtains　of　her　bed。

It　is　the　same　with　beasts；　witness　Jacob's　sheep；　and　the　hares　and
partridges　that　the　snow　turns　white　upon　the　mountains。　　There　was　at　my
house；　a　little　while　ago；　a　cat　seen　watching　a　bird　upon　the　top　of　a
tree：　these；　for　some　time；　mutually　fixing　their　eyes　one　upon　another；
the　bird　at　last　let　herself　fall　dead　into　the　cat's　claws；　either
dazzled　by　the　force　of　its　own　imagination；　or　drawn　by　some　attractive
power　of　the　cat。　　Such　as　are　addicted　to　the　pleasures　of　the　field；
have；　I　make　no　question；　heard　the　story　of　the　falconer；　who　having
earnestly　fixed　his　eyes　upon　a　kite　in　the　air；　laid　a　wager　that　he
would　bring　her　down　with　the　sole　power　of　his　sight；　and　did　so；　as　it
was　said；　for　the　tales　I　borrow　I　charge　upon　the　consciences　of　those
from　whom　I　have　them。　　The　discourses　are　my　own；　and　found　themselves
upon　the　proofs　of　reason；　not　of　experience；　to　which　every　one　has
liberty　to　add　his　own　examples；　and　who　has　none；　let　him　not　forbear；
the　number　and　varieties　of　accidents　considered；　to　believe　that　there
are　plenty　of　them；　if　I　do　not　apply　them　well；　let　some　other　do　it　for
me。　　And；　also；　in　the　subject　of　which　I　treat；　our　manners　and　motions；
testimonies　and　instances；　how　fabulous　soever；　provided　they　are
possible；　serve　as　well　as　the　true；　whether　they　have　really　happened　or
no；　at　Rome　or　Paris；　to　John　or　Peter；　'tis　still　within　the　verge　of
human　capacity；　which　serves　me　to　good　use。　　I　see；　and　make　my
advantage　of　it；　as　well　in　shadow　as　in　substance；　and　amongst　the
various　readings　thereof　in