the essays of montaigne, v19-第4章

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from　one　extreme　to　another；　upon　occasions　not　to　be　guessed　at；　no　line
of　path　without　traverse　and　wonderful　contrariety：　no　one　quality　simple
and　unmixed；　so　that　the　best　guess　men　can　one　day　make　will　be；　that　he
affected　and　studied　to　make　himself　known　by　being　not　to　be　known。　　A
man　had　need　have　sound　ears　to　hear　himself　frankly　criticised；　and　as
there　are　few　who　can　endure　to　hear　it　without　being　nettled；　those　who
hazard　the　undertaking　it　to　us　manifest　a　singular　effect　of　friendship；
for　'tis　to　love　sincerely　indeed；　to　venture　to　wound　and　offend　us；　for
our　own　good。　　I　think　it　harsh　to　judge　a　man　whose　ill　qualities　are
more　than　his　good　ones：　Plato　requires　three　things　in　him　who　will
examine　the　soul　of　another：　knowledge；　benevolence；　boldness。

I　was　sometimes　asked；　what　I　should　have　thought　myself　fit　for；　had　any
one　designed　to　make　use　of　me；　while　I　was　of　suitable　years：

　　　　　　　　　〃Dum　melior　vires　sanguis　dabat；　aemula　necdum
　　　　　　　　　　Temporibus　geminis　canebat　sparsa　senectus：〃

　　　　　＇〃Whilst　better　blood　gave　me　vigour；　and　before　envious　old　age
　　　　　whitened　and　thinned　my　temples。〃AEneid；　V。　415。＇

〃for　nothing；〃　said　I；　and　I　willingly　excuse　myself　from　knowing
anything　which　enslaves　me　to　others。　　But　I　had　told　the　truth　to　my
master；＇Was　this　Henri　VI。？　　D。W。＇　and　had　regulated　his　manners；　if
he　had　so　pleased；　not　in　gross；　by　scholastic　lessons；　which　I
understand　not；　and　from　which　I　see　no　true　reformation　spring　in　those
that　do；　but　by　observing　them　by　leisure；　at　all　opportunities；　and
simply　and　naturally　judging　them　as　an　eye…witness；　distinctly　one　by
one；　giving　him　to　understand　upon　what　terms　he　was　in　the　common
opinion；　in　opposition　to　his　flatterers。　　There　is　none　of　us　who　would
not　be　worse　than　kings；　if　so　continually　corrupted　as　they　are　with
that　sort　of　canaille。　　How；　if　Alexander；　that　great　king　and
philosopher；　cannot　defend　himself　from　them！

I　should　have　had　fidelity；　judgment；　and　freedom　enough　for　that
purpose。　　It　would　be　a　nameless　office；　otherwise　it　would　lose　its
grace　and　its　effect；　and　'tis　a　part　that　is　not　indifferently　fit　for
all　men；　for　truth　itself　has　not　the　privilege　to　be　spoken　at　all　times
and　indiscriminately；　its　use；　noble　as　it　is；　has　its　circumspections
and　limits。　　It　often　falls　out；　as　the　world　goes；　that　a　man　lets　it
slip　into　the　ear　of　a　prince；　not　only　to　no　purpose；　but　moreover
injuriously　and　unjustly；　and　no　man　shall　make　me　believe　that　a
virtuous　remonstrance　may　not　be　viciously　applied；　and　that　the　interest
of　the　substance　is　not　often　to　give　way　to　that　of　the　form。

For　such　a　purpose；　I　would　　have　a　man　who　is　content　with　his　own
fortune：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Quod　sit；　esse　velit；　nihilque　malit；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇Who　is　pleased　with　what　he　is　and　desires　nothing　further。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Martial；　x。　ii；　18。＇

and　of　moderate　station；　forasmuch　as；　on　the　one　hand；　he　would　not　be
afraid　to　touch　his　master's　heart　to　the　quick；　for　fear　by　that　means
of　losing　his　preferment：　and；　on　the　other　hand；　being　of　no　high
quality；　he　would　have　more　easy　communication　with　all　sorts　of　people。
I　would　have　this　office　limited　to　only　one　person；　for　to　allow　the
privilege　of　his　liberty　and　privacy　to　many；　would　beget　an　inconvenient
irreverence；　and　of　that　one；　I　would　above　all　things　require　the
fidelity　of　silence。

A　king　is　not　to　be　believed　when　he　brags　of　his　constancy　in　standing
the　shock　of　the　enemy　for　his　glory；　if　for　his　profit　and　amendment　he
cannot　stand　the　liberty　of　a　friend's　advice；　which　has　no　other　power
but　to　pinch　his　ear；　the　remainder　of　its　effect　being　still　in　his　own
hands。　　Now；　there　is　no　condition　of　men　whatever　who　stand　in　so　great
need　of　true　and　free　advice　and　warning；　as　they　do：　they　sustain　a
public　life；　and　have　to　satisfy　the　opinion　of　so　many　spectators；　that；
as　those　about　them　conceal　from　them　whatever　should　divert　them　from
their　own　way；　they　insensibly　find　themselves　involved　in　the　hatred　and
detestation　of　their　people；　often　upon　occasions　which　they　might　have
avoided　without　any　prejudice　even　of　their　pleasures　themselves；　had
they　been　advised　and　set　right　in　time。　　Their　favourites　commonly　have
more　regard　to　themselves　than　to　their　master；　and　indeed　it　answers
with　them；　forasmuch　as；　in　truth；　most　offices　of　real　friendship；　when
applied　to　the　sovereign；　are　under　a　rude　and　dangerous　hazard；　so　that
therein　there　is　great　need；　not　only　of　very　great　affection　and
freedom；　but　of　courage　too。

In　fine；　all　this　hodge…podge　which　I　scribble　here；　is　nothing　but　a
register　of　the　essays　of　my　own　life；　which；　for　the　internal　soundness；
is　exemplary　enough　to　take　instruction　against　the　grain；　but　as　to
bodily　health；　no　man　can　furnish　out　more　profitable　experience　than　I；
who　present　it　pure；　and　no　way　corrupted　and　changed　by　art　or　opinion。
Experience　is　properly　upon　its　own　dunghill　in　the　subject　of　physic；
where　reason　wholly　gives　it　place：　Tiberius　said　that　whoever　had　lived
twenty　years　ought　to　be　responsible　to　himself　for　all　things　that　were
hurtful　or　wholesome　to　him；　and　know　how　to　order　himself　without
physic；

　　　　　＇All　that　Suetonius　says　in　his　Life　of　Tiberius　is　that　this
　　　　　emperor；　after　he　was　thirty　years　old；　governed　his　health　without
　　　　　the　aid　of　physicians；　and　what　Plutarch　tells　us；　in　his　essay　on
　　　　　the　Rules　and　Precepts　of　Health；　is　that　Tiberius　said　that　the　man
　　　　　who；　having　attained　sixty　years；　held　out　his　pulse　to　a　physician
　　　　　was　a　fool。＇

and　he　might　have　learned　it　of　Socrates；　who；　advising　his　disciples　to
be　solicitous　of　their　health　as　a　chief　study；　added　that　it　was　hard　if
a　man　of　sense；　having　a　care　to　his　exercise　and　diet；　did　not　better
know　than　any　physician　what　was　good　or　ill　for　him。　　And　physic　itself
professes　always　to　have　experience　for　the　test　of　its　operations：　so
Plato　had　reason　to　say　that；　to　be　a　right　physician；　it　would　be
necessary　that　he　who　would　become　such；　should　first　himself　have　passed
through　all　the　diseases　he　pretends　to　cure；　and　through　all　the
accidents　and　circumstances　whereof　he　is　to　judge。　　'Tis　but　reason　they
should　get　the　pox；　if　they　will　know　how　to　cure　it；　for　my　part；
I　should　put　myself　into　such　hands；　the　others　but　guide　us；　like　him
who　paints　seas　and　rocks　and　ports　sitting　at　table；　and　there　makes　the
model　of　a　ship　sailing　in　all　security；　but　put　him　to　the　work　itself；
he　knows　not　at　which　end　to　begin。　　They　make　such　a　description　of　our
maladies　as　a　town　crier　does　of　a　lost　horse　or　dogsuch　a　color；　such
a　height；　such　an　earbut　bring　it　to　him　and　he　knows　it　not；　for　all
that。　　If　physic　should　one　day　give　me　some　good　and　visible　relief；
then　truly　I　will　cry　out　in　good　earnest：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Tandem　effcaci　do　manus　scientiae。〃

　　　　　＇〃Show　me　and　efficacious　science；　and　I　will　take　it　by　the　hand。〃
　　　　　Horace；　xvii。　I。＇

The　arts　that　promise　to　keep　our　bodies　and　souls　in　health　promise　a
great　deal；　but；　withal；　there　are　none　that　less　keep　their　promise。
And；　in　our　time；　those　who　make　profession　of　these　arts　amongst　us；
less　manifest　the　effects　than　any　other　sort　of　men；　one　may　say　of
them；　at　the　most；　that　they　sell　medicinal　drugs；　but　that　they　are
physicians；　a　man　cannot　say。

　　　　　＇The　edition　of　1588　adds：　〃Judging　by　themselves；　and　those
　　　　　who　are　ruled　by　them。〃＇

I　have　lived　long　enough　to　be　able　to　give　an　account　of　the　custom　that
has　carried　me　so　far；　for　him　who　has　a　mind　to　try　it；　as　his　taster；
I　have　made　the　experiment。　　Here　are　some　of　the　articles；　as　my　memory
shall　supply　me　with　them；　I　have　no　custom　that　has　not　varied　according
to　circumstances；　but　I　only　record　those　that　I　have　been　best
acquainted　with；　and　that　hitherto　have　had　the　greatest　possession　of
me。

My　form　of　life　is　the　same　in　sickness　as　in　health；　the　same　bed；　the
same　hours；　the　same　meat；　and　even　the　same　drink；　serve　me　in　both
conditions　alike；　I　add　nothing　to　them　but　the　moderation　of　more　or
less；　according　to　my　strength　and　appetite。　　My　health　is　to　maintain　my
wonted　state　without　disturbance。　　I　see　that　sickness　puts　me　off　it　on
one　side；　and　if　I　will　be　ruled　by　the　physicians；　they　will　put　me　off
on　the　other；　so　that　by　fortune　and　by　art　I　am　out　of　my　way。
I　believe　nothing　more　certainly　than　this；　that　I　cannot　be　hurt　by　the
use　of　things　to　which　I　have　been　so　long　accustomed。　　'Tis　for　custom
to　give　a　form　to　a　man's　life；　such　as　it　pleases　him；　she　is　all　in　all
in　that：　'tis　the　potion　of　Circe；　that　varies　our　nature　as　she　best
pleases。　　How　many　nations；　and　but　three　steps　from　us；　think　the　fear
of　the　night…dew；　that　so　manifestly　is　hurtful　to　us；　a　ridiculous
fancy；　and　our　own　watermen　and　peasants　laugh　at　it。　　You　make　a　German
sick　if　you　lay　him　upon　a　mattress；　as　you　do　an　Italian　if　you　lay　him
on　a　feather…bed；　and　a　Frenchman；　if　without　curtains　or　fire。　A　Spanish
stomach　cannot　hold　out　to　eat　as　we　can；　nor　ours　to　drink　like　the
Swiss。　　A　German　made　me　very　merry　at　Augsburg；　by　finding　fault　with
our　hearths；　by　the　same　arguments　which　we　commonly　make　use　of　in
decrying　their　stoves：　for；　to　say　the　truth；　the　smothered　heat；　and
then　the　smell　of　that　heated　matter　of　which　the　fire　is　composed；　very
much　offend　such　as　are　not　used　to　them；　not　me；　and；　indeed；　the　heat
being　always　equal；　constant；　and　universal；　without　flame；　without
smoke；　and　without　the　wind　that　comes　down　our　chimneys；　they　may　many
ways　sustain　comparison　with　ours。　　Why　do　we　not　imitate　the　Roman
architecture？　for　they　say　that　anciently　fires　were　not　made　in　the
houses；　but　on　the　outside；　and　at　the　foot　of　them；　whence　the　heat　was
conveyed　to　the　whole　fabric　by　pipes　contrived　in　the　wall；　which　were
drawn　twining　about　the　rooms　that　were　to　be　warmed：　which　I　have　seen
plainly　described　somewhere　in　Seneca。　　This　German　hearing　me　commend
the　conveniences　and　beauties　of　his　city；　which　truly　deserves　it；　began
to　compassionate　me　that　I　had　to　leave　it；　and　the　first　inconvenience
he　alleged　to　me　was；　the　heaviness　of　head　that　the　chimneys　elsewhere
would　bring　upon　me。　　He　had　heard　some　one　make　this　complaint；　and
fixed　it　upon　us；　being　by　custom　deprived　of　the　means　of　perceiving　it
at　home。　　All　heat　that　comes　from　the　fire　weakens　and　dulls　me。　　Evenus
said　that　fire　was　the　best　condiment　of　life：　I　rather　choose　any　other
way　of　making　myself　warm。

We　are　afraid　to　drink　our　wines；　when　toward　the　bottom　of　the　cask；　in
Portugal　those　fumes　are　reputed　delicious；　and　it　is　the　beverage　of
princes。　　In　short；　every　nation　has　many　customs　and　usages　that　are　not
only　unknown　to　other　nations；　but　savage　and　miraculous　in　their　sight。
What　should　we　do　with　those　people　who　admit　of　no　evidence　that　is　not
in　print；　who　believe　not　men　if　they　are　not　in　a　book；　nor　truth　if　it
be　not　of　competent　age？　we　dignify　our　fopperies　when　we　commit　them　to
the　press：　'tis　of　a　great　deal　more　weight　to　say；　〃I　have