the essays of montaigne, v13-第2章

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thing　he　calls　to　the　consultation　of　his　judgment　is　his　own　example；
and　as　matters　go　with　him；　so　they　must　of　necessity　do　with　all　the
world　besides　dangerous　and　intolerable　folly！　　For　my　part；　I　consider
some　men　as　infinitely　beyond　me；　especially　amongst　the　ancients；　and
yet；　though　I　clearly　discern　my　inability　to　come　near　them　by　a
thousand　paces；　I　do　not　forbear　to　keep　them　in　sight；　and　to　judge　of
what　so　elevates　them；　of　which　I　perceive　some　seeds　in　myself；　as　I
also　do　of　the　extreme　meanness　of　some　other　minds；　which　I　neither　am
astonished　at　nor　yet　misbelieve。　　I　　very　well　perceive　the　turns　those
great　souls　take　to　raise　　themselves　to　such　a　pitch；　and　admire　their
grandeur；　and　those　flights　that　I　think　the　bravest　I　could　be　glad　to
imitate；　where；　though　I　want　wing；　yet　my　judgment　readily　goes　along
with　them。　　The　other　example　he　introduces　of　〃things　incredible　and
wholly　fabulous；〃　delivered　by　Plutarch；　is；　that　〃Agesilaus　was　fined　by
the　Ephori　for　having　wholly　engrossed　the　hearts　and　affections　of　his
citizens　to　himself　alone。〃　　And　herein　I　do　not　see　what　sign　of　falsity
is　to　be　found：　clearly　Plutarch　speaks　of　things　that　must　needs　be
better　known　to　him　than　to　us；　and　it　was　no　new　thing　in　Greece　to　see
men　punished　and　exiled　for　this　very　thing；　for　being　too　acceptable　to
the　people；　witness　the　Ostracism　and　Petalism。　＇Ostracism　at　Athens
was　banishment　for　ten　years；　petalism　at　Syracuse　was　banishment　for
five　years。＇

There　is　yet　in　this　place　another　accusation　laid　against　Plutarch　which
I　cannot　well　digest；　where　Bodin　says　that　he　has　sincerely　paralleled
Romans　with　Romans；　and　Greeks　amongst　themselves；　but　not　Romans　with
Greeks；　witness；　says　he；　Demosthenes　and　Cicero；　Cato　and　Aristides；
Sylla　and　Lysander；　Marcellus　and　Pelopidas；　Pompey　and　Agesilaus；
holding　that　he　has　favoured　the　Greeks　in　giving　them　so　unequal
companions。　　This　is　really　to　attack　what　in　Plutarch　is　most　excellent
and　most　to　be　commended；　for　in　his　parallels　（which　is　the　most
admirable　part　of　all　his　works；　and　with　which；　in　my　opinion；　he　is
himself　the　most　pleased）　the　fidelity　and　sincerity　of　his　judgments
equal　their　depth　and　weight；　he　is　a　philosopher　who　teaches　us　virtue。
Let　us　see　whether　we　cannot　defend　him　from　this　reproach　of　falsity　and
prevarication。　　All　that　I　can　imagine　could　give　occasion　to　this
censure　is　the　great　and　shining　lustre　of　the　Roman　names　which　we　have
in　our　minds；　it　does　not　seem　likely　to　us　that　Demosthenes　could　rival
the　glory　of　a　consul；　proconsul；　and　proctor　of　that　great　Republic；　but
if　a　man　consider　the　truth　of　the　thing；　and　the　men　in　themselves；
which　is　Plutarch's　chiefest　aim；　and　will　rather　balance　their　manners；
their　natures；　and　parts；　than　their　fortunes；　I　think；　contrary　to
Bodin；　that　Cicero　and　the　elder　Cato　come　far　short　of　the　men　with　whom
they　are　compared。　　I　should　sooner；　for　his　purpose；　have　chosen　the
example　of　the　younger　Cato　compared　with　Phocion；　for　in　this　couple
there　would　have　been　a　more　likely　disparity；　to　the　Roman's　advantage。
As　to　Marcellus；　Sylla；　and　Pompey；　I　very　well　discern　that　their
exploits　of　war　are　greater　and　more　full　of　pomp　and　glory　than　those　of
the　Greeks；　whom　Plutarch　compares　with　them；　but　the　bravest　and　most
virtuous　actions　any　more　in　war　than　elsewhere；　are　not　always　the　most
renowned。　　I　often　see　the　names　of　captains　obscured　by　the　splendour　of
other　names　of　less　desert；　witness　Labienus；　Ventidius；　Telesinus；　and
several　others。　　And　to　take　it　by　that；　were　I　to　complain　on　the　behalf
of　the　Greeks；　could　I　not　say；　that　Camillus　was　much　less　comparable　to
Themistocles；　the　Gracchi　to　Agis　and　Cleomenes；　and　Numa　to　Lycurgus？
But　'tis　folly　to　judge；　at　one　view；　of　things　that　have　so　many
aspects。　　When　Plutarch　compares　them；　he　does　not；　for　all　that；　make
them　equal；　who　could　more　learnedly　and　sincerely　have　marked　their
distinctions？　　Does　he　parallel　the　victories；　feats　of　arms；　the　force
of　the　armies　conducted　by　Pompey；　and　his　triumphs；　with　those　of
Agesilaus？　　〃I　do　not　believe；〃　says　he；　〃that　Xenophon　himself；　if　he
were　now　living；　though　he　were　allowed　to　write　whatever　pleased　him　to
the　advantage　of　Agesilaus；　would　dare　to　bring　them　into　comparison。〃
Does　he　speak　of　paralleling　Lysander　to　Sylla。　　〃There　is；〃　says　he；
〃no　comparison；　either　in　the　number　of　victories　or　in　the　hazard　of
battles；　for　Lysander　only　gained　two　naval　battles。〃　　This　is　not　to
derogate　from　the　Romans；　for　having　only　simply　named　them　with　the
Greeks；　he　can　have　done　them　no　injury；　what　disparity　soever　there　may
be　betwixt　them　and　Plutarch　does　not　entirely　oppose　them　to　one
another；　there　is　no　preference　in　general；　he　only　compares　the　pieces
and　circumstances　one　after　another；　and　gives　of　every　one　a　particular
and　separate　judgment。　　Wherefore；　if　any　one　could　convict　him　of
partiality；　he　ought　to　pick　out　some　one　of　those　particular　judgments；
or　say；　in　general；　that　he　was　mistaken　in　comparing　such　a　Greek　to
such　a　Roman；　when　there　were　others　more　fit　and　better　resembling　to
parallel　him　to。




CHAPTER　XXXIII

THE　STORY　OF　SPURINA

Philosophy　thinks　she　has　not　ill　employed　her　talent　when　she　has　given
the　sovereignty　of　the　soul　and　the　authority　of　restraining　our
appetites　to　reason。　　Amongst　which；　they　who　judge　that　there　is　none
more　violent　than　those　which　spring　from　love；　have　this　opinion　also；
that　they　seize　both　body　and　soul；　and　possess　the　whole　man；　so　that
even　health　itself　depends　upon　them；　and　medicine　is　sometimes
constrained　to　pimp　for　them；　but　one　might；　on　the　contrary；　also　say；
that　the　mixture　of　the　body　brings　an　abatement　and　weakening；　for　such
desires　are　subject　to　satiety；　and　capable　of　material　remedies。

Many；　being　determined　to　rid　their　soul　from　the　continual　alarms　of
this　appetite；　have　made　use　of　incision　and　amputation　of　the　rebelling
members；　others　have　subdued　their　force　and　ardour　by　the　frequent
application　of　cold　things；　as　snow　and　vinegar。　　The　sackcloths　of　our
ancestors　were　for　this　purpose；　which　is　cloth　woven　of　horse　hair；　of
which　some　of　them　made　shirts；　and　others　girdles；　to　torture　and
correct　their　reins。　　A　prince；　not　long　ago；　told　me　that　in　his　youth
upon　a　solemn　festival　in　the　court　of　King　Francis　I。；　where　everybody
was　finely　dressed；　he　would　needs　put　on　his　father's　hair　shirt；　which
was　still　kept　in　the　house；　but　how　great　soever　his　devotion　was；　he
had　not　patience　to　wear　it　till　night；　and　was　sick　a　long　time　after；
adding　withal；　that　he　did　not　think　there　could　be　any　youthful　heat　so
fierce　that　the　use　of　this　recipe　would　not　mortify；　and　yet　perhaps　he
never　essayed　the　most　violent；　for　experience　shows　us；　that　such
emotions　are　often　seen　under　rude　and　slovenly　clothes；　and　that　a　hair
shirt　does　not　always　render　those　chaste　who　wear　it。

Xenocrates　proceeded　with　greater　rigour　in　this　affair；　for　his
disciples；　to　make　trial　of　his　continency；　having　slipt　Lais；　that
beautiful　and　famous　courtesan；　into　his　bed；　quite　naked；　excepting　the
arms　of　her　beauty　and　her　wanton　allurements；　her　philters；　finding
that；　in　despite　of　his　reason　and　philosophical　rules；　his　unruly　flesh
began　to　mutiny；　he　caused　those　members　of　his　to　be　burned　that　he
found　consenting　to　this　rebellion。　　Whereas　the　passions　which　wholly
reside　in　the　soul；　as　ambition；　avarice；　and　the　rest；　find　the　reason
much　more　to　do；　because　it　cannot　there　be　helped　but　by　its　own　means；
neither　are　those　appetites　capable　of　satiety；　but　grow　sharper　and
increase　by　fruition。

The　sole　example　of　Julius　Caesar　may　suffice　to　demonstrate　to　us　the
disparity　of　these　appetites；　for　never　was　man　more　addicted　to　amorous
delights　than　he：　of　which　one　testimony　is　the　peculiar　care　he　had　of
his　person；　to　such　a　degree；　as　to　make　use　of　the　most　lascivious　means
to　that　end　then　in　use；　as　to　have　all　the　hairs　of　his　body　twitched
off；　and　to　wipe　all　over　with　perfumes　with　the　extremest　nicety。
And　he　was　a　beautiful　person　in　himself；　of　a　fair　complexion；　tall；
and　sprightly；　full　faced；　with　quick　hazel　eyes；　if　we　may　believe
Suetonius；　for　the　statues　of　him　that　we　see　at　Rome　do　not　in　all
points　answer　this　description。　　Besides　his　wives；　whom　he　four　times
changed；　without　reckoning　the　amours　of　his　boyhood　with　Nicomedes；　king
of　Bithynia；　he　had　the　maidenhead　of　the　renowned　Cleopatra；　queen　of
Egypt；　witness　the　little　Caesario　whom　he　had　by　her。　　He　also　made　love
to。　　Eunoe；　queen　of　Mauritania；　and　at　Rome；　to　Posthumia；　the　wife　of
Servius　Sulpitius；　to　Lollia；　the　wife　of　Gabinius　to　Tertulla；　the　wife
of　Crassus；　and　even　to　Mutia；　wife　to　the　great　Pompey：　which　was　the
reason；　the　Roman　historians　say；　that　she　was　repudiated　by　her　husband；
which　Plutarch　confesses　to　be　more　than　he　knew；　and　the　Curios；　both
father　and　son；　afterwards　reproached　Pompey；　when　he　married　Caesar's
daughter；　that　he　had　made　himself　son…in…law　to　a　man　who　had　made　him
cuckold；　and　one　whom　he　himself　was　wont　to　call　AEgisthus。　　Besides　all
these；　he　entertained　Servilia；　Cato's　sister　and　mother　to　Marcus
Brutus；　whence；　every　one　believes；　proceeded　the　great　affection　he　had
to　Brutus；　by　reason　that　he　was　born　at　a　time　when　it　was　likely　he
might　be　his　son。　　So　that　I　have　reason；　methinks；　to　take　him　for　a　man
extremely　given　to　this　debauch；　and　of　very　amorous　constitution。　　But
the　other　passion　of　ambition；　with　which　he　was　infinitely　smitten；
arising　in　him　to　contend　with　the　former；　it　was　boon　compelled　to　give
way。

And　here　calling　to　mind　Mohammed；　who　won　Constantinople；　and　finally
exterminated　the　Grecian　name；　I　do　not　know　where　these　two　were　so
evenly　balanced；　equally　an　indefatigable　lecher　and　soldier：　but　where
they　both　meet　in　his　life　and　jostle　one　another；　the　quarrelling
passion　always　gets　the　better　of　the　amorous　one；　and　this　though　it　was
out　of　its　natural　season　never　regained　an　absolute　sovereignty　over　the
other　till　he　had　arrived　at　an　extreme　old　age　and　unable　to　undergo　the
fatigues　of　war。

What　is　related　for　a　contrary　example　of　Ladislaus；　king　of　Naples；　is
very　remarkable；　that　being　a　great　captain；　valiant　and　ambitious；　he
proposed　to　himself　for　the　principal　end　of　his　ambition；　the　execution
of　his　pleasure　and　the　enjoyment　of　some　rare　and　excellent　beauty。　　His
death　sealed　up　all　the　rest：　for　having　by　a　close　and　tedious　siege
reduced　the　city　of　Florence　to　so　great　distress　that　the　inhabitants
were　compelled　to　capitulate　about　surrender；　he　was　content　to　let　them
alone；　provided　they　would　deliver　up　to　him　a　beautiful　maid　he　had
heard　of　in　their　city；　they　were　forced　to　yield　to　it；　and　by　a　private
injury　to　avert　the　public　ruin。　　She　was　the　daughter　of　a　famous
physician　of　his　time；　who；　finding　himself　involved　in　so　foul　a
necessity；　resolved　upon　a　high　attempt。　　As　every　one　was　lending　a　hand
to　trick　up　his　daughter　and　to　adorn　her　with　ornaments　and　jewels　to
render　he