the essays of montaigne, v13-第8章

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the　discipline　of　war。　　This　singular　and　particular　commendation　is　also
left　of　him　in　the　judgment　of　Plutarch；　that　he　is　the　only　author　in
the　world　that　never　glutted　nor　disgusted　his　readers；　presenting
himself　always　another　thing；　and　always　flourishing　in　some　new　grace。
That　wanton　Alcibiades；　having　asked　one；　who　pretended　to　learning；　for
a　book　of　Homer；　gave　him　a　box　of　the　ear　because　he　had　none；　　which　he
thought　as　scandalous　as　we　should　if　we　found　one　of　our　priests　without
a　Breviary。　　Xenophanes　complained　one　day　to　Hiero；　the　tyrant　of
Syracuse；　that　he　was　so　poor　he　had　not　wherewithal　to　maintain　two
servants。　　〃　What！〃　replied　he；　〃Homer；　who　was　much　poorer　than　thou
art；　keeps　above　ten　thousand；　though　he　is　dead。　　What　did　Panaetius
leave　unsaid　when　he　called　Plato　the　Homer　of　the　philosophers？　　Besides
what　glory　can　be　compared　to　his？　　Nothing　is　so　frequent　in　men's
mouths　as　his　name　and　works；　nothing　so　known　and　received　as　Troy；
Helen；　and　the　war　about　her；　when　perhaps　there　was　never　any　such
thing。　　Our　children　are　still　called　by　names　that　he　invented　above
three　thousand　years　ago；　who　does　not　know　Hector　and　Achilles？　　Not
only　some　particular　families；　but　most　nations　also　seek　their　origin　in
his　inventions。　　Mohammed；　the　second　of　that　name；　emperor　of　the　Turks；
writing　to　our　Pope　Pius　II。；　〃I　am　astonished；〃　says　he；　〃that　the
Italians　should　appear　against　me；　considering　that　we　have　our　common
descent　from　the　Trojans；　and　that　it　concerns　me　as　well　as　it　does　them
to　revenge　the　blood　of　Hector　upon　the　Greeks；　whom　they　countenance
against　me。〃　　Is　it　not　a　noble　farce　wherein　kings；　republics；　and
emperors　have　so　many　ages　played　their　parts；　and　to　which　the　vast
universe　serves　for　a　theatre？　　Seven　Grecian　cities　contended　for　his
birth；　so　much　honour　even　his　obscurity　helped　him　to！

　　　　　〃Smyrna；　Rhodos；　Colophon；　Salamis；　Chios；　Argos；　Athenm。〃

The　other　is　Alexander　the　Great。　　For　whoever　will　consider　the　age　at
which　he　began　his　enterprises；　the　small　means　by　which　he　effected　so
glorious　a　design；　the　authority　he　obtained　in　such　mere　youth　with　the
greatest　and　most　experienced　captains　of　the　world；　by　whom　he　was
followed；　the　extraordinary　favour　wherewith　fortune　embraced　and
favoured　so　many　hazardous；　not　to　say　rash；　exploits；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Impellens　quicquid　sibi　summa　petenti
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Obstaret；　gaudensque　viam　fecisse　ruins；〃

　　　　　＇〃Bearing　down　all　who　sought　to　withstand　him；　and　pleased
　　　　　to　force　his　way　by　ruin。〃Lucan；　i。　149。＇

that　greatness；　to　have　at　the　age　of　three…and…thirty　years；　passed
victorious　through　the　whole　habitable　earth；　and　in　half　a　life　to　have
attained　to　the　utmost　of　what　human　nature　can　do；　so　that　you　cannot
imagine　its　just　duration　and　the　continuation　of　his　increase　in　valour
and　fortune；　up　to　a　due　maturity　of　age；　but　that　you　must　withal
imagine　something　more　than　man：　to　have　made　so　many　royal　branches　to
spring　from　his　soldiers；　leaving　the　world；　at　his　death；　divided
amongst　four　successors；　simple　captains　of　his　army；　whose　posterity　so
long　continued　and　maintained　that　vast　possession；　so　many　excellent
virtues　as　he　was　master　of；　justice；　temperance；　liberality；　truth　in
his　word；　love　towards　his　own　people；　and　humanity　towards　those　he
overcame；　for　his　manners；　in　general；　seem　in　truth　incapable　of　any
manner　of　reproach；　although　some　particular　and　extraordinary　actions　of
his　may　fall　under　censure。　　But　it　is　impossible　to　carry　on　such　great
things　as　he　did　within　the　strict　rules　of　justice；　such　as　he　are　to　be
judged　in　gross　by　the　main　end　of　their　actions。　The　ruin　of　Thebes　and
Persepolis；　the　murder　of　Menander　and　of　Ephistion's　physician；　the
massacre　of　so　many　Persian　prisoners　at　one　time；　of　a　troop　of　Indian
soldiers　not　without　prejudice　to　his　word；　and　of　the　Cossians；　so　much
as　to　the　very　children；　are　indeed　sallies　that　are　not　well　to　be
excused。　　For；　as　to　Clytus；　the　fault　was　more　than　redeemed；　and　that
very　action；　as　much　as　any　other　whatever；　manifests　the　goodness　of　his
nature；　a　nature　most　excellently　formed　to　goodness；　and　it　was
ingeniously　said　of　him；　that　he　had　his　virtues　from　Nature；　his　vices
from　Fortune。　　As　to　his　being　a　little　given　to　bragging；　a　little　too
impatient　of　hearing　himself　ill…spoken　of；　and　as　to　those　mangers；
arms；　and　bits　he　caused　to　be　strewed　in　the　Indies；　all　those　little
vanities；　methinks；　may　very　well　be　allowed　to　his　youth；　and　the
prodigious　prosperity　of　his　fortune。　　And　who　will　consider　withal　his
so　many　military　virtues；　his　diligence；　foresight；　patience；　discipline；
subtlety；　magnanimity；　resolution；　and　good　fortune；　wherein　（though　we
had　not　had　the　authority　of　Hannibal　to　assure　us）　he　was　the　first　of
men；　the　admirable　beauty　and　symmetry　of　his　person；　even　to　a　miracle；
his　majestic　port　and　awful　mien；　in　a　face　so　young；　ruddy；　and　radiant：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Qualis；　ubi　Oceani　perfusus　Lucifer　unda；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quem　Venus　ante　alios　astrorum　diligit　ignes；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Extulit　os　sacrum　coelo；　tenebrasque　resolvit；〃

　　　　　＇〃As　when；　bathed　in　the　waves　of　Ocean；　Lucifer；　whom　Venus　loves
　　　　　beyond　the　other　stars；　has　displayed　his　sacred　countenance　to　the
　　　　　heaven；　and　disperses　the　darkness〃AEneid；　iii。　589。＇

the　excellence　of　his　knowledge　and　capacity；　the　duration　and　grandeur
of　his　glory；　pure；　clean；　without　spot　or　envy；　and　that　long　after　his
death　it　was　a　religious　belief　that　his　very　medals　brought　good　fortune
to　all　who　carried　them　about　them；　and　that　more　kings　and　princes　have
written　his　actions　than　other　historians　have　written　the　actions　of　any
other　king　or　prince　whatever；　and　that　to　this　very　day　the　Mohammedans；
who　despise　all　other　histories；　admit　of　and　honour　his　alone；　by　a
special　privilege：　whoever；　I　say；　will　seriously　consider　these
particulars；　will　confess　that；　all　these　things　put　together；　I　had
reason　to　prefer　him　before　Caesar　himself；　who　alone　could　make　me
doubtful　in　my　choice：　and　it　cannot　be　denied　that　there　was　more　of　his
own　in　his　exploits；　and　more　of　fortune　in　those　of　Alexander。　　They
were　in　many　things　equal；　and　peradventure　Caesar　had　some　greater
qualities　they　were　two　fires；　or　two　torrents；　overrunning　the　world　by
several　ways；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ac　velut　immissi　diversis　partibus　ignes
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Arentem　in　silvam；　et　virgulta　sonantia　lauro
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Aut　ubi　decursu　rapido　de　montibus　altis
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Dant　sonitum　spumosi　amnes；　et　in　aequora　currunt；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quisque　suum　populatus　iter：〃

　　　　　＇〃And　as　fires　applied　in　several　parts　to　a　dry　wood　and　crackling
　　　　　shrubs　of　laurel；　or　as　with　impetuous　fall　from　the　steep
　　　　　mountains；　foaming　torrents　pour　down　to　the　ocean；　each　clearing　a
　　　　　destructive　course。〃AEneid；　xii。　521。＇

but　though　Caesar's　ambition　had　been　more　moderate；　it　would　still　be　so
unhappy；　having　the　ruin　of　his　country　and　universal　mischief　to　the
world　for　its　abominable　object；　that；　all　things　raked　together　and　put
into　the　balance；　I　must　needs　incline　to　Alexander's　side。

The　third　and　in　my　opinion　the　most　excellent；　is　Epaminondas。　　Of　glory
he　has　not　near　so　much　as　the　other　two　（which；　for　that　matter；　is　but
a　part　of　the　substance　of　the　thing）：　of　valour　and　resolution；　not　of
that　sort　which　is　pushed　on　by　ambition；　but　of　that　which　wisdom　and
reason　can　plant　in　a　regular　soul；　he　had　all　that　could　be　imagined。
Of　this　virtue　of　his；　he　has；　in　my　idea；　given　as　ample　proof　as
Alexander　himself　or　Caesar：　for　although　his　warlike　exploits　were
neither　so　frequent　nor　so　full；　they　were　yet；　if　duly　considered　in　all
their　circumstances；　as　important；　as　bravely　fought；　and　carried　with
them　as　manifest　testimony　of　valour　and　military　conduct；　as　those　of
any　whatever。　　The　Greeks　have　done　him　the　honour；　without
contradiction；　to　pronounce　him　the　greatest　man　of　their　nation；　and　to
be　the　first　of　Greece；　is　easily　to　be　the　first　of　the　world。　　As　to
his　knowledge；　we　have　this　ancient　judgment　of　him；　〃That　never　any　man
knew　so　much；　and　spake　so　little　as　he〃；＇Plutarch；　On　the　Demon　of
Socrates；　c。　23。＇　for　he　was　of　the　Pythagorean　sect；　but　when　he　did
speak；　never　any　man　spake　better；　an　excellent　orator；　and　of　powerful
persuasion。　　But　as　to　his　manners　and　conscience；　he　infinitely
surpassed　all　men　who　ever　undertook　the　management　of　affairs；　for　in
this　one　thing；　which　ought　chiefly　to　be　considered；　which　alone　truly
denotes　us　for　what　we　are；　and　which　alone　I　make　counterbalance　all　the
rest　put　together；　he　comes　not　short　of　any　philosopher　whatever；　not
even　of　Socrates　himself。　　Innocence；　in　this　man；　is　a　quality　peculiar；
sovereign；　constant；　uniform；　incorruptible；　compared　with　which；　it
appears　in　Alexander　subject　to　something　else　subaltern；　uncertain；
variable；　effeminate；　and　fortuitous。

Antiquity　has　judged　that　in　thoroughly　sifting　all　the　other　great
captains；　there　is　found　in　every　one　some　peculiar　quality　that
illustrates　his　name：　in　this　man　only　there　is　a　full　and　equal　virtue
throughout；　that　leaves　nothing　to　be　wished　for　in　him；　whether　in
private　or　public　employment；　whether　in　peace　or　war；　whether　to　live
gloriously　and　grandly；　and　to　die：　I　do　not　know　any　form　or　fortune　of
man　that　I　so　much　honour　and　love。

'Tis　true　that　I　look　upon　his　obstinate　poverty；　as　it　is　set　out　by　his
best　friends；　as　a　little　too　scrupulous　and　nice；　and　this　is　the　only
feature；　though　high　in　itself　and　well　worthy　of　admiration；　that　I　find
so　rugged　as　not　to　desire　to　imitate；　to　the　degree　it　was　in　him。

Scipio　AEmilianus　alone；　could　one　attribute　to　him　as　brave　and
magnificent　an　end；　and　as　profound　and　universal　a　knowledge；　might　be
put　into　the　other　scale　of　the　balance。　　Oh；　what　an　injury　has　time
done　me　to　deprive　me　of　the　sight　of　two　of　the　most　noble　lives　which；
by　the　common　consent　of　all　the　world；　one　of　the　greatest　of　the
Greeks；　and　the　other　of　the　Romans；　were　in　all　Plutarch。　　What　a
matter！　what　a　workman！

For　a　man　that　was　no　saint；　but；　as　we　say；　a　gentleman；　of　civilian　and
ordinary　manners；　and　of　a　moderate　ambition；　the　richest　life　that　I
know；　and　full　of　the　richest　and　most　to　be　desired　parts；　all　things
considered；　is；　in　my　opinion；　that　of　Alcibiades。

But　as　to　what　concerns　Epaminondas；　I　will　here；　for　the　example　of　an
excessive　goodness；　add　some　of　his　opinions：　he　declared；　that　the
greatest　satisfaction　he　ever　had　in　his　whole　life；　was　the　contentment
he　gave　his　father　and　mother　by　his　victory　at　Leuctra；　wherein　his
deference　is　great；　preferring　their　pleasure　before　his　own；　so　dust　and
so　full　of　so　glorious　an　action。　　He　did　not　think　it　lawful；　even　to
restore　the　liberty　of　his　country；　to　kill　a　man　without　knowing　a
cause：　which　made　him　so　cold　in　the　enterprise　of　his　companion
Pelopidas　for　the　relief　of　Thebes。　　He　was　also　of　opinion　that　men　in
battle　ought　to　avoid　the　encounter　of　a　friend　who　was　on　the　contrar