the essays of montaigne, v6-第11章

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magistrate；　it　was　so　ordered　rather　upon　the　score　of　health；　and　to
inure　us　to　the　injuries　of　weather；　than　upon　the　account　of　reverence；
and　since　we　are　now　talking　of　cold；　and　Frenchmen　used　to　wear　variety
of　colours　（not　I　myself；　for　I　seldom　wear　other　than　black　or　white；　in
imitation　of　my　father）；　let　us　add　another　story　out　of　Le　Capitaine
Martin　du　Bellay；　who　affirms；　that　in　the　march　to　Luxembourg　he　saw　so
great　frost；　that　the　munition…wine　was　cut　with　hatchets　and　wedges；　and
delivered　out　to　the　soldiers　by　weight；　and　that　they　carried　it　away　in
baskets：　and　Ovid；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Nudaque　consistunt；　formam　servantia　testae；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Vina；　nec　hausta　meri；　sed　data　frusta；　bibunt。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　wine　when　out　of　the　cask　retains　the　form　of　the　cask；
　　　　　and　is　given　out　not　in　cups；　but　in　bits。〃
　　　　　Ovid；　Trist。；　iii。　10；　23。＇

At　the　mouth　of　Lake　Maeotis　the　frosts　are　so　very　sharp；　that　in　the
very　same　place　where　Mithridates'　lieutenant　had　fought　the　enemy
dryfoot　and　given　them　a　notable　defeat；　the　summer　following　he　obtained
over　them　a　naval　victory。　　The　Romans　fought　at　a　very　great
disadvantage；　in　the　engagement　they　had　with　the　Carthaginians　near
Piacenza；　by　reason　that　they　went　to　the　charge　with　their　blood
congealed　and　their　limbs　numbed　with　cold；　whereas　Hannibal　had　caused
great　fires　to　be　dispersed　quite　through　his　camp　to　warm　his　soldiers；
and　oil　to　be　distributed　amongst　them；　to　the　end　that　anointing
themselves；　they　might　render　their　nerves　more　supple　and　active；　and
fortify　the　pores　against　the　violence　of　the　air　and　freezing　wind；
which　raged　in　that　season。

The　retreat　the　Greeks　made　from　Babylon　into　their　own　country　is　famous
for　the　difficulties　and　calamities　they　had　to　overcome；　of　which　this
was　one；　that　being　encountered　in　the　mountains　of　Armenia　with　a
horrible　storm　of　snow；　they　lost　all　knowledge　of　the　country　and　of　the
ways；　and　being　driven　up；　were　a　day　and　a　night　without　eating　or
drinking；　most　of　their　cattle　died；　many　of　themselves　were　starved　to
death；　several　struck　blind　with　the　force　of　the　hail　and　the　glare　of
the　snow；　many　of　them　maimed　in　their　fingers　and　toes；　and　many　stiff
and　motionless　with　the　extremity　of　the　cold；　who　had　yet　their
understanding　entire。

Alexander　saw　a　nation；　where　they　bury　their　fruit…trees　in　winter　to
protect　them　from　being　destroyed　by　the　frost；　and　we　also　may　see　the
same。

But；　so　far　as　clothes　go；　the　King　of　Mexico　changed　four　times　a　day
his　apparel；　and　never　put　it　on　again；　employing　that　he　left　off　in　his
continual　liberalities　and　rewards；　and　neither　pot；　dish；　nor　other
utensil　of　his　kitchen　or　table　was　ever　served　twice。




CHAPTER　XXXVI

OF　CATO　THE　YOUNGER

　　　　　＇〃I　am　not　possessed　with　this　common　errour；　to　judge　of　others
　　　　　according　to　what　I　am　my　selfe。　　I　am　easie　to　beleeve　things
　　　　　differing　from　my　selfe。　　Though　I　be　engaged　to　one　forme；　I　do　not
　　　　　tie　the　world　unto　it；　as　every　man　doth。　　And　I　beleeve　and
　　　　　conceive　a　thousand　manners　of　life；　contrary　to　the　common　sorte。〃
　　　　　Florio；　ed。　1613；　p。　113。＇

I　am　not　guilty　of　the　common　error　of　judging　another　by　myself。　　I
easily　believe　that　in　another's　humour　which　is　contrary　to　my　own；　and
though　I　find　myself　engaged　to　one　certain　form；　I　do　not　oblige　others
to　it；　as　many　do；　but　believe　and　apprehend　a　thousand　ways　of　living；
and；　contrary　to　most　men；　more　easily　admit　of　difference　than
uniformity　amongst　us。　　I　as　frankly　as　any　one　would　have　me；　discharge
a　man　from　my　humours　and　principles；　and　consider　him　according　to　his
own　particular　model。　　Though　I　am　not　continent　myself；　I　nevertheless
sincerely　approve　the　continence　of　the　Feuillans　and　Capuchins；　and
highly　commend　their　way　of　living。　　I　insinuate　myself　by　imagination
into　their　place；　and　love　and　honour　them　the　more　for　being　other　than
I　am。　　I　very　much　desire　that　we　may　be　judged　every　man　by　himself；　and
would　not　be　drawn　into　the　consequence　of　common　examples。　　My　own
weakness　nothing　alters　the　esteem　I　ought　to　have　for　the　force　and
vigour　of　those　who　deserve　it：

　　　　　〃Sunt　qui　nihil　suadent；　quam　quod　se　imitari　posse　confidunt。〃

　　　　　＇〃There　are　who　persuade　nothing　but　what　they　believe　they　can
　　　　　imitate　themselves。〃Cicero；　De　Orator。；　c。　7。＇

Crawling　upon　the　slime　of　the　earth；　I　do　not　for　all　that　cease　to
observe　up　in　the　clouds　the　inimitable　height　of　some　heroic　souls。
'Tis　a　great　deal　for　me　to　have　my　judgment　regular　and　just；　if　the
effects　cannot　be　so；　and　to　maintain　this　sovereign　part；　at　least；　free
from　corruption；　'tis　something　to　have　my　will　right　and　good　where　my
legs　fail　me。　　This　age　wherein　we　live；　in　our　part　of　the　world　at
least；　is　grown　so　stupid；　that　not　only　the　exercise；　but　the　very
imagination　of　virtue　is　defective；　and　seems　to　be　no　other　but　college
jargon：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Virtutem　verba　putant；　ut
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Lucum　ligna：〃

　　　　　＇〃They　think　words　virtue；　as　they　think　mere　wood　a　sacred　grove。〃
　　　　　Horace；　Ep。；　i。　6；　31。＇

　　　　　　　　　　〃Quam　vereri　deberent；　etiam　si　percipere　non　possent。〃

　　　　　＇〃Which　they　ought　to　reverence；　though　they　cannot　comprehend。〃
　　　　　Cicero；　Tusc。　Quas。；　v。　2。＇

'Tis　a　gewgaw　to　hang　in　a　cabinet　or　at　the　end　of　the　tongue；　as　on　the
tip　of　the　ear；　for　ornament　only。　　There　are　no　longer　virtuous　actions
extant；　those　actions　that　carry　a　show　of　virtue　have　yet　nothing　of　its
essence；　by　reason　that　profit；　glory；　fear；　custom；　and　other　suchlike
foreign　causes；　put　us　on　the　way　to　produce　them。　　Our　justice　also；
valour；　courtesy；　may　be　called　so　too；　in　respect　to　others　and
according　to　the　face　they　appear　with　to　the　public；　but　in　the　doer　it
can　by　no　means　be　virtue；　because　there　is　another　end　proposed；　another
moving　cause。　　Now　virtue　owns　nothing　to　be　hers；　but　what　is　done　by
herself　and　for　herself　alone。

In　that　great　battle　of　Plataea；　that　the　Greeks　under　the　command　of
Pausanias　gained　against　Mardonius　and　the　Persians；　the　conquerors；
according　to　their　custom；　coming　to　divide　amongst　them　the　glory　of　the
exploit；　attributed　to　the　Spartan　nation　the　pre…eminence　of　valour　in
the　engagement。　　The　Spartans；　great　judges　of　virtue；　when　they　came　to
determine　to　what　particular　man　of　their　nation　the　honour　was　due　of
having　the　best　behaved　himself　upon　this　occasion；　found　that
Aristodemus　had　of　all　others　hazarded　his　person　with　the　greatest
bravery；　but　did　not；　however；　allow　him　any　prize；　by　reason　that　his
virtue　had　been　incited　by　a　desire　to　clear　his　reputation　from　the
reproach　of　his　miscarriage　at　the　business　of　Thermopylae；　and　to　die
bravely　to　wipe　off　that　former　blemish。

Our　judgments　are　yet　sick；　and　obey　the　humour　of　our　depraved　manners。
I　observe　most　of　the　wits　of　these　times　pretend　to　ingenuity；　by
endeavouring　to　blemish　and　darken　the　glory　of　the　bravest　and　most
generous　actions　of　former　ages；　putting　one　vile　interpretation　or
another　upon　them；　and　forging　and　supposing　vain　causes　and　motives　for
the　noble　things　they　did：　a　mighty　subtlety　indeed！　　Give　me　the
greatest　and　most　unblemished　action　that　ever　the　day　beheld；　and　I　will
contrive　a　hundred　plausible　drifts　and　ends　to　obscure　it。　　God　knows；
whoever　will　stretch　them　out　to　the　full；　what　diversity　of　images　our
internal　wills　suffer　under。　　They　do　not　so　maliciously　play　the
censurers；　as　they　do　it　ignorantly　and　rudely　in　all　their　detractions。

The　same　pains　and　licence　that　others　take　to　blemish　and　bespatter
these　illustrious　names；　I　would　willingly　undergo　to　lend　them　a
shoulder　to　raise　them　higher。　　These　rare　forms；　that　are　culled　out　by
the　consent　of　the　wisest　men　of　all　ages；　for　the　world's　example；
I　should　not　stick　to　augment　in　honour；　as　far　as　my　invention　would
permit；　in　all　the　circumstances　of　favourable　interpretation；　and　we　may
well　believe　that　the　force　of　our　invention　is　infinitely　short　of　their
merit。　　'Tis　the　duty　of　good　men　to　portray　virtue　as　beautiful　as　they
can；　and　there　would　be　nothing　wrong　should　our　passion　a　little
transport　us　in　favour　of　so　sacred　a　form。　　What　these　people　do；　on　the
contrary；　they　either　do　out　of　malice；　or　by　the　vice　of　confining　their
belief　to　their　own　capacity；　or；　which　I　am　more　inclined　to　think；　for
not　having　their　sight　strong；　clear；　and　elevated　enough　to　conceive　the
splendour　of　virtue　in　her　native　purity：　as　Plutarch　complains；　that　in
his　time　some　attributed　the　cause　of　the　younger　Cato's　death　to　his
fear　of　Caesar；　at　which　he　seems　very　angry；　and　with　good　reason；　and
by　this　a　man　may　guess　how　much　more　he　would　have　been　offended　with
those　who　have　attributed　it　to　ambition。　　Senseless　people！　　He　would
rather　have　performed　a　noble；　just；　and　generous　action；　and　to　have　had
ignominy　for　his　reward；　than　for　glory。　　That　man　was　in　truth　a　pattern
that　nature　chose　out　to　show　to　what　height　human　virtue　and　constancy
could　arrive。

But　I　am　not　capable　of　handling　so　rich　an　argument；　and　shall　therefore
only　set　five　Latin　poets　together；　contending　in　the　praise　of　Cato；
and；　incidentally；　for　their　own　too。　　Now；　a　well…educated　child　will
judge　the　two　first；　in　comparison　of　the　others；　a　little　flat　and
languid；　the　third　more　vigorous；　but　overthrown　by　the　extravagance　of
his　own　force；　he　will　then　think　that　there　will　be　room　for　one　or　two
gradations　of　invention　to　come　to　the　fourth；　and；　mounting　to　the　pitch
of　that；　he　will　lift　up　his　hands　in　admiration；　coming　to　the　last；　the
first　by　some　space'　（but　a　space　that　he　will　swear　is　not　to　be　filled
up　by　any　human　wit）；　he　will　be　astounded；　he　will　not　know　where　he　is。

And　here　is　a　wonder：　we　have　far　more　poets　than　judges　and　interpreters
of　poetry；　it　is　easier　to　write　it　than　to　understand　it。　　There　is；
indeed；　a　certain　low　and　moderate　sort　of　poetry；　that　a　man　may　well
enough　judge　by　certain　rules　of　art；　but　the　true；　supreme；　and　divine
poesy　is　above　all　rules　and　reason。　　And　whoever　discerns　the　beauty　of
it　with　the　most　assured　and　most　steady　sight；　sees　no　more　than　the
quick　reflection　of　a　flash　of　lightning：　it　does　not　exercise；　but
ravishes　and　overwhelms　our　judgment。　　The　fury　that　possesses　him　who　is
able　to　penetrate　into　it　wounds　yet　a　third　man　by　hearing　him　repeat
it；　like　a　loadstone　that　not　only　attracts　the　needle；　but　also　infuses
into　it　the　virtue　to　attract　others。　　And　it　is　more　evidently　manifest
in　our　theatres；　that　the　sacred　inspiration　of　the　Muses；　having　first
stirred　up　the　poet　to　anger；　sorrow；　hatred；　and　out　of　himself；　to
whatever　they　will；　does　moreover　by　the　poet　possess　the　actor；　and　by
the　actor　consecutively　all　the　spectators。　　So　much　do　our　passions　hang
and　depend　upon　one　another。

Poetry　has　ever　had　that　power　over　me　from　a　child　to　transpierce　and
transport　me；　but　this　vivid　sentiment　that　is　natural　to　me　has　been
variously　handled　by　variety　of　forms；　not　so　much　higher　or　lower　（for
they　were　ever　the　highest