the essays of montaigne, v6-第6章

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mass；　above　twelve　hundred　leagues：　besides　that　our　modern　navigators
have　already　almost　discovered　it　to　be　no　island；　but　terra　firma；　and
continent　with　the　East　Indies　on　the　one　side；　and　with　the　lands　under
the　two　poles　on　the　other　side；　or；　if　it　be　separate　from　them；　it　is
by　so　narrow　a　strait　and　channel；　that　it　none　the　more　deserves　the
name　of　an　island　for　that。

It　should　seem；　that　in　this　great　body；　there　are　two　sorts　of　motions；
the　one　natural　and　the　other　febrific；　as　there　are　in　ours。　　When　I
consider　the　impression　that　our　river　of　Dordogne　has　made　in　my　time　on
the　right　bank　of　its　descent；　and　that　in　twenty　years　it　has　gained　so
much；　and　undermined　the　foundations　of　so　many　houses；　I　perceive　it　to
be　an　extraordinary　agitation：　for　had　it　always　followed　this　course；
or　were　hereafter　to　do　it；　the　aspect　of　the　world　would　be　totally
changed。　　But　rivers　alter　their　course；　sometimes　beating　against　the
one　side；　and　sometimes　the　other；　and　some　times　quietly　keeping　the
channel。　　I　do　not　speak　of　sudden　inundations；　the　causes　of　which
everybody　understands。　　In　Medoc；　by　the　seashore；　the　Sieur　d'Arsac；　my
brother；　sees　an　estate　he　had　there；　buried　under　the　sands　which　the
sea　vomits　before　it：　where　the　tops　of　some　houses　are　yet　to　be　seen；
and　where　his　rents　and　domains　are　converted　into　pitiful　barren
pasturage。　　The　inhabitants　of　this　place　affirm；　that　of　late　years　the
sea　has　driven　so　vehemently　upon　them；　that　they　have　lost　above　four
leagues　of　land。　　These　sands　are　her　harbingers：　and　we　now　see　great
heaps　of　moving　sand；　that　march　half　a　league　before　her；　and　occupy　the
land。

The　other　testimony　from　antiquity；　to　which　some　would　apply　this
discovery　of　the　New　World；　is　in　Aristotle；　at　least；　if　that　little
book　of　Unheard　of　Miracles　be　his　＇one　of　the　spurious　publications
brought　out　under　his　name　D。W。＇。　　He　there　tells　us；　that　certain
Carthaginians；　having　crossed　the　Atlantic　Sea　without　the　Straits　of
Gibraltar；　and　sailed　a　very　long　time；　discovered　at　last　a　great　and
fruitful　island；　all　covered　over　with　wood；　and　watered　with　several
broad　and　deep　rivers；　far　remote　from　all　terra　firma；　and　that　they；
and　others　after　them；　allured　by　the　goodness　and　fertility　of　the　soil；
went　thither　with　their　wives　and　children；　and　began　to　plant　a　colony。
But　the　senate　of　Carthage　perceiving　their　people　by　little　and　little
to　diminish；　issued　out　an　express　prohibition；　that　none；　upon　pain　of
death；　should　transport　themselves　thither；　and　also　drove　out　these　new
inhabitants；　fearing；　'tis　said；　lest'　in　process　of　time　they　should　so
multiply　as　to　supplant　themselves　and　ruin　their　state。　　But　this
relation　of　Aristotle　no　more　agrees　with　our　new…found　lands　than　the
other。

This　man　that　I　had　was　a　plain　ignorant　fellow；　and　therefore　the　more
likely　to　tell　truth：　for　your　better…bred　sort　of　men　are　much　more
curious　in　their　observation；　'tis　true；　and　discover　a　great　deal　more；
but　then　they　gloss　upon　it；　and　to　give　the　greater　weight　to　what　they
deliver；　and　allure　your　belief；　they　cannot　forbear　a　little　to　alter
the　story；　they　never　represent　things　to　you　simply　as　they　are；　but
rather　as　they　appeared　to　them；　or　as　they　would　have　them　appear　to
you；　and　to　gain　the　reputation　of　men　of　judgment；　and　the　better　to
induce　your　faith；　are　willing　to　help　out　the　business　with　something
more　than　is　really　true；　of　their　own　invention。　　Now　in　this　case；　we
should　either　have　a　man　of　irreproachable　veracity；　or　so　simple　that　he
has　not　wherewithal　to　contrive；　and　to　give　a　colour　of　truth　to　false
relations；　and　who　can　have　no　ends　in　forging　an　untruth。　　Such　a　one
was　mine；　and　besides；　he　has　at　divers　times　brought　to　me　several
seamen　and　merchants　who　at　the　same　time　went　the　same　voyage。　　I　shall
therefore　content　myself　with　his　information；　without　inquiring　what　the
cosmographers　say　to　the　business。　　We　should　have　topographers　to　trace
out　to　us　the　particular　places　where　they　have　been；　but　for　having　had
this　advantage　over　us；　to　have　seen　the　Holy　Land；　they　would　have　the
privilege；　forsooth；　to　tell　us　stories　of　all　the　other　parts　of　the
world　beside。　　I　would　have　every　one　write　what　he　knows；　and　as　much　as
he　knows；　but　no　more；　and　that　not　in　this　only　but　in　all　other
subjects；　for　such　a　person　may　have　some　particular　knowledge　and
experience　of　the　nature　of　such　a　river；　or　such　a　fountain；　who；　as　to
other　things；　knows　no　more　than　what　everybody　does；　and　yet　to　give　a
currency　to　his　little　pittance　of　learning；　will　undertake　to　write　the
whole　body　of　physics：　a　vice　from　which　great　inconveniences　derive
their　original。

Now；　to　return　to　my　subject；　I　find　that　there　is　nothing　barbarous　and
savage　in　this　nation；　by　anything　that　I　can　gather；　excepting；　that
every　one　gives　the　title　of　barbarism　to　everything　that　is　not　in　use
in　his　own　country。　　As；　indeed；　we　have　no　other　level　of　truth　and
reason　than　the　example　and　idea　of　the　opinions　and　customs　of　the　place
wherein　we　live：　there　is　always　the　perfect　religion；　there　the　perfect
government；　there　the　most　exact　and　accomplished　usage　of　all　things。
They　are　savages　at　the　same　rate　that　we　say　fruits　are　wild；　which
nature　produces　of　herself　and　by　her　own　ordinary　progress；　whereas；　in
truth；　we　ought　rather　to　call　those　wild　whose　natures　we　have　changed
by　our　artifice　and　diverted　from　the　common　order。　　In　those；　the
genuine；　most　useful；　and　natural　virtues　and　properties　are　vigorous　and
sprightly；　which　we　have　helped　to　degenerate　in　these；　by　accommodating
them　to　the　pleasure　of　our　own　corrupted　palate。　　And　yet　for　all　this；
our　taste　confesses　a　flavour　and　delicacy　excellent　even　to　emulation　of
the　best　of　ours；　in　several　fruits　wherein　those　countries　abound
without　art　or　culture。　　Neither　is　it　reasonable　that　art　should　gain
the　pre…eminence　of　our　great　and　powerful　mother　nature。　　We　have　so
surcharged　her　with　the　additional　ornaments　and　graces　we　have　added　to
the　beauty　and　riches　of　her　own　works　by　our　inventions；　that　we　have
almost　smothered　her；　yet　in　other　places；　where　she　shines　in　her　own
purity　and　proper　lustre；　she　marvellously　baffles　and　disgraces　all　our
vain　and　frivolous　attempts：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Et　veniunt　hederae　sponte　sua　melius；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Surgit　et　in　solis　formosior　arbutus　antris；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Et　volucres　nulls　dulcius　arte　canunt。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　ivy　grows　best　spontaneously；　the　arbutus　best　in　shady　caves；
　　　　　and　the　wild　notes　of　birds　are　sweeter　than　art　can　teach。
　　　　　〃Propertius；　i。　2；　10。＇

Our　utmost　endeavours　cannot　arrive　at　so　much　as　to　imitate　the　nest　of
the　least　of　birds；　its　contexture；　beauty；　and　convenience：　not　so　much
as　the　web　of　a　poor　spider。

All　things；　says　Plato；＇Laws；　10。＇　are　produced　either　by　nature；　by
fortune；　or　by　art；　the　greatest　and　most　beautiful　by　the　one　or　the
other　of　the　former；　the　least　and　the　most　imperfect　by　the　last。

These　nations　then　seem　to　me　to　be　so　far　barbarous；　as　having　received
but　very　little　form　and　fashion　from　art　and　human　invention；　and
consequently　to　be　not　much　remote　from　their　original　simplicity。　　The
laws　of　nature；　however；　govern　them　still；　not　as　yet　much　vitiated　with
any　mixture　of　ours：　but　'tis　in　such　purity；　that　I　am　sometimes
troubled　we　were　not　sooner　acquainted　with　these　people；　and　that　they
were　not　discovered　in　those　better　times；　when　there　were　men　much　more
able　to　judge　of　them　than　we　are。　　I　am　sorry　that　Lycurgus　and　Plato
had　no　knowledge　of　them；　for　to　my　apprehension；　what　we　now　see　in
those　nations；　does　not　only　surpass　all　the　pictures　with　which　the
poets　have　adorned　the　golden　age；　and　all　their　inventions　in　feigning　a
happy　state　of　man；　but；　moreover；　the　fancy　and　even　the　wish　and　desire
of　philosophy　itself；　so　native　and　so　pure　a　simplicity；　as　we　by
experience　see　to　be　in　them；　could　never　enter　into　their　imagination；
nor　could　they　ever　believe　that　human　society　could　have　been　maintained
with　so　little　artifice　and　human　patchwork。　　I　should　tell　Plato　that　it
is　a　nation　wherein　there　is　no　manner　of　traffic；　no　knowledge　of
letters；　no　science　of　numbers；　no　name　of　magistrate　or　political
superiority；　no　use　of　service；　riches　or　poverty；　no　contracts；　no
successions；　no　dividends；　no　properties；　no　employments；　but　those　of
leisure；　no　respect　of　kindred；　but　common；　no　clothing；　no　agriculture；
no　metal；　no　use　of　corn　or　wine；　the　very　words　that　signify　lying；
treachery；　dissimulation；　avarice；　envy；　detraction；　pardon；　never　heard
of。

　　　　　＇This　is　the　famous　passage　which　Shakespeare；　through　Florio's
　　　　　version；　1603；　or　ed。　　1613；　p。　102；　has　employed　in　the　〃Tempest；〃
　　　　　ii。　1。＇

How　much　would　he　find　his　imaginary　Republic　short　of　his　perfection？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Viri　a　diis　recentes。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Men　fresh　from　the　gods。〃Seneca；　Ep。；　90。＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Hos　natura　modos　primum　dedit。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃These　were　the　manners　first　taught　by　nature。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Virgil；　Georgics；　ii。　20。＇

As　to　the　rest；　they　live　in　a　country　very　pleasant　and　temperate；　so
that；　as　my　witnesses　inform　me；　'tis　rare　to　hear　of　a　sick　person；　and
they　moreover　assure　me；　that　they　never　saw　any　of　the　natives；　either
paralytic；　bleareyed；　toothless；　or　crooked　with　age。　　The　situation　of
their　country　is　along　the　sea…shore；　enclosed　on　the　other　side　towards
the　land；　with　great　and　high　mountains；　having　about　a　hundred　leagues
in　breadth　between。　　They　have　great　store　of　fish　and　flesh；　that　have
no　resemblance　to　those　of　ours：　which　they　eat　without　any　other
cookery；　than　plain　boiling；　roasting；　and　broiling。　　The　first　that　rode
a　horse　thither；　though　in　several　other　voyages　he　had　contracted　an
acquaintance　and　familiarity　with　them；　put　them　into　so　terrible　a
fright；　with　his　centaur　appearance；　that　they　killed　him　with　their
arrows　before　they　could　come　to　discover　who　he　was。　　Their　buildings
are　very　long；　and　of　capacity　to　hold　two　or　three　hundred　people；　made
of　the　barks　of　tall　trees；　reared　with　one　end　upon　the　ground；　and
leaning　to　and　supporting　one　another　at　the　top；　like　some　of　our　barns；
of　which　the　covering　hangs　down　to　the　very　ground；　and　serves　for　the
side　walls。　They　have　wood　so　hard；　that　they　cut　with　it；　and　make　their
swords　of　it；　and　their　grills　of　it　to　broil　their　meat。　　Their　beds　are
of　cotton；　hung　swinging　from　the　roof；　like　our　seamen's　hammocks；　every
man　his　own；　for　the　wives　lie　apart　from　their　husbands。　　They　rise　with
the　sun；　and　so　soon　as　they　are　up；　eat　for　all　day；　for　they　have　no
more　meals　but　that；　they　do　not　then　drink；　as　Suidas　reports　of　some
other　people　of　the　East　that　never　drank　at　their　meals；　but　drink　very
often　all　day　after；　and　sometimes　to　a　rousing　pitch。　　Their　drink　is
made　of　a　certain　root；　and　is　of　the　colour　of　our　claret；　and　they
never　drink　it　but　lukewarm。　　It　will　not　keep　above　two　or　three　days；
it　has　a　somewhat　sharp；　brisk　taste；　is　nothing　heady；　bu