the essays of montaigne, v6-第7章

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never　drink　it　but　lukewarm。　　It　will　not　keep　above　two　or　three　days；
it　has　a　somewhat　sharp；　brisk　taste；　is　nothing　heady；　but　very
comfortable　to　the　stomach；　laxative　to　strangers；　but　a　very　pleasant
beverage　to　such　as　are　accustomed　to　it。　　They　make　use；　instead　of
bread；　of　a　certain　white　compound；　like　coriander　seeds；　I　have　tasted
of　it；　the　taste　is　sweet　and　a　little　flat。　　The　whole　day　is　spent　in
dancing。　　Their　young　men　go　a…hunting　after　wild　beasts　with　bows　and
arrows；　one　part　of　their　women　are　employed　in　preparing　their　drink　the
while；　which　is　their　chief　employment。　　One　of　their　old　men；　in　the
morning　before　they　fall　to　eating；　preaches　to　the　whole　family；　walking
from　the　one　end　of　the　house　to　the　other；　and　several　times　repeating
the　same　sentence；　till　he　has　finished　the　round；　for　their　houses　are
at　least　a　hundred　yards　long。　　Valour　towards　their　enemies　and　love
towards　their　wives；　are　the　two　heads　of　his　discourse；　never　failing　in
the　close；　to　put　them　in　mind；　that　'tis　their　wives　who　provide　them
their　drink　warm　and　well　seasoned。　　The　fashion　of　their　beds；　ropes；
swords；　and　of　the　wooden　bracelets　they　tie　about　their　wrists；　when
they　go　to　fight；　and　of　the　great　canes；　bored　hollow　at　one　end；　by　the
sound　of　which　they　keep　the　cadence　of　their　dances；　are　to　be　seen　in
several　places；　and　amongst　others；　at　my　house。　　They　shave　all　over；
and　much　more　neatly　than　we；　without　other　razor　than　one　of　wood　or
stone。　　They　believe　in　the　immortality　of　the　soul；　and　that　those　who
have　merited　well　of　the　gods　are　lodged　in　that　part　of　heaven　where　the
sun　rises；　and　the　accursed　in　the　west。

They　have　I　know　not　what　kind　of　priests　and　prophets；　who　very　rarely
present　themselves　to　the　people；　having　their　abode　in　the　mountains。
At　their　arrival；　there　is　a　great　feast；　and　solemn　assembly　of　many
villages：　each　house；　as　I　have　described；　makes　a　village；　and　they　are
about　a　French　league　distant　from　one　another。　　This　prophet　declaims　to
them　in　public；　exhorting　them　to　virtue　and　their　duty：　but　all　their
ethics　are　comprised　in　these　two　articles；　resolution　in　war；　and
affection　to　their　wives。　　He　also　prophesies　to　them　events　to　come；　and
the　issues　they　are　to　expect　from　their　enterprises；　and　prompts　them　to
or　diverts　them　from　war：　but　let　him　look　to't；　for　if　he　fail　in　his
divination；　and　anything　happen　otherwise　than　he　has　foretold；　he　is　cut
into　a　thousand　pieces；　if　he　be　caught；　and　condemned　for　a　false
prophet：　for　that　reason；　if　any　of　them　has　been　mistaken；　he　is　no　more
heard　of。

Divination　is　a　gift　of　God；　and　therefore　to　abuse　it；　ought　to　be　a
punishable　imposture。　　Amongst　the　Scythians；　where　their　diviners　failed
in　the　promised　effect；　they　were　laid；　bound　hand　and　foot；　upon　carts
loaded　with　firs　and　bavins；　and　drawn　by　oxen；　on　which　they　were　burned
to　death。＇Herodotus；　iv。　　69。＇　Such　as　only　meddle　with　things
subject　to　the　conduct　of　human　capacity；　are　excusable　in　doing　the　best
they　can：　but　those　other　fellows　that　come　to　delude　us　with　assurances
of　an　extraordinary　faculty；　beyond　our　understanding；　ought　they　not　to
be　punished；　when　they　do　not　make　good　the　effect　of　their　promise；　and
for　the　temerity　of　their　imposture？

They　have　continual　war　with　the　nations　that　live　further　within　the
mainland；　beyond　their　mountains；　to　which　they　go　naked；　and　without
other　arms　than　their　bows　and　wooden　swords；　fashioned　at　one　end　like
the　head　of　our　javelins。　　The　obstinacy　of　their　battles　is　wonderful；
and　they　never　end　without　great　effusion　of　blood：　for　as　to　running
away；　they　know　not　what　it　is。　　Every　one　for　a　trophy　brings　home　the
head　of　an　enemy　he　has　killed；　which　he　fixes　over　the　door　of　his
house。　　After　having　a　long　time　treated　their　prisoners　very　well；　and
given　them　all　the　regales　they　can　think　of；　he　to　whom　the　prisoner
belongs；　invites　a　great　assembly　of　his　friends。　　They　being　come；　he
ties　a　rope　to　one　of　the　arms　of　the　prisoner；　of　which；　at　a　distance；
out　of　his　reach；　he　holds　the　one　end　himself；　and　gives　to　the　friend
he　loves　best　the　other　arm　to　hold　after　the　same　manner；　which　being。
done；　they　two；　in　the　presence　of　all　the　assembly；　despatch　him　with
their　swords。　　After　that；　they　roast　him；　eat　him　amongst　them；　and　send
some　chops　to　their　absent　friends。　　They　do　not　do　this；　as　some　think；
for　nourishment；　as　the　Scythians　anciently　did；　but　as　a　representation
of　an　extreme　revenge；　as　will　appear　by　this：　that　having　observed　the
Portuguese；　who　were　in　league　with　their　enemies；　to　inflict　another
sort　of　death　upon　any　of　them　they　took　prisoners；　which　was　to　set　them
up　to　the　girdle　in　the　earth；　to　shoot　at　the　remaining　part　till　it　was
stuck　full　of　arrows；　and　then　to　hang　them；　they　thought　those　people　of
the　other　world　（as　being　men　who　had　sown　the　knowledge　of　a　great　many
vices　amongst　their　neighbours；　and　who　were　much　greater　masters　in　all
sorts　of　mischief　than　they）　did　not　exercise　this　sort　of　revenge
without　a　meaning；　and　that　it　must　needs　be　more　painful　than　theirs；
they　began　to　leave　their　old　way；　and　to　follow　this。　　I　am　not　sorry
that　we　should　here　take　notice　of　the　barbarous　horror　of　so　cruel　an
action；　but　that；　seeing　so　clearly　into　their　faults；　we　should　be　so
blind　to　our　own。　　I　conceive　there　is　more　barbarity　in　eating　a　man
alive；　than　when　he　is　dead；　in　tearing　a　body　limb　from　limb　by　racks
and　torments；　that　is　yet　in　perfect　sense；　in　roasting　it　by　degrees；　in
causing　it　to　be　bitten　and　worried　by　dogs　and　swine　（as　we　have　not
only　read；　but　lately　seen；　not　amongst　inveterate　and　mortal　enemies；
but　among　neighbours　and　fellow…citizens；　and；　which　is　worse；　under
colour　of　piety　and　religion）；　than　to　roast　and　eat　him　after　he　is
dead。

Chrysippus　and　Zeno；　the　two　heads　of　the　Stoic　sect；　were　of　opinion
that　there　was　no　hurt　in　making　use　of　our　dead　carcasses；　in　what　way
soever　for　our　necessity；　and　in　feeding　upon　them　too；＇Diogenes
Laertius；　vii。　　188。＇　as　our　own　ancestors；　who　being　besieged　by
Caesar　in　the　city　Alexia；　resolved　to　sustain　the　famine　of　the　siege
with　the　bodies　of　their　old　men；　women；　and　other　persons　who　were
incapable　of　bearing　arms。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Vascones；　ut　fama　est；　alimentis　talibus　usi
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Produxere　animas。〃

　　　　　＇〃'Tis　said　the　Gascons　with　such　meats　appeased　their　hunger。〃
　　　　　Juvenal；　Sat。；　xv。　93。

And　the　physicians　make　no　bones　of　employing　it　to　all　sorts　of　use；
either　to　apply　it　outwardly；　or　to　give　it　inwardly　for　the　health　of
the　patient。　　But　there　never　was　any　opinion　so　irregular；　as　to　excuse
treachery；　disloyalty；　tyranny；　and　cruelty；　which　are　our　familiar
vices。　　We　may　then　call　these　people　barbarous；　in　respect　to　the　rules
of　reason：　but　not　in　respect　to　ourselves；　who　in　all　sorts　of　barbarity
exceed　them。　　Their　wars　are　throughout　noble　and　generous；　and　carry　as
much　excuse　and　fair　pretence；　as　that　human　malady　is　capable　of；　having
with　them　no　other　foundation　than　the　sole　jealousy　of　valour。　　Their
disputes　are　not　for　the　conquest　of　new　lands；　for　these　they　already
possess　are　so　fruitful　by　nature；　as　to　supply　them　without　labour　or
concern；　with　all　things　necessary；　in　such　abundance　that　they　have　no
need　to　enlarge　their　borders。　　And　they　are；　moreover；　happy　in　this；
that　they　only　covet　so　much　as　their　natural　necessities　require：　all
beyond　that　is　superfluous　to　them：　men　of　the　same　age　call　one　another
generally　brothers；　those　who　are　younger；　children；　and　the　old　men　are
fathers　to　all。　　These　leave　to　their　heirs　in　common　the　full　possession
of　goods；　without　any　manner　of　division；　or　other　title　than　what　nature
bestows　upon　her　creatures；　in　bringing　them　into　the　world。　　If　their
neighbours　pass　over　the　mountains　to　assault　them；　and　obtain　a　victory；
all　the　victors　gain　by　it　is　glory　only；　and　the　advantage　of　having
proved　themselves　the　better　in　valour　and　virtue：　for　they　never　meddle
with　the　goods　of　the　conquered；　but　presently　return　into　their　own
country；　where　they　have　no　want　of　anything　necessary；　nor　of　this
greatest　of　all　goods；　to　know　happily　how　to　enjoy　their　condition　and
to　be　content。　　And　those　in　turn　do　the　same；　they　demand　of　their
prisoners　no　other　ransom；　than　acknowledgment　that　they　are　overcome：
but　there　is　not　one　found　in　an　age；　who　will　not　rather　choose　to　die
than　make　such　a　confession；　or　either　by　word　or　look　recede　from　the
entire　grandeur　of　an　invincible　courage。　　There　is　not　a　man　amongst
them　who　had　not　rather　be　killed　and　eaten；　than　so　much　as　to　open　his
mouth　to　entreat　he　may　not。　　They　use　them　with　all　liberality　and
freedom；　to　the　end　their　lives　may　be　so　much　the　dearer　to　them；　but
frequently　entertain　them　with　menaces　of　their　approaching　death；　of　the
torments　they　are　to　suffer；　of　the　preparations　making　in　order　to　it；
of　the　mangling　their　limbs；　and　of　the　feast　that　is　to　be　made；　where
their　carcass　is　to　be　the　only　dish。　　All　which　they　do；　to　no　other
end；　but　only　to　extort　some　gentle　or　submissive　word　from　them；　or　to
frighten　them　so　as　to　make　them　run　away；　to　obtain　this　advantage　that
they　were　terrified；　and　that　their　constancy　was　shaken；　and　indeed；　if
rightly　taken；　it　is　in　this　point　only　that　a　true　victory　consists：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Victoria　nulla　est；
　　　　　　　　　　Quam　quae　confessor　animo　quoque　subjugat　hostes。〃

　　　　　＇〃No　victory　is　complete；　which　the　conquered　do　not　admit　to　be
　　　　　so。〃Claudius；　De　Sexto　Consulatu　Honorii；　v。　248。＇

The　Hungarians；　a　very　warlike　people；　never　pretend　further　than　to
reduce　the　enemy　to　their　discretion；　for　having　forced　this　confession
from　them；　they　let　them　go　without　injury　or　ransom；　excepting；　at　the
most；　to　make　them　engage　their　word　never　to　bear　arms　against　them
again。　　We　have　sufficient　advantages　over　our　enemies　that　are　borrowed
and　not　truly　our　own；　it　is　the　quality　of　a　porter；　and　no　effect　of
virtue；　to　have　stronger　arms　and　legs；　it　is　a　dead　and　corporeal
quality　to　set　in　array；　'tis　a　turn　of　fortune　to　make　our　enemy
stumble；　or　to　dazzle　him　with　the　light　of　the　sun；　'tis　a　trick　of
science　and　art；　and　that　may　happen　in　a　mean　base　fellow；　to　be　a　good
fencer。　　The　estimate　and　value　of　a　man　consist　in　the　heart　and　in　the
will：　there　his　true　honour　lies。　　Valour　is　stability；　not　of　legs　and
arms；　but　of　the　courage　and　the　soul；　it　does　not　lie　in　the　goodness　of
our　horse　or　our　arms　but　in　our　own。　　He　that　falls　obstinate　in　his
courage

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Si　succiderit；　de　genu　pugnat〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃If　his　legs　fail　him；　he　fights　on　his　knees。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Seneca；　De　Providentia；　c。　2。＇

he　who；　for　any　danger　of　imminent　death；　abates　nothing　of　his
assurance；　who；　dying；　yet　darts　at　his　enemy　a　fierce　and　disdainful
look；　is　overcome　not　by　us；　but　by　fortune；　he　is　killed；　not　conquered；
the　most　valiant　are　sometimes　the　most　unfortunate。　　There　are　defeats
more　triumphant　than　victories。　　Never　could　those　four　si