the essays of montaigne, v6-第8章

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more　triumphant　than　victories。　　Never　could　those　four　sister　victories；
the　fairest　the　sun　ever　be　held；　of　Salamis；　Plataea；　Mycale；　and
Sicily；　venture　to　oppose　all　their　united　glories；　to　the　single　glory
of　the　discomfiture　of　King　Leonidas　and　his　men；　at　the　pass　of
Thermopylae。　　Who　ever　ran　with　a　more　glorious　desire　and　greater
ambition；　to　the　winning；　than　Captain　Iscolas　to　the　certain　loss　of　a
battle？＇Diodorus　Siculus；　xv。　　64。＇　Who　could　have　found　out　a　more
subtle　invention　to　secure　his　safety；　than　he　did　to　assure　his
destruction？　　He　was　set　to　defend　a　certain　pass　of　Peloponnesus　against
the　Arcadians；　which；　considering　the　nature　of　the　place　and　the
inequality　of　forces；　finding　it　utterly　impossible　for　him　to　do；　and
seeing　that　all　who　were　presented　to　the　enemy；　must　certainly　be　left
upon　the　place；　and　on　the　other　side；　reputing　it　unworthy　of　his　own
virtue　and　magnanimity　and　of　the　Lacedaemonian　name　to　fail　in　any　part
of　his　duty；　he　chose　a　mean　betwixt　these　two　extremes　after　this
manner；　the　youngest　and　most　active　of　his　men；　he　preserved　for　the
service　and　defence　of　their　country；　and　sent　them　back；　and　with　the
rest；　whose　loss　would　be　of　less　consideration；　he　resolved　to　make　good
the　pass；　and　with　the　death　of　them；　to　make　the　enemy　buy　their　entry
as　dear　as　possibly　he　could；　as　it　fell　out；　for　being　presently
environed　on　all　sides　by　the　Arcadians；　after　having　made　a　great
slaughter　of　the　enemy；　he　and　his　were　all　cut　in　pieces。　　Is　there　any
trophy　dedicated　to　the　conquerors　which　was　not　much　more　due　to　these
who　were　overcome？　　The　part　that　true　conquering　is　to　play；　lies　in　the
encounter；　not　in　the　coming　off；　and　the　honour　of　valour　consists　in
fighting；　not　in　subduing。

But　to　return　to　my　story：　these　prisoners　are　so　far　from　discovering
the　least　weakness；　for　all　the　terrors　that　can　be　represented　to　them；
that；　on　the　contrary；　during　the　two　or　three　months　they　are　kept；　they
always　appear　with　a　cheerful　countenance；　importune　their　masters　to
make　haste　to　bring　them　to　the　test；　defy；　rail　at　them；　and　reproach
them　with　cowardice；　and　the　number　of　battles　they　have　lost　against
those　of　their　country。　　I　have　a　song　made　by　one　of　these　prisoners；
wherein　he　bids　them　〃come　all；　and　dine　upon　him；　and　welcome；　for　they
shall　withal　eat　their　own　fathers　and　grandfathers；　whose　flesh　has
served　to　feed　and　nourish　him。　　These　muscles；〃　says　he；　〃this　flesh　and
these　veins；　are　your　own：　poor　silly　souls　as　you　are；　you　little　think
that　the　substance　of　your　ancestors'　limbs　is　here　yet；　notice　what　you
eat；　and　you　will　find　in　it　the　taste　of　your　own　flesh：〃　in　which　song
there　is　to　be　observed　an　invention　that　nothing　relishes　of　the
barbarian。　　Those　that　paint　these　people　dying　after　this　manner；
represent　the　prisoner　spitting　in　the　faces　of　his　executioners　and
making　wry　mouths　at　them。　　And　'tis　most　certain；　that　to　the　very　last
gasp；　they　never　cease　to　brave　and　defy　them　both　in　word　and　gesture。
In　plain　truth；　these　men　are　very　savage　in　comparison　of　us；　of
necessity；　they　must　either　be　absolutely　so　or　else　we　are　savages；　for
there　is　a　vast　difference　betwixt　their　manners　and　ours。

The　men　there　have　several　wives；　and　so　much　the　greater　number；　by　how
much　they　have　the　greater　reputation　for　valour。　　And　it　is　one　very
remarkable　feature　in　their　marriages；　that　the　same　jealousy　our　wives
have　to　hinder　and　divert　us　from　the　friendship　and　familiarity　of　other
women；　those　employ　to　promote　their　husbands'　desires；　and　to　procure
them　many　spouses；　for　being　above　all　things　solicitous　of　their
husbands'　honour；　'tis　their　chiefest　care　to　seek　out；　and　to　bring　in
the　most　companions　they　can；　forasmuch　as　it　is　a　testimony　of　the
husband's　virtue。　　Most　of　our　ladies　will　cry　out；　that　'tis　monstrous；
whereas　in　truth　it　is　not　so；　but　a　truly　matrimonial　virtue；　and　of　the
highest　form。　　In　the　Bible；　Sarah；　with　Leah　and　Rachel；　the　two　wives
of　Jacob；　gave　the　most　beautiful　of　their　handmaids　to　their　husbands；
Livia　preferred　the　passions　of　Augustus　to　her　own　interest；
＇Suetonius；　Life　of　Augustus；　c。　71。＇　and　the　wife　of　King　Deiotarus；
Stratonice；　did　not　only　give　up　a　fair　young　maid　that　served　her　to　her
husband's　embraces；　but　moreover　carefully　brought　up　the　children　he　had
by　her；　and　assisted　them　in　the　succession　to　their　father's　crown。

And　that　it　may　not　be　supposed；　that　all　this　is　done　by　a　simple　and
servile　obligation　to　their　common　practice；　or　by　any　authoritative
impression　of　their　ancient　custom；　without　judgment　or　reasoning；　and
from　having　a　soul　so　stupid　that　it　cannot　contrive　what　else　to　do；　I
must　here　give　you　some　touches　of　their　sufficiency　in　point　of
understanding。　　Besides　what　I　repeated　to　you　before；　which　was　one　of
their　songs　of　war；　I　have　another；　a　love…song；　that　begins　thus：

　　　　　〃Stay；　adder；　stay；　that　by　thy　pattern　my　sister　may　draw　the
　　　　　fashion　and　work　of　a　rich　ribbon；　that　I　may　present　to　my　beloved；
　　　　　by　which　means　thy　beauty　and　the　excellent　order　of　thy　scales
　　　　　shall　for　ever　be　preferred　before　all　other　serpents。〃

Wherein　the　first　couplet；　〃Stay；　adder；〃　&c。；　makes　the　burden　of　the
song。　　Now　I　have　conversed　enough　with　poetry　to　judge　thus　much　that
not　only　there　is　nothing　barbarous　in　this　invention；　but；　moreover；
that　it　is　perfectly　Anacreontic。　　To　which　it　may　be　added；　that　their
language　is　soft；　of　a　pleasing　accent；　and　something　bordering　upon　the
Greek　termination。

Three　of　these　people；　not　foreseeing　how　dear　their　knowledge　of　the
corruptions　of　this　part　of　the　world　will　one　day　cost　their　happiness
and　repose；　and　that　the　effect　of　this　commerce　will　be　their　ruin；　as　I
presuppose　it　is　in　a　very　fair　way　（miserable　men　to　suffer　themselves
to　be　deluded　with　desire　of　novelty　and　to　have　left　the　serenity　of
their　own　heaven　to　come　so　far　to　gaze　at　ours！）；　were　at　Rouen　at　the
time　that　the　late　King　Charles　IX。　was　there。　　The　king　himself　talked
to　them　a　good　while；　and　they　were　made　to　see　our　fashions；　our　pomp；
and　the　form　of　a　great　city。　　After　which；　some　one　asked　their　opinion；
and　would　know　of　them；　what　of　all　the　things　they　had　seen；　they　found
most　to　be　admired？　　To　which　they　made　answer；　three　things；　of　which　I
have　forgotten　the　third；　and　am　troubled　at　it；　but　two　I　yet　remember。
They　said；　that　in　the　first　place　they　thought　it　very　strange　that　so
many　tall　men；　wearing　beards；　strong；　and　well　armed；　who　were　about　the
king　（'tis　like　they　meant　the　Swiss　of　the　guard）；　should　submit　to　obey
a　child；　and　that　they　did　not　rather　choose　out　one　amongst　themselves
to　command。　　Secondly　（they　have　a　way　of　speaking　in　their　language　to
call　men　the　half　of　one　another）；　that　they　had　observed　that　there　were
amongst　us　men　full　and　crammed　with　all　manner　of　commodities；　whilst；
in　the　meantime；　their　halves　were　begging　at　their　doors；　lean　and　half…
starved　with　hunger　and　poverty；　and　they　thought　it　strange　that　these
necessitous　halves　were　able　to　suffer　so　great　an　inequality　and
injustice；　and　that　they　did　not　take　the　others　by　the　throats；　or　set
fire　to　their　houses。

I　talked　to　one　of　them　a　great　while　together；　but　I　had　so　ill　an
interpreter；　and　one　who　was　so　perplexed　by　his　own　ignorance　to
apprehend　my　meaning；　that　I　could　get　nothing　out　of　him　of　any　moment：
Asking　him　what　advantage　he　reaped　from　the　superiority　he　had　amongst
his　own　people　（for　he　was　a　captain；　and　our　mariners　called　him　king）；
he　told　me；　to　march　at　the　head　of　them　to　war。　　Demanding　of　him
further　how　many　men　he　had　to　follow　him；　he　showed　me　a　space　of
ground；　to　signify　as　many　as　could　march　in　such　a　compass；　which　might
be　four　or　five　thousand　men；　and　putting　the　question　to　him　whether　or
no　his　authority　expired　with　the　war；　he　told　me　this　remained：　that
when　he　went　to　visit　the　villages　of　his　dependence；　they　planed　him
paths　through　the　thick　of　their　woods；　by　which　he　might　pass　at　his
ease。　　All　this　does　not　sound　very　ill；　and　the　last　was　not　at　all
amiss；　for　they　wear　no　breeches。




CHAPTER　XXXI

THAT　A　MAN　IS　SOBERLY　TO　JUDGE　OF　THE　DIVINE　ORDINANCES

The　true　field　and　subject　of　imposture　are　things　unknown；　forasmuch　as；
in　the　first　place；　their　very　strangeness　lends　them　credit；　and
moreover；　by　not　being　subjected　to　our　ordinary　reasons；　they　deprive　us
of　the　means　to　question　and　dispute　them：　For　which　reason；　says　Plato；
＇In　Critias。＇　it　is　much　more　easy　to　satisfy　the　hearers；　when
speaking　of　the　nature　of　the　gods　than　of　the　nature　of　men；　because　the
ignorance　of　the　auditory　affords　a　fair　and　large　career　and　all　manner
of　liberty　in　the　handling　of　abstruse　things。　　Thence　it　comes　to　pass；
that　nothing　is　so　firmly　believed；　as　what　we　least　know；　nor　any　people
so　confident；　as　those　who　entertain　us　with　fables；　such　as　your
alchemists；　judicial　astrologers；　fortune…tellers；　and　physicians；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Id　genus　omne。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃All　that　sort　of　people。〃Horace；　Sat。；　i。　2；　2。＇

To　which　I　would　willingly；　if　I　durst；　join　a　pack　of　people　that　take
upon　them　to　interpret　and　control　the　designs　of　God　Himself；　pretending
to　find　out　the　cause　of　every　accident；　and　to　pry　into　the　secrets　of
the　divine　will；　there　to　discover　the　incomprehensible　motive；　of　His
works；　and　although　the　variety；　and　the　continual　discordance　of　events；
throw　them　from　corner　to　corner；　and　toss　them　from　east　to　west；　yet　do
they　still　persist　in　their　vain　inquisition；　and　with　the　same　pencil　to
paint　black　and　white。

In　a　nation　of　the　Indies；　there　is　this　commendable　custom；　that　when
anything　befalls　them　amiss　in　any　encounter　or　battle；　they　publicly　ask
pardon　of　the　sun；　who　is　their　god；　as　having　committed　an　unjust
action；　always　imputing　their　good　or　evil　fortune　to　the　divine　justice；
and　to　that　submitting　their　own　judgment　and　reason。　　'Tis　enough　for　a
Christian　to　believe　that　all　things　come　from　God；　to　receive　them　with
acknowledgment　of　His　divine　and　inscrutable　wisdom；　and　also　thankfully
to　accept　and　receive　them；　with　what　face　soever　they　may　present
themselves。　　But　I　do　not　approve　of　what　I　see　in　use；　that　is；　to　seek
to　affirm　and　support　our　religion　by　the　prosperity　of　our　enterprises。
Our　belief　has　other　foundation　enough；　without　going　about　to　authorise
it　by　events：　for　the　people　being　accustomed　to　such　plausible　arguments
as　these　and　so　proper　to　their　taste；　it　is　to　be　feared；　lest　when　they
fail　of　success　they　should　also　stagger　in　their　faith：　as　in　the　war
wherein　we　are　now　engaged　upon　the　account　of　religion；　those　who　had
the　better　in　the　business　of　Rochelabeille；＇May　1569。＇　making　great
brags　of　that　success　as　an　infallible　approbation　of　their　cause；　when
they　came　afterwards　to　excuse　their　misfortunes　of　Moncontour　and
Jarnac；　by　saying　they　were　fatherly　scourges　and　corrections　that　they
had　not　a　people　wholly　at　their　mercy；　they　make　it　manifestly　enough
appear；　what　it　is　to