the essays of montaigne, v12-第12部分

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but　lest　the　event　should　prove　otherwise；　'tis　better　to　let　it　alone；
for　in　things　already　past　there　needs　no　divination；

　　　　　　　　　　〃Ut　quum　facts　sunt；　tum　ad　conjecturam
　　　　　　　　　　aliqui　interpretatione　revocentur；〃

　　　　　＇〃So　as　when　they　are　come　to　pass；　they　may　then　by　some
　　　　　interpretation　be　recalled　to　conjecture〃
　　　　　Cicero；　De　Divin。；　ii。　31。＇

as　'tis　said　of　Epimenides；　that　he　always　prophesied　backward。

I　have　just　seen　a　herdsman　in　Medoc；　of　about　thirty　years　of　age；　who
has　no　sign　of　any　genital　parts；　he　has　three　holes　by　which　he
incessantly　voids　his　water；　he　is　bearded；　has　desire；　and　seeks　contact
with　women。

Those　that　we　call　monsters　are　not　so　to　God；　who　sees　in　the　immensity
of　His　work　the　infinite　forms　that　He　has　comprehended　therein；　and　it
is　to　be　believed　that　this　figure　which　astonishes　us　has　relation　to
some　other　figure　of　the　same　kind　unknown　to　man。　　From　His　all　wisdom
nothing　but　good；　common；　and　regular　proceeds；　but　we　do　not　discern　the
disposition　and　relation：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Quod　crebro　videt；　non　miratur；　etiamsi；
　　　　　　　　　　cur　fiat；　nescit。　　Quod　ante　non　vidit；　id；
　　　　　　　　　　si　evenerit；　ostentum　esse　censet。〃

　　　　　＇〃What　he　often　sees　he　does　not　admire；　though　he　be　ignorant　how
　　　　　it　comes　to　pass。　　When　a　thing　happens　he　never　saw　before；　he
　　　　　thinks　that　it　is　a　portent。〃Cicero；　De　Divin。；　ii。　　22。＇

Whatever　falls　out　contrary　to　custom　we　say　is　contrary　to　nature；　but
nothing；　whatever　it　be；　is　contrary　to　her。　　Let；　therefore；　this
universal　and　natural　reason　expel　the　error　and　astonishment　that
novelty　brings　along　with　it。




CHAPTER　XXXI

OF　ANGER

Plutarch　is　admirable　throughout；　but　especially　where　he　judges　of　human
actions。　　What　fine　things　does　he　say　in　the　comparison　of　Lycurgus　and
Numa　upon　the　subject　of　our　great　folly　in　abandoning　children　to　the
care　and　government　of　their　fathers？　　The　most　of　our　civil　governments；
as　Aristotle　says；〃　leave；　after　the　manner　of　the　Cyclopes；　to　every　one
the　ordering　of　their　wives　and　children；　according　to　their　own　foolish
and　indiscreet　fancy；　and　the　Lacedaemonian　and　Cretan　are　almost　the
only　governments　that　have　committed　the　education　of　children　to　the
laws。　　Who　does　not　see　that　in　a　state　all　depends　upon　their　nurture
and　bringing　up？　and　yet　they　are　left　to　the　mercy　of　parents；　let　them
be　as　foolish　and　ill…conditioned　as　they　may；　without　any　manner　of
discretion。

Amongst　other　things；　how　often　have　I；　as　I　have　passed　along　our
streets；　had　a　good　mind　to　get　up　a　farce；　to　revenge　the　poor　boys　whom
I　have　seen　hided；　knocked　down；　and　miserably　beaten　by　some　father　or
mother；　when　in　their　fury　and　mad　with　rage？　　You　shall　see　them　come
out　with　fire　and　fury　sparkling　in　their　eyes：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Rabie　jecur　incendente；　feruntur；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Praecipites；　ut　saxa　jugis　abrupta；　quibus　mons
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Subtrahitur；　clivoque　latus　pendente　recedit；〃

　　　　　＇〃They　are　headlong　borne　with　burning　fury　as　great　stones　torn
　　　　　from　the　mountains；　by　which　the　steep　sides　are　left　naked　and
　　　　　bare。〃Juvenal；　Sat。；　vi。　647。＇

（and　according　to　Hippocrates；　the　most　dangerous　maladies　are　they　that
disfigure　the　countenance）；　with　a　roaring　and　terrible　voice；　very　often
against　those　that　are　but　newly　come　from　nurse；　and　there　they　are
lamed　and　spoiled　with　blows；　whilst　our　justice　takes　no　cognisance　of
it；　as　if　these　maims　and　dislocations　were　not　executed　upon　members　of
our　commonwealth：

　　　　　　　　　〃Gratum　est；　quod　patria；　civem　populoque　dedisti；
　　　　　　　　　　Si　facis；　ut　patrix　sit　idoneus；　utilis　agris；
　　　　　　　　　　Utilis　et　bellorum　et　pacis　rebus　agendis。〃

　　　　　＇〃It　is　well　when　to　thy　country　and　the　people　thou　hast　given　a
　　　　　citizen；　provided　thou　make　fit　for　his　country's　service；　useful　to
　　　　　till　the　earth；　useful　in　affairs　of　war　and　peace〃
　　　　　Juvenal；　Sat。；　xiv。　70。＇

There　is　no　passion　that　so　much　transports　men　from　their　right　judgment
as　anger。　　No　one　would　demur　upon　punishing　a　judge　with　death　who
should　condemn　a　criminal　on　the　account　of　his　own　choler；　why；　then；
should　fathers　and　pedagogues　be　any　more　allowed　to　whip　and　chastise
children　in　their　anger？　　'Tis　then　no　longer　correction；　but　revenge。
Chastisement　is　instead　of　physic　to　children；　and　would　we　endure　a
physician　who　should　be　animated　against　and　enraged　at　his　patient？

We　ourselves；　to　do　well；　should　never　lay　a　hand　upon　our　servants
whilst　our　anger　lasts。　　When　the　pulse　beats；　and　we　feel　emotion　in
ourselves；　let　us　defer　the　business；　things　will　indeed　appear　otherwise
to　us　when　we　are　calm　and　cool。　　'Tis　passion　that　then　commands；　'tis
passion　that　speaks；　and　not　we。　　Faults　seen　through　passion　appear　much
greater　to　us　than　they　really　are；　as　bodies　do　when　seen　through　a
mist。　　He　who　is　hungry　uses　meat；　but　he　who　will　make　use　of
chastisement　should　have　neither　hunger　nor　thirst　to　it。　　And；　moreover；
chastisements　that　are　inflicted　with　weight　and　discretion　are　much
better　received　and　with　greater　benefit　by　him　who　suffers；　otherwise；
he　will　not　think　himself　justly　condemned　by　a　man　transported　with
anger　and　fury；　and　will　allege　his　master's　excessive　passion；　his
inflamed　countenance；　his　unwonted　oaths；　his　emotion　and　precipitous
rashness；　for　his　own　justification：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ora　tument　ira；　nigrescunt　sanguine　venae；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Lumina　Gorgoneo　saevius　igne　micant。〃

　　　　　＇〃Their　faces　swell；　their　veins　grow　black　with　rage；　and　their
　　　　　eyes　sparkle　with　Gorgonian　fire。〃Ovid；　De　Art。　Amandi；　iii。　503。＇

Suetonius　reports　that　Caius　Rabirius　having　been　condemned　by　Caesar；
the　thing　that　most　prevailed　upon　the　people　（to　whom　he　had　appealed）
to　determine　the　cause　in　his　favour；　was　the　animosity　and　vehemence
that　Caesar　had　manifested　in　that　sentence。

Saying　is　a　different　thing　from　doing；　we　are　to　consider　the　sermon
apart　and　the　preacher　apart。　　These　men　lent　themselves　to　a　pretty
business　who　in　our　times　have　attempted　to　shake　the　truth　of　our　Church
by　the　vices　of　her　ministers；　she　extracts　her　testimony　elsewhere；　'tis
a　foolish　way　of　arguing　and　that　would　throw　all　things　into　confusion。
A　man　whose　morals　are　good　may　have　false　opinions；　and　a　wicked　man　may
preach　truth；　even　though　he　believe　it　not　himself。　　'Tis　doubtless　a
fine　harmony　when　doing　and　saying　go　together；　and　I　will　not　deny　but
that　saying；　when　the　actions　follow；　is　not　of　greater　authority　and
efficacy；　as　Eudamidas　said；　hearing　a　philosopher　talk　of　military
affairs：　〃These　things　are　finely　said；　but　he　who　speaks　them　is　not　to
be　believed　for　his　ears　have　never　been　used　to　the　sound　of　the
trumpet。〃　　And　Cleomenes；　hearing　an　orator　declaiming　upon　valour；　burst
out　into　laughter；　at　which　the　other　being　angry；　〃I　should；〃　said　he　to
him；　〃do　the　same　if　it　were　a　swallow　that　spoke　of　this　subject；　but　if
it　were　an　eagle　I　should　willingly　hear　him。〃　　I　perceive；　methinks；　in
the　writings　of　the　ancients；　that　he　who　speaks　what　he　thinks；　strikes
much　more　home　than　he　who　only　feigns。　　Hear　Cicero　speak　of　the　love　of
liberty：　hear　Brutus　speak　of　it；　the　mere　written　words　of　this　man
sound　as　if　he　would　purchase　it　at　the　price　of　his　life。　　Let　Cicero；
the　father　of　eloquence；　treat　of　the　contempt　of　death；　let　Seneca　do
the　same：　the　first　languishingly　drawls　it　out　so　you　perceive　he　would
make　you　resolve　upon　a　thing　on　which　he　is　not　resolved　himself；　he
inspires　you　not　with　courage；　for　he　himself　has　none；　the　other
animates　and　inflames　you。　　I　never　read　an　author；　even　of　those　who
treat　of　virtue　and　of　actions；　that　I　do　not　curiously　inquire　what　kind
of　a　man　he　was　himself；　for　the　Ephori　at　Sparta；　seeing　a　dissolute
fellow　propose　a　wholesome　advice　to　the　people；　commanded　him　to　hold
his　peace；　and　entreated　a　virtuous　man　to　attribute　to　himself　the
invention；　and　to　propose　it。　　Plutarch's　writings；　if　well　understood；
sufficiently　bespeak　their　author；　and　so　that　I　think　I　know　him　even
into　his　soul；　and　yet　I　could　wish　that　we　had　some　fuller　account　of
his　life。　　And　I　am　thus　far　wandered　from　my　subject；　upon　the　account
of　the　obligation　I　have　to　Aulus　Gellius；　for　having　left　us　in　writing
this　story　of　his　manners；　that　brings　me　back　to　my　subject　of　anger。
A　slave　of　his；　a　vicious；　ill…conditioned　fellow；　but　who　had　the
precepts　of　philosophy　often　ringing　in　his　ears；　having　for　some　offence
of　his　been　stript　by　Plutarch's　command；　whilst　he　was　being　whipped；
muttered　at　first；　that　it　was　without　cause　and　that　he　had　done　nothing
to　deserve　it；　but　at　last　falling　in　good　earnest　to　exclaim　against　and
rail　at　his　master；　he　reproached　him　that　he　was　no　philosopher；　as　he
had　boasted　himself　to　be：　that　he　had　often　heard　him　say　it　was
indecent　to　be　angry；　nay；　had　written　a　book　to　that　purpose；　and　that
the　causing　him　to　be　so　cruelly　beaten；　in　the　height　of　his　rage；
totally　gave　the　lie　to　all　his　writings；　to　which　Plutarch　calmly　and
coldly　answered；　〃How；　ruffian；〃　said　he；　〃by　what　dost　thou　judge　that
I　am　now　angry？　　Does　either　my　face；　my　colour；　or　my　voice　give　any
manifestation　of　my　being　moved？　　I　do　not　think　my　eyes　look　fierce；
that　my　countenance　appears　troubled；　or　that　my　voice　is　dreadful：　am　I
red；　do　I　foam；　does　any　word　escape　my　lips　I　ought　to　repent？　　Do　I
start？　　Do　I　tremble　with　fury？　　For　those；　I　tell　thee；　are　the　true
signs　of　anger。〃　　And　so；　turning　to　the　fellow　that　was　whipping　him；
〃Ply　on　thy　work；〃　said　he；　〃whilst　this　gentleman　and　I　dispute。〃　　This
is　his　story。

Archytas　Tarentinus；　returning　from　a　war　wherein　he　had　been　captain…
general；　found　all　things　in　his　house　in　very　great　disorder；　and　his
lands　quite　out　of　tillage；　through　the　ill　husbandry　of　his　receiver；
and　having　caused　him　to　be　called　to　him；　〃Go；〃　said　he；　〃if　I　were　not
in　anger　I　would　soundly　drub　your　sides。〃　　Plato　likewise；　being　highly
offended　with　one　of　his　slaves；　gave　Speusippus　order　to　chastise　him；
excusing　himself　from　doing　it　bec