the essays of montaigne, v12-第6部分

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every　day　to　see　in　our　own　wars　many　thousands　of　men　of　other　nations；
for　money　to　stake　their　blood　and　their　lives　in　quarrels　wherein　they
have　no　manner　of　concern。




CHAPTER　XXIV

OF　THE　ROMAN　GRANDEUR

I　will　only　say　a　word　or　two　of　this　infinite　argument；　to　show　the
simplicity　of　those　who　compare　the　pitiful　greatness　of　these　times　with
that　of　Rome。　　In　the　seventh　book　of　Cicero's　Familiar　Epistles　（and　let
the　grammarians　put　out　that　surname　of　familiar　if　they　please；　for　in
truth　it　is　not　very　suitable；　and　they　who；　instead　of　familiar；　have
substituted　〃ad　Familiares；〃　may　gather　something　to　justify　them　for　so
doing　out　of　what　Suetonius　says　in　the　Life　of　Caesar；　that　there　was　a
volume　of　letters　of　his　〃ad　Familiares　〃）　there　is　one　directed　to
Caesar；　then　in　Gaul；　wherein　Cicero　repeats　these　words；　which　were　in
the　end　of　another　letter　that　Caesar　had　written　to　him：　〃As　to　what
concerns　Marcus　Furius；　whom　you　have　recommended　to　me；　I　will　make　him
king　of　Gaul；　and　if　you　would　have　me　advance　any　other　friend　of　yours
send　him　to　me。〃　　It　was　no　new　thing　for　a　simple　citizen　of　Rome；　as
Caesar　then　was；　to　dispose　of　kingdoms；　for　he　took　away　that　of　King
Deiotarus　from　him　to　give　it　to　a　gentleman　of　the　city　of　Pergamus；
called　Mithridates；　and　they　who　wrote　his　Life　record　several　cities
sold　by　him；　and　Suetonius　says；　that　he　had　once　from　King　Ptolemy　three
millions　and　six　hundred　thousand　crowns；　which　was　very　like　selling　him
his　own　kingdom：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Tot　Galatae；　tot　Pontus；　tot　Lydia；　nummis。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃So　much　for　Galatia；　so　much　for　Pontus；
　　　　　　　　　　so　much　for　Lydia。〃Claudius　in　Eutrop。；　i。　203。＇

Marcus　Antonius　said；　that　the　greatness　of　the　people　of　Rome　was　not
so　much　seen　in　what　they　took；　as　in　what　they　gave；　and；　indeed；　some
ages　before　Antonius；　they　had　dethroned　one　amongst　the　rest　with　so
wonderful　authority；　that　in　all　the　Roman　history　I　have　not　observed
anything　that　more　denotes　the　height　of　their　power。　　Antiochus
possessed　all　Egypt；　and　was；　moreover；　ready　to　conquer　Cyprus　and　other
appendages　of　that　empire：　when　being　upon　the　progress　of　his　victories；
C。　Popilius　came　to　him　from　the　Senate；　and　at　their　first　meeting
refused　to　take　him　by　the　hand；　till　he　had　first　read　his　letters；
which　after　the　king　had　read；　and　told　him　he　would　consider　of　them；
Popilius　made　a　circle　about　him　with　his　cane；　saying：〃Return　me　an
answer；　that　I　may　carry　it　back　to　the　Senate；　before　thou　stirrest　out
of　this　circle。〃　　　Antiochus；　astonished　at　the　roughness　of　so　positive
a　command；　after　a　little　pause；　replied；　〃I　will　obey　the　Senate's
command。〃　　Then　Popilius　saluted　him　as　friend　of　the　Roman　people。
To　have　renounced　claim　to　so　great　a　monarchy；　and　a　course　of　such
successful　fortune；　from　the　effects　of　three　lines　in　writing！　　Truly
he　had　reason；　as　he　afterwards　did；　to　send　the　Senate　word　by　his
ambassadors；　that　he　had　received　their　order　with　the　same　respect　as　if
it　had　come　from　the　immortal　gods。

All　the　kingdoms　that　Augustus　gained　by　the　right　of　war；　he　either
restored　to　those　who　had　lost　them　or　presented　them　to　strangers。　　And
Tacitus；　in　reference　to　this；　speaking　of　Cogidunus；　king　of　England；
gives　us；　by　a　marvellous　touch；　an　instance　of　that　infinite　power：　the
Romans；　says　he；　were　from　all　antiquity　accustomed　to　leave　the　kings
they　had　subdued　in　possession　of　their　kingdoms　under　their　authority

　　　　　　　　　　〃Ut　haberent　instruments　servitutis　et　reges。〃

　　　　　＇〃That　they　might　have　even　kings　to　be　their　slaves。〃
　　　　　Livy；　xlv。　13。＇

'Tis　probable　that　Solyman；　whom　we　have　seen　make　a　gift　of　Hungary　and
other　principalities；　had　therein　more　respect　to　this　consideration　than
to　that　he　was　wont　to　allege；　viz。；　that　he　was　glutted　and　overcharged
with　so　many　monarchies　and　so　much　dominion；　as　his　own　valour　and　that
of　his　ancestors　had　acquired。




CHAPTER　XXV

NOT　TO　COUNTERFEIT　BEING　SICK

There　is　an　epigram　in　Martial；　and　one　of　the　very　good　onesfor　he　has
of　all　sortswhere　he　pleasantly　tells　the　story　of　Caelius；　who；　to
avoid　making　his　court　to　some　great　men　of　Rome；　to　wait　their　rising；
and　to　attend　them　abroad；　pretended　to　have　the　gout；　and　the　better　to
colour　this　anointed　his　legs；　and　had　them　lapped　up　in　a　great　many
swathings；　and　perfectly　counterfeited　both　the　gesture　and　countenance
of　a　gouty　person；　till　in　the　end；　Fortune　did　him　the　kindness　to　make
him　one　indeed：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Quantum　curs　potest　et　ars　doloris
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Desiit　fingere　Caelius　podagram。〃

　　　　　＇〃How　great　is　the　power　of　counterfeiting　pain：　Caelius　has　ceased
　　　　　to　feign　the　gout；　he　has　got　it。〃Martial；　Ep。；　vii。　39；　8。＇

I　think　I　have　read　somewhere　in　Appian　a　story　like　this；　of　one　who　to
escape　the　proscriptions　of　the　triumvirs　of　Rome；　and　the　better　to　be
concealed　from　the　discovery　of　those　who　pursued　him；　having　hidden
himself　in　a　disguise；　would　yet　add　this　invention；　to　counterfeit
having　but　one　eye；　but　when　he　came　to　have　a　little　more　liberty；　and
went　to　take　off　the　plaster　he　had　a　great　while　worn　over　his　eye；　he
found　he　had　totally　lost　the　sight　of　it　indeed；　and　that　it　was
absolutely　gone。　　'Tis　possible　that　the　action　of　sight　was　dulled　from
having　been　so　long　without　exercise；　and　that　the　optic　power　was　wholly
retired　into　the　other　eye：　for　we　evidently　perceive　that　the　eye　we
keep　shut　sends　some　part　of　its　virtue　to　its　fellow；　so　that　it　will
swell　and　grow　bigger；　and　so　inaction；　with　the　heat　of　ligatures　and；
plasters；　might　very　well　have　brought　some　gouty　humour　upon　the
counterfeiter　in　Martial。

Reading　in　Froissart　the　vow　of　a　troop　of　young　English　gentlemen；　to
keep　their　left　eyes　bound　up　till　they　had　arrived　in　France　and
performed　some　notable　exploit　upon　us；　I　have　often　been　tickled　with
this　thought；　that　it　might　have　befallen　them　as　it　did　those　others；
and　they　might　have　returned　with　but　an　eye　a…piece　to　their　mistresses；
for　whose　sakes　they　had　made　this　ridiculous　vow。

Mothers　have　reason　to　rebuke　their　children　when　they　counterfeit　having
but　one　eye；　squinting；　lameness；　or　any　other　personal　defect；　for；
besides　that　their　bodies　being　then　so　tender；　may　be　subject　to　take　an
ill　bent；　fortune；　I　know　not　how；　sometimes　seems　to　delight　in　taking
us　at　our　word；　and　I　have　heard　several　examples　related　of　people　who
have　become　really　sick；　by　only　feigning　to　be　so。　　I　have　always　used；
whether　on　horseback　or　on　foot；　to　carry　a　stick　in　my　hand；　and　even　to
affect　doing　it　with　an　elegant　air；　many　have　threatened　that　this　fancy
would　one　day　be　turned　into　necessity：　if　so；　I　should　be　the　first　of
my　family　to　have　the　gout。

But　let　us　a　little　lengthen　this　chapter；　and　add　another　anecdote
concerning　blindness。　　Pliny　reports　of　one　who；　dreaming　he　was　blind；
found　himself　so　indeed　in　the　morning　without　any　preceding　infirmity　in
his　eyes。　　The　force　of　imagination　might　assist　in　this　case；　as　I　have
said　elsewhere；　and　Pliny　seems　to　be　of　the　same　opinion；　but　it　is　more
likely　that　the　motions　which　the　body　felt　within；　of　which　physicians；
if　they　please；　may　find　out　the　cause；　taking　away　his　sight；　were　the
occasion　of　his　dream。

Let　us　add　another　story；　not　very　improper　for　this　subject；　which
Seneca　relates　in　one　of　his　epistles：　〃You　know；〃　says　he；　writing　to
Lucilius；　〃that　Harpaste；　my　wife's　fool；　is　thrown　upon　me　as　an
hereditary　charge；　for　I　have　naturally　an　aversion　to　those　monsters；
and　if　I　have　a　mind　to　laugh　at　a　fool；　I　need　not　seek　him　far；　I　can
laugh　at　myself。　　This　fool　has　suddenly　lost　her　sight：　I　tell　you　a
strange；　but　a　very　true　thing　she　is　not　sensible　that　she　is　blind；　but
eternally　importunes　her　keeper　to　take　her　abroad；　because　she　says　the
house　is　dark。　　That　what　we　laugh　at　in　her；　I　pray　you　to　believe；
happens　to　every　one　of　us：　no　one　knows　himself　to　be　avaricious　or
grasping；　and；　again；　the　blind　call　for　a　guide；　while　we　stray　of　our
own　accord。　　I　am　not　ambitious；　we　say；　but　a　man　cannot　live　otherwise
at　Rome；　I　am　not　wasteful；　but　the　city　requires　a　great　outlay；　'tis
not　my　fault　if　I　am　cholericif　I　have　not　yet　established　any　certain
course　of　life：　'tis　the　fault　of　youth。　　Let　us　not　seek　our　disease　out
of　ourselves；　'tis　in　us；　and　planted　in　our　bowels；　and　the　mere　fact
that　we　do　not　perceive　ourselves　to　be　sick；　renders　us　more　hard　to　be
cured。　　If　we　do　not　betimes　begin　to　see　to　ourselves；　when　shall　we
have　provided　for　so　many　wounds　and　evils　wherewith　we　abound？　　And　yet
we　have　a　most　sweet　and　charming　medicine　in　philosophy；　for　of　all　the
rest　we　are　sensible　of　no　pleasure　till　after　the　cure：　this　pleases　and
heals　at　once。〃　　This　is　what　Seneca　says；　that　has　carried　me　from　my
subject；　but　there　is　advantage　in　the　change。




CHAPTER　XXVI

OF　THUMBS

Tacitus　reports；　that　amongst　certain　barbarian　kings　their　manner　was；
when　they　would　make　a　firm　obligation；　to　join　their　right　hands　close
to　one　another；　and　intertwist　their　thumbs；　and　when；　by　force　of
straining　the　blood；　it　appeared　in　the　ends；　they　lightly　pricked　them
with　some　sharp　instrument；　and　mutually　sucked　them。

Physicians　say　that　the　thumbs　are　the　master　fingers　of　the　hand；　and
that　their　Latin　etymology　is　derived　from　〃pollere。〃　The　Greeks　called
them　'Avtixeip'；　as　who　should　say；　another　hand。　　And　it　seems　that　the
Latins　also　sometimes　take　it　in　this　sense　for　the　whole　hand：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Sed　nec　vocibus　excitata　blandis；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Molli　pollici　nec　rogata；　surgit。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Neither　to　be　excited　by　soft　words　or　by　the　thumb。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Mart。；　xii。　98；　8。＇

It　was　at　Rome　a　signification　of　favour　to　depress　and　turn　in　the
thumbs：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Fautor　utroque　tuum　laudabit　pollice　ludum：〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Thy　patron　will　applaud　thy　sport　with　both　thumbs〃
　　　　　　　　　　Horace。＇

and　of　disfavour　to　elevate　and　thrust　them　outward：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Converso　pollice　vulgi；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quemlibet