the essays of montaigne, v1-第5部分

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heard　him　pronounce　some　very　remarkable　opinions　on　contemporary　events；
and　he　adds　that　Montaigne　had　foreseen　that　the　troubles　in　France　could
not　end　without　witnessing　the　death　of　either　the　King　of　Navarre　or　of
the　Duke　of　Guise。　　He　had　made　himself　so　completely　master　of　the　views
of　these　two　princes；　that　he　told　De　Thou　that　the　King　of　Navarre　would
have　been　prepared　to　embrace　Catholicism；　if　he　had　not　been　afraid　of
being　abandoned　by　his　party；　and　that　the　Duke　of　Guise；　on　his　part；
had　no　particular　repugnance　to　the　Confession　of　Augsburg；　for　which　the
Cardinal　of　Lorraine；　his　uncle；　had　inspired　him　with　a　liking；　if　it
had　not　been　for　the　peril　involved　in　quitting　the　Romish　communion。　　It
would　have　been　easy　for　Montaigne　to　play；　as　we　call　it；　a　great　part
in　politics；　and　create　for　himself　a　lofty　position　but　his　motto　was；
'Otio　et　Libertati'；　and　he　returned　quietly　home　to　compose　a　chapter
for　his　next　edition　on　inconveniences　of　Greatness。

The　author　of　the　Essays　was　now　fifty…five。　　The　malady　which　tormented
him　grew　only　worse　and　worse　with　years；　and　yet　he　occupied　himself
continually　with　reading；　meditating；　and　composition。　　He　employed　the
years　1589；　1590；　and　1591　in　making　fresh　additions　to　his　book；　and
even　in　the　approaches　of　old　age　he　might　fairly　anticipate　many　happy
hours；　when　he　was　attacked　by　quinsy；　depriving　him　of　the　power
utterance。　　Pasquier；　who　has　left　us　some　details　　his　last　hours；
narrates　that　he　remained　three　days　in　full　possession　of　his　faculties；
but　unable　to　speak；　so　that；　in　order　to　make　known　his　desires；　he　was
obliged　to　resort　to　writing；　and　as　he　felt　his　end　drawing　near；　he
begged　his　wife　to　summon　certain　of　the　gentlemen　who　lived　in　the
neighbourhood　to　bid　them　a　last　farewell。　　When　they　had　arrived；　he
caused　mass　to　be　celebrated　in　apartment；　and　just　as　the　priest　was
elevating　the　host；　Montaigne　fell　forward　with　his　arms　extended　in
front　of　him；　on　the　bed；　and　so　expired。　　He　was　in　his　sixtieth　year。
It　was　the　13th　September　1592。

Montaigne　was　buried　near　his　own　house；　but　a　few　years　after　his
decease；　his　remains　were　removed　to　the　church　of　a　Commandery　of　St。
Antoine　at　Bordeaux；　where　they　still　continue。　　His　monument　was
restored　in　1803　by　a　descendant。　　It　was　seen　about　1858　by　an　English
traveller　（Mr。　St。　　John）。'＇〃Montaigne　the　Essayist；〃　by　Bayle　St。
John；　1858；　2　vols。　　8vo；　is　one　of　most　delightful　books　of　the　kind。＇
and　was　then　in　good　preservation。

In　1595　Mademoiselle　de　Gournay　published　a　new　edition　of　Montaigne's
Essays；　and　the　first　with　the　latest　emendations　of　the　author；　from　a
copy　presented　to　her　by　his　widow；　and　which　has　not　been　recovered；
although　it　is　known　to　have　been　in　existence　some　years　after　the　date
of　the　impression；　made　on　its　authority。

Coldly　as　Montaigne's　literary　productions　appear　to　have　been　received
by　the　generation　immediately　succeeding　his　own　age；　his　genius　grew
into　just　appreciation　in　the　seventeenth　century；　when　such　great
spirits　arose　as　La　Bruyere；　Moliere；　La　Fontaine；　Madame　de　Sevigne。
〃O；〃　exclaimed　the　Chatelaine　des　Rochers；　〃what　capital　company　he　is；
the　dear　man！　　he　is　my　old　friend；　and　just　for　the　reason　that　he　is
so；　he　always　seems　new。　　My　God！　　how　full　is　that　book　of　sense！〃
Balzac　said　that　he　had　carried　human　reason　as　far　and　as　high　as　it
could　go；　both　in　politics　and　in　morals。　　On　the　other　hand；　Malebranche
and　the　writers　of　Port　Royal　were　against　him；　some　reprehended　the
licentiousness　of　his　writings；　others　their　impiety；　materialism；
epicureanism。　　Even　Pascal；　who　had　carefully　read　the　Essays；　and　gained
no　small　profit　by　them；　did　not　spare　his　reproaches。　　But　Montaigne　has
outlived　detraction。　　As　time　has　gone　on；　his　admirers　and　borrowers
have　increased　in　number；　and　his　Jansenism；　which　recommended　him　to　the
eighteenth　century；　may　not　be　his　least　recommendation　in　the
nineteenth。　　Here　we　have　certainly；　on　the　whole；　a　first…class　man；　and
one　proof　of　his　masterly　genius　seems　to　be；　that　his　merits　and　his
beauties　are　sufficient　to　induce　us　to　leave　out　of　consideration
blemishes　and　faults　which　would　have　been　fatal　to　an　inferior　writer。






　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　LETTERS　OF　MONTAIGNE。


I。

To　Monsieur　de　MONTAIGNE

＇This　account　of　the　death　of　La　Boetie　begins　imperfectly。　　It　first
appeared　in　a　little　volume　of　Miscellanies　in　1571。　　See　Hazlitt；　ubi
sup。　　p。　　630。＇〃。。。。As　to　his　last　words；　doubtless；　if　any　man　can
give　good　account　of　them；　it　is　I；　both　because；　during　the　whole　of　his
sickness　he　conversed　as　fully　with　me　as　with　any　one；　and　also　because；
in　consequence　of　the　singular　and　brotherly　friendship　which　we　had
entertained　for　each　other；　I　was　perfectly　acquainted　with　the
intentions；　opinions；　and　wishes　which　he　had　formed　in　the　course　of　his
life；　as　much　so；　certainly；　as　one　man　can　possibly　be　with　those　of
another　man；　and　because　I　knew　them　to　be　elevated；　virtuous；　full　of
steady　resolution；　and　（after　all　said）　admirable。　　I　well　foresaw　that；
if　his　illness　permitted　him　to　express　himself；　he　would　allow　nothing
to　fall　from　him；　in　such　an　extremity；　that　was　not　replete　with　good
example。　　I　consequently　took　every　care　in　my　power　to　treasure　what　was
said。　　True　it　is；　Monseigneur；　as　my　memory　is　not　only　in　itself　very
short；　but　in　this　case　affected　by　the　trouble　which　I　have　undergone；
through　so　heavy　and　important　a　loss；　that　I　have　forgotten　a　number　of
things　which　I　should　wish　to　have　had　known；　but　those　which　I　recollect
shall　be　related　to　you　as　exactly　as　lies　in　my　power。　　For　to　represent
in　full　measure　his　noble　career　suddenly　arrested；　to　paint　to　you　his
indomitable　courage；　in　a　body　worn　out　and　prostrated　by　pain　and　the
assaults　of　death；　I　confess；　would　demand　a　far　better　ability　than
mine：　because；　although；　when　in　former　years　he　discoursed　on　serious
and　important　matters；　he　handled　them　in　such　a　manner　that　it　was
difficult　to　reproduce　exactly　what　he　said；　yet　his　ideas　and　his　words
at　the　last　seemed　to　rival　each　other　in　serving　him。　　For　I　am　sure
that　I　never　knew　him　give　birth　to　such　fine　conceptions；　or　display　so
much　eloquence；　as　in　the　time　of　his　sickness。　　If；　Monseigneur；　you
blame　me　for　introducing　his　more　ordinary　observations；　please　to　know
that　I　do　so　advisedly；　for　since　they　proceeded　from　him　at　a　season　of
such　great　trouble；　they　indicate　the　perfect　tranquillity　of　his　mind
and　thoughts　to　the　last。

On　Monday；　the　9th　day　of　August　1563；　on　my　return　from　the　Court；　I
sent　an　invitation　to　him　to　come　and　dine　with　me。　　He　returned　word
that　he　was　obliged；　but；　being　indisposed；　he　would　thank　me　to　do　him
the　pleasure　of　spending　an　hour　with　him　before　he　started　for　Medoc。
Shortly　after　my　dinner　I　went　to　him。　　He　had　laid　himself　down　on　the
bed　with　his　clothes　on；　and　he　was　already；　I　perceived；　much　changed。
He　complained　of　diarrhoea；　accompanied　by　the　gripes；　and　said　that　he
had　it　about　him　ever　since　he　played　with　M。　d'Escars　with　nothing　but
his　doublet　on；　and　that　with　him　a　cold　often　brought　on　such　attacks。
I　advised　him　to　go　as　he　had　proposed；　but　to　stay　for　the　night　at
Germignac；　which　is　only　about　two　leagues　from　the　town。　　I　gave　him
this　advice；　because　some　houses；　near　to　that　where　he　was　ping；　were
visited　by　the　plague；　about　which　he　was　nervous　since　his　return　from
Perigord　and　the　Agenois；　here　it　had　been　raging；　and；　besides；　horse
exercise　was；　from　my　own　experience；　beneficial　under　similar
circumstances。　　He　set　out；　accordingly；　with　his　wife　and　M。
Bouillhonnas；　his　uncle。

Early　on　the　following　morning；　however；　I　had　intelligence　from　Madame
de　la　Boetie；　that　in　the　night　he　had　fresh　and　violent　attack　of
dysentery。　　She　had　called　in　physician　and　apothecary；　and　prayed　me　to
lose　no　time　coming；　which　（after　dinner）　I　did。　　He　was　delighted　to　see
me；　and　when　I　was　going　away；　under　promise　to　turn　the　following　day；
he　begged　me　more　importunately　and　affectionately　than　he　was　wont　to
do；　to　give　him　as　such　of　my　company　as　possible。　　I　was　a　little
affected；　yet　was　about　to　leave；　when　Madame　de　la　Boetie；　as　if　she
foresaw　something　about　to　happen；　implored　me　with　tears　to　stay　the
night。　　When　I　consented；　he　seemed　to　grow　more　cheerful。　　I　returned
home　the　next　day；　and　on　the　Thursday　I　paid　him　another　visit。　　He　had
become　worse；　and　his　loss　of　blood　from　the　dysentery；　which　reduced　his
strength　very　much；　was　largely　on　the　increase。　　I　quitted　his　side　on
Friday；　but　on　Saturday　I　went　to　him；　and　found　him　very　weak。　　He　then
gave　me　to　understand　that　his　complaint　was　infectious；　and；　moreover；
disagreeable　and　depressing；　and　that　he；　knowing　thoroughly　my
constitution；　desired　that　I　should　content　myself　with　coming　to　see　him
now　and　then。　　On　the　contrary；　after　that　I　never　left　his　side。

It　was　only　on　the　Sunday　that　he　began　to　converse　with　me　on　any
subject　beyond　the　immediate　one　of　his　illness；　and　what　the　ancient
doctors　thought　of　it：　we　had　not　touched　on　public　affairs；　for　I　found
at　the　very　outset　that　he　had　a　dislike　to　them。

But；　on　the　Sunday；　he　had　a　fainting　fit；　and　when　he　came　to　himself；
he　told　me　that　everything　seemed　to　him　confused；　as　if　in　a　mist　and　in
disorder；　and　that；　nevertheless；　this　visitation　was　not　unpleasing　to
him。　　〃Death；〃　I　replied；　〃has　no　worse　sensation；　my　brother。〃　　〃None　so
bad；〃　was　his　answer。　　He　had　had　no　regular　sleep　since　the　beginning　of
his　illness；　and　as　he　became　worse　and　worse；　he　began　to　turn　his
attention　to　questions　which　men　commonly　occupy　themselves　with　in　the
last　extremity；　despairing　now　of　getting　better；　and　intimating　as　much
to　me。　　On　that　day；　as　he　appeared　in　tolerably　good　spirits；　I　took
occasion　to　say　to　him　that；　in　consideration　of　the　singular　love　I　bore
him；　it　would　become　me　to　take　care　that　his　affairs；　which　he　had
conducted　with　such　rare　prudence　in　his　life；　should　not　be　neglected　at
present；　and　that　I