the essays of montaigne, v5-第6部分

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active；　generous；　and　not　a　viragoish；　but　a　manly　beauty；　in　comparison
of　a　soft；　delicate；　artificial　simpering；　and　affected　form；　the　one　in
the　habit　of　a　heroic　youth；　wearing　a　glittering　helmet；　the　other
tricked　up　in　curls　and　ribbons　like　a　wanton　minx；　he　will　then　look
upon　his　own　affection　as　brave　and　masculine；　when　he　shall　choose　quite
contrary　to　that　effeminate　shepherd　of　Phrygia。

Such　a　tutor　will　make　a　pupil　digest　this　new　lesson；　that　the　height
and　value　of　true　virtue　consists　in　the　facility；　utility；　and　pleasure
of　its　exercise；　so　far　from　difficulty；　that　boys；　as　well　as　men；　and
the　innocent　as　well　as　the　subtle；　may　make　it　their　own；　it　is　by
order；　and　not　by　force；　that　it　is　to　be　acquired。　　Socrates；　her　first
minion；　is　so　averse　to　all　manner　of　violence；　as　totally　to　throw　it
aside；　to　slip　into　the　more　natural　facility　of　her　own　progress；　'tis
the　nursing　mother　of　all　human　pleasures；　who　in　rendering　them　just；
renders　them　also　pure　and　permanent；　in　moderating　them；　keeps　them　in
breath　and　appetite；　in　interdicting　those　which　she　herself　refuses；
whets　our　desire　to　those　that　she　allows；　and；　like　a　kind　and　liberal
mother；　abundantly　allows　all　that　nature　requires；　even　to　satiety；　if
not　to　lassitude：　unless　we　mean　to　say　that　the　regimen　which　stops　the
toper　before　he　has　drunk　himself　drunk；　the　glutton　before　he　has　eaten
to　a　surfeit；　and　the　lecher　before　he　has　got　the　pox；　is　an　enemy　to
pleasure。　　If　the　ordinary　fortune　fail；　she　does　without　it；　and　forms
another；　wholly　her　own；　not　so　fickle　and　unsteady　as　the　other。　　She
can　be　rich；　be　potent　and　wise；　and　knows　how　to　lie　upon　soft　perfumed
beds：　she　loves　life；　beauty；　glory；　and　health；　but　her　proper　and
peculiar　office　is　to　know　how　to　regulate　the　use　of　all　these　good
things；　and　how　to　lose　them　without　concern：　an　office　much　more　noble
than　troublesome；　and　without　which　the　whole　course　of　life　is
unnatural；　turbulent；　and　deformed；　and　there　it　is　indeed；　that　men　may
justly　represent　those　monsters　upon　rocks　and　precipices。

If　this　pupil　shall　happen　to　be　of　so　contrary　a　disposition；　that　he
had　rather　hear　a　tale　of　a　tub　than　the　true　narrative　of　some　noble
expedition　or　some　wise　and　learned　discourse；　who　at　the　beat　of　drum；
that　excites　the　youthful　ardour　of　his　companions；　leaves　that　to　follow
another　that　calls　to　a　morris　or　the　bears；　who　would　not　wish；　and　find
it　more　delightful　and　more　excellent；　to　return　all　dust　and　sweat
victorious　from　a　battle；　than　from　tennis　or　from　a　ball；　with　the　prize
of　those　exercises；　I　see　no　other　remedy；　but　that　he　be　bound　prentice
in　some　good　town　to　learn　to　make　minced　pies；　though　he　were　the　son　of
a　duke；　according　to　Plato's　precept；　that　children　are　to　be　placed　out
and　disposed　of；　not　according　to　the　wealth；　qualities；　or　condition　of
the　father；　but　according　to　the　faculties　and　the　capacity　of　their　own
souls。

Since　philosophy　is　that　which　instructs　us　to　live；　and　that　infancy　has
there　its　lessons　as　well　as　other　ages；　why　is　it　not　communicated　to
children　betimes？

　　　　　　　　　〃Udum　et　molle　lutum　est；　nunc；　nunc　properandus；　et　acri
　　　　　　　　　　Fingendus　sine　fine　rota。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　clay　is　moist　and　soft：　now；　now　make　haste；　and　form　the
　　　　　pitcher　on　the　rapid　wheel。'Persius；　iii。　23。＇

They　begin　to　teach　us　to　live　when　we　have　almost　done　living。
A　hundred　students　have　got　the　pox　before　they　have　come　to　read
Aristotle's　lecture　on　temperance。　　Cicero　said；　that　though　he　should
live　two　men's　ages；　he　should　never　find　leisure　to　study　the　lyric
poets；　and　I　find　these　sophisters　yet　more　deplorably　unprofitable。
The　boy　we　would　breed　has　a　great　deal　less　time　to　spare；　he　owes　but
the　first　fifteen　or　sixteen　years　of　his　life　to　education；　the
remainder　is　due　to　action。　　Let　us；　therefore；　employ　that　short　time　in
necessary　instruction。　　Away　with　the　thorny　subtleties　of　dialectics；
they　are　abuses；　things　by　which　our　lives　can　never　be　amended：　take　the
plain　philosophical　discourses；　learn　how　rightly　to　choose；　and　then
rightly　to　apply　them；　they　are　more　easy　to　be　understood　than　one　of
Boccaccio's　novels；　a　child　from　nurse　is　much　more　capable　of　them；　than
of　learning　to　read　or　to　write。　　Philosophy　has　discourses　proper　for
childhood；　as　well　as　for　the　decrepit　age　of　men。

I　am　of　Plutarch's　mind；　that　Aristotle　did　not　so　much　trouble　his　great
disciple　with　the　knack　of　forming　syllogisms；　or　with　the　elements　of
geometry；　as　with　infusing　into　him　good　precepts　concerning　valour；
prowess；　magnanimity；　temperance；　and　the　contempt　of　fear；　and　with　this
ammunition；　sent　him；　whilst　yet　a　boy；　with　no　more　than　thirty　thousand
foot；　four　thousand　horse；　and　but　forty…two　thousand　crowns；　to
subjugate　the　empire　of　the　whole　earth。　　For　the　other　acts　and
sciences；　he　says；　Alexander　highly　indeed　commended　their　excellence　and
charm；　and　had　them　in　very　great　honour　and　esteem；　but　not　ravished
with　them　to　that　degree　as　to　be　tempted　to　affect　the　practice　of　them
In　his　own　person：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Petite　hinc；　juvenesque　senesque；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Finem　ammo　certum；　miserisque　viatica　canis。〃

　　　　　＇〃Young　men　and　old　men；　derive　hence　a　certain　end　to　the　mind；
　　　　　and　stores　for　miserable　grey　hairs。〃Persius；　v。　64。＇

Epicurus；　in　the　beginning　of　his　letter　to　Meniceus；＇Diogenes
Laertius；　x。　122。＇　says；　〃That　neither　the　youngest　should　refuse　to
philosophise；　nor　the　oldest　grow　weary　of　it。〃　　Who　does　otherwise；
seems　tacitly　to　imply；　that　either　the　time　of　living　happily　is
not　yet　come；　or　that　it　is　already　past。　　And　yet；　a　for　all　that；　I
would　not　have　this　pupil　of　ours　imprisoned　and　made　a　slave　to　his
book；　nor　would　I　have　him　given　up　to　the　morosity　and　melancholic
humour　of　a　sour　ill…natured　pedant。

I　would　not　have　his　spirit　cowed　and　subdued；　by　applying　him　to　the
rack；　and　tormenting　him；　as　some　do；　fourteen　or　fifteen　hours　a　day；
and　so　make　a　pack…horse　of　him。　　Neither　should　I　think　it　good；　when；
by　reason　of　a　solitary　and　melancholic　complexion；　he　is　discovered　to
be　overmuch　addicted　to　his　book；　to　nourish　that　humour　in　him；　for　that
renders　him　unfit　for　civil　conversation；　and　diverts　him　from　better
employments。　　And　how　many　have　I　seen　in　my　time　totally　brutified　by　an
immoderate　thirst　after　knowledge？　　Carneades　was　so　besotted　with　it；
that　he　would　not　find　time　so　much　as　to　comb　his　head　or　to　pare　his
nails。　　Neither　would　I　have　his　generous　manners　spoiled　and　corrupted
by　the　incivility　and　barbarism　of　those　of　another。　　The　French　wisdom
was　anciently　turned　into　proverb：　〃Early；　but　of　no　continuance。〃　　And；
in　truth；　we　yet　see；　that　nothing　can　be　more　ingenious　and　pleasing
than　the　children　of　France；　but　they　ordinarily　deceive　the　hope　and
expectation　that　have　been　conceived　of　them；　and　grown　up　to　be　men；
have　nothing　extraordinary　or　worth　taking　notice　of：　I　have　heard　men　of
good　understanding　say；　these　colleges　of　ours　to　which　we　send　our　young
people　（and　of　which　we　have　but　too　many）　make　them　such　animals　as　they
are。＇Hobbes　said　that　if　he　Had　been　at　college　as　long　as　other　people
he　should　have　been　as　great　a　blockhead　as　they。　W。C。H。＇　＇And　Bacon
before　Hobbe's　time　had　discussed　the　〃futility〃　of　university　teaching。
D。W。＇

But　to　our　little　monsieur；　a　closet；　a　garden；　the　table；　his　bed；
solitude；　and　company；　morning　and　evening；　all　hours　shall　be　the　same；
and　all　places　to　him　a　study；　for　philosophy；　who；　as　the　formatrix　of
judgment　and　manners；　shall　be　his　principal　lesson；　has　that　privilege
to　have　a　hand　in　everything。　　The　orator　Isocrates；　being　at　a　feast
entreated　to　speak　of　his　art；　all　the　company　were　satisfied　with　and
commended　his　answer：　　〃It　is　not　now　a　time；〃　said　he；　〃to　do　what　I　can
do；　and　that　which　it　is　now　time　to　do；　I　cannot　do。〃　＇Plutarch；
Symp。；　i。　I。＇　For　to　make　orations　and　rhetorical　disputes　in　a　company
met　together　to　laugh　and　make　good　cheer；　had　been　very　unreasonable　and
improper；　and　as　much　might　have　been　said　of　all　the　other　sciences。
But　as　to　what　concerns　philosophy；　that　part　of　it　at　least　that　treats
of　man；　and　of　his　offices　and　duties；　it　has　been　the　common　opinion　of
all　wise　men；　that；　out　of　respect　to　the　sweetness　of　her　conversation；
she　is　ever　to　be　admitted　in　all　sports　and　entertainments。　　And　Plato；
having　invited　her　to　his　feast；　we　see　after　how　gentle　and　obliging　a
manner；　accommodated　both　to　time　and　place；　she　entertained　the　company；
though　in　a　discourse　of　the　highest　and　most　important　nature：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Aeque　pauperibus　prodest；　locupletibus　aeque；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Et；　neglecta；　aeque　pueris　senibusque　nocebit。〃

　　　　　＇〃It　profits　poor　and　rich　alike；　but；　neglected；　equally　hurts　old
　　　　　and　young。〃Horace；　Ep。；　i。　25。＇

By　this　method　of　instruction；　my　young　pupil　will　be　much　more　and
better　employed　than　his　fellows　of　the　college　are。　　But　as　the　steps　we
take　in　walking　to　and　fro　in　a　gallery；　though　three　times　as　many；　do
not　tire　a　man　so　much　as　those　we　employ　in　a　formal　journey；　so　our
lesson；　as　it　were　accidentally　occurring；　without　any　set　obligation　of
time　or　place；　and　falling　naturally　into　every　action；　will　insensibly
insinuate　itself。　　By　which　means　our　very　exercises　and　recreations；
running；　wrestling；　music；　dancing；　hunting；　riding；　and　fencing；　will
prove　to　be　a　good　part　of　our　study。　　I　would　have　his　outward　fashion
and　mien；　and　the　disposition　of　his　limbs；　formed　at　the　same　time　with
his　mind。　　'Tis　not　a　soul；　'tis　not　a　body　that　we　are　training　up；　but
a　man；　and　we　ought　not　to　divide　him。　　And；　as　Plato　says；　we　are　not　to
fashion　one　without　the　other；　but　make　them　draw　together　like　two
horses　harnessed　to　a　coach。　　By　which　saying　of　his；　does　he　not　seem　to
allow　more　time　for；　and　to　take　more　care　of　exercises　for　the　body；　and
to　hold　that　the　mind；　in　a　good　proportion；　does　her　business　at　the
same　time　too？

As　to　the　rest；　this　method　of　education　ought　to　be　carried　on　with　a
severe　sweetness；