the essays of montaigne, v2-第6部分

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I　should　very　unwillingly　do　it　in　such　a　case；　as　it　should　thereby　be
judged　that　it　was　rather　an　effect　of　my　despair　and　want　of　courage
than　voluntarily　and　out　of　confidence　and　security　in　the　faith　of　him
with　whom　I　had　to　do。




CHAPTER　VI

THAT　THE　HOUR　OF　PARLEY　DANGEROUS

I　saw；　notwithstanding；　lately　at　Mussidan；　a　place　not　far　from　my
house；　that　those　who　were　driven　out　thence　by　our　army；　and　others　of
their　party；　highly　complained　of　treachery；　for　that　during　a　treaty　of
accommodation；　and　in　the　very　interim　that　their　deputies　were　treating；
they　were　surprised　and　cut　to　pieces：　a　thing　that；　peradventure；　in
another　age；　might　have　had　some　colour　of　foul　play；　but；　as　I　have　just
said；　the　practice　of　arms　in　these　days　is　quite　another　thing；　and
there　is　now　no　confidence　in　an　enemy　excusable　till　the　treaty　is
finally　sealed；　and　even　then　the　conqueror　has　enough　to　do　to　keep　his
word：　so　hazardous　a　thing　it　is　to　entrust　the　observation　of　the　faith
a　man　has　engaged　to　a　town　that　surrenders　upon　easy　and　favourable
conditions；　to　the　licence　of　a　victorious　army；　and　to　give　the　soldier
free　entrance　into　it　in　the　heat　of　blood。

Lucius　AEmilius　Regillus；　the　Roman　praetor；　having　lost　his　time　in
attempting　to　take　the　city　of　Phocaea　by　force；　by　reason　of　the
singular　valour　wherewith　the　inhabitants　defended　themselves；
conditioned；　at　last；　to　receive　them　as　friends　to　the　people　of　Rome；
and　to　enter　the　town；　as　into　a　confederate　city；　without　any　manner　of
hostility；　of　which　he　gave　them　all　assurance；　but　having；　for　the
greater　pomp；　brought　his　whole　army　in　with　him；　it　was　no　more　in　his
power；　with　all　the　endeavour　he　could　use；　to　restrain　his　people：　so
that；　avarice　and　revenge　trampling　under　foot　both　his　authority　and　all
military　discipline；　he　there　saw　a　considerable　part　of　the　city　sacked
and　ruined　before　his　face。

Cleomenes　was　wont　to　say；　〃that　what　mischief　soever　a　man　could　do　his
enemy　in　time　of　war　was　above　justice；　and　nothing　accountable　to　it　in
the　sight　of　gods　and　men。〃　　And　so；　having　concluded　a　truce　with　those
of　Argos　for　seven　days；　the　third　night　after　he　fell　upon　them　when
they　were　all　buried　in　sleep；　and　put　them　to　the　sword；　alleging　that
there　had　no　nights　been　mentioned　in　the　truce；　but　the　gods　punished
this　subtle　perfidy。

In　a　time　of　parley　also；　and　while　the　citizens　were　relying　upon　their
safety　warrant；　the　city　of　Casilinum　was　taken　by　surprise；　and　that
even　in　the　age　of　the　justest　captains　and　the　most　perfect　Roman
military　discipline；　for　it　is　not　said　that　it　is　not　lawful　for　us；　in
time　and　place；　to　make　advantage　of　our　enemies'　want　of　understanding；
as　well　as　their　want　of　courage。

And；　doubtless；　war　has　naturally　many　privileges　that　appear　reasonable
even　to　the　prejudice　of　reason。　　And　therefore　here　the　rule　fails；
〃Neminem　id　agere　ut　ex　alte　rius　praedetur　inscitia。〃＇〃No　one　should
preys　upon　another's　folly。〃Cicero；　De　0ffic。；　iii。　　17。＇　But　I　am
astonished　at　the　great　liberty　allowed　by　Xenophon　in　such　cases；　and
that　both　by　precept　and　by　the　example　of　several　exploits　of　his
complete　emperor；　an　author　of　very　great　authority；　I　confess；　in　those
affairs；　as　being　in　his　own　person　both　a　great　captain　and　a
philosopher　of　the　first　form　of　Socrates'　disciples；　and　yet　I　cannot
consent　to　such　a　measure　of　licence　as　he　dispenses　in　all　things　and
places。

Monsieur　d'Aubigny；　besieging　Capua；　and　after　having　directed　a　furious
battery　against　it；　Signor　Fabricio　Colonna；　governor　of　the　town；　having
from　a　bastion　begun　to　parley；　and　his　soldiers　in　the　meantime　being　a
little　more　remiss　in　their　guard；　our　people　entered　the　place　at
unawares；　and　put　them　all　to　the　sword。　　And　of　later　memory；　at　Yvoy；
Signor　Juliano　Romero　having　played　that　part　of　a　novice　to　go　out　to
parley　with　the　Constable；　at　his　return　found　his　place　taken。　　But；
that　we　might　not　scape　scot…free；　the　Marquess　of　Pescara　having　laid
siege　to　Genoa；　where　Duke　Ottaviano　Fregosa　commanded　under　our
protection；　and　the　articles　betwixt　them　being　so　far　advanced　that　it
was　looked　upon　as　a　done　thing；　and　upon　the　point　to　be　concluded；　the
Spaniards　in　the　meantime　having　slipped　in；　made　use　of　this　treachery
as　an　absolute　victory。　　And　since；　at　Ligny；　in　Barrois；　where　the　Count
de　Brienne　commanded；　the　emperor　having　in　his　own　person　beleaguered
that　place；　and　Bertheville；　the　said　Count's　lieutenant；　going　out　to
parley；　whilst　he　was　capitulating　the　town　was　taken。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Fu　il　vincer　sempremai　laudabil　cosa；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Vincasi　o　per　fortuna；　o　per　ingegno；〃

　　　　　＇〃Victory　is　ever　worthy　of　praise；　whether　obtained　by　valour　or
　　　　　wisdom。〃Ariosto；　xv。　　I。＇

But　the　philosopher　Chrysippus　was　of　another　opinion；　wherein　I　also
concur；　for　he　was　used　to　say　that　those　who　run　a　race　ought　to　employ
all　the　force　they　have　in　what　they　are　about；　and　to　run　as　fast　as
they　can；　but　that　it　is　by　no　means　fair　in　them　to　lay　any　hand　upon
their　adversary　to　stop　him；　nor　to　set　a　leg　before　him　to　throw　him
down。　　And　yet　more　generous　was　the　answer　of　that　great　Alexander　to
Polypercon　who　was　persuading　him　to　take　the　advantage　of　the　night's
obscurity　to　fall　upon　Darius。　　〃By　no　means；〃　said　be；　〃it　is　not　for
such　a　man　as　I　am　to　steal　a　victory；　'Malo　me　fortunae　poeniteat；　quam
victoria　pudeat。'〃＇〃I　had　rather　complain　of　ill…fortune　than　be
ashamed　of　victory。〃　　Quint。　Curt；　iv。　13＇

　　　　　　　　　〃Atque　idem　fugientem　baud　est　dignatus　Oroden
　　　　　　　　　　Sternere；　nec　jacta　caecum　dare　cuspide　vulnus
　　　　　　　　　　Obvius；　adversoque　occurrit；　seque　viro　vir
　　　　　　　　　　Contulit；　haud　furto　melior；　sed　fortibus　armis。〃

　　　　　＇〃He　deigned　not　to　throw　down　Orodes　as　he　fled；　or　with　the　darted
　　　　　spear　to　give　him　a　wound　unseen；　but　overtaking　him；　he　confronted
　　　　　him　face　to　face；　and　encountered　man　to　man：　superior；　not　in
　　　　　stratagem；　but　in　valiant　arms。〃AEneid；　x。　　732。＇




CHAPTER　VII

THAT　THE　INTENTION　IS　JUDGE　OF　OUR　ACTIONS

'Tis　a　saying；　〃That　death　discharges　us　of　all　our　obligations。〃　　I　know
some　who　have　taken　it　in　another　sense。　　Henry　VII。；　King　of　England；
articled　with　Don　Philip；　son　to　Maximilian　the　emperor；　or　（to　place　him
more　honourably）　father　to　the　Emperor　Charles　V。；　that　the　said　Philip
should　deliver　up　the　Duke　of　Suffolk　of　the　White　Rose；　his　enemy；　who
was　fled　into　the　Low　Countries；　into　his　hands；　which　Philip　accordingly
did；　but　upon　condition；　nevertheless；　that　Henry　should　attempt　nothing
against　the　life　of　the　said　Duke；　but　coming　to　die；　the　king　in　his
last　will　commanded　his　son　to　put　him　to　death　immediately　after　his
decease。　　And　lately；　in　the　tragedy　that　the　Duke　of　Alva　presented　to
us　in　the　persons　of　the　Counts　Horn　and　Egmont　at　Brussels；
＇Decapitated　4th　June　1568＇　there　were　very　remarkable　passages；　and
one　amongst　the　rest；　that　Count　Egmont　（upon　the　security　of　whose　word
and　faith　Count　Horn　had　come　and　surrendered　himself　to　the　Duke　of
Alva）　earnestly　entreated　that　he　might　first　mount　the　scaffold；　to　the
end　that　death　might　disengage　him　from　the　obligation　he　had　passed　to
the　other。　　In　which　case；　methinks；　death　did　not　acquit　the　former　of
his　promise；　and　that　the　second　was　discharged　from　it　without　dying。
We　cannot　be　bound　beyond　what　we　are　able　to　perform；　by　reason　that
effect　and　performance　are　not　at　all　in　our　power；　and　that；　indeed；　we
are　masters　of　nothing　but　the　will；　in　which；　by　necessity；　all　the
rules　and　whole　duty　of　mankind　are　founded　and　established：　therefore
Count　Egmont；　conceiving　his　soul　and　will　indebted　to　his　promise；
although　he　had　not　the　power　to　make　it　good；　had　doubtless　been
absolved　of　his　duty；　even　though　he　had　outlived　the　other；　but　the　King
of　England　wilfully　and　premeditately　breaking　his　faith；　was　no　more　to
be　excused　for　deferring　the　execution　of　his　infidelity　till　after　his
death　than　the　mason　in　Herodotus；　who　having　inviolably；　during　the　time
of　his　life；　kept　the　secret　of　the　treasure　of　the　King　of　Egypt；　his
master；　at　his　death　discovered　it　to　his　children。　＇Herod。；　ii。　　121。＇

I　have　taken　notice　of　several　in　my　time；　who；　convicted　by　their
consciences　of　unjustly　detaining　the　goods　of　another；　have　endeavoured
to　make　amends　by　their　will；　and　after　their　decease；　but　they　had　as
good　do　nothing；　as　either　in　taking　so　much　time　in　so　pressing　an
affair；　or　in　going　about　to　remedy　a　wrong　with　so　little
dissatisfaction　or　injury　to　themselves。　　They　owe；　over　and　above；
something　of　their　own；　and　by　how　much　their　payment　is　more　strict　and
incommodious　to　themselves；　by　so　much　is　their　restitution　more　just
meritorious。　　Penitency　requires　penalty；　but　they　yet　do　worse　than
these；　who　reserve　the　animosity　against　their　neighbour　to　the　last
gasp；　having　concealed　it　during　their　life；　wherein　they　manifest　little
regard　of　their　own　honour；　irritating　the　party　offended　in　their
memory；　and　less　to　their　the　power；　even　out　of　to　make　their　malice　die
with　them；　but　extending　the　life　of　their　hatred　even　beyond　their　own。
Unjust　judges；　who　defer　judgment　to　a　time　wherein　they　can　have　no
knowledge　of　the　cause！　　For　my　part；　I　shall　take　care；　if　I　can；　that
my　death　discover　nothing　that　my　life　has　not　first　and　openly　declared。




CHAPTER　VIII

OF　IDLENESS

As　we　see　some　grounds　that　have　long　lain　idle　and　untilled；　when　grown
rich　and　fertile　by　rest；　to　abound　with　and　spend　their　virtue　in　the
product　of　innumerable　sorts　of　weeds　and　wild　herbs　that　are
unprofitable；　and　that　to　make　them　perform　their　true　office；　we　are　to
cultivate　and　prepare　them　for　such　seeds　as　are　proper　for　our　service；
and　as　we　see　women　that；　without　knowledge　of　man；　do　sometimes　of
themselves　bring　forth　inanimate　and　formless　lumps　of　flesh；　but　that　to
cause　a　natural　and　perfect　generation　they　are　to　be　husbanded　with
another　kind　of　seed：　even　so　it　is　with　minds；　which　if　not　applied　to
some　certain　study　that　may　fix　and　restrain　them；　run