the essays of montaigne, v2-第7部分

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some　certain　study　that　may　fix　and　restrain　them；　run　into　a　thousand
extravagances；　eternally　roving　here　and　there　in　the　vague　expanse　of
the　imagination

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Sicut　aqua　tremulum　labris　ubi　lumen　ahenis；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Sole　repercussum；　aut　radiantis　imagine　lunae；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Omnia　pervolitat　late　loca；　jamque　sub　auras
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Erigitur；　summique　ferit　laquearia　tecti。〃

　　　　　＇〃As　when　in　brazen　vats　of　water　the　trembling　beams　of　light；
　　　　　reflected　from　the　sun；　or　from　the　image　of　the　radiant　moon；
　　　　　swiftly　float　over　every　place　around；　and　now　are　darted　up　on
　　　　　high；　and　strike　the　ceilings　of　the　upmost　roof。〃
　　　　　AEneid；　viii。　22。＇

in　which　wild　agitation　there　is　no　folly；　nor　idle　fancy　they　do　not
light　upon：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Velut　aegri　somnia；　vanae
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Finguntur　species。〃

　　　　　＇〃As　a　sick　man's　dreams；　creating　vain　phantasms。〃
　　　　　Hor。；　De　Arte　Poetica；　7。＇

The　soul　that　has　no　established　aim　loses　itself；　for；　as　it　is　said

　　　　　　　　　　〃Quisquis　ubique　habitat；　Maxime；　nusquam　habitat。〃

　　　　　＇〃He　who　lives　everywhere；　lives　nowhere。〃Martial；　vii。　　73。＇

When　I　lately　retired　to　my　own　house；　with　a　resolution；　as　much　as
possibly　I　could；　to　avoid　all　manner　of　concern　in　affairs；　and　to　spend
in　privacy　and　repose　the　little　remainder　of　time　I　have　to　live；　I
fancied　I　could　not　more　oblige　my　mind　than　to　suffer　it　at　full　leisure
to　entertain　and　divert　itself；　which　I　now　hoped　it　might　henceforth　do；
as　being　by　time　become　more　settled　and　mature；　but　I　find

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Variam　semper　dant　otia　mentem；〃

　　　　　＇〃Leisure　ever　creates　varied　thought。〃Lucan；　iv。　704＇

that；　quite　contrary；　it　is　like　a　horse　that　has　broke　from　his　rider；
who　voluntarily　runs　into　a　much　more　violent　career　than　any　horseman
would　put　him　to；　and　creates　me　so　many　chimaeras　and　fantastic
monsters；　one　upon　another；　without　order　or　design；　that；　the　better　at
leisure　to　contemplate　their　strangeness　and　absurdity；　I　have　begun　to
commit　them　to　writing；　hoping　in　time　to　make　it　ashamed　of　itself。




CHAPTER　IX

OF　LIARS

There　is　not　a　man　living　whom　it　would　so　little　become　to　speak　from
memory　as　myself；　for　I　have　scarcely　any　at　all；　and　do　not　think　that
the　world　has　another　so　marvellously　treacherous　as　mine。　　My　other
faculties　are　all　sufficiently　ordinary　and　mean；　but　in　this　I　think
myself　very　rare　and　singular；　and　deserving　to　be　thought　famous。
Besides　the　natural　inconvenience　I　suffer　by　it　（for；　certes；　the
necessary　use　of　memory　considered；　Plato　had　reason　when　he　called　it　a
great　and　powerful　goddess）；　in　my　country；　when　they　would　say　a　man　has
no　sense；　they　say；　such　an　one　has　no　memory；　and　when　I　complain　of　the
defect　of　mine；　they　do　not　believe　me；　and　reprove　me；　as　though　I
accused　myself　for　a　fool：　not　discerning　the　difference　betwixt　memory
and　understanding；　which　is　to　make　matters　still　worse　for　me。　　But　they
do　me　wrong；　for　experience；　rather；　daily　shows　us；　on　the　contrary；
that　a　strong　memory　is　commonly　coupled　with　infirm　judgment。　　They　do；
me；　moreover　（who　am　so　perfect　in　nothing　as　in　friendship）；　a　great
wrong　in　this；　that　they　make　the　same　words　which　accuse　my　infirmity；
represent　me　for　an　ungrateful　person；　they　bring　my　affections　into
question　upon　the　account　of　my　memory；　and　from　a　natural　imperfection；
make　out　a　defect　of　conscience。　　〃He　has　forgot；〃　says　one；　〃this
request；　or　that　promise；　he　no　more　remembers　his　friends；　he　has　forgot
to　say　or　do；　or　conceal　such　and　such　a　thing；　for　my　sake。〃　　And；
truly；　I　am　apt　enough　to　forget　many　things；　but　to　neglect　anything　my
friend　has　given　me　in　charge；　I　never　do　it。　　And　it　should　be　enough；
methinks；　that　I　feel　the　misery　and　inconvenience　of　it；　without
branding　me　with　malice；　a　vice　so　contrary　to　my　humour。

However；　I　derive　these　comforts　from　my　infirmity：　first；　that　it　is　an
evil　from　which　principally　I　have　found　reason　to　correct　a　worse；　that
would　easily　enough　have　grown　upon　me；　namely；　ambition；　the　defect
being　intolerable　in　those　who　take　upon　them　public　affairs。　　That；　like
examples　in　the　progress　of　nature　demonstrate　to　us；　she　has　fortified
me　in　my　other　faculties　proportionably　as　she　has　left　me　unfurnished　in
this；　I　should　otherwise　have　been　apt　implicitly　to　have　reposed　my　mind
and　judgment　upon　the　bare　report　of　other　men；　without　ever　setting　them
to　work　upon　their　own　force；　had　the　inventions　and　opinions　of　others
been　ever　been　present　with　me　by　the　benefit　of　memory。　　That　by　this
means　I　am　not　so　talkative；　for　the　magazine　of　the　memory　is　ever
better　furnished　with　matter　than　that　of　the　invention。　　Had　mine　been
faithful　to　me；　I　had　ere　this　deafened　all　my　friends　with　my　babble；
the　subjects　themselves　arousing　and　stirring　up　the　little　faculty　I
have　of　handling　and　employing　them；　heating　and　distending　my　discourse；
which　were　a　pity：　as　I　have　observed　in　several　of　my　intimate　friends；
who；　as　their　memories　supply　them　with　an　entire　and　full　view　of
things；　begin　their　narrative　so　far　back；　and　crowd　it　with　so　many
impertinent　circumstances；　that　though　the　story　be　good　in　itself；　they
make　a　shift　to　spoil　it；　and　if　otherwise；　you　are　either　to　curse　the
strength　of　their　memory　or　the　weakness　of　their　judgment：　and　it　is　a
hard　thing　to　close　up　a　discourse；　and　to　cut　it　short；　when　you　have
once　started；　there　is　nothing　wherein　the　force　of　a　horse　is　so　much
seen　as　in　a　round　and　sudden　stop。　　I　see　even　those　who　are　pertinent
enough；　who　would；　but　cannot　stop　short　in　their　career；　for　whilst　they
are　seeking　out　a　handsome　period　to　conclude　with；　they　go　on　at　random；
straggling　about　upon　impertinent　trivialities；　as　men　staggering　upon
weak　legs。　　But；　above　all；　old　men　who　retain　the　memory　of　things　past；
and　forget　how　often　they　have　told　them；　are　dangerous　company；　and　I
have　known　stories　from　the　mouth　of　a　man　of　very　great　quality；
otherwise　very　pleasant　in　themselves；　become　very　wearisome　by　being
repeated　a　hundred　times　over　and　over　again　to　the　same　people。

Secondly；　that；　by　this　means；　I　the　less　remember　the　injuries　I　have
received；　insomuch　that；　as　the　ancient　said；＇Cicero；　Pro　Ligar。
c。　12。＇　I　should　have　a　register　of　injuries；　or　a　prompter；　as　Darius；
who；　that　he　might　not　forget　the　offence　he　had　received　from　those　of
Athens；　so　oft　as　he　sat　down　to　dinner；　ordered　one　of　his　pages　three
times　to　repeat　in　his　ear；　〃Sir；　remember　the　Athenians〃；＇Herod。；　v。
105。＇　and　then；　again；　the　places　which　I　revisit；　and　the　books　I　read
over　again；　still　smile　upon　me　with　a　fresh　novelty。

It　is　not　without　good　reason　said　〃that　he　who　has　not　a　good　memory
should　never　take　upon　him　the　trade　of　lying。〃　　I　know　very　well　that
the　grammarians　＇Nigidius；　Aulus　Gellius；　xi。　　ii；　Nonius；　v。　　80。＇
distinguish　betwixt　an　untruth　and　a　lie；　and　say　that　to　tell　an　untruth
is　to　tell　a　thing　that　is　false；　but　that　we　ourselves　believe　to　be
true；　and　that　the　definition　of　the　word　to　lie　in　Latin；　from　which　our
French　is　taken；　is　to　tell　a　thing　which　we　know　in　our　conscience　to　be
untrue；　and　it　is　of　this　last　sort　of　liars　only　that　I　now　speak。　　Now；
these　do　either　wholly　contrive　and　invent　the　untruths　they　utter；　or　so
alter　and　disguise　a　true　story　that　it　ends　in　a　lie。　　When　they
disguise　and　often　alter　the　same　story；　according　to　their　own　fancy；
'tis　very　hard　for　them；　at　one　time　or　another；　to　escape　being　trapped；
by　reason　that　the　real　truth　of　the　thing；　having　first　taken　possession
of　the　memory；　and　being　there　lodged　impressed　by　the　medium　of
knowledge　and　science；　it　will　be　difficult　that　it　should　not　represent
itself　to　the　imagination；　and　shoulder　out　falsehood；　which　cannot　there
have　so　sure　and　settled　footing　as　the　other；　and　the　circumstances　of
the　first　true　knowledge　evermore　running　in　their　minds；　will　be　apt　to
make　them　forget　those　that　are　illegitimate；　and　only；　forged　by　their
own　fancy。　　In　what　they；　wholly　invent；　forasmuch　as　there　is　no
contrary　impression　to　jostle　their　invention　there　seems　to　be　less
danger　of　tripping；　and　yet　even　this　by　reason　it　is　a　vain　body　and
without　any　hold；　is　very　apt　to　escape　the　memory；　if　it　be　not　well
assured。　　Of　which　I　had　very　pleasant　experience；　at　the　expense　of　such
as　profess　only　to　form　and　accommodate　their　speech　to　the　affair　they
have　in　hand；　or　to　humour　of　the　great　folks　to　whom　they　are　speaking；
for　the　circumstances　to　which　these　men　stick　not　to　enslave　their　faith
and　conscience　being　subject　to　several　changes；　their　language　must　vary
accordingly：　whence　it　happens　that　of　the　same　thing　they　tell　one　man
that　it　is　this；　and　another　that　it　is　that；　giving　it　several　colours；
which　men；　if　they　once　come　to　confer　notes；　and　find　out　the　cheat；
what　becomes　of　this　fine　art？　　To　which　may　be　added；　that　they　must　of
necessity　very　often　ridiculously　trap　themselves；　for　what　memory　can　be
sufficient　to　retain　so　many　different　shapes　as　they　have　forged　upon
one　and　the　same　subject？　　I　have　known　many　in　my　time　very　ambitious　of
the　repute　of　this　fine　wit；　but　they　do　not　see　that　if　they　have　the
reputation　of　it；　the　effect　can　no　longer　be。

In　plain　truth；　lying　is　an　accursed　vice。　　We　are　not　men；　nor　have
other　tie　upon　one　another；　but　by　our　word。　　If　we　did　but　discover　the
horror　and　gravity　of　it；　we　should　pursue　it　with　fire　and　sword；　and
more　justly　than　other　crimes。　　I　see　that　parents　commonly；　and　with
indiscretion　enough；　correct　their　children　for　little　innocent　faults；
and　torment　them　for　wanton　tricks；　that　have　neither　impression　nor
consequence；　whereas；　in　my　opinion；　lying　only；　and；　which　is　of
something　a　lower　form；　obstinacy；　are　the　faults　which　are　to　be
severely　whipped　out　of　them；　both　in　their　infancy　and　in　their
progress；　otherwise　they　grow　up　and　increase　with　them；　and　after　a
tongue　has　once　got　the　knack　of　lying；　'tis　not　to　be　imagined　how
impossible　it　is　to　reclaim　it　whence　it　comes　to　pass　that　w