the essays of montaigne, v10-第6部分

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crowd　for　his　father；　to　whom　he　is　first　led　by　his　natural　inclination。

Now；　to　consider　this　simple　reason　for　loving　our　children；　that　we　have
begot　them；　therefore　calling　them　our　second　selves；　it　appears；
methinks；　that　there　is　another　kind　of　production　proceeding　from　us；
that　is　of　no　less　recommendation：　for　that　which　we　engender　by　the
soul；　the　issue　of　our　understanding；　courage；　and　abilities；　springs
from　nobler　parts　than　those　of　the　body；　and　that　are　much　more　our　own：
we　are　both　father　and　mother　in　this　generation。　　These　cost　us　a　great
deal　more　and　bring　us　more　honour；　if　they　have　anything　of　good　in
them。　　For　the　value　of　our　other　children　is　much　more　theirs　than　ours；
the　share　we　have　in　them　is　very　little；　but　of　these　all　the　beauty；
all　the　grace　and　value；　are　ours；　and　also　they　more　vividly　represent
us　than　the　others。　　Plato　adds；　that　these　are　immortal　children　that
immortalise　and　deify　their　fathers；　as　Lycurgus；　Solon；　Minos。　　Now；
histories　being　full　of　examples　of　the　common　affection　of　fathers　to
their　children；　it　seems　not　altogether　improper　to　introduce　some　few　of
this　other　kind。　　Heliodorus；　that　good　bishop　of　Trikka；　rather　chose　to
lose　the　dignity；　profit；　and　devotion　of　so　venerable　a　prelacy；　than　to
lose　his　daughter；　a　daughter　that　continues　to　this　day　very　graceful
and　comely；　but；　peradventure；　a　little　too　curiously　and　wantonly
tricked；　and　too　amorous　for　an　ecclesiastical　and　sacerdotal　daughter。
There　was　one　Labienus　at　Rome；　a　man　of　great　worth　and　authority；　and
amongst　other　qualities　excellent　in　all　sorts　of　literature；　who　was；　as
I　take　it；　the　son　of　that　great　Labienus；　the　chief　of　Caesar's　captains
in　the　wars　of　Gaul；　and　who；　afterwards；　siding　with　Pompey　the　great；
so　valiantly　maintained　his　cause；　till　he　was　by　Caesar　defeated　in
Spain。　　This　Labienus；　of　whom　I　am　now　speaking；　had　several　enemies；
envious　of　his　good　qualities；　and；　tis　likely；　the　courtiers　and　minions
of　the　emperors　of　his　time　who　were　very　angry　at　his　freedom　and　the
paternal　humour　which　he　yet　retained　against　tyranny；　with　which　it　is
to　be　supposed　he　had　tinctured　his　books　and　writings。　　His　adversaries
prosecuted　several　pieces　he　had　published　before　the　magistrates　at
Rome；　and　prevailed　so　far　against　him；　as　to　have　them　condemned　to　the
fire。　　It　was　in　him　that　this　new　example　of　punishment　was　begun；　which
was　afterwards　continued　against　others　at　Rome；　to　punish　even　writing
and　studies　with　death。　　There　would　not　be　means　and　matter　enough　of
cruelty；　did　we　not　mix　with　them　things　that　nature　has　exempted　from
all　sense　and　suffering；　as　reputation　and　the　products　of　the　mind；　and
did　we　not　communicate　corporal　punishments　to　the　teachings　and
monuments　of　the　Muses。　　Now；　Labienus　could　not　suffer　this　loss；　nor
survive　these　his　so　dear　issue；　and　therefore　caused　himself　to　be
conveyed　and　shut　up　alive　in　the　monument　of　his　ancestors；　where　he
made　shift　to　kill　and　bury　himself　at　once。　　'Tis　hard　to　shew　a　more
vehement　paternal　affection　than　this。　　Cassius　Severus；　a　man　of　great
eloquence　and　his　very　intimate　friend；　seeing　his　books　burned；　cried
out　that　by　the　same　sentence　they　should　as　well　condemn　him　to　the　fire
too；　seeing　that　he　carried　in　his　memory　all　that　they　contained。　　The
like　accident　befel　Cremutius　Cordus；　who　being　accused　of　having　in　his
books　commended　Brutus　and　Cassius；　that　dirty；　servile；　and　corrupt
Senate；　worthy　a　worse　master　than　Tiberius；　condemned　his　writings　to
the　flame。　　He　was　willing　to　bear　them　company；　and　killed　himself　with
fasting。　　The　good　Lucan；　being　condemned　by　that　rascal　Nero；　at　the
last　gasp　of　his　life；　when　the　greater　part　of　his　blood　was　already
spent　through　the　veins　of　his　arms；　which　he　had　caused　his　physician　to
open　to　make　him　die；　and　when　the　cold　had　seized　upon　all　his
extremities；　and　began　to　approach　his　vital　parts；　the　last　thing　he　had
in　his　memory　was　some　of　the　verses　of　his　Battle　of　Phaysalia；　which　he
recited；　dying　with　them　in　his　mouth。　　What　was　this；　but　taking　a
tender　and　paternal　leave　of　his　children；　in　imitation　of　the
valedictions　and　embraces；　wherewith　we　part　from　ours；　when　we　come　to
die；　and　an　effect　of　that　natural　inclination；　that　suggests　to　our
remembrance　in　this　extremity　those　things　which　were　dearest　to　us
during　the　time　of　our　life？

Can　we　believe　that　Epicurus　who；　as　he　says　himself；　dying　of　the
intolerable　pain　of　the　stone；　had　all　his　consolation　in　the　beauty　of
the　doctrine　he　left　behind　him；　could　have　received　the　same
satisfaction　from　many　children；　though　never　so　well…conditioned　and
brought　up；　had　he　had　them；　as　he　did　from　the　production　of　so　many
rich　writings？　　Or　that；　had　it　been　in　his　choice　to　have　left　behind
him　a　deformed　and　untoward　child　or　a　foolish　and　ridiculous　book；　he；
or　any　other　man　of　his　understanding；　would　not　rather　have　chosen　to
have　run　the　first　misfortune　than　the　other？　　It　had　been；　for　example；
peradventure；　an　impiety　in　St。　Augustin；　if；　on　the　one　hand；　it　had
been　proposed　to　him　to　bury　his　writings；　from　which　religion　has
received　so　great　fruit；　or　on　the　other　to　bury　his　children；　had　he　had
them；　had　he　not　rather　chosen　to　bury　his　children。　　And　I　know　not
whether　I　had　not　much　rather　have　begot　a　very　beautiful　one；　through
society　with　the　Muses；　than　by　lying　with　my　wife。　　To　this；　such　as　it
is；　what　I　give　it　I　give　absolutely　and　irrevocably；　as　men　do　to　their
bodily　children。　　That　little　I　have　done　for　it；　is　no　more　at　my　own
disposal；　it　may　know　many　things　that　are　gone　from　me；　and　from　me　hold
that　which　I　have　not　retained；　and　which；　as　well　as　a　stranger；　I
should　borrow　thence；　should　I　stand　in　need。　　If　I　am　wiser　than　my
book；　it　is　richer　than　I。　　There　are　few　men　addicted　to　poetry；　who
would　not　be　much　prouder　to　be　the　father　to　the　AEneid　than　to　the
handsomest　youth　of　Rome；　and　who　would　not　much　better　bear　the　loss　of
the　one　than　of　the　other。　　For　according　to　Aristotle；　the　poet；　of　all
artificers；　is　the　fondest　of　his　work。　　'Tis　hard　to　believe　that
Epaminondas；　who　boasted　that　in　lieu　of　all　posterity　he　left　two
daughters　behind　him　that　would　one　day　do　their　father　honour　（meaning
the　two　victories　he　obtained　over　the　Lacedaemonians）；　would　willingly
have　consented　to　exchange　these　for　the　most　beautiful　creatures　of　all
Greece；　or　that　Alexander　or　Caesar　ever　wished　to　be　deprived　of　the
grandeur　of　their　glorious　exploits　in　war；　for　the　convenience　of
children　and　heirs；　how　perfect　and　accomplished　soever。　　Nay；　I　make　a
great　question；　whether　Phidias　or　any　other　excellent　sculptor　would　be
so　solicitous　of　the　preservation　and　continuance　of　his　natural
children；　as　he　would　be　of　a　rare　statue；　which　with　long　labour　and
study　he　had　perfected　according　to　art。　　And　to　those　furious　and
irregular　passions　that　have　sometimes　inflamed　fathers　towards　their　own
daughters；　and　mothers　towards　their　own　sons；　the　like　is　also　found　in
this　other　sort　of　parentage：　witness　what　is　related　of　Pygmalion　who；
having　made　the　statue　of　a　woman　of　singular　beauty；　fell　so
passionately　in　love　with　this　work　of　his；　that　the　gods　in　favour　of
his　passion　inspired　it　with　life。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Tentatum　mollescit　ebur；　positoque　rigore；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Subsidit　digitis。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　ivory　grows　soft　under　his　touch　and　yields　to　his　fingers。〃
　　　　　Ovid；　Metam。；　x。　283。＇




CHAPTER　IX

OF　THE　ARMS　OF　THE　PARTHIANS

'Tis　an　ill　custom　and　unmanly　that　the　gentlemen　of　our　time　have　got；
not　to　put　on　arms　but　just　upon　the　point　of　the　most　extreme　necessity；
and　to　lay　them　by　again；　so　soon　as　ever　there　is　any　show　of　the　danger
being　over；　hence　many　disorders　arise；　for　every　one　bustling　and
running　to　his　arms　just　when　he　should　go　to　charge；　has　his　cuirass　to
buckle　on　when　his　companions　are　already　put　to　rout。　　Our　ancestors
were　wont　to　give　their　head…piece；　lance　and　gauntlets　to　be　carried；
but　never　put　off　the　other　pieces　so　long　as　there　was　any　work　to　be
done。　　Our　troops　are　now　cumbered　and　rendered　unsightly　with　the
clutter　of　baggage　and　servants　who　cannot　be　from　their　masters；　by
reason　they　carry　their　arms。　　Titus　Livius　speaking　of　our　nation：

　　　　　〃Intolerantissima　laboris　corpora　vix　arma　humeris　gerebant。〃

　　　　　＇〃Bodies　most　impatient　of　labour　could　scarce　endure　to　wear
　　　　　their　arms　on　their　shoulders。〃Livy；　x。　28。＇

Many　nations　do　yet；　and　did　anciently；　go　to　war　without　defensive　arms；
or　with　such；　at　least；　as　were　of　very　little　proof：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Tegmina　queis　capitum；　raptus　de　subere　cortex。〃

　　　　　＇〃To　whom　the　coverings　of　the　heads　were　the　bark　of　the
　　　　　cork…tree。〃AEneid；　vii。　742。＇

Alexander；　the　most　adventurous　captain　that　ever　was；　very　seldom　wore
armour；　and　such　amongst　us　as　slight　it；　do　not　by　that　much　harm　to　the
main　concern；　for　if　we　see　some　killed　for　want　of　it；　there　are　few
less　whom　the　lumber　of　arms　helps　to　destroy；　either　by　being
overburthened；　crushed；　and　cramped　with　their　weight；　by　a　rude　shock；
or　otherwise。　　For；　in　plain　truth；　to　observe　the　weight　and　thickness
of　the　armour　we　have　now　in　use；　it　seems　as　if　we　only　sought　to　defend
ourselves；　and　are　rather　loaded　than　secured　by　it。　　We　have　enough　to
do　to　support　its　weight；　being　so　manacled　and　immured；　as　if　we　were
only　to　contend　with　our　own　arms；　and　as　if　we　had　not　the　same
obligation　to　defend　them；　that　they　have　to　defend　us。　　Tacitus　gives　a
pleasant　description　of　the　men…at…arms　among　our　ancient　Gauls；　who　were
so　armed　as　only　to　be　able　to　stand；　without　power　to　harm　or　to　be
harmed；　or　to　rise　again　if　once　struck　down。　　Lucullus；　seeing　certain
soldiers　of　the　Medes；　who　formed　the　van　of　Tigranes'　army；　heavily
armed　and　very　uneasy；　as　if　in　prisons　of　iron；　thence　conceived　hopes
with　great　ease　to　defeat　them；　and　by　them　began　his　charge　and　victory。
And　now　that　our　musketeers　are　in　credit；　I　believe　some　invention　will
be　found　out　to　immure　us　for　our　safety；　and