the essays of montaigne, v6-第6部分

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alive；　and　with　their　bloody　skins　clothe　and　disguise　others。　　Neither
are　we　without　great　examples　of　constancy　and　resolution　in　this　affair
the　poor　souls　that　are　to　be　sacrificed；　old　men；　women；　and　children；
themselves　going　about　some　days　before　to　beg　alms　for　the　offering　of
their　sacrifice；　presenting　themselves　to　the　slaughter；　singing　and
dancing　with　the　spectators。

The　ambassadors　of　the　king　of　Mexico；　setting　out　to　Fernando　Cortez　the
power　and　greatness　of　their　master；　after　having　told　him；　that　he　had
thirty　vassals；　of　whom　each　was　able　to　raise　an　hundred　thousand
fighting　men；　and　that　he　kept　his　court　in　the　fairest　and　best
fortified　city　under　the　sun；　added　at　last；　that　he　was　obliged　yearly
to　offer　to　the　gods　fifty　thousand　men。　　And　it　is　affirmed；　that　he
maintained　a　continual　war；　with　some　potent　neighbouring　nations；　not
only　to　keep　the　young　men　in　exercise；　but　principally　to　have
wherewithal　to　furnish　his　sacrifices　with　his　prisoners　of　war。　　At　a
certain　town　in　another　place；　for　the　welcome　of　the　said　Cortez；　they
sacrificed　fifty　men　at　once。　　I　will　tell　you　this　one　tale　more；　and　I
have　done；　some　of　these　people　being　beaten　by　him；　sent　to　acknowledge
him；　and　to　treat　with　him　of　a　peace；　whose　messengers　carried　him　three
sorts　of　gifts；　which　they　presented　in　these　terms：　〃Behold；　lord；　here
are　five　slaves：　if　thou　art　a　furious　god　that　feedeth　upon　flesh　and
blood；　eat　these；　and　we　will　bring　thee　more；　if　thou　art　an　affable
god；　behold　here　incense　and　feathers；　but　if　thou　art　a　man；　take　these
fowls　and　these　fruits　that　we　have　brought　thee。〃




CHAPTER　XXX

OF　CANNIBALS

When　King　Pyrrhus　invaded　Italy；　having　viewed　and　considered　the　order
of　the　army　the　Romans　sent　out　to　meet　him；　〃I　know　not；〃　said　he；
〃what　kind　of　barbarians〃　（for　so　the　Greeks　called　all　other　nations）
〃these　may　be；　but　the　disposition　of　this　army　that　I　see　has　nothing　of
barbarism　in　it。〃　＇Plutarch；　Life　of　Pyrrhus；　c。　8。＇　As　much　said　the
Greeks　of　that　which　Flaminius　brought　into　their　country；　and　Philip；
beholding　from　an　eminence　the　order　and　distribution　of　the　Roman　camp
formed　in　his　kingdom　by　Publius　Sulpicius　Galba；　spake　to　the　same
effect。　　By　which　it　appears　how　cautious　men　ought　to　be　of　taking
things　upon　trust　from　vulgar　opinion；　and　that　we　are　to　judge　by　the
eye　of　reason；　and　not　from　common　report。

I　long　had　a　man　in　my　house　that　lived　ten　or　twelve　years　in　the　New
World；　discovered　in　these　latter　days；　and　in　that　part　of　it　where
Villegaignon　landed；＇At　Brazil；　in　1557。＇　which　he　called　Antarctic
France。　　This　discovery　of　so　vast　a　country　seems　to　be　of　very　great
consideration。　　I　cannot　be　sure；　that　hereafter　there　may　not　be
another；　so　many　wiser　men　than　we　having　been　deceived　in　this。　　I　am
afraid　our　eyes　are　bigger　than　our　bellies；　and　that　we　have　more
curiosity　than　capacity；　for　we　grasp　at　all；　but　catch　nothing　but　wind。

Plato　brings　in　Solon；　＇In　Timaeus。＇　telling　a　story　that　he　had
heard　from　the　priests　of　Sais　in　Egypt；　that　of　old；　and　before　the
Deluge；　there　was　a　great　island　called　Atlantis；　situate　directly　at　the
mouth　of　the　straits　of　Gibraltar；　which　contained　more　countries　than
both　Africa　and　Asia　put　together；　and　that　the　kings　of　that　country；
who　not　only　possessed　that　Isle；　but　extended　their　dominion　so　far　into
the　continent　that　they　had　a　country　of　Africa　as　far　as　Egypt；　and
extending　in　Europe　to　Tuscany；　attempted　to　encroach　even　upon　Asia；　and
to　subjugate　all　the　nations　that　border　upon　the　Mediterranean　Sea；　as
far　as　the　Black　Sea；　and　to　that　effect　overran　all　Spain；　the　Gauls；
and　Italy；　so　far　as　to　penetrate　into　Greece；　where　the　Athenians
stopped　them：　but　that　some　time　after；　both　the　Athenians；　and　they　and
their　island；　were　swallowed　by　the　Flood。

It　is　very　likely　that　this　extreme　irruption　and　inundation　of　water
made　wonderful　changes　and　alterations　in　the　habitations　of　the　earth；
as　'tis　said　that　the　sea　then　divided　Sicily　from　Italy

　　　　　　　　　〃Haec　loca；　vi　quondam　et　vasta　convulsa　ruina；
　　　　　　　　　　Dissiluisse　ferunt；　quum　protenus　utraque　tellus
　　　　　　　　　　Una　foret〃

　　　　　＇〃These　lands；　they　say；　formerly　with　violence　and　vast　desolation
　　　　　convulsed；　burst　asunder；　where　erewhile　were。〃AEneid；　iii。　414。＇

Cyprus　from　Syria；　the　isle　of　Negropont　from　the　continent　of　Beeotia；
and　elsewhere　united　lands　that　were　separate　before；　by　filling　up　the
channel　betwixt　them　with　sand　and　mud：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Sterilisque　diu　palus；　aptaque　remis；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Vicinas　urbes　alit；　et　grave　sentit　aratrum。〃

　　　　　＇〃That　which　was　once　a　sterile　marsh；　and　bore　vessels　on　its
　　　　　bosom；　now　feeds　neighbouring　cities；　and　admits　the　plough。〃
　　　　　Horace；　De　Arte　Poetica；　v。　65。＇

But　there　is　no　great　appearance　that　this　isle　was　this　New　World　so
lately　discovered：　for　that　almost　touched　upon　Spain；　and　it　were　an
incredible　effect　of　an　inundation；　to　have　tumbled　back　so　prodigious　a
mass；　above　twelve　hundred　leagues：　besides　that　our　modern　navigators
have　already　almost　discovered　it　to　be　no　island；　but　terra　firma；　and
continent　with　the　East　Indies　on　the　one　side；　and　with　the　lands　under
the　two　poles　on　the　other　side；　or；　if　it　be　separate　from　them；　it　is
by　so　narrow　a　strait　and　channel；　that　it　none　the　more　deserves　the
name　of　an　island　for　that。

It　should　seem；　that　in　this　great　body；　there　are　two　sorts　of　motions；
the　one　natural　and　the　other　febrific；　as　there　are　in　ours。　　When　I
consider　the　impression　that　our　river　of　Dordogne　has　made　in　my　time　on
the　right　bank　of　its　descent；　and　that　in　twenty　years　it　has　gained　so
much；　and　undermined　the　foundations　of　so　many　houses；　I　perceive　it　to
be　an　extraordinary　agitation：　for　had　it　always　followed　this　course；
or　were　hereafter　to　do　it；　the　aspect　of　the　world　would　be　totally
changed。　　But　rivers　alter　their　course；　sometimes　beating　against　the
one　side；　and　sometimes　the　other；　and　some　times　quietly　keeping　the
channel。　　I　do　not　speak　of　sudden　inundations；　the　causes　of　which
everybody　understands。　　In　Medoc；　by　the　seashore；　the　Sieur　d'Arsac；　my
brother；　sees　an　estate　he　had　there；　buried　under　the　sands　which　the
sea　vomits　before　it：　where　the　tops　of　some　houses　are　yet　to　be　seen；
and　where　his　rents　and　domains　are　converted　into　pitiful　barren
pasturage。　　The　inhabitants　of　this　place　affirm；　that　of　late　years　the
sea　has　driven　so　vehemently　upon　them；　that　they　have　lost　above　four
leagues　of　land。　　These　sands　are　her　harbingers：　and　we　now　see　great
heaps　of　moving　sand；　that　march　half　a　league　before　her；　and　occupy　the
land。

The　other　testimony　from　antiquity；　to　which　some　would　apply　this
discovery　of　the　New　World；　is　in　Aristotle；　at　least；　if　that　little
book　of　Unheard　of　Miracles　be　his　＇one　of　the　spurious　publications
brought　out　under　his　name　D。W。＇。　　He　there　tells　us；　that　certain
Carthaginians；　having　crossed　the　Atlantic　Sea　without　the　Straits　of
Gibraltar；　and　sailed　a　very　long　time；　discovered　at　last　a　great　and
fruitful　island；　all　covered　over　with　wood；　and　watered　with　several
broad　and　deep　rivers；　far　remote　from　all　terra　firma；　and　that　they；
and　others　after　them；　allured　by　the　goodness　and　fertility　of　the　soil；
went　thither　with　their　wives　and　children；　and　began　to　plant　a　colony。
But　the　senate　of　Carthage　perceiving　their　people　by　little　and　little
to　diminish；　issued　out　an　express　prohibition；　that　none；　upon　pain　of
death；　should　transport　themselves　thither；　and　also　drove　out　these　new
inhabitants；　fearing；　'tis　said；　lest'　in　process　of　time　they　should　so
multiply　as　to　supplant　themselves　and　ruin　their　state。　　But　this
relation　of　Aristotle　no　more　agrees　with　our　new…found　lands　than　the
other。

This　man　that　I　had　was　a　plain　ignorant　fellow；　and　therefore　the　more
likely　to　tell　truth：　for　your　better…bred　sort　of　men　are　much　more
curious　in　their　observation；　'tis　true；　and　discover　a　great　deal　more；
but　then　they　gloss　upon　it；　and　to　give　the　greater　weight　to　what　they
deliver；　and　allure　your　belief；　they　cannot　forbear　a　little　to　alter
the　story；　they　never　represent　things　to　you　simply　as　they　are；　but
rather　as　they　appeared　to　them；　or　as　they　would　have　them　appear　to
you；　and　to　gain　the　reputation　of　men　of　judgment；　and　the　better　to
induce　your　faith；　are　willing　to　help　out　the　business　with　something
more　than　is　really　true；　of　their　own　invention。　　Now　in　this　case；　we
should　either　have　a　man　of　irreproachable　veracity；　or　so　simple　that　he
has　not　wherewithal　to　contrive；　and　to　give　a　colour　of　truth　to　false
relations；　and　who　can　have　no　ends　in　forging　an　untruth。　　Such　a　one
was　mine；　and　besides；　he　has　at　divers　times　brought　to　me　several
seamen　and　merchants　who　at　the　same　time　went　the　same　voyage。　　I　shall
therefore　content　myself　with　his　information；　without　inquiring　what　the
cosmographers　say　to　the　business。　　We　should　have　topographers　to　trace
out　to　us　the　particular　places　where　they　have　been；　but　for　having　had
this　advantage　over　us；　to　have　seen　the　Holy　Land；　they　would　have　the
privilege；　forsooth；　to　tell　us　stories　of　all　the　other　parts　of　the
world　beside。　　I　would　have　every　one　write　what　he　knows；　and　as　much　as
he　knows；　but　no　more；　and　that　not　in　this　only　but　in　all　other
subjects；　for　such　a　person　may　have　some　particular　knowledge　and
experience　of　the　nature　of　such　a　river；　or　such　a　fountain；　who；　as　to
other　things；　knows　no　more　than　what　everybody　does；　and　yet　to　give　a
currency　to　his　little　pittance　of　learning；　will　undertake　to　write　the
whole　body　of　physics：　a　vice　from　which　great　inconveniences　derive
their　original。

Now；　to　return　to　my　subject；　I　find　that　there　is　nothing　barbarous　and
savage　in　this　nation；　by　anything　that　I　can　gather；　excepting；　that
every　one　gives　the　title　of　barbarism　to　everything　that　is　not　in　use
in　his　own　country。　　As；　indeed；　we　have　no　other　level　of　truth　and
reason　than　the　example　and　idea　of　the　opinions　and　customs　of　the　place
wherein