the essays of montaigne, v6-第7部分

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reason　than　the　example　and　idea　of　the　opinions　and　customs　of　the　place
wherein　we　live：　there　is　always　the　perfect　religion；　there　the　perfect
government；　there　the　most　exact　and　accomplished　usage　of　all　things。
They　are　savages　at　the　same　rate　that　we　say　fruits　are　wild；　which
nature　produces　of　herself　and　by　her　own　ordinary　progress；　whereas；　in
truth；　we　ought　rather　to　call　those　wild　whose　natures　we　have　changed
by　our　artifice　and　diverted　from　the　common　order。　　In　those；　the
genuine；　most　useful；　and　natural　virtues　and　properties　are　vigorous　and
sprightly；　which　we　have　helped　to　degenerate　in　these；　by　accommodating
them　to　the　pleasure　of　our　own　corrupted　palate。　　And　yet　for　all　this；
our　taste　confesses　a　flavour　and　delicacy　excellent　even　to　emulation　of
the　best　of　ours；　in　several　fruits　wherein　those　countries　abound
without　art　or　culture。　　Neither　is　it　reasonable　that　art　should　gain
the　pre…eminence　of　our　great　and　powerful　mother　nature。　　We　have　so
surcharged　her　with　the　additional　ornaments　and　graces　we　have　added　to
the　beauty　and　riches　of　her　own　works　by　our　inventions；　that　we　have
almost　smothered　her；　yet　in　other　places；　where　she　shines　in　her　own
purity　and　proper　lustre；　she　marvellously　baffles　and　disgraces　all　our
vain　and　frivolous　attempts：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Et　veniunt　hederae　sponte　sua　melius；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Surgit　et　in　solis　formosior　arbutus　antris；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Et　volucres　nulls　dulcius　arte　canunt。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　ivy　grows　best　spontaneously；　the　arbutus　best　in　shady　caves；
　　　　　and　the　wild　notes　of　birds　are　sweeter　than　art　can　teach。
　　　　　〃Propertius；　i。　2；　10。＇

Our　utmost　endeavours　cannot　arrive　at　so　much　as　to　imitate　the　nest　of
the　least　of　birds；　its　contexture；　beauty；　and　convenience：　not　so　much
as　the　web　of　a　poor　spider。

All　things；　says　Plato；＇Laws；　10。＇　are　produced　either　by　nature；　by
fortune；　or　by　art；　the　greatest　and　most　beautiful　by　the　one　or　the
other　of　the　former；　the　least　and　the　most　imperfect　by　the　last。

These　nations　then　seem　to　me　to　be　so　far　barbarous；　as　having　received
but　very　little　form　and　fashion　from　art　and　human　invention；　and
consequently　to　be　not　much　remote　from　their　original　simplicity。　　The
laws　of　nature；　however；　govern　them　still；　not　as　yet　much　vitiated　with
any　mixture　of　ours：　but　'tis　in　such　purity；　that　I　am　sometimes
troubled　we　were　not　sooner　acquainted　with　these　people；　and　that　they
were　not　discovered　in　those　better　times；　when　there　were　men　much　more
able　to　judge　of　them　than　we　are。　　I　am　sorry　that　Lycurgus　and　Plato
had　no　knowledge　of　them；　for　to　my　apprehension；　what　we　now　see　in
those　nations；　does　not　only　surpass　all　the　pictures　with　which　the
poets　have　adorned　the　golden　age；　and　all　their　inventions　in　feigning　a
happy　state　of　man；　but；　moreover；　the　fancy　and　even　the　wish　and　desire
of　philosophy　itself；　so　native　and　so　pure　a　simplicity；　as　we　by
experience　see　to　be　in　them；　could　never　enter　into　their　imagination；
nor　could　they　ever　believe　that　human　society　could　have　been　maintained
with　so　little　artifice　and　human　patchwork。　　I　should　tell　Plato　that　it
is　a　nation　wherein　there　is　no　manner　of　traffic；　no　knowledge　of
letters；　no　science　of　numbers；　no　name　of　magistrate　or　political
superiority；　no　use　of　service；　riches　or　poverty；　no　contracts；　no
successions；　no　dividends；　no　properties；　no　employments；　but　those　of
leisure；　no　respect　of　kindred；　but　common；　no　clothing；　no　agriculture；
no　metal；　no　use　of　corn　or　wine；　the　very　words　that　signify　lying；
treachery；　dissimulation；　avarice；　envy；　detraction；　pardon；　never　heard
of。

　　　　　＇This　is　the　famous　passage　which　Shakespeare；　through　Florio's
　　　　　version；　1603；　or　ed。　　1613；　p。　102；　has　employed　in　the　〃Tempest；〃
　　　　　ii。　1。＇

How　much　would　he　find　his　imaginary　Republic　short　of　his　perfection？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Viri　a　diis　recentes。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Men　fresh　from　the　gods。〃Seneca；　Ep。；　90。＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Hos　natura　modos　primum　dedit。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃These　were　the　manners　first　taught　by　nature。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Virgil；　Georgics；　ii。　20。＇

As　to　the　rest；　they　live　in　a　country　very　pleasant　and　temperate；　so
that；　as　my　witnesses　inform　me；　'tis　rare　to　hear　of　a　sick　person；　and
they　moreover　assure　me；　that　they　never　saw　any　of　the　natives；　either
paralytic；　bleareyed；　toothless；　or　crooked　with　age。　　The　situation　of
their　country　is　along　the　sea…shore；　enclosed　on　the　other　side　towards
the　land；　with　great　and　high　mountains；　having　about　a　hundred　leagues
in　breadth　between。　　They　have　great　store　of　fish　and　flesh；　that　have
no　resemblance　to　those　of　ours：　which　they　eat　without　any　other
cookery；　than　plain　boiling；　roasting；　and　broiling。　　The　first　that　rode
a　horse　thither；　though　in　several　other　voyages　he　had　contracted　an
acquaintance　and　familiarity　with　them；　put　them　into　so　terrible　a
fright；　with　his　centaur　appearance；　that　they　killed　him　with　their
arrows　before　they　could　come　to　discover　who　he　was。　　Their　buildings
are　very　long；　and　of　capacity　to　hold　two　or　three　hundred　people；　made
of　the　barks　of　tall　trees；　reared　with　one　end　upon　the　ground；　and
leaning　to　and　supporting　one　another　at　the　top；　like　some　of　our　barns；
of　which　the　covering　hangs　down　to　the　very　ground；　and　serves　for　the
side　walls。　They　have　wood　so　hard；　that　they　cut　with　it；　and　make　their
swords　of　it；　and　their　grills　of　it　to　broil　their　meat。　　Their　beds　are
of　cotton；　hung　swinging　from　the　roof；　like　our　seamen's　hammocks；　every
man　his　own；　for　the　wives　lie　apart　from　their　husbands。　　They　rise　with
the　sun；　and　so　soon　as　they　are　up；　eat　for　all　day；　for　they　have　no
more　meals　but　that；　they　do　not　then　drink；　as　Suidas　reports　of　some
other　people　of　the　East　that　never　drank　at　their　meals；　but　drink　very
often　all　day　after；　and　sometimes　to　a　rousing　pitch。　　Their　drink　is
made　of　a　certain　root；　and　is　of　the　colour　of　our　claret；　and　they
never　drink　it　but　lukewarm。　　It　will　not　keep　above　two　or　three　days；
it　has　a　somewhat　sharp；　brisk　taste；　is　nothing　heady；　but　very
comfortable　to　the　stomach；　laxative　to　strangers；　but　a　very　pleasant
beverage　to　such　as　are　accustomed　to　it。　　They　make　use；　instead　of
bread；　of　a　certain　white　compound；　like　coriander　seeds；　I　have　tasted
of　it；　the　taste　is　sweet　and　a　little　flat。　　The　whole　day　is　spent　in
dancing。　　Their　young　men　go　a…hunting　after　wild　beasts　with　bows　and
arrows；　one　part　of　their　women　are　employed　in　preparing　their　drink　the
while；　which　is　their　chief　employment。　　One　of　their　old　men；　in　the
morning　before　they　fall　to　eating；　preaches　to　the　whole　family；　walking
from　the　one　end　of　the　house　to　the　other；　and　several　times　repeating
the　same　sentence；　till　he　has　finished　the　round；　for　their　houses　are
at　least　a　hundred　yards　long。　　Valour　towards　their　enemies　and　love
towards　their　wives；　are　the　two　heads　of　his　discourse；　never　failing　in
the　close；　to　put　them　in　mind；　that　'tis　their　wives　who　provide　them
their　drink　warm　and　well　seasoned。　　The　fashion　of　their　beds；　ropes；
swords；　and　of　the　wooden　bracelets　they　tie　about　their　wrists；　when
they　go　to　fight；　and　of　the　great　canes；　bored　hollow　at　one　end；　by　the
sound　of　which　they　keep　the　cadence　of　their　dances；　are　to　be　seen　in
several　places；　and　amongst　others；　at　my　house。　　They　shave　all　over；
and　much　more　neatly　than　we；　without　other　razor　than　one　of　wood　or
stone。　　They　believe　in　the　immortality　of　the　soul；　and　that　those　who
have　merited　well　of　the　gods　are　lodged　in　that　part　of　heaven　where　the
sun　rises；　and　the　accursed　in　the　west。

They　have　I　know　not　what　kind　of　priests　and　prophets；　who　very　rarely
present　themselves　to　the　people；　having　their　abode　in　the　mountains。
At　their　arrival；　there　is　a　great　feast；　and　solemn　assembly　of　many
villages：　each　house；　as　I　have　described；　makes　a　village；　and　they　are
about　a　French　league　distant　from　one　another。　　This　prophet　declaims　to
them　in　public；　exhorting　them　to　virtue　and　their　duty：　but　all　their
ethics　are　comprised　in　these　two　articles；　resolution　in　war；　and
affection　to　their　wives。　　He　also　prophesies　to　them　events　to　come；　and
the　issues　they　are　to　expect　from　their　enterprises；　and　prompts　them　to
or　diverts　them　from　war：　but　let　him　look　to't；　for　if　he　fail　in　his
divination；　and　anything　happen　otherwise　than　he　has　foretold；　he　is　cut
into　a　thousand　pieces；　if　he　be　caught；　and　condemned　for　a　false
prophet：　for　that　reason；　if　any　of　them　has　been　mistaken；　he　is　no　more
heard　of。

Divination　is　a　gift　of　God；　and　therefore　to　abuse　it；　ought　to　be　a
punishable　imposture。　　Amongst　the　Scythians；　where　their　diviners　failed
in　the　promised　effect；　they　were　laid；　bound　hand　and　foot；　upon　carts
loaded　with　firs　and　bavins；　and　drawn　by　oxen；　on　which　they　were　burned
to　death。＇Herodotus；　iv。　　69。＇　Such　as　only　meddle　with　things
subject　to　the　conduct　of　human　capacity；　are　excusable　in　doing　the　best
they　can：　but　those　other　fellows　that　come　to　delude　us　with　assurances
of　an　extraordinary　faculty；　beyond　our　understanding；　ought　they　not　to
be　punished；　when　they　do　not　make　good　the　effect　of　their　promise；　and
for　the　temerity　of　their　imposture？

They　have　continual　war　with　the　nations　that　live　further　within　the
mainland；　beyond　their　mountains；　to　which　they　go　naked；　and　without
other　arms　than　their　bows　and　wooden　swords；　fashioned　at　one　end　like
the　head　of　our　javelins。　　The　obstinacy　of　their　battles　is　wonderful；
and　they　never　end　without　great　effusion　of　blood：　for　as　to　running
away；　they　know　not　what　it　is。　　Every　one　for　a　trophy　brings　home　the
head　of　an　enemy　he　has　killed；　which　he　fixes　over　the　door　of　his
house。　　After　having　a　long　time　treated　their　prisoners　very　well；　and
given　them　all　the　regales　they　can　think　of；　he　to　whom　the　prisoner
belongs；　invites　a　great　assembly　of　his　friends。　　They　being　come；　he
ties　a　rope　to　one　of　the　arms　of　the　prisoner；　of　which；　at　a　distance；
out　of　his　reach；　he　holds　the　one　end　himself；　and　gives　to　the　friend