the essays of montaigne, v11-第14部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


favours　is　that　of　sense；　for　there　is　no　one　who　is　not　contented　with
his　share：　is　it　not　reason？　whoever　should　see　beyond　that；　would　see
beyond　his　sight。　　I　think　my　opinions　are　good　and　sound；　but　who　does
not　think　the　same　of　his　own？　　One　of　the　best　proofs　I　have　that　mine
are　so　is　the　small　esteem　I　have　of　myself；　for　had　they　not　been　very
well　assured；　they　would　easily　have　suffered　themselves　to　have　been
deceived　by　the　peculiar　affection　I　have　to　myself；　as　one　that　places
it　almost　wholly　in　myself；　and　do　not　let　much　run　out。　　All　that　others
distribute　amongst　an　infinite　number　of　friends　and　acquaintance；　to
their　glory　and　grandeur；　I　dedicate　to　the　repose　of　my　own　mind　and　to
myself；　that　which　escapes　thence　is　not　properly　by　my　direction：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Mihi　nempe　valere　et　vivere　doctus。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇〃To　live　and　to　do　well　for　myself。〃
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Lucretius；　v。　959。＇

Now　I　find　my　opinions　very　bold　and　constant　in　condemning　my　own
imperfection。　　And；　to　say　the　truth；　'tis　a　subject　upon　which　I
exercise　my　judgment　as　much　as　upon　any　other。　　The　world　looks　always
opposite；　I　turn　my　sight　inwards；　and　there　fix　and　employ　it。　　I　have
no　other　business　but　myself；　I　am　eternally　meditating　upon　myself；
considering　and　tasting　myself。　　Other　men's　thoughts　are　ever　wandering
abroad；　if　they　will　but　see　it；　they　are　still　going　forward：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Nemo　in　sese　tentat　descendere；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃No　one　thinks　of　descending　into　himself。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Persius；　iv。　23。＇

for　my　part；　I　circulate　in　myself。　　This　capacity　of　trying　the　truth；
whatever　it　be；　in　myself；　and　this　free　humour　of　not　over　easily
subjecting　my　belief；　I　owe　principally　to　myself；　for　the　strongest　and
most　general　imaginations　I　have　are　those　that；　as　a　man　may　say；　were
born　with　me；　they　are　natural　and　entirely　my　own。　　I　produced　them
crude　and　simple；　with　a　strong　and　bold　production；　but　a　little
troubled　and　imperfect；　I　have　since　established　and　fortified　them　with
the　authority　of　others　and　the　sound　examples　of　the　ancients；　whom　I
have　found　of　the　same　judgment：　they　have　given　me　faster　hold；　and　a
more　manifest　fruition　and　possession　of　that　I　had　before　embraced。　　The
reputation　that　every　one　pretends　to　of　vivacity　and　promptness　of　wit；
I　seek　in　regularity；　the　glory　they　pretend　to　from　a　striking　and
signal　action；　or　some　particular　excellence；　I　claim　from　order；
correspondence；　and　tranquillity　of　opinions　and　manners：

　　　　　〃Omnino　si　quidquam　est　decorum；　nihil　est　profecto　magis；　quam
　　　　　aequabilitas　universae　vitae；　tum　singularum　actionum；　quam
　　　　　conservare　non　possis；　si；　aliorum　naturam　imitans；　omittas　tuam。〃

　　　　　＇〃If　anything　be　entirely　decorous；　nothing　certainly　can　be　more　so
　　　　　than　an　equability　alike　in　the　whole　life　and　in　every　particular
　　　　　action；　which　thou　canst　not　possibly　observe　if；　imitating　other
　　　　　men's　natures；　thou　layest　aside　thy　own。〃Cicero；　De　Of。；　i。　31。＇

Here；　then；　you　see　to　what　degree　I　find　myself　guilty　of　this　first
part；　that　I　said　was　the　vice　of　presumption。　　As　to　the　second；　which
consists　in　not　having　a　sufficient　esteem　for　others；　I　know　not　whether
or　no　I　can　so　well　excuse　myself；　but　whatever　comes　on't　I　am　resolved
to　speak　the　truth。　　And　whether；　peradventure；　it　be　that　the　continual
frequentation　I　have　had　with　the　humours　of　the　ancients；　and　the　idea
of　those　great　souls　of　past　ages；　put　me　out　of　taste　both　with　others
and　myself；　or　that；　in　truth；　the　age　we　live　in　produces　but　very
indifferent　things；　yet　so　it　is　that　I　see　nothing　worthy　of　any　great
admiration。　　Neither；　indeed；　have　I　so　great　an　intimacy　with　many　men
as　is　requisite　to　make　a　right　judgment　of　them；　and　those　with　whom　my
condition　makes　me　the　most　frequent；　are；　for　the　most　part；　men　who
have　little　care　of　the　culture　of　the　soul；　but　that　look　upon　honour　as
the　sum　of　all　blessings；　and　valour　as　the　height　of　all　perfection。

What　I　see　that　is　fine　in　others　I　very　readily　commend　and　esteem：　nay；
I　often　say　more　in　their　commendation　than　I　think　they　really　deserve；
and　give　myself　so　far　leave　to　lie；　for　I　cannot　invent　a　false　subject：
my　testimony　is　never　wanting　to　my　friends　in　what　I　conceive　deserves
praise；　and　where　a　foot　is　due　I　am　willing　to　give　them　a　foot　and　a
half；　but　to　attribute　to　them　qualities　that　they　have　not；　I　cannot　do
it；　nor　openly　defend　their　imperfections。　　Nay；　I　frankly　give　my　very
enemies　their　due　testimony　of　honour；　my　affection　alters；　my　judgment
does　not；　and　I　never　confound　my　animosity　with　other　circumstances　that
are　foreign　to　it；　and　I　am　so　jealous　of　the　liberty　of　my　judgment　that
I　can　very　hardly　part　with　it　for　any　passion　whatever。　　I　do　myself　a
greater　injury　in　lying　than　I　do　him　of　whom　I　tell　a　lie。　　This
commendable　and　generous　custom　is　observed　of　the　Persian　nation；　that
they　spoke　of　their　mortal　enemies　and　with　whom　they　were　at　deadly　war；
as　honourably　and　justly　as　their　virtues　deserved。

I　know　men　enough　that　have　several　fine　parts；　one　wit；　another　courage；
another　address；　another　conscience；　another　language：　one　science；
another；　another；　but　a　generally　great　man；　and　who　has　all　these　brave
parts　together；　or　any　one　of　them　to　such　a　degree　of　excellence　that　we
should　admire　him　or　compare　him　with　those　we　honour　of　times　past；　my
fortune　never　brought　me　acquainted　with；　and　the　greatest　I　ever　knew；　I
mean　for　the　natural　parts　of　the　soul；　was　Etienne　De　la　Boetie；　his　was
a　full　soul　indeed；　and　that　had　every　way　a　beautiful　aspect：　a　soul　of
the　old　stamp；　and　that　had　produced　great　effects　had　his　fortune　been
so　pleased；　having　added　much　to　those　great　natural　parts　by　learning
and　study。

But　how　it　comes　to　pass　I　know　not；　and　yet　it　is　certainly　so；　there　is
as　much　vanity　and　weakness　of　judgment　in　those　who　profess　the　greatest
abilities；　who　take　upon　them　learned　callings　and　bookish　employments　as
in　any　other　sort　of　men　whatever；　either　because　more　is　required　and
expected　from　them；　and　that　common　defects　are　excusable　in　them；　or
because　the　opinion　they　have　of　their　own　learning　makes　them　more　bold
to　expose　and　lay　themselves　too　open；　by　which　they　lose　and　betray
themselves。　　As　an　artificer　more　manifests　his　want　of　skill　in　a　rich
matter　he　has　in　hand；　if　he　disgrace　the　work　by　ill　handling　and
contrary　to　the　rules　required；　than　in　a　matter　of　less　value；　and　men
are　more　displeased　at　a　disproportion　in　a　statue　of　gold　than　in　one　of
plaster；　so　do　these　when　they　advance　things　that　in　themselves　and　in
their　place　would　be　good；　for　they　make　use　of　them　without　discretion；
honouring　their　memories　at　the　expense　of　their　understandings；　and
making　themselves　ridiculous　by　honouring　Cicero；　Galen；　Ulpian；　and　St。
Jerome　alike。

I　willingly　fall　again　into　the　discourse　of　the　vanity　of　our　education；
the　end　of　which　is　not　to　render　us　good　and　wise；　but　learned；　and　she
has　obtained　it。　　She　has　not　taught　us　to　follow　and　embrace　virtue　and
prudence；　but　she　has　imprinted　in　us　their　derivation　and　etymology；　we
know　how　to　decline　Virtue；　if　we　know　not　how　to　love　it；　if　we　do　not
know　what　prudence　is　really　and　in　effect；　and　by　experience；　we　have　it
however　by　jargon　and　heart：　we　are　not　content　to　know　the　extraction；
kindred；　and　alliances　of　our　neighbours；　we　desire；　moreover；　to　have
them　our　friends　and　to　establish　a　correspondence　and　intelligence　with
them；　but　this　education　of　ours　has　taught　us　definitions；　divisions；
and　partitions　of　virtue；　as　so　many　surnames　and　branches　of　a
genealogy；　without　any　further　care　of　establishing　any　familiarity　or
intimacy　betwixt　her　and　us。　　It　has　culled　out　for　our　initiatory
instruction　not　such　books　as　contain　the　soundest　and　truest　opinions；
but　those　that　speak　the　best　Greek　and　Latin；　and　by　their　fine　words
has　instilled　into　our　fancy　the　vainest　humours　of　antiquity。

A　good　education　alters　the　judgment　and　manners；　as　it　happened　to
Polemon；　a　lewd　and　debauched　young　Greek；　who　going　by　chance　to　hear
one　of　Xenocrates'　lectures；　did　not　only　observe　the　eloquence　and
learning　of　the　reader；　and　not　only　brought　away；　the　knowledge　of　some
fine　matter；　but　a　more　manifest　and　more　solid　profit；　which　was　the
sudden　change　and　reformation　of　his　former　life。　　Whoever　found　such　an
effect　of　our　discipline？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Faciasne；　quod　olim
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Mutatus　Polemon？　ponas　insignia　morbi
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Fasciolas；　cubital；　focalia；　potus　ut　ille
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Dicitur　ex　collo　furtim　carpsisse　coronas；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Postquam　est　impransi　correptus　voce　magistri？〃

　　　　　＇〃Will　you　do　what　reformed　Polemon　did　of　old？　will　you　lay　aside
　　　　　the　joys　of　your　disease；　your　garters；　capuchin；　muffler；　as　he　in
　　　　　his　cups　is　said　to　have　secretly　torn　off　his　garlands　from　his
　　　　　neck　when　he　heard　what　that　temperate　teacher　said？〃
　　　　　Horace；　Sat。；　ii。　3；　253＇

That　seems　to　me　to　be　the　least　contemptible　condition　of　men；　which　by
its　plainness　and　simplicity　is　seated　in　the　lowest　degree；　and　invites
us　to　a　more　regular　course。　　I　find　the　rude　manners　and　language　of
country　people　commonly　better　suited　to　the　rule　and　prescription　of
true　philosophy；　than　those　of　our　philosophers　themselves：

　　　　　〃Plus　sapit　vulgus；　quia　tantum；　quantum　opus　est；　sapit。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　vulgar　are　so　much　the　wiser；　because　they　only　know　what
　　　　　is　needful　for　them　to　know。〃Lactantms；　Instit。　Div。；　iii。　5。＇

The　most　remarkable　men；　as　I　have　judged　by　outward　appearance　（for　to
judge　of　them　according　to　my　own　method；　I　must　penetrate　a　great　deal
deeper）；　for　soldiers　and　military　conduct；　were　the　Duc　de　Guise；　who
died　at　Orleans；　and　the　late　Marshal　Strozzi；　and　for　men　of　great
ability　and　no　common　virtue；　Olivier　and　De　l'Hospital；　Chancellors　of
France。　　Poetry；　too；　in　my　opinion；　has　flourished　in　this　age　of　ours；
we　have　abundance　of　very　good　artificers　in　the　trade：　D'Aurat；　Beza；
Buchanan；　L'Hospital；　Montdore