the essays of montaigne, v11-第2部分

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　　　　　＇〃I　have　no　mind　to　die；　but　I　have　no　objection　to　be　dead。〃
　　　　　Epicharmus；　apud　Cicero；　Tusc。　　Quaes。；　i。　8。＇

'tis　a　degree　of　constancy　to　which　I　have　experimented；　that　I　can
arrive；　like　those　who　plunge　into　dangers；　as　into　the　sea；　with　their
eyes　shut。

There　is　nothing；　in　my　opinion；　more　illustrious　in　the　life　of
Socrates；　than　that　he　had　thirty　whole　days　wherein　to　ruminate　upon　the
sentence　of　his　death；　to　have　digested　it　all　that　time　with　a　most
assured　hope；　without　care；　and　without　alteration；　and　with　a　series　of
words　and　actions　rather　careless　and　indifferent　than　any　way　stirred　or
discomposed　by　the　weight　of　such　a　thought。

That　Pomponius　Atticus；　to　whom　Cicero　writes　so　often；　being　sick；
caused　Agrippa；　his　son…in…law；　and　two　or　three　more　of　his　friends；　to
be　called　to　him；　and　told　them；　that　having　found　all　means　practised
upon　him　for　his　recovery　to　be　in　vain；　and　that　all　he　did　to　prolong
his　life　also　prolonged　and　augmented　his　pain；　he　was　resolved　to　put　an
end　both　to　the　one　and　the　other；　desiring　them　to　approve　of　his
determination；　or　at　least　not　to　lose　their　labour　in　endeavouring　to
dissuade　him。　　Now；　having　chosen　to　destroy　himself　by　abstinence；　his
disease　was　thereby　cured：　the　remedy　that　he　had　made　use　of　to　kill
himself　restored　him　to　health。　　His　physicians　and　friends；　rejoicing　at
so　happy　an　event；　and　coming　to　congratulate　him；　found　themselves　very
much　deceived；　it　being　impossible　for　them　to　make　him　alter　his
purpose；　he　telling　them；　that　as　he　must　one　day　die；　and　was　now　so　far
on　his　way；　he　would　save　himself　the　labour　of　beginning　another　time。
This　man；　having　surveyed　death　at　leisure；　was　not　only　not　discouraged
at　its　approach；　but　eagerly　sought　it；　for　being　content　that　he　had
engaged　in　the　combat；　he　made　it　a　point　of　bravery　to　see　the　end；　'tis
far　beyond　not　fearing　death　to　taste　and　relish　it。

The　story　of　the　philosopher　Cleanthes　is　very　like　this：　he　had　his　gums
swollen　and　rotten；　his　physicians　advised　him　to　great　abstinence：
having　fasted　two　days；　he　was　so　much　better　that　they　pronounced　him
cured；　and　permitted　him　to　return　to　his　ordinary　course　of　diet；　he；　on
the　contrary；　already　tasting　some　sweetness　in　this　faintness　of　his；
would　not　be　persuaded　to　go　back；　but　resolved　to　proceed；　and　to　finish
what　he　had　so　far　advanced。

Tullius　Marcellinus；　a　young　man　of　Rome；　having　a　mind　to　anticipate　the
hour　of　his　destiny；　to　be　rid　of　a　disease　that　was　more　trouble　to　him
than　he　was　willing　to　endure；　though　his　physicians　assured　him　of　a
certain；　though　not　sudden；　cure；　called　a　council　of　his　friends　to
deliberate　about　it；　of　whom　some；　says　Seneca；　gave　him　the　counsel　that
out　of　unmanliness　they　would　have　taken　themselves；　others；　out　of
flattery；　such　as　they　thought　he　would　best　like；　but　a　Stoic　said　this
to　him：　〃Do　not　concern　thyself；　Marcellinus；　as　if　thou　didst　deliberate
of　a　thing　of　importance；　'tis　no　great　matter　to　live；　thy　servants　and
beasts　live；　but　it　is　a　great　thing　to　die　handsomely；　wisely；　and
firmly。　　Do　but　think　how　long　thou　hast　done　the　same　things；　eat；
drink；　and　sleep；　drink；　sleep；　and　eat：　we　incessantly　wheel　in　the　same
circle。　　Not　only　ill　and　insupportable　accidents；　but　even　the　satiety
of　living；　inclines　a　man　to　desire　to　die。〃　　Marcellinus　did　not　stand
in　need　of　a　man　to　advise；　but　of　a　man　to　assist　him；　his　servants　were
afraid　to　meddle　in　the　business；　but　this　philosopher　gave　them　to　under
stand　that　domestics　are　suspected　even　when　it　is　in　doubt　whether　the
death　of　the　master　were　voluntary　or　no；　otherwise；　that　it　would　be　of
as　ill　example　to　hinder　him　as　to　kill　him；　forasmuch　as：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Invitum　qui　servat；　idem　facit　occidenti。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃He　who　makes　a　man　live　against　his　will；　'tis　as　cruel
　　　　　　　　　　as　to　kill　him。〃Horat。；　De　Arte　Poet。；　467＇

He　then　told　Marcellinus　that　it　would　not　be　unbecoming；　as　what　is　left
on　the　tables　when　we　have　eaten　is　given　to　the　attendants；　so；　life
being　ended；　to　distribute　something　to　those　who　have　been　our　servants。
Now　Marcellinus　was　of　a　free　and　liberal　spirit；　he；　therefore；　divided
a　certain　sum　of　money　amongst　his　servants；　and　consoled　them。　　As　to
the　rest；　he　had　no　need　of　steel　nor　of　blood：　he　resolved　to　go　out　of
this　life　and　not　to　run　out　of　it；　not　to　escape　from　death；　but　to
essay　it。　　And　to　give　himself　leisure　to　deal　with　it；　having　forsaken
all　manner　of　nourishment；　the　third　day　following；　after　having　caused
himself　to　be　sprinkled　with　warm　water；　he　fainted　by　degrees；　and　not
without　some　kind　of　pleasure；　as　he　himself　declared。

In　fact；　such　as　have　been　acquainted　with　these　faintings；　proceeding
from　weakness；　say　that　they　are　therein　sensible　of　no　manner　of　pain；
but　rather　feel　a　kind　of　delight；　as　in　the　passage　to　sleep　and　best。
These　are　studied　and　digested　deaths。

But　to　the　end　that　Cato　only　may　furnish　out　the　whole　example　of
virtue；　it　seems　as　if　his　good　with　which　the　leisure　to　confront　and
struggle　with　death；　reinforcing　his　destiny　had　put　his　ill　one　into　the
hand　he　gave　himself　the　blow；　seeing　he　had　courage　in　the　danger；
instead　of　letting　it　go　less。　　And　if　I　had　had　to　represent　him　in　his
supreme　station；　I　should　have　done　it　in　the　posture　of　tearing　out　his
bloody　bowels；　rather　than　with　his　sword　in　his　hand；　as　did　the
statuaries　of　his　time；　for　this　second　murder　was　much　more　furious　than
the　first。




CHAPTER　XIV

THAT　OUR　MIND　HINDERS　ITSELF

'Tis　a　pleasant　imagination　to　fancy　a　mind　exactly　balanced　betwixt　two
equal　desires：　for；　doubtless；　it　can　never　pitch　upon　either；　forasmuch
as　the　choice　and　application　would　manifest　an　inequality　of　esteem；
and　were　we　set　betwixt　the　bottle　and　the　ham；　with　an　equal　appetite　to
drink　and　eat；　there　would　doubtless　be　no　remedy；　but　we　must　die　of
thirst　and　hunger。　　To　provide　against　this　inconvenience；　the　Stoics；
when　they　are　asked　whence　the　election　in　the　soul　of　two　indifferent
things　proceeds；　and　that　makes　us；　out　of　a　great　number　of　crowns；
rather　take　one　than　another；　they　being　all　alike；　and　there　being　no
reason　to　incline　us　to　such　a　preference；　make　answer；　that　this
movement　of　the　soul　is　extraordinary　and　irregular；　entering　into　us
by　a　foreign；　accidental；　and　fortuitous　impulse。　　It　might　rather；
methinks；　he　said；　that　nothing　presents　itself　to　us　wherein　there　is
not　some　difference；　how　little　soever；　and　that；　either　by　the　sight　or
touch；　there　is　always　some　choice　that；　though　it　be　imperceptibly；
tempts　and　attracts　us；　so；　whoever　shall　presuppose　a　packthread　equally
strong　throughout；　it　is　utterly　impossible　it　should　break；　for；　where
will　you　have　the　breaking　to　begin？　and　that　it　should　break　altogether
is　not　in　nature。　　Whoever；　also；　should　hereunto　join　the　geometrical
propositions　that；　by　the　certainty　of　their　demonstrations；　conclude　the
contained　to　be　greater　than　the　containing；　the　centre　to　be　as　great　as
its　circumference；　and　that　find　out　two　lines　incessantly　approaching
each　other；　which　yet　can　never　meet；　and　the　philosopher's　stone；　and
the　quadrature　of　the　circle；　where　the　reason　and　the　effect　are　so
opposite；　might；　peradventure；　find　some　argument　to　second　this　bold
saying　of　Pliny：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Solum　certum　nihil　esse　certi；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　et　homine　nihil　miserius　ant　superbius。〃

　　　　　＇〃It　is　only　certain　that　there　is　nothing　certain；　and　that　nothing
　　　　　is　more　miserable　or　more　proud　than　man。〃Nat。　Hist。；　ii。　7。＇




CHAPTER　XV

THAT　OUR　DESIRES　ARE　AUGMENTED　BY　DIFFICULTY

There　is　no　reason　that　has　not　its　contrary；　say　the　wisest　of　the
philosophers。　　I　was　just　now　ruminating　on　the　excellent　saying　one　of
the　ancients　alleges　for　the　contempt　of　life：　〃No　good　can　bring
pleasure；　unless　it　be　that　for　the　loss　of　which　we　are　beforehand
prepared。〃

　　　　　　　　　　〃In　aequo　est　dolor　amissae　rei；　et　timor　amittendae；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃The　grief　of　losing　a　thing；　and　the　fear　of　losing　it；
　　　　　　　　　　are　equal。〃Seneca；　Ep。；　98。＇

meaning　by　this　that　the　fruition　of　life　cannot　be　truly　pleasant　to　us
if　we　are　in　fear　of　losing　it。　　It　might；　however；　be　said；　on　the
contrary；　that　we　hug　and　embrace　this　good　so　much　the　more　earnestly；
and　with　so　much　greater　affection；　by　how　much　we　see　it　the　less
assured　and　fear　to　have　it　taken　from　us：　for　it　is　evident；　as　fire
burns　with　greater　fury　when　cold　comes　to　mix　with　it；　that　our　will　is
more　obstinate　by　being　opposed：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Si　nunquam　Danaen　habuisset　ahenea　turris；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Non　esses；　Danae；　de　Jove　facta　parens；〃

　　　　　＇〃If　a　brazen　tower　had　not　held　Danae；　you　would　not；　Danae〃；　have
　　　　　been　made　a　mother　by　Jove。〃Ovid；　Amoy。；　ii。　19；　27。＇

and　that　there　is　nothing　naturally　so　contrary　to　our　taste　as　satiety
which　proceeds　from　facility；　nor　anything　that　so　much　whets　it　as
rarity　and　difficulty：

　　　　　〃Omnium　rerum　voluptas　ipso；　quo　debet　fugare；　periculo　crescit。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　pleasure　of　all　things　increases　by　the　same　danger　that
　　　　　should　deter　it。〃Seneca；　De　Benef。；　vii。　9。＇

　　　　　　　　　　〃Galla；　nega；　satiatur　amor；　nisi　gaudia　torquent。〃

　　　　　＇〃Galla；　refuse　me；　love　is　glutted　with　joys　that　are　not　attended
　　　　　with　trouble。〃Martial；　iv。　37。＇

To　keep　love　in　breath；　Lycurgus　made　a　decree　that　the　married　people　of
Lacedaemon　should　never　enjoy　one　another　but　by　stealth；　and　that　it
should　be　as　great　a　shame　to　take　them　in　bed　together　as　committing
with　others。　　The　difficulty　of　assignations；　the　danger　of　surprise；　the
shame　of　the　morning；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Et　languor；　et　silentium；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Et　latere　petitus　imo　Spiritus：〃

　　　　　＇And　languor；　and　silence；　and　sighs；　coming　from　the　innermost
　　　　　heart。〃Hor。；　Epod。；　xi。　9。＇

these　are　what　give　the　piquancy　to　the　sauce。　　How　many　very　wantonly
pleasant　sports　spring　from　the　most　decent　and　modest　language　of　the
works　on　love？　　Pleasure　itself　seeks　to　be　heightened　with　pain；　it　is
much　sweeter　whe