the essays of montaigne, v11-第8部分

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This　glory　consists　of　two　parts；　the　one　in　setting　too　great　a　value
upon　ourselves；　and　the　other　in　setting　too　little　a　value　upon　others。
As　to　the　one；　methinks　these　considerations　ought；　in　the　first　place；
to　be　of　some　force：　I　feel　myself　importuned　by　an　error　of　the　soul
that　displeases　me；　both　as　it　is　unjust；　and　still　more　as　it　is
troublesome；　I　attempt　to　correct　it；　but　I　cannot　root　it　out；　and　this
is；　that　I　lessen　the　just　value　of　things　that　I　possess；　and　overvalue
things；　because　they　are　foreign；　absent；　and　none　of　mine；　this　humour
spreads　very　far。　　As　the　prerogative　of　the　authority　makes　husbands
look　upon　their　own　wives　with　a　vicious　disdain；　and　many　fathers　their
children；　so　I；　betwixt　two　equal　merits；　should　always　be　swayed　against
my　own；　not　so　much　that　the　jealousy　of　my　advancement　and　bettering
troubles　my　judgment；　and　hinders　me　from　satisfying　myself；　as　that　of
itself　possession　begets　a　contempt　of　what　it　holds　and　rules。　　Foreign
governments；　manners；　and　languages　insinuate　themselves　into　my　esteem；
and　I　am　sensible　that　Latin　allures　me　by　the　favour　of　its　dignity　to
value　it　above　its　due；　as　it　does　with　children；　and　the　common　sort　of
people：　the　domestic　government；　house；　horse；　of　my　neighbour；　though　no
better　than　my　own；　I　prize　above　my　own；　because　they　are　not　mine。
Besides　that　I　am　very　ignorant　in　my　own　affairs；　I　am　struck　by　the
assurance　that　every　one　has　of　himself：　whereas　there　is　scarcely
anything　that　I　am　sure　I　know；　or　that　I　dare　be　responsible　to　myself
that　I　can　do：　I　have　not　my　means　of　doing　anything　in　condition　and
ready；　and　am　only　instructed　therein　after　the　effect；　as　doubtful　of　my
own　force　as　I　am　of　another's。　　Whence　it　comes　to　pass　that　if　I　happen
to　do　anything　commendable；　I　attribute　it　more　to　my　fortune　than
industry；　forasmuch　as　I　design　everything　by　chance　and　in　fear。　　I　have
this；　also；　in　general；　that　of　all　the　opinions　antiquity　has　held　of
men　in　gross；　I　most　willingly　embrace　and　adhere　to　those　that　most
contemn　and　undervalue　us；　and　most　push　us　to　naught；　methinks；
philosophy　has　never　so　fair　a　game　to　play　as　when　it　falls　upon　our
vanity　and　presumption；　when　it　most　lays　open　our　irresolution；
weakness；　and　ignorance。　　I　look　upon　the　too　good　opinion　that　man　has
of　himself　to　be　the　nursing　mother　of　all　the　most　false　opinions；　both
public　and　private。　　Those　people　who　ride　astride　upon　the　epicycle　of
Mercury；　who　see　so　far　into　the　heavens；　are　worse　to　me　than　a　tooth…
drawer　that　comes　to　draw　my　teeth；　for　in　my　study；　the　subject　of　which
is　man；　finding　so　great　a　variety　of　judgments；　so　profound　a　labyrinth
of　difficulties；　one　upon　another；　so　great　diversity　and　uncertainty；
even　in　the　school　of　wisdom　itself；　you　may　judge；　seeing　these　people
could　not　resolve　upon　the　knowledge　of　themselves　and　their　own
condition；　which　is　continually　before　their　eyes；　and　within　them；
seeing　they　do　not　know　how　that　moves　which　they　themselves　move；　nor
how　to　give　us　a　description　of　the　springs　they　themselves　govern　and
make　use　of；　how　can　I　believe　them　about　the　ebbing　and　flowing　of　the
Nile？　　The　curiosity　of　knowing　things　has　been　given　to　man　for　a
scourge；　says　the　Holy　Scripture。

But　to　return　to　what　concerns　myself；　I　think　it　would　be　very　difficult
for　any　other　man　to　have　a　meaner　opinion　of　himself；　nay；　for　any　other
to　have　a　meaner　opinion　of　me　than　of　myself：　I　look　upon　myself　as　one
of　the　common　sort；　saving　in　this；　that　I　have　no　better　an　opinion　of
myself；　guilty　of　the　meanest　and　most　popular　defects；　but　not　disowning
or　excusing　them；　and　I　do　not　value　myself　upon　any　other　account　than
because　I　know　my　own　value。　　If　there　be　any　vanity　in　the　case；　'tis
superficially　infused　into　me　by　the　treachery　of　my　complexion；　and　has
no　body　that　my　judgment　can　discern：　I　am　sprinkled；　but　not　dyed。　　For
in　truth；　as　to　the　effects　of　the　mind；　there　is　no　part　of　me；　be　it
what　it　will；　with　which　I　am　satisfied；　and　the　approbation　of　others
makes　me　not　think　the　better　of　myself。　　My　judgment　is　tender　and　nice；
especially　in　things　that　concern　myself。

I　ever　repudiate　myself；　and　feel　myself　float　and　waver　by　reason　of　my
weakness。　　I　have　nothing　of　my　own　that　satisfies　my　judgment。　　My　sight
is　clear　and　regular　enough；　but；　at　working；　it　is　apt　to　dazzle；　as　I
most　manifestly　find　in　poetry：　I　love　it　infinitely；　and　am　able　to　give
a　tolerable　judgment　of　other　men's　works；　but；　in　good　earnest；　when　I
apply　myself　to　it；　I　play　the　child；　and　am　not　able　to　endure　myself。
A　man　may　play　the　fool　in　everything　else；　but　not　in　poetry；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Mediocribus　esse　poetis
　　　　　　　　　　Non　dii；　non　homines；　non　concessere　columnae。〃

　　　　　＇〃Neither　men；　nor　gods；　nor　the　pillars　（on　which　the　poets
　　　　　offered　their　writings）　permit　mediocrity　in　poets。〃
　　　　　Horace；　De　Arte　Poet。；　372。＇

I　would　to　God　this　sentence　was　written　over　the　doors　of　all　our
printers；　to　forbid　the　entrance　of　so　many　rhymesters！

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Verum
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nihil　securius　est　malo　poetae。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　truth　is；　that　nothing　is　more　confident　than　a　bad　poet。〃
　　　　　Martial；　xii。　63；　13。＇

Why　have　not　we　such　people？　＇As　those　about　to　be　mentioned。＇
Dionysius　the　father　valued　himself　upon　nothing　so　much　as　his　poetry；
at　the　Olympic　games；　with　chariots　surpassing　all　the　others　in
magnificence；　he　sent　also　poets　and　musicians　to　present　his　verses；
with　tent　and　pavilions　royally　gilt　and　hung　with　tapestry。　　When　his
verses　came　to　be　recited；　the　excellence　of　the　delivery　at　first
attracted　the　attention　of　the　people；　but　when　they　afterwards　came　to
poise　the　meanness　of　the　composition；　they　first　entered　into　disdain；
and　continuing　to　nettle　their　judgments；　presently　proceeded　to　fury；
and　ran　to　pull　down　and　tear　to　pieces　all　his　pavilions：　and；　that　his
chariots　neither　performed　anything　to　purpose　in　the　race；　and　that　the
ship　which　brought　back　his　people　failed　of　making　Sicily；　and　was　by
the　tempest　driven　and　wrecked　upon　the　coast　of　Tarentum；　they　certainly
believed　was　through　the　anger　of　the　gods；　incensed；　as　they　themselves
were；　against　the　paltry　Poem；　and　even　the　mariners　who　escaped　from　the
wreck　seconded　this　opinion　of　the　people：　to　which　also　the　oracle　that
foretold　his　death　seemed　to　subscribe；　which　was；　〃that　Dionysius　should
be　near　his　end；　when　he　should　have　overcome　those　who　were　better　than
himself；〃　which　he　interpreted　of　the　Carthaginians；　who　surpassed　him　in
power；　and　having　war　with　them；　often　declined　the　victory；　not　to　incur
the　sense　of　this　prediction；　but　he　understood　it　ill；　for　the　god
indicated　the　time　of　the　advantage；　that　by　favour　and　injustice　he
obtained　at　Athens　over　the　tragic　poets；　better　than　himself；　having
caused　his　own　play　called　the　Leneians　to　be　acted　in　emulation；
presently　after　which　victory　he　died；　and　partly　of　the　excessive　joy　he
conceived　at　the　success。

　　　　　＇Diodorus　Siculus；　xv。　7。The　play；　however；　was　called　the
　　　　　〃Ransom　of　Hector。〃　　It　was　the　games　at　which　it　was　acted　that
　　　　　were　called　Leneian；　they　were　one　of　the　four　Dionysiac　festivals。＇

What　I　find　tolerable　of　mine；　is　not　so　really　and　in　itself；　but　in
comparison　of　other　worse　things；　that　I　see　well　enough　received。　　I
envy　the　happiness　of　those　who　can　please　and　hug　themselves　in　what
they　do；　for　'tis　an　easy　thing　to　be　so　pleased；　because　a　man　extracts
that　pleasure　from　himself；　especially　if　he　be　constant　in　his　self…
conceit。　　I　know　a　poet；　against　whom　the　intelligent　and　the　ignorant；
abroad　and　at　home；　both　heaven　and　earth　exclaim　that　he　has　but　very
little　notion　of　it；　and　yet；　for　all　that；　he　has　never　a　whit　the　worse
opinion　of　himself；　but　is　always　falling　upon　some　new　piece；　always
contriving　some　new　invention；　and　still　persists　in　his　opinion；　by　so
much　the　more　obstinately；　as　it　only　concerns　him　to　maintain　it。

My　works　are　so　far　from　pleasing　me；　that　as　often　as　I　review　them；
they　disgust　me：

　　　　　　　　　〃Cum　relego；　scripsisse　pudet；　quia　plurima　cerno；
　　　　　　　　　　Me　quoque；　qui　feci；　judice；　digna　lini。〃

　　　　　＇〃When　I　reperuse；　I　blush　at　what　I　have　written；　I　ever　see　one
　　　　　passage　after　another　that　I；　the　author；　being　the　judge；　consider
　　　　　should　be　erased。〃Ovid；　De　Ponto；　i。　5；　15。＇

I　have　always　an　idea　in　my　soul；　and　a　sort　of　disturbed　image　which
presents　me　as　in　a　dream　with　a　better　form　than　that　I　have　made　use
of；　but　I　cannot　catch　it　nor　fit　it　to　my　purpose；　and　even　that　idea　is
but　of　the　meaner　sort。　　Hence　I　conclude　that　the　productions　of　those
great　and　rich　souls　of　former　times　are　very　much　beyond　the　utmost
stretch　of　my　imagination　or　my　wish；　their　writings　do　not　only　satisfy
and　fill　me；　but　they　astound　me；　and　ravish　me　with　admiration；　I　judge
of　their　beauty；　I　see　it；　if　not　to　the　utmost；　yet　so　far　at　least　as
'tis　possible　for　me　to　aspire。　　Whatever　I　undertake；　I　owe　a　sacrifice
to　the　Graces；　as　Plutarch　says　of　some　one；　to　conciliate　their　favour：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Si　quid　enim　placet；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Si　quid　dulce　horninum　sensibus　influit；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Debentur　lepidis　omnia　Gratiis。〃

　　　　　＇〃If　anything　please　that　I　write；　if　it　infuse　delight　into　men's
　　　　　minds；　all　is　due　to　the　charming　Graces。〃　　The　verses　are　probably
　　　　　by　some　modern　poet。＇

They　abandon　me　throughout；　all　I　write　is　rude；　polish　and　beauty　are
wanting：　I　cannot　set　things　off　to　any　advantage；　my　handling　adds
nothing　to　the　matter；　for　which　reason　I　must　have　it　forcible；　very
full；　and　that　has　lustre　of　its　own。　　If　I　pitch　upon　subjects　that　are
popular　and　gay；　'tis　to　follow　my　own　inclination；　who　do　not　affect　a
grave　and　ceremonious　wisdom；　as　the　world　does；　and　to　make　myself　more
sprightly；　but　not　my　style　more　wanton；　which　would　rather　have　them
grave　and　severe；　at　least　if　I　may　call　that　a　style　which　is　an　inform
and　irregular　way　of　speaking；　a　popular　jargon；　a　proceeding　without
defini