the essays of montaigne, v15-第2部分

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much　less　consent　to　this　stupidity　than　is　the　ordinary　case　with　men　of
my　age。　　Let　us；　at　least；　whilst　we　have　truce；　drive　away　incommodities
and　difficulties　from　our　commerce：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Dum　licet；　obducta　solvatur　fronte　senectus：〃

　　　　　＇〃Whilst　we　can；　let　us　banish　old　age　from　the　brow。〃
　　　　　Herod。；　Ep。；　xiii。　7。＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Tetrica　sunt　amcenanda　jocularibus。〃

　　　　　＇〃Sour　things　are　to　be　sweetened　with　those　that　are　pleasant。〃
　　　　　Sidonius　Apollin。；　Ep。；　i。　9。＇

I　love　a　gay　and　civil　wisdom；　and　fly　from　all　sourness　and　austerity　of
manners；　all　repellent；　mien　being　suspected　by　me：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Tristemque　vultus　tetrici　arrogantiam：〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃The　arrogant　sadness　of　a　crabbed　face。〃Auctor　Incert。＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Et　habet　tristis　quoque　turba　cinaedos。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃And　the　dull　crowd　also　has　its　voluptuaries。〃　（Or：）
　　　　　　　　　　〃An　austere　countenance　sometimes　covers　a　debauched　mind。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Idem。＇

I　am　very　much　of　Plato's　opinion；　who　says　that　facile　or　harsh　humours
are　great　indications　of　the　good　or　ill　disposition　of　the　mind。
Socrates　had　a　constant　countenance；　but　serene　and　smiling；　not　sourly
austere；　like　the　elder　Crassus；　whom　no　one　ever　saw　laugh。　　Virtue　is　a
pleasant　and　gay　quality。

I　know　very　well　that　few　will　quarrel　with　the　licence　of　my　writings；
who　have　not　more　to　quarrel　with　in　the　licence　of　their　own　thoughts：
I　conform　myself　well　enough　to　their　inclinations；　but　I　offend　their
eyes。　　'Tis　a　fine　humour　to　strain　the　writings　of　Plato；　to　wrest　his
pretended　intercourses　with　Phaedo；　Dion；　Stella；　and　Archeanassa：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Non　pudeat　dicere；　quod　non　pudet　sentire。〃

　　　　　＇〃Let　us　not　be　ashamed　to　speak　what　we　are　not　ashamed　to　think。〃＇

I　hate　a　froward　and　dismal　spirit；　that　slips　over　all　the　pleasures　of
life　and　seizes　and　feeds　upon　misfortunes；　like　flies；　that　cannot　stick
to　a　smooth　and　polished　body；　but　fix　and　repose　themselves　upon　craggy
and　rough　places；　and　like　cupping…glasses；　that　only　suck　and　attract
bad　blood。

As　to　the　rest；　I　have　enjoined　myself　to　dare　to　say　all　that　I　dare　to
do；　even　thoughts　that　are　not　to　be　published；　displease　me；　the　worst
of　my　actions　and　qualities　do　not　appear　to　me　so　evil　as　I　find　it　evil
and　base　not　to　dare　to　own　them。　　Every　one　is　wary　and　discreet　in
confession；　but　men　ought　to　be　so　in　action；　the　boldness　of　doing　ill
is　in　some　sort　compensated　and　restrained　by　the　boldness　of　confessing
it。　　Whoever　will　oblige　himself　to　tell　all；　should　oblige　himself　to　do
nothing　that　he　must　be　forced　to　conceal。　　I　wish　that　this　excessive
licence　of　mine　may　draw　men　to　freedom；　above　these　timorous　and　mincing
virtues　sprung　from　our　imperfections；　and　that　at　the　expense　of　my
immoderation　I　may　reduce　them　to　reason。　　A　man　must　see　and　study　his
vice　to　correct　it；　they　who　conceal　it　from　others；　commonly　conceal　it
from　themselves；　and　do　not　think　it　close　enough；　if　they　themselves　see
it：　they　withdraw　and　disguise　it　from　their　own　consciences：

　　　　　〃Quare　vitia　sua　nemo　confitetur？　　Quia　etiam　nunc　in
　　　　　illia　est；　somnium　narrare　vigilantis　est。〃

　　　　　＇〃Why　does　no　man　confess　his　vices？　　because　he　is　yet　in　them；
　　　　　'tis　for　a　waking　man　to　tell　his　dream。〃Seneca；　Ep。；　53。＇

The　diseases　of　the　body　explain　themselves　by　their　increase；　we　find
that　to　be　the　gout　which　we　called　a　rheum　or　a　strain；　the　diseases　of
the　soul；　the　greater　they　are；　keep；　themselves　the　most　obscure；
the　most　sick　are　the　least　sensible；　therefore　it　is　that　with　an
unrelenting　hand　they　most　often；　in　full　day；　be　taken　to　task；　opened；
and　torn　from　the　hollow　of　the　heart。　　As　in　doing　well；　so　in　doing
ill；　the　mere　confession　is　sometimes　satisfaction。　　Is　there　any
deformity　in　doing　amiss；　that　can　excuse　us　from　confessing　ourselves？
It　is　so　great　a　pain　to　me　to　dissemble；　that　I　evade　the　trust　of
another's　secrets；　wanting　the　courage　to　disavow　my　knowledge。　　I　can
keep　silent；　but　deny　I　cannot　without　the　greatest　trouble　and　violence
to　myself　imaginable　to　be　very　secret；　a　man　must　be　so　by　nature；　not
by　obligation。　　'Tis　little　worth；　in　the　service　of　a　prince；　to　be
secret；　if　a　man　be　not　a　liar　to　boot。　　If　he　who　asked　Thales　the
Milesian　whether　he　ought　solemnly　to　deny　that　he　had　committed
adultery；　had　applied　himself　to　me；　I　should　have　told　him　that　he　ought
not　to　do　it；　for　I　look　upon　lying　as　a　worse　fault　than　the　other。
Thales　advised　him　quite　contrary；　bidding　him　swear　to　shield　the
greater　fault　by　the　less；

　　　　　＇Montaigne's　memory　here　serves　him　ill；　for　the　question　being　put
　　　　　to　Thales；　his　answer　was：　〃But　is　not　perjury　worse　than
　　　　　adultery？〃Diogenes　Laertius；　in　vita；　i。　36。＇

nevertheless；　this　counsel　was　not　so　much　an　election　as　a
multiplication　of　vice。　　Upon　which　let　us　say　this　in　passing；　that　we
deal　liberally　with　a　man　of　conscience　when　we　propose　to　him　some
difficulty　in　counterpoise　of　vice；　but　when　we　shut　him　up　betwixt　two
vices；　he　is　put　to　a　hard　choice　as　Origen　was　either　to　idolatrise　or
to　suffer　himself　to　be　carnally　abused　by　a　great　Ethiopian　slave　they
brought　to　him。　　He　submitted　to　the　first　condition；　and　wrongly；　people
say。　　Yet　those　women　of　our　times　are　not　much　out；　according　to　their
error；　who　protest　they　had　rather　burden　their　consciences　with　ten　men
than　one　mass。

If　it　be　indiscretion　so　to　publish　one's　errors；　yet　there　is　no　great
danger　that　it　pass　into　example　and　custom；　for　Ariston　said；　　that　the
winds　men　most　fear　are　those　that　lay　them　open。　　We　must　tuck　up　this
ridiculous　rag　that　hides　our　manners：　they　send　their　consciences　to　the
stews；　and　keep　a　starched　countenance：　even　traitors　and　assassins
espouse　the　laws　of　ceremony；　and　there　fix　their　duty。　　So　that　neither
can　injustice　complain　of　incivility；　nor　malice　of　indiscretion。　　'Tis
pity　but　a　bad　man　should　be　a　fool　to　boot；　and　that　outward　decency
should　palliate　his　vice：　this　rough…cast　only　appertains　to　a　good　and
sound　wall；　that　deserves　to　be　preserved　and　whited。

In　favour　of　the　Huguenots；　who　condemn　our　auricular　and　private
confession；　I　confess　myself　in　public；　religiously　and　purely：　St。
Augustin；　Origeti；　and　Hippocrates　have　published　the　errors　of　their
opinions；　I；　moreover；　of　my　manners。　　I　am　greedy　of　making　myself
known；　and　I　care　not　to　how　many；　provided　it　be　truly；　or　to　say
better；　I　hunger　for　nothing；　but　I　mortally　hate　to　be　mistaken　by　those
who　happen　to　learn　my　name。　　He　who　does　all　things　for　honour　and
glory；　what　can　he　think　to　gain　by　shewing　himself　to　the　world　in　a
vizor；　and　by　concealing　his　true　being　from　the　people？　　Praise　a
humpback　for　his　stature；　he　has　reason　to　take　it　for　an　affront：
if　you　are　a　coward；　and　men　commend　you　for　your　valour；　is　it　of　you
they　speak？　　They　take　you　for　another。　　I　should　like　him　as　well　who
glorifies　himself　in　the　compliments　and　congees　that　are　made　him　as　if
he　were　master　of　the　company；　when　he　is　one　of　the　least　of　the　train。
Archelaus；　king　of　Macedon；　walking　along　the　street；　somebody　threw
water　on　his　head；　which　they　who　were　with　him　said　he　ought　to　punish：
〃Aye；　but；〃　said　he；　〃whoever　it　was；　he　did　not　throw　the　water　upon　me；
but　upon　him　whom　he　took　me　to　be。〃　　Socrates　being　told　that　people
spoke　ill　of　him；　〃Not　at　all；〃　said　he；　〃there　is　nothing；　in　me　of　what
they　say。〃

For　my　part；　if　any　one　should　recommend　me　as　a　good　pilot；　as　being
very　modest　or　very　chaste；　I　should　owe　him　no　thanks；　and　so；　whoever
should　call　me　traitor；　robber；　or　drunkard；　I　should　be　as　little
concerned。　　They　who　do　not　rightly　know　themselves；　may　feed　themselves
with　false　approbations；　not　I；　who　see　myself；　and　who　examine　myself
even　to　my　very　bowels；　and　who　very　well　know　what　is　my　due。　　I　am
content　to　be　less　commended；　provided　I　am　better　known。　　I　may　be
reputed　a　wise　man　in　such　a　sort　of　wisdom　as　I　take　to　be　folly。
I　am　vexed　that　my　Essays　only　serve　the　ladies　for　a　common　piece　of
furniture；　and　a　piece　for　the　hall；　this　chapter　will　make　me　part　of
the　water…closet。　　I　love　to　traffic　with　them　a　little　in　private；
public　conversation　is　without　favour　and　without　savour。　　In　farewells；
we　oftener　than　not　heat　our　affections　towards　the　things　we　take　leave
of；　I　take　my　last　leave　of　the　pleasures　of　this　world：　these　are　our
last　embraces。

But　let　us　come　to　my　subject：　what　has　the　act　of　generation；　so
natural；　so　necessary；　and　so　just；　done　to　men；　to　be　a　thing　not　to
be　spoken　of　without　blushing；　and　to　be　excluded　from　all　serious　and
moderate　discourse？　　　We　boldly　pronounce　kill；　rob；　betray；　and　that　we
dare　only　to　do　betwixt　the　teeth。　　Is　it　to　say；　the　less　we　expend　in
words；　we　may　pay　so　much　the　more　in　thinking？　　For　it　is　certain　that
the　words　least　in　use；　most　seldom　written；　and　best　kept　in；　are　the
best　and　most　generally　known：　no　age；　no　manners；　are　ignorant　of　them；
no　more　than　the　word　bread　they　imprint　themselves　in　every　one　without
being；　expressed；　without　voice；　and　without　figure；　and　the　sex　that
most　practises　it　is　bound　to　say　least　of　it。　　'Tis　an　act　that　we　have
placed　in　the　franchise　of　silence；　from　which　to　take　it　is　a　crime　even
to　accuse　and　judge　it；　neither　dare　we　reprehend　it　but　by　periphrasis
and　picture。　　A　great　favour　to　a　criminal　to　be　so　execrable　that
justice　thinks　it　unjust　to　touch　and　see　him；　free；　and　safe　by　the
benefit　of　the　severity　of　his　condemnation。　　Is　it　not　here　as　in　matter
of　books；　that　sell　better　and　become　more　public　for　being　suppressed？
For　my　part；　I　will　take　Aristotle　at　his　word；　who　says；　that
〃bashfulness　is　an　ornament　to　youth；　but　a　reproach　to　old　age。〃　　These
verses　are　preached　in　the　ancient　school；　a　school　that　I　much　more
adhere　to　than　the　modern：　its　virtues　appear　to　me　to　be　greater；　and
the　vices　less：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ceux　qui　par　trop　fuyant　Venus　estrivent；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Faillent　autant　que　ceulx　qui　trop　la　suyvent。〃

　　　　　＇〃They　err　as　much　who　too　much　forbear　Venus；　as　the