蒙田散文 卷五 Essays of Montaigne vol 05(可编辑)

蒙田散文 卷五 Essays of Montaigne vol 05(可编辑) 蒙田散文 卷五 Essays of Montaigne vol 05 THE WORKS OF MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE With Notes, Life and Letters Complete in Ten Volumes THE WORKS OF -b_JCttELDr__0NT_JGNE ESSAY BY I_I_DH_ALD0 E_RSON EDWIN C. HILL NEW YORK. ]642 ._,_ *_,_"7"/ C7 1910 [// ' _" _z.5 1964769 EMERSON EDITION TEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY COPIES HA VE BEEN PRINTED NUMBE_ 4,_,_ AuyustanaCollie Lib_r_ Rock lmtmd, illinois ESSAYS OF MONTAIG27E TaA_TED BY CH_L.RTF_, COTTON REVISED BY WILLIAM CAREW HAZLETT VOLUME FIVE NIw Yomi EDWIN C. HILL MCMX CoPv_iouT 1910 _Y EDWIN C. HILL CONTENTS Apology for Raimond de Sebonde continued . Volumv V LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS CmcE. From Painting by Henri Motte ......................... Frontispiece ULYSSES AND THE SIRENS. From Painting by Leon-Auguste- Adolphe Belly ................. Page 28 GODAND THE MORTAL. From Paint- ing by Jean Le Comte-DuNony.. " 90 JU_ENT OF MIDAS. From Painting by Theodor Grosse ............ " 228 Volume V ESSAYS OF MONTAIGNE APOLOGY FOR RAYMOND DE SEBONDE Continued. AS TO magnanimity,itwillbe hard togive a betterinstanceofthisthan intheexample ofthegreatdog senttoAlexandertheGreat from India.They firsbroughtt him a stagto encounter,nexta boar,and afterthata bear; allthesehe slighted,and disdainedto stir from hisplace;but when he saw a lion,he immediatelyrousedhimself,evidentlymani- festingthathe declaredthataloneworthy toenterthelistswithhim. As towhat con- ternsrepentanceand theacknowledgment of faults,'tisreportedofan elephant,thathav- ing,in the impetuosityof his rage,killed h_skeeper,he fellintoso extreme a sorrow thathe would never aftereat,but starved himselfto death. And as to clemency,'tis saidofa tiger,themost inhuman ofallbeasts, thata kid havingbeenput intohim,he suf- feredtwo days'hunger ratherthan hurt it, and on the thirdday broke the cagehe was 11 12 MONTAIGNE shut up in, to go seek elsewhere for prey, not choosing to fall upon the kid, his friend and guest. And as to the laws of familiarity and agreement, formed by converse, it commonly occurs that we bring up cats, dogs, and hares tame together. But that which seamen experimentally know, and particularly in the Sicilian sea, of the quality of the halcyons, surpasses all human thought: of what kind of animal has nature so highly honored the hatching, birth, and production? The poets, indeed, say that the Island of Delos, which before was a float- ing island, was fixed for the service of Latona's lying-in; but the gods ordered that the whole ocean should be stayed, made stable and smoothed, without waves, without wind or rain, whilst the halcyon lays her eggs, which _s just about the Solstice, the shortest day of the year, so that, by this halcyon's privilege, we have seven clays and seven mghts in the very heart of winter, wherein we may sail without danger. Their females never have to do with any other male but their own, whom they always accompany without ever forsaking him all their lives; MONTAIGNE 13 if he happen to be weak and broken with age, they take him upon their shoulders, carry him from place to place, and serve him till death. But the most inquisitive into the secrets of nature could never yet arrive at the knowl- edge of the marvellous fabric wherewith the halcyon builds the nest for her little ones, nor guess at the matter. Plutarch, who had seen and handled many of them, thinks it is the bones of some fish which she joins and binds together, interlacing them some length- wise and others across, and adding ribs and hoops in such a manner that she forms, at last, a round vessel fit to launch, which being done, and the building finished, she carries it to the wash of the beach, where the sea beat- ing gently against it, shows her where she is to mend what is not well jointed and knit, and where better to fortify the seams that are leaky and that open at the beating of the waves; and, on the contrary, what is well built and has had the due finishing, the beat- ing of the waves so closes and binds together that it is not to be broken or cracked by blows, either of stone or iron, without very much ado. And that which is still more to be 14 MONTAIGNE admired is the proportion and figure of the cavity within, which is composed and pro- portioned after such a manner as not pos- sibly to receive or admit any other thing than the bird that built it; for to anything else it is so impenetrable, close, and shut, that nothing can enter, not so much as the water of the sea. This is a very clear description of this building, and borrowed from a very good hand; and yet methinks it does not give us sufficient light into the difficulty of this architecture. Now, from what vanity can it proceed to place lower than ourselves, and disdainfully to interpret effects that we can neither imitate nor comprehend_ To pursue a little further this equality and correspondence betwixt us and beasts: the privilege our soul so much glorifies herself upon of bringing all things she conceives to her own condition, of stripping all things that come to her of their mortal and corporal qualities, of ordering and placing the things she conceives worthy her taking notice of, divesting them of their corruptible qualities, and making them lay aside length, breadth, depth, weight, color, smell, roughness, MONTAIGNE 15 smoothness, hardness, softness, and all sensi- ble incidents, as mean and superfluous vest- ments, to accommodate them to her own im- mortal and spiritual condition: the Paris, just as Rome and Paris, that I have in my soul, the Paris that I imagine, I imagine and con- ceive it without greatness and without place, without stone, without plaster, without wood: this very same privilege, I say, seems to be evidently in beasts : for a horse, accustomed to trumpets, the rattle of musket-shot and the bustle of battles, whom we see start and tremble in his sleep stretched upon his litter, as if he were in fight, it is certain that he con- ceives in his soul the beat of drum without noise, an army Without arms and without body :m "You shall see strong horses, however, when they lie down in sleep, often sweat, and snort, and seem as if, with all their force, they were striving to win the race." The hare" that a harrier imagines in his dream, after which we see him so pant whilst he sleeps, so stretch out his tail, shake his legs, and perfectly represent all the motions 16 MONTAIGNE of his course, is a hare without skin and with- out bones:-- "Hounds often in their quiet rest suddenly throw out their legs and bark, and breathe quick and short, as if they were in full chase upon a burning scent: nay, being waked, pur- sue visionary stags, as if they had them in real view, till at last, discovering the mid- take, they return to themselves." We often observe the watchdogs growl in their dreams and afterward bark out, and start up on a sudden, as if they perceived some stranger at hand: this stranger, that their soul discerns, is a spiritual and imper- ceptible man, without dimension, without color, and without being:m "Often our caressing house-dogs, shaking slumber from their eyes, will rise up sud- den]y, as if they see strange faces." As to beauty of the body, before I proceed any further, I would know whether or not we are agreed about the description. 'Tis likely we do not well know what beauty is in nature and in general, since to human and our MONTAIGNE 1Z own beauty we give so many diverse forms, of which were there any natural rule and prescription we should know it in common, as we do the heat of the fire. But we fancy its forms according to our own appetite and ]jking:-- "The Belgie complexion is base in con- trast to a Roman face." Indians paint it black and tawny, with great swollen lips, big fiat noses, and load the carti- lage betwixt the nostrils with great rings of gold to make it hang down to the mouth; as also the nether lip with great hoops, en- riched with jewels, that weigh them down to fall upon the chin, it being with them a special grace to show their teeth even below the roots. In Peru, the greatest ears are the most beautiful, and they stretch them out as far as they can by art; and a m_n, now living, says that he has seen in an Eastern nation this care of enlarging them in so great re- pute, and the ear laden with such ponderous jewels, that he did with great ease put his arm, sleeve and all, through the bore of an ear. There are, elsewhere, nations that take 18 MONTAIGNE great care to blacken their teeth, and hate to see them white; elsewhere, people that paint them red. Not only in Biscay, but in other places, the women are reputed more beautiful for having their heads shaved, and this, more- over, in certain frozen countries, as Pliny re- ports. The Mexican women reckon among beauties a low forehead, and though they shave all other parts, they nourish hair on the forehead and increase it by art, and have large teats in such great reputation, that they make boast to give their children suck over their shoulders. We should paint deformity so. The Italians fashion beauty gross and massive: the Spaniards, gaunt and slender; and among us one makes it white, another brown: one soft and delicate, another strong and vigorous; one will have his mistress soft and gentle, another haughty and majestic. Just as the preference in beauty is given by Plato to the spherical figure, the Epicureans give it to the pyramidal or the square, and cannot swallow a god in the form of a ball. But, be it how it will, nature has no more privileged us above her common laws in this than in the rest; and if we will judge our- MONTAIGNE 19 selves aright, we shall find that if" there be some animals less favored in this than we, there are others, and in great number, that are more so:-- "Many animals surpass us in beauty," even of our terrestrial compatriots; for, as to those of the sea, setting the figure aside, which cannot fall into any manner of com- parison, being so wholly another thing, in color, cleanness, smoothness, and disposition, we sufficiently give place to them; and no less, in all qualities, to the aerial. And this prerogative that the poets make such a mighty matter of, our erect stature, looking . towards heaven, our original :- "Whereas other animals bow their prone looks to the earth, he gave it to men to look erect, to behold the heavenly arch," is merely poetical; for there are several little beasts that have their sight absolutely turned towards heaven; and I find the countenance of camels and ostriches much higher raised, and more erect than ours. What animals 20 MONTAIGNE have not their faces forward and in front, and do not look just as we do, and do not in their natural posture discover as much of heaven and earth as manT And what quali- ties of our bodily constitution, in Plato and Cicero, may not indifl_erently serve a thousand sorts of beasts T Those that most resemble us are the ugliest and most abject of all the herd; for, as to outward appearance and form of visage, such are the baboons and monkeys :- "How like to us is that basest of beasts, the ape T" and, for the internal and vital parts, the hog. In earnest, when I imagine man stark naked, even that sex that seems to have the greatest share of beauty, his defects, natural subjec- tions, and imperfections, I find that we have more reason than any other animal to cover ourselves. We are readily to be excused for borrowing of those creatures to which nature has in this been kinder than to us, to trick ourselves with their beauties and hide our- selves under their spoils---their wool, feathers, hair, silk. Let us observe, as to the MONTAIGNE 2 1 rest, that man is the sole animal whose nudi- ties offend his own companions, and the only one who, in his natural actions, withdraws and hides himself from his own Lind. And really, 'tis also an effect worth considera- tion, that they, who are masters in the trade, prescribe as a remedy for amorous passions the full and free view of the body a m.n de- sires; so that, to cool his ardor, there needs no more but full liberty to see and contemplate what he loves:-- "He that in full ardor has disclosed to him the secret parts of his mistress in open view, flags in his hot career :" and although this recipe may, peradventure, proceed from a refined and cold humor, it is, notwithstanding, a very great sign of our weakness, that use and acquaintance should disgust us with one another. It is not modesty so much as cunning and prudence, that makes our ladies so circum- spect in refusing us admittance to their closets, before they are painted and tricked up for public view:-- "Nor does this escape our beauties, inso- 22 MONTAIGNE much that they with such care behind the scenes remove all those defects that may check the _me of their lovers:" whereas in several animals there is nothing that we do not love, and that does not please our senses; so that from their very excre- ments we not only extract wherewith to heighten our sauces, but also our richest ornaments and perfumes. This discourse re- flects upon none but the ordinary sort of women, and is not so sacrilegious as to seek to comprehend those divine, supernatural, and extraordhmry beauties, whom we oc- casionally see shining amongst us like stars under a corporeal and terrestrial veil. As to the rest, the very share that we al- low to beasts of the bounty of nature, by our own confession, is very much to their ad- vantage: we attribute to ourselves imaginary and fantastic goods, future and absent goods, for which human capacity cannot, of herself, be responsible; or goods that we falsely at- tribute to ourselves by the license of opinion, as reason, knowledge, and honor; and leave to them, for their share, essential, manage- able, and palpable goods, as peace, repose, MONTAIGNE 23 security, innocence, and health: health, I say, the fairest and richest present that nature can make us. Insomuck that philosophy, even the Stoic, is so bold as to say that Heraclitus and Pherecides, could they have exchanged their wisdom for health, and had delivered themselves, the one of his dropsy and the other of the lice disease that tor- mented b_m_ by the bargain they had done well. By which they set a still greater value upon wisdom, comparing and putting it in the balance with health, than they do in this other proposition, which is also theirs: they say that if Circe had presented to Ulysses two potions, the one to make a fool become a wise man, and the other to make a wise man become a fool, Ulysses ought rather to have chosen the last than to consent that Circe should change his human figure into that of a beast; and say that wisdom itself have spoken to him after this would manner: "Forsake me, let me alone, rather than lodge me under the figure and body of an ass." How, then, will the philosophers abandon this great and divine wisdom for this corp- oreal and terrestrial covering? it is then not 24 MONTAIGNE by reason, by discourse, by the soul, that we excel beasts: 'tis by our beauty, our fair com- plexion, our fine symmetry of parts, for which we must quit our intelligence, our prudence, and all the rest. Well, I accept this frank and free confession: certainly, they knew that those parts upon which we so much value ourselves are no other than vain fancy. If beasts, then, had all the virtue, knowledge, wisdom, and Stoical perfection, they would still be beasts, and would not be comparable to man, miserable, wicked, insensate man. For, in fine, whatever is not as we are is nothing worth; and God Himseff to procure esteem amongst us must put Himself into that shape, as we shall show anon: by which it appears that it is not upon any true ground of reason, but by a foolish pride and vain opinion, that we prefer ourselves before other animals, and separate ourselves from their condition and society. But, to return to what I was upon before, we have for our part inconstancy, irresolu- tion, incertitude, sorrow, superstition, solici- tude about things to come even after we shall be no more, ambition, avarice, jealousy, envy, irregular, frantic, and untamable appetites. MONTAIGNE 25 war, lying, disloyalty, detraction, and curio- sity. Doubtless, we have strangely overpaid this fine reason upon which we so much glorify ourselves, and this capacity of judg- Lug and knowing, if we have bought it at the price of this _ufinite number of passions to which we are eternally subject: nu]ess we shall yet think fit, as Socrates does, to add this notable prerogative above beasts, that whereas nature has prescribed to them cer- tain seasons and limits for the delights of Venus, she has given us the reins at all hours and all seasons:-- "As it falls out that wine seldom benefits the sick man, and very often injures him, it is better not to give them any at all than out of hope of an uncertain benefit to incur a sure mischief: so I know not whether it had not been better for mankind that this quick motion, this acumen of imagination, this subtlety, that we call reason, had not been given to man at all; since what harms many, and benefits few, had better have not been bestowed, than bestowed with so prodigal a hand. ' ' Of what advantage can we conceive the knowledge of so many things was to Varro and Aristotle_ Did it exempt them from 26 MONTAIGNE human inconveniences T Were they by it freed from the accidents that lie heavy upon the shoulders of a porterT Did they extract from their logic any consolation for the gout or, from knowing that this humor is lodged in the joints, did they feel it the lessT Did they enter into composition with death by knowing that some nations rejoice at his ap- proachT or with cuckoldry, by knowing that in some part of the world wives are in com- monT On the contrary, having been reputed the greatest men for knowledge, the one amongst the Romans and the other amongst the Greeks, and in a time when learning most flourished, we have not heard, nevertheless, that they had any particular excellence in their lives: nay, the Greek had enough to do to clear himself from some notable blemishes in his. Have we observed that pleasure and health have had a better relish with him who understands astrology and grammar than with others T "Do the veins of the illiterate swell less freely _ ' ' and shame and poverty less troublesomeT MONTAIGNE 27 "Thou shalt be free from disease and in- firmity, and avoid care and sorrow; and thy life shall be prolonged, and with better days. ' ' I have known in my time a hundred artisans, a hundred laborers, wiser and more happy than the rectors of the university, and whom I had much rather have resembled. Learn? ing, methinks, has its place amongst the necessary things of life, as glory, nobility, dignity, or, at the most, as beauty, riches, and such other qualities, which, indeed, are useful to it; but remotely and more by fantasy than by nature. We need scarcely more offices, rules, and laws of living in our society than cranes and emmets do in theirs; and yet we see that these live very regularly without erudition. If man were wise, he would take the true value of everything ac- cording as it was most useful and proper to his life. Whoever will number us by our actions and deportments, will find many more excellent men amongst the ignorant than among the learned: aye, in all sorts of virtue. The old Rome seems to me to have been of much greater value, both for peace and war, 28 MONTAIGNE than that learned Rome that ruined itself; and though all the rest should be equal, yet integrity and innocence would remain to the ancients, for they inhabit singularly well with simplicity. But I will leave this discourse that would lead me farther than I am willing to follow; and shall only say this farther: 'tis only hnmility and submission that can make a complete good m_n. We are not to leave to each man's own judgment the knowl- edge of his duty; we are to prescribe it to him, and not suffer him to choose it at his own discretion: otherwise, according to the imbecility and infinite variety of our reasons and opinions, we should at last forge for our- selves duties that would as Epicurus says enjoin us to eat one another. The first law that ever God gave to man was a law of pure obedience: it was a com- mandment naked and simple, wherein man had nothiug to inquire after or to dispute, forasmuch as to obey is the proper omce of a rational soul, acknowledging a heavenly superior and benefactor. From obedience and submission spring all other virtues, as MONTAIGNE 29 all sin does from seN-opinion. And, on the contrary, the first temptation that by the devil was offered to human nature, its first poison, insinuated itself by the promises that were made to us of knowledge and wisdom:-- "Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. ' ' A-d the Syrens, in Homer, to allure Ulysses and draw him within the danger of their snares, offered to give him knowledge. The plague of man is the opinion of wisdom; and for this reason it is that ignorance is so recommended to us by our religion, as proper to faith and obedience:-- "Take heed lest any man deceive you by philosophy and vain seductions according to the first principles of the world." There is in this a general consent amongst all sects of philosophers, that the sovereign good consists in the tranquillity of the soul and body: but where shall we find itT-- "He that is wise is one degree inferior 30 MONTAIGNE only to Jove; flee, honored, fair, in short, a king of kings; above all, in health, unless when the phlegm is troublesome." It seems, in truth, that nature, for the con- solation of our miserable and wretched state, has only given us presumption for our in- heritance; 'tis, as Epictetus says, "that man has nothing properly his own, but the use of his opinions;" we have nothing but wind and smoke for our portion. The gods have health in essence, says philosophy, and sick- ness in intelligence; man, on the contrary, possesses his goods by fancy, his ills in es- sence. We have had reason to magnify the power of our imagination, for all our goods are only in dream. Hear this poor calamitous animal huff :" There is nothing," says Cicero, "so charming as the occupation of letters; of those letters, I say, by means whereof the infiuity of things, the immense grandeur of nature, the heavens, even in this world, the earth, and the seas are discovered to us. 'Tis they that have taught us religion, modera- tion, the grandeur of courage, and that have rescued our souls from obscurity, to make he