the essays of montaigne, v8-第6部分

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employ　the　time　we　spend　in　prying　into　other　men's　actions；　and
discovering　things　without　us；　in　examining　our　own　abilities　we　should
soon　perceive　of　how　infirm　and　decaying　material　this　fabric　of　ours　is
composed。　　Is　it　not　a　singular　testimony　of　imperfection　that　we　cannot
establish　our　satisfaction　in　any　one　thing；　and　that　even　our　own　fancy
and　desire　should　deprive　us　of　the　power　to　choose　what　is　most　proper
and　useful　for　us？　　A　very　good　proof　of　this　is　the　great　dispute　that
has　ever　been　amongst　the　philosophers；　of　finding　out　man's　sovereign
good；　that　continues　yet；　and　will　eternally　continue；　without　solution
or　accord：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Dum　abest　quod　avemus；　id　exsuperare　videtur
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Caetera；　post　aliud；　quum　contigit　illud；　avemus；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Et　sitis　aequa　tenet。〃

　　　　　＇〃While　that　which　we　desire　is　wanting；　it　seems　to　surpass　all　the
　　　　　rest；　then；　when　we　have　got　it；　we　want　something　else；　'tis　ever
　　　　　the　same　thirst〃Lucretius；　iii。　1095。

Whatever　it　is　that　falls　into　our　knowledge　and　possession；　we　find　that
it　satisfies　not；　and　we　still　pant　after　things　to　come　and　unknown；
inasmuch　as　those　present　do　not　suffice　for　us；　not　that；　in　my
judgment；　they　have　not　in　them　wherewith　to　do　it；　but　because　we　seize
them　with　an　unruly　and　immoderate　haste：

　　　　　　　　　〃Nam　quum　vidit　hic；　ad　victum　qux　flagitat　usus；
　　　　　　　　　　Et　per　quae　possent　vitam　consistere　tutam；
　　　　　　　　　　Omnia　jam　ferme　mortalibus　esse　parata；
　　　　　　　　　　Divitiis　homines；　et　honore；　et　laude　potentes
　　　　　　　　　　Aflluere；　atque　bona　natorum　excellere　fama；
　　　　　　　　　　Nec　minus　esse　domi　cuiquam　tamen　anxia　corda；
　　　　　　　　　　Atque　animi　ingratis　vitam　vexare　querelis
　　　　　　　　　　Causam；　quae　infestis　cogit　saevire　querelis；
　　　　　　　　　　Intellegit　ibi；　vitium　vas　efficere　ipsum；
　　　　　　　　　　Omniaque；　illius　vitio；　corrumpier　intus；
　　　　　　　　　　Qux　collata　foris　et　commoda　quomque　venirent。〃

　　　　　＇〃For　when　he　saw　that　almost　all　things　necessarily　required　for
　　　　　subsistence；　and　which　may　render　life　comfortable；　are　already
　　　　　prepared　to　their　hand；　that　men　may　abundantly　attain　wealth；
　　　　　honour；　praise；　may　rejoice　in　the　reputation　of　their　children；　yet
　　　　　that；　notwithstanding；　every　one　has　none　the　less　in　his　heart　and
　　　　　home　anxieties　and　a　mind　enslaved　by　wearing　complaints；　he　saw
　　　　　that　the　vessel　itself　was　in　fault；　and　that　all　good　things　which
　　　　　were　brought　into　it　from　without　were　spoilt　by　its　own
　　　　　imperfections。〃Lucretius；　vi。　9。＇

Our　appetite　is　irresolute　and　fickle；　it　can　neither　keep　nor　enjoy
anything　with　a　good　grace：　and　man　concluding　it　to　be　the　fault　of　the
things　he　is　possessed　of；　fills　himself　with　and　feeds　upon　the　idea　of
things　he　neither　knows　nor　understands；　to　which　he　devotes　his　hopes
and　his　desires；　paying　them　all　reverence　and　honour；　according　to　the
saying　of　Caesar：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Communi　fit　vitio　naturae；　ut　invisis；　latitantibus
　　　　　　　　　　atque　incognitis　rebus　magis　confidamas；
　　　　　　　　　　vehementiusque　exterreamur。〃

　　　　　＇〃'Tis　the　common　vice　of　nature；　that　we　at　once　repose　most
　　　　　confidence；　and　receive　the　greatest　apprehensions；　from　things
　　　　　unseen；　concealed；　and　unknown。〃De　Bello　Civil；　xi。　4。＇




CHAPTER　LIV

OF　VAIN　SUBTLETIES

There　are　a　sort　of　little　knacks　and　frivolous　subtleties　from　which　men
sometimes　expect　to　derive　reputation　and　applause：　as　poets；　who　compose
whole　poems　with　every　line　beginning　with　the　same　letter；　we　see　the
shapes　of　eggs；　globes；　wings；　and　hatchets　cut　out　by　the　ancient　Greeks
by　the　measure　of　their　verses；　making　them　longer　or　shorter；　to
represent　such　or　such　a　figure。　　Of　this　nature　was　his　employment　who
made　it　his　business　to　compute　into　how　many　several　orders　the　letters
of　the　alphabet　might　be　transposed；　and　found　out　that　incredible　number
mentioned　in　Plutarch。　　I　am　mightily　pleased　with　the　humour　of　him；

　　　　　＇〃Alexander；　as　may　be　seen　in　Quintil。；　Institut。　　Orat。；　lib。
　　　　　ii。；　cap。　20；　where　he　defines　Maratarexvia　'to　be　a　certain
　　　　　unnecessary　imitation　of　art；　which　really　does　neither　good　nor
　　　　　harm；　but　is　as　unprofitable　and　ridiculous　as　was　the　labour　of
　　　　　that　man　who　had　so　perfectly　learned　to　cast　small　peas　through　the
　　　　　eye　of　a　needle　at　a　good　distance　that　he　never　missed　one；　and　was
　　　　　justly　rewarded　for　it；　as　is　said；　by　Alexander；　who　saw　the
　　　　　performance；　with　a　bushel　of　peas。〃Coste。

who　having　a　man　brought　before　him　that　had　learned　to　throw　a　grain　of
millet　with　such　dexterity　and　assurance　as　never　to　miss　the　eye　of　a
needle；　and　being　afterwards　entreated　to　give　something　for　the　reward
of　so　rare　a　performance；　he　pleasantly；　and　in　my　opinion　justly；
ordered　a　certain　number　of　bushels　of　the　same　grain　to　be　delivered　to
him；　that　he　might　not　want　wherewith　to　exercise　so　famous　an　art。　　'Tis
a　strong　evidence　of　a　weak　judgment　when　men　approve　of　things　for　their
being　rare　and　new；　or　for　their　difficulty；　where　worth　and　usefulness
are　not　conjoined　to　recommend　them。

I　come　just　now　from　playing　with　my　own　family　at　who　could　find　out　the
most　things　that　hold　by　their　two　extremities；　as　Sire；　which　is　a　title
given　to　the　greatest　person　in　the　nation；　the　king；　and　also　to　the
vulgar；　as　merchants；　but　never　to　any　degree　of　men　between。　　The　women
of　great　quality　are　called　Dames；　inferior　gentlewomen；　Demoiselles；　and
the　meanest　sort　of　women；　Dames；　as　the　first。　　The　cloth　of　state　over
our　tables　is　not　permitted　but　in　the　palaces　of　princes　and　in　taverns。
Democritus　said；　that　gods　and　beasts　had　sharper　sense　than　men；　who　are
of　a　middle　form。　　The　Romans　wore　the　same　habit　at　funerals　and　feasts。
It　is　most　certain　that　an　extreme　fear　and　an　extreme　ardour　of　courage
equally　trouble　and　relax　the　belly。　　The　nickname　of　Trembling　with
which　they　surnamed　Sancho　XII。；　king　of　Navarre；　tells　us　that　valour
will　cause　a　trembling　in　the　limbs　as　well　as　fear。　　Those　who　were
arming　that　king；　or　some　other　person；　who　upon　the　like　occasion　was
wont　to　be　in　the　same　disorder；　tried　to　compose　him　by　representing　the
danger　less　he　was　going　to　engage　himself　in：　〃You　understand　me　ill；〃
said　he；　〃for　could　my　flesh　know　the　danger　my　courage　will　presently
carry　it　into；　it　would　sink　down　to　the　ground。〃　　The　faintness　that
surprises　us　from　frigidity　or　dislike　in　the　exercises　of　Venus　are　also
occasioned　by　a　too　violent　desire　and　an　immoderate　heat。　　Extreme
coldness　and　extreme　heat　boil　and　roast。　　Aristotle　says；　that　sows　of
lead　will　melt　and　run　with　cold　and　the　rigour　of　winter　just　as　with　a
vehement　heat。　　Desire　and　satiety　fill　all　the　gradations　above　and
below　pleasure　with　pain。　　Stupidity　and　wisdom　meet　in　the　same　centre
of　sentiment　and　resolution；　in　the　suffering　of　human　accidents。　　The
wise　control　and　triumph　over　ill；　the　others　know　it　not：　these　last
are；　as　a　man　may　say；　on　this　side　of　accidents；　the　others　are　beyond
them；　who　after　having　well　weighed　and　considered　their　qualities；
measured　and　judged　them　what　they　are；　by　virtue　of　a　vigorous　soul　leap
out　of　their　reach；　they　disdain　and　trample　them　underfoot；　having　a
solid　and　well…fortified　soul；　against　which　the　darts　of　fortune；　coming
to　strike；　must　of　necessity　rebound　and　blunt　themselves；　meeting　with　a
body　upon　which　they　can　fix　no　impression；　the　ordinary　and　middle
condition　of　men　are　lodged　betwixt　these　two　extremities；　consisting　of
such　as　perceive　evils；　feel　them；　and　are　not　able　to　support　them。
Infancy　and　decrepitude　meet　in　the　imbecility　of　the　brain；　avarice　and
profusion　in　the　same　thirst　and　desire　of　getting。

A　man　may　say　with　some　colour　of　truth　that　there　is　an　Abecedarian
ignorance　that　precedes　knowledge；　and　a　doctoral　ignorance　that　comes
after　it：　an　ignorance　that　knowledge　creates　and　begets；　at　the　same
time　that　it　despatches　and　destroys　the　first。　　Of　mean　understandings；
little　inquisitive；　and　little　instructed；　are　made　good　Christians；　who
by　reverence　and　obedience　simply　believe　and　are　constant　in　their
belief。　　In　the　average　understandings　and　the　middle　sort　of　capacities；
the　error　of　opinion　is　begotten；　they　follow　the　appearance　of　the　first
impression；　and　have　some　colour　of　reason　on　their　side　to　impute　our
walking　on　in　the　old　beaten　path　to　simplicity　and　stupidity；　meaning　us
who　have　not　informed　ourselves　by　study。　　The　higher　and　nobler　souls；
more　solid　and　clear…sighted；　make　up　another　sort　of　true　believers；　who
by　a　long　and　religious　investigation　of　truth；　have　obtained　a　clearer
and　more　penetrating　light　into　the　Scriptures；　and　have　discovered　the
mysterious　and　divine　secret　of　our　ecclesiastical　polity；　and　yet　we　see
some；　who　by　the　middle　step；　have　arrived　at　that　supreme　degree　with
marvellous　fruit　and　confirmation；　as　to　the　utmost　limit　of　Christian
intelligence；　and　enjoy　their　victory　with　great　spiritual　consolation；
humble　acknowledgment　of　the　divine　favour；　reformation　of　manners；　and
singular　modesty。　　I　do　not　intend　with　these　to　rank　those　others；　who
to　clear　themselves　from　all　suspicion　of　their　former　errors　and　to
satisfy　us　that　they　are　sound　and　firm；　render　themselves　extremely
indiscreet　and　unjust；　in　the　carrying　on　our　cause；　and　blemish　it　with
infinite　reproaches　of　violence　and　oppression。　　The　simple　peasants　are
good　people；　and　so　are　the　philosophers；　or　whatever　the　present　age
calls　them；　men　of　strong　and　clear　reason；　and　whose　souls　are　enriched
with　an　ample　instruction　of　profitable　sciences。　　The　mongrels　who　have
disdained　the　first　form　of　the　ignorance　of　letters；　and　have　not　been
able　to　attain　to　the　other　（sitting　betwixt　two　stools；　as　I　and　a　great
many　more　of　us　do）；　are　dangerous；　foolish；　and　importunate；　these　are
they　that　trouble　the　world。　　And　therefore　it　is　that　I；　for　my　own
part；　retreat　as　much　as　I　can　towards　the　first　and　natural　station；
whence　I　so　vainly　attempted　to　advance。

Popular　and　purely　natural　poesy

　　　　　＇〃The　term　poesie　populaire　was　employed；　for　th