the essays of montaigne, v19-第4部分

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disciples；　〃Let　us　go　and　hear　Socrates；　there　I　will　be　a　pupil　with　you〃；
and；　maintaining　this　doctrine　of　the　Stoic　sect；　〃that　virtue　was
sufficient　to　make　a　life　completely　happy；　having　no　need　of　any　other
thing　whatever〃；　except　of　the　force　of　Socrates；　added　he。

That　long　attention　that　I　employ　in　considering　myself；　also　fits　rile
to　judge　tolerably　enough　of　others；　and　there　are　few　things　whereof　I
speak　better　and　with　better　excuse。　　I　happen　very　often　more　exactly　to
see　and　distinguish　the　qualities　of　my　friends　than　they　do　themselves：
I　have　astonished　some　with　the　pertinence　of　my　description；　and　have
given　them　warning　of　themselves。　　By　having　from　my　infancy　been
accustomed　to　contemplate　my　own　life　in　those　of　others；　I　have　acquired
a　complexion　studious　in　that　particular；　and　when　I　am　once　interit　upon
it；　I　let　few　things　about　me；　whether　countenances；　humours；
or　discourses；　that　serve　to　that　purpose；　escape　me。　　I　study　all；
both　what　I　am　to　avoid　and　what　I　am　to　follow。　　Also　in　my　friends；
I　discover　by　their　productions　their　inward　inclinations；　not　by
arranging　this　infinite　variety　of　so　diverse　and　unconnected　actions
into　certain　species　and　chapters；　and　distinctly　distributing　my　parcels
and　divisions　under　known　heads　and　classes；

　　　　　　　　　　〃Sed　neque　quam　multae　species；　nec　nomina　quae　sint；
　　　　　　　　　　Est　numerus。〃

　　　　　＇〃But　neither　can　we　enumerate　how　many　kinds　there　what　are　their
　　　　　names。〃Virgil；　Georg。；　ii。　103。＇

The　wise　speak　and　deliver　their　fancies　more　specifically；　and　piece　by
piece；　I；　who　see　no　further　into　things　than　as　use　informs　me；　present
mine　generally　without　rule　and　experimentally：　I　pronounce　my　opinion　by
disjointed　articles；　as　a　thing　that　cannot　be　spoken　at　once　and　in
gross；　relation　and　conformity　are　not　to　be　found　in　such　low　and　common
souls　as　ours。　　Wisdom　is　a　solid　and　entire　building；　of　which　every
piece　keeps　its　place　and　bears　its　mark：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Sola　sapientia　in　se　tota　conversa　est。〃

　　　　　＇〃Wisdom　only　is　wholly　within　itself〃Cicero；　De　Fin。；　iii。　7。＇

I　leave　it　to　artists；　and　I　know　not　whether　or　no　they　will　be　able　to
bring　it　about；　in　so　perplexed；　minute；　and　fortuitous　a　thing；　to
marshal　into　distinct　bodies　this　infinite　diversity　of　faces；　to　settle
our　inconstancy；　and　set　it　in　order。　　I　do　not　only　find　it　hard　to
piece　our　actions　to　one　another；　but　I　moreover　find　it　hard　properly　to
design　each　by　itself　by　any　principal　quality；　so　ambiguous　and　variform
they　are　with　diverse　lights。　　That　which　is　remarked　for　rare　in
Perseus；　king　of　Macedon；　〃that　his　mind；　fixing　itself　to　no　one
condition；　wandered　in　all　sorts　of　living；　and　represented　manners　so
wild　and　erratic　that　it　was　neither　known　to　himself　or　any　other　what
kind　of　man　he　was；〃　seems　almost　to　fit　all　the　world；　and；　especially；
I　have　seen　another　of　his　make；　to　whom　I　think　this　conclusion　might
more　properly　be　applied；　no　moderate　settledness；　still　running　headlong
from　one　extreme　to　another；　upon　occasions　not　to　be　guessed　at；　no　line
of　path　without　traverse　and　wonderful　contrariety：　no　one　quality　simple
and　unmixed；　so　that　the　best　guess　men　can　one　day　make　will　be；　that　he
affected　and　studied　to　make　himself　known　by　being　not　to　be　known。　　A
man　had　need　have　sound　ears　to　hear　himself　frankly　criticised；　and　as
there　are　few　who　can　endure　to　hear　it　without　being　nettled；　those　who
hazard　the　undertaking　it　to　us　manifest　a　singular　effect　of　friendship；
for　'tis　to　love　sincerely　indeed；　to　venture　to　wound　and　offend　us；　for
our　own　good。　　I　think　it　harsh　to　judge　a　man　whose　ill　qualities　are
more　than　his　good　ones：　Plato　requires　three　things　in　him　who　will
examine　the　soul　of　another：　knowledge；　benevolence；　boldness。

I　was　sometimes　asked；　what　I　should　have　thought　myself　fit　for；　had　any
one　designed　to　make　use　of　me；　while　I　was　of　suitable　years：

　　　　　　　　　〃Dum　melior　vires　sanguis　dabat；　aemula　necdum
　　　　　　　　　　Temporibus　geminis　canebat　sparsa　senectus：〃

　　　　　＇〃Whilst　better　blood　gave　me　vigour；　and　before　envious　old　age
　　　　　whitened　and　thinned　my　temples。〃AEneid；　V。　415。＇

〃for　nothing；〃　said　I；　and　I　willingly　excuse　myself　from　knowing
anything　which　enslaves　me　to　others。　　But　I　had　told　the　truth　to　my
master；＇Was　this　Henri　VI。？　　D。W。＇　and　had　regulated　his　manners；　if
he　had　so　pleased；　not　in　gross；　by　scholastic　lessons；　which　I
understand　not；　and　from　which　I　see　no　true　reformation　spring　in　those
that　do；　but　by　observing　them　by　leisure；　at　all　opportunities；　and
simply　and　naturally　judging　them　as　an　eye…witness；　distinctly　one　by
one；　giving　him　to　understand　upon　what　terms　he　was　in　the　common
opinion；　in　opposition　to　his　flatterers。　　There　is　none　of　us　who　would
not　be　worse　than　kings；　if　so　continually　corrupted　as　they　are　with
that　sort　of　canaille。　　How；　if　Alexander；　that　great　king　and
philosopher；　cannot　defend　himself　from　them！

I　should　have　had　fidelity；　judgment；　and　freedom　enough　for　that
purpose。　　It　would　be　a　nameless　office；　otherwise　it　would　lose　its
grace　and　its　effect；　and　'tis　a　part　that　is　not　indifferently　fit　for
all　men；　for　truth　itself　has　not　the　privilege　to　be　spoken　at　all　times
and　indiscriminately；　its　use；　noble　as　it　is；　has　its　circumspections
and　limits。　　It　often　falls　out；　as　the　world　goes；　that　a　man　lets　it
slip　into　the　ear　of　a　prince；　not　only　to　no　purpose；　but　moreover
injuriously　and　unjustly；　and　no　man　shall　make　me　believe　that　a
virtuous　remonstrance　may　not　be　viciously　applied；　and　that　the　interest
of　the　substance　is　not　often　to　give　way　to　that　of　the　form。

For　such　a　purpose；　I　would　　have　a　man　who　is　content　with　his　own
fortune：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Quod　sit；　esse　velit；　nihilque　malit；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇Who　is　pleased　with　what　he　is　and　desires　nothing　further。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Martial；　x。　ii；　18。＇

and　of　moderate　station；　forasmuch　as；　on　the　one　hand；　he　would　not　be
afraid　to　touch　his　master's　heart　to　the　quick；　for　fear　by　that　means
of　losing　his　preferment：　and；　on　the　other　hand；　being　of　no　high
quality；　he　would　have　more　easy　communication　with　all　sorts　of　people。
I　would　have　this　office　limited　to　only　one　person；　for　to　allow　the
privilege　of　his　liberty　and　privacy　to　many；　would　beget　an　inconvenient
irreverence；　and　of　that　one；　I　would　above　all　things　require　the
fidelity　of　silence。

A　king　is　not　to　be　believed　when　he　brags　of　his　constancy　in　standing
the　shock　of　the　enemy　for　his　glory；　if　for　his　profit　and　amendment　he
cannot　stand　the　liberty　of　a　friend's　advice；　which　has　no　other　power
but　to　pinch　his　ear；　the　remainder　of　its　effect　being　still　in　his　own
hands。　　Now；　there　is　no　condition　of　men　whatever　who　stand　in　so　great
need　of　true　and　free　advice　and　warning；　as　they　do：　they　sustain　a
public　life；　and　have　to　satisfy　the　opinion　of　so　many　spectators；　that；
as　those　about　them　conceal　from　them　whatever　should　divert　them　from
their　own　way；　they　insensibly　find　themselves　involved　in　the　hatred　and
detestation　of　their　people；　often　upon　occasions　which　they　might　have
avoided　without　any　prejudice　even　of　their　pleasures　themselves；　had
they　been　advised　and　set　right　in　time。　　Their　favourites　commonly　have
more　regard　to　themselves　than　to　their　master；　and　indeed　it　answers
with　them；　forasmuch　as；　in　truth；　most　offices　of　real　friendship；　when
applied　to　the　sovereign；　are　under　a　rude　and　dangerous　hazard；　so　that
therein　there　is　great　need；　not　only　of　very　great　affection　and
freedom；　but　of　courage　too。

In　fine；　all　this　hodge…podge　which　I　scribble　here；　is　nothing　but　a
register　of　the　essays　of　my　own　life；　which；　for　the　internal　soundness；
is　exemplary　enough　to　take　instruction　against　the　grain；　but　as　to
bodily　health；　no　man　can　furnish　out　more　profitable　experience　than　I；
who　present　it　pure；　and　no　way　corrupted　and　changed　by　art　or　opinion。
Experience　is　properly　upon　its　own　dunghill　in　the　subject　of　physic；
where　reason　wholly　gives　it　place：　Tiberius　said　that　whoever　had　lived
twenty　years　ought　to　be　responsible　to　himself　for　all　things　that　were
hurtful　or　wholesome　to　him；　and　know　how　to　order　himself　without
physic；

　　　　　＇All　that　Suetonius　says　in　his　Life　of　Tiberius　is　that　this
　　　　　emperor；　after　he　was　thirty　years　old；　governed　his　health　without
　　　　　the　aid　of　physicians；　and　what　Plutarch　tells　us；　in　his　essay　on
　　　　　the　Rules　and　Precepts　of　Health；　is　that　Tiberius　said　that　the　man
　　　　　who；　having　attained　sixty　years；　held　out　his　pulse　to　a　physician
　　　　　was　a　fool。＇

and　he　might　have　learned　it　of　Socrates；　who；　advising　his　disciples　to
be　solicitous　of　their　health　as　a　chief　study；　added　that　it　was　hard　if
a　man　of　sense；　having　a　care　to　his　exercise　and　diet；　did　not　better
know　than　any　physician　what　was　good　or　ill　for　him。　　And　physic　itself
professes　always　to　have　experience　for　the　test　of　its　operations：　so
Plato　had　reason　to　say　that；　to　be　a　right　physician；　it　would　be
necessary　that　he　who　would　become　such；　should　first　himself　have　passed
through　all　the　diseases　he　pretends　to　cure；　and　through　all　the
accidents　and　circumstances　whereof　he　is　to　judge。　　'Tis　but　reason　they
should　get　the　pox；　if　they　will　know　how　to　cure　it；　for　my　part；
I　should　put　myself　into　such　hands；　the　others　but　guide　us；　like　him
who　paints　seas　and　rocks　and　ports　sitting　at　table；　and　there　makes　the
model　of　a　ship　sailing　in　all　security；　but　put　him　to　the　work　itself；
he　knows　not　at　which　end　to　begin。　　They　make　such　a　description　of　our
maladies　as　a　town　crier　does　of　a　lost　horse　or　dogsuch　a　color；　such
a　height；　such　an　earbut　bring　it　to　him　and　he　knows　it　not；　for　all
that。　　If　physic　should　one　day　give　me　some　good　and　visible　relief；
then　truly　I　will　cry　out　in　good　earnest：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Tandem　effcaci　do　manus　scientiae。〃

　　　　　＇〃Show　me　and　efficacious　science；　and　I　will　take　it　by　the　hand。〃
　　　　　Horace；　xvii。　I。＇

The　arts　that　promise　to　keep　our　bodies　and　souls　in　health　promise　a
great　deal；　but；　withal；