the essays of montaigne, v17-第14节

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himself；　taking　the　free　and　natural　rules　for　his　own　share；　feeling
assured　of　a　firm　and　entire　health：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Curentur　dubii　medicis　majoribus　aegri。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Desperate　maladies　require　the　best　doctors。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Juvenal；　xiii。　124。＇

Antisthenes　allows　a　sage　to　love；　and　to　do　whatever　he　thinks
convenient；　without　regard　to　the　laws；　forasmuch　as　he　is　better　advised
than　they；　and　has　a　greater　knowledge　of　virtue。　　His　disciple　Diogenes
said；　that　〃men　to　perturbations　were　to　oppose　reason：　to　fortune；
courage：　to　the　laws；　nature。〃　　For　tender　stomachs；　constrained　and
artificial　recipes　must　be　prescribed：　good　and　strong　stomachs　serve
themselves　simply　with　the　prescriptions　of　their　own　natural　appetite；
after　this　manner　do　our　physicians　proceed；　who　eat　melons　and　drink
iced　wines；　whilst　they　confine　their　patients　to　syrups　and　sops。
〃I　know　not；〃　said　the　courtezan　Lais；　〃what　they　may　talk　of　books；
wisdom；　and　philosophy；　but　these　men　knock　as　often　at　my　door　as　any
others。〃　　At　the　same　rate　that　our　licence　carries　us　beyond　what　is
lawful　and　allowed；　men　have；　often　beyond　universal　reason；　stretched
the　precepts　and　rules　of　our　life：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Nemo　satis　credit　tantum　delinquere；　quantum
　　　　　　　　　　Permittas。〃

　　　　　＇〃No　one　thinks　he　has　done　ill　to　the　full　extent　of　what　he　may。〃
　　　　　Juvenal；　xiv。　233。＇

It　were　to　be　wished　that　there　was　more　proportion　betwixt　the　command
and　the　obedience；　and　the　mark　seems　to　be　unjust　to　which　one　cannot
attain。　　There　is　no　so　good　man；　who　so　squares　all　his　thoughts　and
actions　to　the　laws；　that　he　is　not　faulty　enough　to　deserve　hanging　ten
times　in　his　life；　and　he　may　well　be　such　a　one；　as　it　were　great
injustice　and　great　harm　to　punish　and　ruin：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ole；　quid　ad　te
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　De　cute　quid　faciat　ille　vel　ille　sua？〃

　　　　　＇〃Olus；　what　is　it　to　thee　what　he　or　she　does　with　their　skin？〃
　　　　　Martial；　vii。　9；　I。＇

and　such　an　one　there　may　be；　who　has　no　way　offended　the　laws；　who；
nevertheless；　would　not　deserve　the　character　of　a　virtuous　man；　and　whom
philosophy　would　justly　condemn　to　be　whipped；　so　unequal　and　perplexed
is　this　relation。　　We　are　so　far　from　being　good　men；　according　to　the
laws　of　God；　that　we　cannot　be　so　according　to　our　own　human　wisdom　never
yet　arrived　at　the　duties　it　had　itself　prescribed；　and　could　it　arrive
there；　it　would　still　prescribe　to　itself　others　beyond；　to　which　it
would　ever　aspire　and　pretend；　so　great　an　enemy　to　consistency　is　our
human　condition。　　Man　enjoins　himself　to　be　necessarily　in　fault：　he　is
not　very　discreet　to　cut　out　his　own　duty　by　the　measure　of　another　being
than　his　own。　　To　whom　does　he　prescribe　that　which　he　does　not　expect
any　one　should　perform？　is　he　unjust　in　not　doing　what　it　is　impossible
for　him　to　do？　　The　laws　which　condemn　us　not　to　be　able；　condemn　us　for
not　being　able。

At　the　worst；　this　difform　liberty　of　presenting　ourselves　two　several
ways；　the　actions　after　one　manner　and　the　reasoning　after　another；　may
be　allowed　to　those　who　only　speak　of　things；　but　it　cannot　be　allowed　to
those　who　speak　of　themselves；　as　I　do：　I　must　march　my　pen　as　I　do　my
feet。　　Common　life　ought　to　have　relation　to　the　other　lives：　the　virtue
of　Cato　was　vigorous　beyond　the　reason　of　the　age　he　lived　in；　and　for　a
man　who　made　it　his　business　to　govern　others；　a　man　dedicated　to　the
public　service；　it　might　be　called　a　justice；　if　not　unjust；　at　least
vain　and　out　of　season。　　Even　my　own　manners；　which　differ　not　above　an
inch　from　those　current　amongst　us；　render　me；　nevertheless；　a　little
rough　and　unsociable　at　my　age。　　I　know　not　whether　it　be　without　reason
that　I　am　disgusted　with　the　world　I　frequent；　but　I　know　very　well　that
it　would　be　without　reason；　should　I　complain　of　its　being　disgusted　with
me；　seeing　I　am　so　with　it。　　The　virtue　that　is　assigned　to　the　affairs
of　the　world　is　a　virtue　of　many　wavings；　corners；　and　elbows；　to　join
and　adapt　itself　to　human　frailty；　mixed　and　artificial；　not　straight；
clear；　constant；　nor　purely　innocent。　　Our　annals　to　this　very　day
reproach　one　of　our　kings　for　suffering　himself　too　simply　to　be　carried
away　by　the　conscientious　persuasions　of　his　confessor：　affairs　of　state
have　bolder　precepts；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Exeat　aula；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Qui　vult　esse　pius。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Let　him　who　will　be　pious　retire　from　the　court。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Lucan；　viii。　493＇

I　formerly　tried　to　employ　in　the　service　of　public　affairs　opinions　and
rules　of　living；　as　rough；　new；　unpolished　or　unpolluted；　as　they　were
either　born　with　me；　or　brought　away　from　my　education；　and　wherewith　I
serve　my　own　turn；　if　not　so　commodiously；　at　least　securely；　in　my　own
particular　concerns：　a　scholastic　and　novice　virtue；　but　I　have　found
them　unapt　and　dangerous。　　He　who　goes　into　a　crowd　must　now　go　one　way
and　then　another；　keep　his　elbows　close；　retire　or　advance；　and　quit　the
straight　way；　according　to　what　he　encounters；　and　must　live　not　so　much
according　to　his　own　method　as　to　that　of　others；　not　according　to　what
he　proposes　to　himself；　but　according　to　what　is　proposed　to　him；
according　to　the　time；　according　to　the　men；　according　to　the　occasions。
Plato　says；　that　whoever　escapes　from　the　world's　handling　with　clean
breeches；　escapes　by　miracle：　and　says　withal；　that　when　he　appoints　his
philosopher　the　head　of　a　government；　he　does　not　mean　a　corrupt　one　like
that　of　Athens；　and　much　less　such　a　one　as　this　of　ours；　wherein　wisdom
itself　would　be　to　seek。　　A　good　herb；　transplanted　into　a　soil　contrary
to　its　own　nature；　much　sooner　conforms　itself　to　the　soil　than　it
reforms　the　soil　to　it。　　I　found　that　if　I　had　wholly　to　apply　myself　to
such　employments；　it　would　require　a　great　deal　of　change　and　new
modelling　in　me　before　I　could　be　any　way　fit　for　it：　And　though　I　could
so　far　prevail　upon　myself　（and　why　might　I　not　with　time　and　diligence
work　such　a　feat）；　I　would　not　do　it。　　The　little　trial　I　have　had　of
public　employment　has　been　so　much　disgust　to　me；　I　feel　at　times
temptations　toward　ambition　rising　in　my　soul；　but　I　obstinately　oppose
them：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃At　tu；　Catulle；　obstinatus　obdura。〃

　　　　　＇〃But　thou；　Catullus；　be　obstinately　firm。〃Catullus；　viii。　19。＇

I　am　seldom　called　to　it；　and　as　seldom　offer　myself　uncalled；　liberty
and　laziness；　the　qualities　most　predominant　in　me；　are　qualities
diametrically　contrary　to　that　trade。　　We　cannot　well　distinguish　the
faculties　of　men；　they　have　divisions　and　limits　hard　and　delicate　to
choose；　to　conclude　from　the　discreet　conduct　of　a　private　life　a
capacity　for　the　management　of　public　affairs　is　to　conclude　ill；　a　man
may　govern　himself　well　who　cannot　govern　others　so；　and　compose　Essays
who　could　not　work　effects：　men　there　may　be　who　can　order　a　siege　well；
who　would　ill　marshal　a　battle；　who　can　speak　well　in　private；　who　would
ill　harangue　a　people　or　a　prince；　nay；　'tis　peradventure　rather　a
testimony　in　him　who　can　do　the　one　that　he　cannot　do　the　other；　than
otherwise。　　I　find　that　elevated　souls　are　not　much　more　proper　for　mean
things　than　mean　souls　are　for　high　ones。　　Could　it　be　imagined　that
Socrates　should　have　administered　occasion　of　laughter；　at　the　expense　of
his　own　reputation；　to　the　Athenians　for：　having　never　been　able　to　sum
up　the　votes　of　his　tribe；　to　deliver　it　to　the　council？　　Truly；　the
veneration　I　have　for　the　perfections　of　this　great　man　deserves　that　his
fortune　should　furnish；　for　the　excuse　of　my　principal　imperfections；　so
magnificent　an　example。　　Our　sufficiency　is　cut　out　into　small　parcels；
mine　has　no　latitude；　and　is　also　very　contemptible　in　number。
Saturninus；　to　those　who　had　conferred　upon　him　the　command　in　chief：
〃Companions；〃　said　he；　〃you　have　lost　a　good　captain；　to　make　of　him　a
bad　general。〃

Whoever　boasts；　in　so　sick　a　time　as　this；　to　employ　a　true　and　sincere
virtue　in　the　world's　service；　either　knows　not　what　it　is；　opinions
growing　corrupt　with　manners　（and；　in　truth；　to　hear　them　describe　it；　to
hear　the　most　of　them　glorify　themselves　in　their　deportments；　and　lay
down　their　rules；　instead　of　painting　virtue；　they　paint　pure　vice　and
injustice；　and　so　represent　it　false　in　the　education　of　princes）；　or　if
he　does　know　it；　boasts　unjustly　and　let　him　say　what　he　will；　does　a
thousand　things　of　which　his　own　conscience　must　necessarily　accuse　him。
I　should　willingly　take　Seneca's　word　on　the　experience　he　made　upon　the
like　occasion；　provided　he　would　deal　sincerely　with　me。　　The　most
honourable　mark　of　goodness　in　such　a　necessity　is　freely　to　confess　both
one's　own　faults　and　those　of　others；　with　the　power　of　its　virtue　to
stay　one's　inclination　towards　evil；　unwillingly　to　follow　this
propension；　to　hope　better；　to　desire　better。　　I　perceive　that　in　these
divisions　wherein　we　are　involved　in　France；　every　one　labours　to　defend
his　cause；　but　even　the　very　best　of　them　with　dissimulation　and
disguise：　he　who　would　write　roundly　of　the　true　state　of　the　quarrel；
would　write　rashly　and　wrongly。　　The　most　just　party　is　at