the essays of montaigne, v17-第4节

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to　others；　it　does　us　much　more　harm　than　good；　we　deprive　ourselves　of
our　own　utilities；　to　accommodate　appearances　to　the　common　opinion：
we　care　not　so　much　what　our　being　is；　as　to　us　and　in　reality；　as　what
it　is　to　the　public　observation。　　Even　the　properties　of　the　mind；　and
wisdom　itself；　seem　fruitless　to　us；　if　only　enjoyed　by　ourselves；　and　if
it　produce　not　itself　to　the　view　and　approbation　of　others。　　There　is　a
sort　of　men　whose　gold　runs　in　streams　underground　imperceptibly；　others
expose　it　all　in　plates　and　branches；　so　that　to　the　one　a　liard　is　worth
a　crown；　and　to　the　others　the　inverse：　the　world　esteeming　its　use　and
value；　according　to　the　show。　　All　over…nice　solicitude　about　riches
smells　of　avarice：　even　the　very　disposing　of　it；　with　a　too　systematic
and　artificial　liberality；　is　not　worth　a　painful　superintendence　and
solicitude：　he；　that　will　order　his　expense　to　just　so　much；　makes　it　too
pinched　and　narrow。　　The　keeping　or　spending　are；　of　themselves；
indifferent　things；　and　receive　no　colour　of　good　or　ill；　but　according
to　the　application　of　the　will。

The　other　cause　that　tempts　me　out　to　these　journeys　is；　inaptitude　for
the　present　manners　in　our　state。　　I　could　easily　console　myself　for　this
corruption　in　regard　to　the　public　interest：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Pejoraque　saecula　ferri
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Temporibus；　quorum　sceleri　non　invenit　ipsa
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nomen；　et　a　nullo　posuit　natura　metallo；〃

　　　　　＇〃And；　worse　than　the　iron　ages；　for　whose　crimes　there　is　no
　　　　　similitude　in　any　of　Nature's　metals。〃Juvenal；　xiii。　28。＇

but　not　to　my　own。　　I　am；　in　particular；　too　much　oppressed　by　them：　for；
in　my　neighbourhood；　we　are；　of　late；　by　the　long　licence　of　our　civil
wars；　grown　old　in　so　riotous　a　form　of　state；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Quippe　ubi　fas　versum　atque　nefas；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Where　wrong　and　right　have　changed　places。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Virgil；　Georg。；　i。　504。＇

that　in　earnest；　'tis　a　wonder　how　it　can　subsist：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Armati　terram　exercent；　semperque　recentes
　　　　　　　　　　Convectare　juvat　praedas；　et　vivere　rapto。〃

　　　　　＇〃Men　plough；　girt　with　arms；　ever　delighting　in　fresh　robberies；
　　　　　and　living　by　rapine。〃AEneid；　vii。　748。＇

In　fine；　I　see　by　our　example；　that　the　society　of　men　is　maintained　and
held　together；　at　what　price　soever；　in　what　condition　soever　they　are
placed；　they　still　close　and　stick　together；　both　moving　and　in　heaps；　as
ill　united　bodies；　that；　shuffled　together　without　order；　find　of
themselves　a　means　to　unite　and　settle；　often　better　than　they　could　have
been　disposed　by　art。　　King　Philip　mustered　up　a　rabble　of　the　most
wicked　and　incorrigible　rascals　he　could　pick　out；　and　put　them　all
together　into　a　city　he　had　caused　to　be　built　for　that　purpose；　which
bore　their　name：　I　believe　that　they；　even　from　vices　themselves；　erected
a　government　amongst　them；　and　a　commodious　and　just　society。　　I　see；　not
one　action；　or　three；　or　a　hundred；　but　manners；　in　common　and　received
use；　so　ferocious；　especially　in　inhumanity　and　treachery；　which　are　to
me　the　worst　of　all　vices；　that　I　have　not　the　heart　to　think　of　them
without　horror；　and　almost　as　much　admire　as　I　detest　them：　the　exercise
of　these　signal　villainies　carries　with　it　as　great　signs　of　vigour　and
force　of　soul；　as　of　error　and　disorder。　　Necessity　reconciles　and　brings
men　together；　and　this　accidental　connection　afterwards　forms　itself　into
laws：　for　there　have　been　such；　as　savage　as　any　human　opinion　could
conceive；　who；　nevertheless；　have　maintained　their　body　with　as　much
health　and　length　of　life　as　any　Plato　or　Aristotle　could　invent。　　And
certainly；　all　these　descriptions　of　polities；　feigned　by　art；　are　found
to　be　ridiculous　and　unfit　to　be　put　in　practice。

These　great　and　tedious　debates　about　the　best　form　of　society；　and　the
most　commodious　rules　to　bind　us；　are　debates　only　proper　for　the
exercise　of　our　wits；　as　in　the　arts　there　are　several　subjects　which
have　their　being　in　agitation　and　controversy；　and　have　no　life　but
there。　　Such　an　idea　of　government　might　be　of　some　value　in　a　new　world；
but　we　take　a　world　already　made；　and　formed　to　certain　customs；　we　do
not　beget　it；　as　Pyrrha　or　Cadmus　did。　　By　what　means　soever　we　may　have
the　privilege　to　redress　and　reform　it　anew；　we　can　hardly　writhe　it　from
its　wonted　bent；　but　we　shall　break　all。　　Solon　being　asked　whether　he
had　established　the　best　laws　he　could　for　the　Athenians；　〃Yes；〃　said　he；
〃of　those　they　would　have　received。〃　　Varro　excuses　himself　after　the
same　manner：　〃that　if　he　were　to　begin　to　write　of　religion；　he　would　say
what　he　believed；　but　seeing　it　was　already　received；　he　would　write
rather　according　to　use　than　nature。〃

Not　according　to　opinion；　but　in　truth　and　reality；　the　best　and　most
excellent　government　for　every　nation　is　that　under　which　it　is
maintained：　its　form　and　essential　convenience　depend　upon　custom。
We　are　apt　to　be　displeased　at　the　present　condition；　but　I；
nevertheless；　maintain　that　to　desire　command　in　a　few＇an　oligarchy。＇
in　a　republic；　or　another　sort　of　government　in　monarchy　than　that
already　established；　is　both　vice　and　folly：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ayme　l'estat；　tel　que　to　le　veois　estre
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　S'il　est　royal　ayme　la　royaute；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　S'il　est　de　peu；　ou　biers　communaute；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ayme　l'aussi；　car　Dieu　t'y　a　faict　naistre。〃

　　　　　＇〃Love　the　government；　such　as　you　see　it　to　be。　　If　it　be　royal；
　　　　　love　royalty；　if　it　is　a　republic　of　any　sort；　still　love　it；　for
　　　　　God　himself　created　thee　therein。〃＇

So　wrote　the　good　Monsieur　de　Pibrac；　whom　we　have　lately　lost；　a　man　of
so　excellent　a　wit；　such　sound　opinions；　and　such　gentle　manners。　　This
loss；　and　that　at　the　same　time　we　have　had　of　Monsieur　de　Foix；　are　of
so　great　importance　to　the　crown；　that　I　do　not　know　whether　there　is
another　couple　in　France　worthy　to　supply　the　places　of　these　two　Gascons
in　sincerity　and　wisdom　in　the　council　of　our　kings。　　They　were　both
variously　great　men；　and　certainly；　according　to　the　age；　rare　and　great；
each　of　them　in　his　kind：　but　what　destiny　was　it　that　placed　them　in
these　times；　men　so　remote　from　and　so　disproportioned　to　our　corruption
and　intestine　tumults？

Nothing　presses　so　hard　upon　a　state　as　innovation：　change　only　gives
form　to　injustice　and　tyranny。　　When　any　piece　is　loosened；　it　may　be
proper　to　stay　it；　one　may　take　care　that　the　alteration　and　corruption
natural　to　all　things　do　not　carry　us　too　far　from　our　beginnings　and
principles：　but　to　undertake　to　found　so　great　a　mass　anew；　and　to　change
the　foundations　of　so　vast　a　building；　is　for　them　to　do；　who　to　make
clean；　efface；　who　reform　particular　defects　by　an　universal　confusion；
and　cure　diseases　by　death：

　　　　　　〃Non　tam　commutandarum　quam　evertendarum　rerum　cupidi。〃

　　　　　＇〃Not　so　desirous　of　changing　as　of　overthrowing　things。〃
　　　　　Cicero；　De　0ffic。；　ii。　i。＇

The　world　is　unapt　to　be　cured；　and　so　impatient　of　anything　that　presses
it；　that　it　thinks　of　nothing　but　disengaging　itself　at　what　price
soever。　　We　see　by　a　thousand　examples；　that　it　ordinarily　cures　itself
to　its　cost。　　The　discharge　of　a　present　evil　is　no　cure；　if　there　be　not
a　general　amendment　of　condition。　　The　surgeon's　end　is　not　only　to　cut
away　the　dead　flesh；　that　is　but　the　progress　of　his　cure；　he　has　a　care；
over　and　above；　to　fill　up　the　wound　with　better　and　more　natural　flesh；
and　to　restore　the　member　to　its　due　state。　　Whoever　only　proposes　to
himself　to　remove　that　which　offends　him；　falls　short：　for　good　does　not
necessarily　succeed　evil；　another　evil　may　succeed；　and　a　worse；　as　it
happened　to　Caesar's　murderers；　who　brought　the　republic　to　such　a　pass；
that　they　had　reason　to　repent　the　meddling　with　the　matter。　　The　same
has　since　happened　to　several　others；　even　down　to　our　own　times：　the
French；　my　contemporaries；　know　it　well　enough。　　All　great　mutations
shake　and　disorder　a　state。

Whoever　would　look　direct　at　a　cure；　and　well　consider　of　it　before　he
began；　would　be　very　willing　to　withdraw　his　hands　from　meddling　in　it。
Pacuvius　Calavius　corrected　the　vice　of　this　proceeding　by　a　notable
example。　　His　fellow…citizens　were　in　mutiny　against　their　magistrates；
he　being　a　man　of　great　authority　in　the　city　of　Capua；　found　means　one
day　to　shut　up　the　Senators　in　the　palace；　and　calling　the　people
together　in　the　market…place；　there　told　them　that　the　day　was　now　come
wherein　at　full　liberty　they　might　revenge　themselves　on　the　tyrants　by
whom　they　had　been　so　long　oppressed；　and　whom　he　had　now；　all　alone　and
unarmed；　at　his　mercy。　　He　then　advised　that　they　should　call　these　out；
one　by　one；　by　lot；　and　should　individually　determine　as　to　each；　causing
whatever　should　be　decreed　to　be　immediately　executed；　with　this　proviso；
that　they　should；　at　the　same　time；　depute　some　honest　man　in　the　place
of　him　who　was　condemned；　to　the　end　there　might　be　no　vacancy　in　the
Senate。　　They　had　no　sooner　heard　the　name　of　one　senator　but　a　great　cry
of　universal　dislike　was　raised　up　against　him。　　〃I　see；〃　says　Pacuvius；
〃that　we　must　put　him　out；　he　is　a　wicked　fellow；　let　us