the essays of montaigne, v16-第2节

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gods；　and　also　drawn　by　tigers；　taking　upon　him　the　person　of　the　god
Bacchus；　he　also　sometimes　harnessed　two　stags　to　his　coach；　another　time
four　dogs；　and　another　four　naked　wenches；　causing　himself　to　be　drawn　by
them　in　pomp；　stark　naked　too。　　The　Emperor　Firmus　caused　his　chariot　to
be　drawn　by　ostriches　of　a　prodigious　size；　so　that　it　seemed　rather　to
fly　than　roll。

The　strangeness　of　these　inventions　puts　this　other　fancy　in　my　head：
that　it　is　a　kind　of　pusillanimity　in　monarchs；　and　a　testimony　that　they
do　not　sufficiently　understand　themselves　what　they　are；　when　they　study
to　make　themselves　honoured　and　to　appear　great　by　excessive　expense：　it
were　indeed　excusable　in　a　foreign　country；　but　amongst　their　own
subjects；　where　they　are　in　sovereign　command；　and　may　do　what　they
please；　it　derogates　from　their　dignity　the　most　supreme　degree　of　honour
to　which　they　can　arrive：　just　as；　methinks；　it　is　superfluous　in　a
private　gentleman　to　go　finely　dressed　at　home；　his　house；　his
attendants；　and　his　kitchen　sufficiently　answer　for　him。　　The　advice　that
Isocrates　gives　his　king　seems　to　be　grounded　upon　reason：　that　he　should
be　splendid　in　plate　and　furniture；　forasmuch　as　it　is　an　expense　of
duration　that　devolves　on　his　successors；　and　that　he　should　avoid　all
magnificences　that　will　in　a　short　time　be　forgotten。　　I　loved　to　go　fine
when　I　was　a　younger　brother；　for　want　of　other　ornament；　and　it　became
me　well：　there　are　some　upon　whom　their　rich　clothes　weep：　We　have
strange　stories　of　the　frugality　of　our　kings　about　their　own　persons　and
in　their　gifts：　kings　who　were　great　in　reputation；　valour；　and　fortune。
Demosthenes　vehemently　opposes　the　law　of　his　city　that　assigned　the
public　money　for　the　pomp　of　their　public　plays　and　festivals：　he　would
that　their　greatness　should　be　seen　in　numbers　of　ships　well　equipped；
and　good　armies　well　provided　for；　and　there　is　good　reason　to　condemn
Theophrastus；　who；　in　his　Book　on　Riches；　establishes　a　contrary　opinion；
and　maintains　that　sort　of　expense　to　be　the　true　fruit　of　abundance。
They　are　delights；　says　Aristotle；　that　a　only　please　the　baser　sort　of
the　people；　and　that　vanish　from　the　memory　as　soon　as　the　people　are
sated　with　them；　and　for　which　no　serious　and　judicious　man　can　have　any
esteem。　　This　money　would；　in　my　opinion；　be　much　more　royally；　as　more
profitably；　justly；　and　durably；　laid　out　in　ports；　havens；　walls；　and
fortifications；　in　sumptuous　buildings；　churches；　hospitals；　colleges；
the　reforming　of　streets　and　highways：　wherein　Pope　Gregory　XIII。　　will
leave　a　laudable　memory　to　future　times：　and　wherein　our　Queen　Catherine
would　to　long　posterity　manifest　her　natural　liberality　and　munificence；
did　her　means　supply　her　affection。　　Fortune　has　done　me　a　great　despite
in　interrupting　the　noble　structure　of　the　Pont…Neuf　of　our　great　city；
and　depriving　me　of　the　hope　of　seeing　it　finished　before　I　die。

Moreover；　it　seems　to　subjects；　who　are　spectators　of　these　triumphs；
that　their　own　riches　are　exposed　before　them；　and　that　they　are
entertained　at　their　own　expense：　for　the　people　are　apt　to　presume　of
kings；　as　we　do　of　our　servants；　that　they　are　to　take　care　to　provide　us
all　things　necessary　in　abundance；　but　not　touch　it　themselves；　and
therefore　the　Emperor　Galba；　being　pleased　with　a　musician　who　played　to
him　at　supper；　called　for　his　money…box；　and　gave　him　a　handful　of　crowns
that　he　took　out　of　it；　with　these　words：　〃This　is　not　the　public　money；
but　my　own。〃　　Yet　it　so　falls　out　that　the　people；　for　the　most　part；
have　reason　on　their　side；　and　that　the　princes　feed　their　eyes　with　what
they　have　need　of　to　fill　their　bellies。

Liberality　itself　is　not　in　its　true　lustre　in　a　sovereign　hand：　private
men　have　therein　the　most　right；　for；　to　take　it　exactly；　a　king　has
nothing　properly　his　own；　he　owes　himself　to　others：　authority　is　not
given　in　favour　of　the　magistrate；　but　of　the　people；　a　superior　is　never
made　so　for　his　own　profit；　but　for　the　profit　of　the　inferior；　and　a
physician　for　the　sick　person；　and　not　for　himself：　all　magistracy；　as
well　as　all　art；　has　its　end　out　of　itself　wherefore　the　tutors　of　young
princes；　who　make　it　their　business　to　imprint　in　them　this　virtue　of
liberality；　and　preach　to　them　to　deny　nothing　and　to　think　nothing　so
well　spent　as　what　they　give　（a　doctrine　that　I　have　known　in　great
credit　in　my　time）；　either　have　more　particular　regard　to　their　own
profit　than　to　that　of　their　master；　or　ill　understand　to　whom　they
speak。　　It　is　too　easy　a　thing　to　inculcate　liberality　on　him　who　has　as
much　as　he　will　to　practise　it　with　at　the　expense　of　others；　and；　the
estimate　not　being　proportioned　to　the　measure　of　the　gift　but　to　the
measure　of　the　means　of　him　who　gives　it；　it　comes　to　nothing　in　so
mighty　hands；　they　find　themselves　prodigal　before　they　can　be　reputed
liberal。　　And　it　is　but　a　little　recommendation；　in　comparison　with　other
royal　virtues：　and　the　only　one；　as　the　tyrant　Dionysius　said；　that　suits
well　with　tyranny　itself。　　I　should　rather　teach　him　this　verse　of　the
ancient　labourer：

　　　　　＇〃That　whoever　will　have　a　good　crop　must　sow　with　his　hand；　and　not
　　　　　pour　out　of　the　sack。〃Plutarch；　Apothegms；　　Whether　the　Ancients
　　　　　were　more　excellent　in　Arms　than　in　Learning。＇

he　must　scatter　it　abroad；　and　not　lay　it　on　a　heap　in　one　place：　and
that；　seeing　he　is　to　give；　or；　to　say　better；　to　pay　and　restore　to　so
many　people　according　as　they　have　deserved；　he　ought　to　be　a　loyal　and
discreet　disposer。　　If　the　liberality　of　a　prince　be　without　measure　or
discretion；　I　had　rather　he　were　covetous。

Royal　virtue　seems　most　to　consist　in　justice；　and　of　all　the　parts　of
justice　that　best　denotes　a　king　which　accompanies　liberality；　for　this
they　have　particularly　reserved　to　be　performed　by　themselves；　whereas
all　other　sorts　of　justice　they　remit　to　the　administration　of　others。
An　immoderate　bounty　is　a　very　weak　means　to　acquire　for　them　good　will；
it　checks　more　people　than　it　allures：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Quo　in　plures　usus　sis；　minus　in　multos　uti　possis。。。。
　　　　　　　　　　Quid　autem　est　stultius；　quam；　quod　libenter　facias；
　　　　　　　　　　curare　ut　id　diutius　facere　non　possis；〃

　　　　　＇〃By　how　much　more　you　use　it　to　many；　by　so　much　less　will　you　be
　　　　　in　a　capacity　to　use　it　to　many　more。　　And　what　greater　folly　can
　　　　　there　be　than　to　order　it　so　that　what　you　would　willingly　do；　you
　　　　　cannot　do　longer。〃Cicero；　De　Offic。；　ii。　15。＇

and　if　it　be　conferred　without　due　respect　of　merit；　it　puts　him　out　of
countenance　who　receives　it；　and　is　received　ungraciously。　　Tyrants　have
been　sacrificed　to　the　hatred　of　the　people　by　the　hands　of　those　very
men　they　have　unjustly　advanced；　such　kind　of　men　as　buffoons；　panders；
fiddlers；　and　such　ragamuffins；　thinking　to　assure　to　themselves　the
possession　of　benefits　unduly　received；　if　they　manifest　to　have　him　in
hatred　and　disdain　of　whom　they　hold　them；　and　in　this　associate
themselves　to　the　common　judgment　and　opinion。

The　subjects　of　a　prince　excessive　in　gifts　grow　excessive　in　asking；
and　regulate　their　demands；　not　by　reason；　but　by　example。　　We　have；
seriously；　very　often　reason　to　blush　at　our　own　impudence：　we　are　over…
paid；　according　to　justice；　when　the　recompense　equals　our　service；　for
do　we　owe　nothing　of　natural　obligation　to　our　princes？　　If　he　bear　our
charges；　he　does　too　much；　'tis　enough　that　he　contribute　to　them：　the
overplus　is　called　benefit；　which　cannot　be　exacted：　for　the　very　name
Liberality　sounds　of　Liberty。

In　our　fashion　it　is　never　done；　we　never　reckon　what　we　have　received；
we　are　only　for　the　future　liberality；　wherefore；　the　more　a　prince
exhausts　himself　in　giving；　the　poorer　he　grows　in　friends。　　How　should
he　satisfy　immoderate　desires；　that　still　increase　as　they　are　fulfilled？
He　who　has　his　thoughts　upon　taking；　never　thinks　of　what　he　has　taken；
covetousness　has　nothing　so　properly　and　so　much　its　own　as　ingratitude。

The　example　of　Cyrus　will　not　do　amiss　in　this　place；　to　serve　the　kings
of　these　times　for　a　touchstone　to　know　whether　their　gifts　are　well　or
ill　bestowed；　and　to　see　how　much　better　that　emperor　conferred　them　than
they　do；　by　which　means　they　are　reduced　to　borrow　of　unknown　subjects；
and　rather　of　them　whom　they　have　wronged　than　of　them　on　whom　they　have
conferred　their　benefits；　and　so　receive　aids　wherein　there　is　nothing　of
gratuitous　but　the　name。　　Croesus　reproached　him　with　his　bounty；　and
cast　up　to　how　much　his　treasure　would　amount　if　he　had　been　a　little
closer…handed。　　He　had　a　mind　to　justify　his　liberality；　and　therefore
sent　despatches　into　all　parts　to　the　grandees　of　his　dominions　whom　he
had　particularly　advanced；　entreating　every　one　of　them　to　supply　him
with　as　much　money　as　they　could；　for　a　pressing　occasion；　and　to　send
him　particulars　of　what　each　could　advance。　　When　all　these　answers　were
brought　to　him；　every　one　of　his　friends；　not　thinking　it　enough　barely
to　offer　him　so　much　as　he　had　received　from　his　bounty；　and　adding　to　it
a　great　deal　of　his　own；　it　appeared　that　the　sum　amounted　to　a　great
deal　more　tha