the essays of montaigne, v16-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　　　　different　from　what　the　words　bear　in　the　original；　but　the
　　　　　application　he　makes　of　them　is　so　happy　that　one　would　declare　they
　　　　　were　actually　put　together　only　to　express　his　own　sentiments。　　〃Et
　　　　　temporum〃　is　an　addition　by　Montaigne。Coste。＇

Though　all　that　has　arrived；　by　report；　of　our　knowledge　of　times　past
should　be　true；　and　known　by　some　one　person；　it　would　be　less　than
nothing　in　comparison　of　what　is　unknown。　　And　of　this　same　image　of　the
world；　which　glides　away　whilst　we　live　upon　it；　how　wretched　and　limited
is　the　knowledge　of　the　most　curious；　not　only　of　particular　events；
which　fortune　often　renders　exemplary　and　of　great　concern；　but　of　the
state　of　great　governments　and　nations；　a　hundred　more　escape　us　than
ever　come　to　our　knowledge。　　We　make　a　mighty　business　of　the　invention
of　artillery　and　printing；　which　other　men　at　the　other　end　of　the　world；
in　China；　had　a　thousand　years　ago。　　Did　we　but　see　as　much　of　the　world
as　we　do　not　see；　we　should　perceive；　we　may　well　believe；　a　perpetual
multiplication　and　vicissitude　of　forms。　　There　is　nothing　single　and
rare　in　respect　of　nature；　but　in　respect　of　our　knowledge；　which　is　a
wretched　foundation　whereon　to　ground　our　rules；　and　that　represents　to
us　a　very　false　image　of　things。　　As　we　nowadays　vainly　conclude　the
declension　and　decrepitude　of　the　world；　by　the　arguments　we　extract　from
our　own　weakness　and　decay：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Jamque　adeo　est　affecta　aetas　effoet　aque　tellus；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Our　age　is　feeble；　and　the　earth　less　fertile。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Lucretius；　ii。　1151。＇

so　did　he　vainly　conclude　as　to　its　birth　and　youth；　by　the　vigour　he
observed　in　the　wits　of　his　time；　abounding　in　novelties　and　the
invention　of　divers　arts：

　　　　　　　　　〃Verum；　ut　opinor；　habet　novitatem　summa；　recensque
　　　　　　　　　　Natura　est　mundi；　neque　pridem　exordia　coepit
　　　　　　　　　　Quare　etiam　quaedam　nunc　artes　expoliuntur；
　　　　　　　　　　Nunc　etiam　augescunt；　nunc　addita　navigiis　sunt
　　　　　　　　　　Multa。〃

　　　　　＇〃But；　as　I　am　of　opinion；　the　whole　of　the　world　is　of　recent
　　　　　origin；　nor　had　its　commencement　in　remote　times；　wherefore　it　is
　　　　　that　some　arts　are　still　being　refined；　and　some　just　on　the
　　　　　increase；　at　present　many　additions　are　being　made　to　shipping。〃
　　　　　Lucretius；　v。　331。＇

Our　world　has　lately　discovered　another　（and　who　will　assure　us　that　it
is　the　last　of　its　brothers；　since　the　Daemons；　the　Sybils；　and　we
ourselves　have　been　ignorant　of　this　till　now？）；　as　large；　well…peopled；
and　fruitful　as　this　whereon　we　live　and　yet　so　raw　and　childish；　that　we
are　still　teaching　it　it's　a　B　C：　'tis　not　above　fifty　years　since　it
knew　neither　letters；　weights；　measures；　vestments；　corn；　nor　vines：　it
was　then　quite　naked　in　the　mother's　lap；　and　only　lived　upon　what　she
gave　it。　　If　we　rightly　conclude　of　our　end；　and　this　poet　of　the
youthfulness　of　that　age　of　his；　that　other　world　will　only　enter　into
the　light　when　this　of　ours　shall　make　its　exit；　the　universe　will　fall
into　paralysis；　one　member　will　be　useless；　the　other　in　vigour。　　I　am
very　much　afraid　that　we　have　greatly　precipitated　its　declension　and
ruin　by　our　contagion；　and　that　we　have　sold　it　opinions　and　our　arts　at
a　very　dear　rate。　　It　was　an　infant　world；　and　yet　we　have　not　whipped
and　subjected　it　to　our　discipline　by　the　advantage　of　our　natural　worth
and　force；　neither　have　we　won　it　by　our　justice　and　goodness；　nor
subdued　it　by　our　magnanimity。　　Most　of　their　answers；　and　the
negotiations　we　have　had　with　them；　witness　that　they　were　nothing　behind
us　in　pertinency　and　clearness　of　natural　understanding。　　The　astonishing
magnificence　of　the　cities　of　Cusco　and　Mexico；　and；　amongst　many　other
things；　the　garden　of　the　king；　where　all　the　trees；　fruits；　and　plants；
according　to　the　order　and　stature　they　have　in　a　garden；　were
excellently　formed　in　gold；　as；　in　his　cabinet；　were　all　the　animals　bred
upon　his　territory　and　in　its　seas；　and　the　beauty　of　their　manufactures；
in　jewels；　feathers；　cotton；　and　painting；　gave　ample　proof　that　they
were　as　little　inferior　to　us　in　industry。　　But　as　to　what　concerns
devotion；　observance　of　the　laws；　goodness；　liberality；　loyalty；　and
plain　dealing；　it　was　of　use　to　us　that　we　had　not　so　much　as　they；　for
they　have　lost；　sold；　and　betrayed　themselves　by　this　advantage　over　us。

As　to　boldness　and　courage；　stability；　constancy　against　pain；　hunger；
and　death；　I　should　not　fear　to　oppose　the　examples　I　find　amongst　them
to　the　most　famous　examples　of　elder　times　that　we　find　in　our　records　on
this　side　of　the　world。　　Far　as　to　those　who　subdued　them；　take　but　away
the　tricks　and　artifices　they　practised　to　gull　them；　and　the　just
astonishment　it　was　to　those　nations　to　see　so　sudden　and　unexpected　an
arrival　of　men　with　beards；　differing　in　language；　religion；　shape；　and
countenance；　from　so　remote　a　part　of　the　world；　and　where　they　had　never
heard　there　was　any　habitation；　mounted　upon　great　unknown　monsters；
against　those　who　had　not　only　never　seen　a　horse；　but　had　never　seen　any
other　beast　trained　up　to　carry　a　man　or　any　other　loading；　shelled　in　a
hard　and　shining　skin；　with　a　cutting　and　glittering　weapon　in　his　hand；
against　them；　who；　out　of　wonder　at　the　brightness　of　a　looking　glass　or
a　knife；　would　exchange　great　treasures　of　gold　and　pearl；　and　who　had
neither　knowledge；　nor　matter　with　which；　at　leisure；　they　could
penetrate　our　steel：　to　which　may　be　added　the　lightning　and　thunder　of
our　cannon　and　harquebuses；　enough　to　frighten　Caesar　himself；　if
surprised；　with　so　little　experience；　against　people　naked；　except　where
the　invention　of　a　little　quilted　cotton　was　in　use；　without　other　arms；
at　the　most；　than　bows；　stones；　staves；　and　bucklers　of　wood；　people
surprised　under　colour　of　friendship　and　good　faith；　by　the　curiosity　of
seeing　strange　and　unknown　things；　take　but　away；　I　say；　this　disparity
from　the　conquerors；　and　you　take　away　all　the　occasion　of　so　many
victories。　　When　I　look　upon　that　in　vincible　ardour　wherewith　so　many
thousands　of　men；　women；　and　children　so　often　presented　and　threw
themselves　into　inevitable　dangers　for　the　defence　of　their　gods　and
liberties；　that　generous　obstinacy　to　suffer　all　extremities　and
difficulties；　and　death　itself；　rather　than　submit　to　the　dominion　of
those　by　whom　they　had　been　so　shamefully　abused；　and　some　of　them
choosing　to　die　of　hunger　and　fasting；　being　prisoners；　rather　than　to
accept　of　nourishment　from　the　hands　of　their　so　basely　victorious
enemies：　I　see；　that　whoever　would　have　attacked　them　upon　equal　terms　of
arms；　experience；　and　number；　would　have　had　a　hard；　and；　peradventure；
a　harder　game　to　play　than　in　any　other　war　we　have　seen。

Why　did　not　so　noble　a　conquest　fall　under　Alexander；　or　the　ancient
Greeks　and　Romans；　and　so　great　a　revolution　and　mutation　of　so　many
empires　and　nations；　fall　into　hands　that　would　have　gently　levelled；
rooted　up；　and　made　plain　and　smooth　whatever　was　rough　and　savage
amongst　them；　and　that　would　have　cherished　and　propagated　the　good　seeds
that　nature　had　there　produced；　mixing　not　only　with　the　culture　of　land
and　the　ornament　of　cities；　the　arts　of　this　part　of　the　world；　in　what
was　necessary；　but　also　the　Greek　and　Roman　virtues；　with　those　that　were
original　of　the　country？　　What　a　reparation　had　it　been　to　them；　and　what
a　general　good　to　the　whole　world；　had　our　first　examples　and　deportments
in　those　parts　allured　those　people　to　the　admiration　and　imitation　of
virtue；　and　had　begotten　betwixt　them　and　us　a　fraternal　society　and
intelligence？　　How　easy　had　it　been　to　have　made　advantage　of　souls　so
innocent；　and　so　eager　to　learn；　leaving；　for　the　most　part；　naturally　so
good　inclinations　before？　　Whereas；　on　the　contrary；　we　have　taken
advantage　of　their　ignorance　and　inexperience；　with　greater　ease　to
incline　them　to　treachery；　luxury；　avarice；　and　towards　all　sorts　of
inhumanity　and　cruelty；　by　the　pattern　and　example　of　our　manners。　　Who
ever　enhanced　the　price　of　merchandise　at　such　a　rate？　　So　many　cities
levelled　with　the　ground；　so　many　nations　exterminated；　so　many　millions
of　people　fallen　by　the　edge　of　the　sword；　and　the　richest　and　most
beautiful　part　of　the　world　turned　upside　down；　for　the　traffic　of　pearl
and　pepper？　　Mechanic　victories！　　Never　did　ambition；　never　did　public
animosities；　engage　men　against　one　another　in　such　miserable
hostilities；　in　such　miserable　calamities。

Certain　Spaniards；　coasting　the　sea　in　quest　of　their　mines；　landed　in　a
fruitful　and　pleasant　and　very　well　peopled　country；　and　there　made　to
the　inhabitants　their　accustomed　professions：　〃that　they　were　peaceable
men；　who　were　come　from　a　very　remote　country；　and　sent　on　the　behalf　of
the　King　of　Castile；　the　greatest　prince　of　the　habitable　world；　to　whom
the　Pope；　God's　vicegerent　upon　earth；　had　given　the　principality　of　all
the　Indies；　that　if　they　would　become　tributaries　to　him；　they　should　be
very　gently　and　courteously　used〃；　at　the　same　time　requiring　of　them
victuals　for　their　nourishment；　and　gold　whereof　to　make　some　pretended
medicine；　setting　forth；　moreover；　the