the essays of montaigne, v8-第5节

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ourselves　upon　the　external　qualities　of　things；　it　belongs　to　us　to　give
ourselves　an　account　of　them。　　Our　good　or　ill　has　no　other　dependence
but　on　ourselves。　　'Tis　there　that　our　offerings　and　our　vows　are　due；
and　not　to　fortune　she　has　no　power　over　our　manners；　on　the　contrary；
they　draw　and　make　her　follow　in　their　train；　and　cast　her　in　their　own
mould。　　Why　should　not　I　judge　of　Alexander　at　table；　ranting　and
drinking　at　the　prodigious　rate　he　sometimes　used　to　do？

Or；　if　he　played　at　chess？　　what　string　of　his　soul　was　not　touched　by
this　idle　and　childish　game？　　I　hate　and　avoid　it；　because　it　is　not　play
enough；　that　it　is　too　grave　and　serious　a　diversion；　and　I　am　ashamed　to
lay　out　as　much　thought　and　study　upon　it　as　would　serve　to　much　better
uses。　　He　did　not　more　pump　his　brains　about　his　glorious　expedition　into
the　Indies；　nor　than　another　in　unravelling　a　passage　upon　which　depends
the　safety　of　mankind。　　To　what　a　degree　does　this　ridiculous　diversion
molest　the　soul；　when　all　her　faculties　are　summoned　together　upon　this
trivial　account！　and　how　fair　an　opportunity　she　herein　gives　every　one
to　know　and　to　make　a　right　judgment　of　himself？　　I　do　not　more
thoroughly　sift　myself　in　any　other　posture　than　this：　what　passion　are
we　exempted　from　in　it？　　Anger；　spite；　malice；　impatience；　and　a　vehement
desire　of　getting　the　better　in　a　concern　wherein　it　were　more　excusable
to　be　ambitious　of　being　overcome；　for　to　be　eminent；　to　excel　above　the
common　rate　in　frivolous　things；　nowise　befits　a　man　of　honour。　　What　I
say　in　this　example　may　be　said　in　all　others。　　Every　particle；　every
employment　of　man　manifests　him　equally　with　any　other。

Democritus　and　Heraclitus　were　two　philosophers；　of　whom　the　first；
finding　human　condition　ridiculous　and　vain；　never　appeared　abroad　but
with　a　jeering　and　laughing　countenance；　whereas　Heraclitus　commiserating
that　same　condition　of　ours；　appeared　always　with　a　sorrowful　look；　and
tears　in　his　eyes：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Alter
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ridebat；　quoties　a　limine　moverat　unum
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Protuleratque　pedem；　flebat　contrarius　alter。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　one　always；　as　often　as　he　had　stepped　one　pace　from　his
　　　　　threshold；　laughed；　the　other　always　wept。〃Juvenal；　Sat。；　x。　28。＇

　　　　　　　　　　＇Or；　as　Voltaire：　〃Life　is　a　comedy　to　those　who　think；
　　　　　　　　　　a　tragedy　to　those　who　feel。〃　　D。W。＇

I　am　clearly　for　the　first　humour；　not　because　it　is　more　pleasant　to
laugh　than　to　weep；　but　because　it　expresses　more　contempt　and
condemnation　than　the　other；　and　I　think　we　can　never　be　despised
according　to　our　full　desert。　　Compassion　and　bewailing　seem　to　imply
some　esteem　of　and　value　for　the　thing　bemoaned；　whereas　the　things　we
laugh　at　are　by　that　expressed　to　be　of　no　moment。　　I　do　not　think　that
we　are　so　unhappy　as　we　are　vain；　or　have　in　us　so　much　malice　as　folly；
we　are　not　so　full　of　mischief　as　inanity；　nor　so　miserable　as　we　are
vile　and　mean。　　And　therefore　Diogenes；　who　passed　away　his　time　in
rolling　himself　in　his　tub；　and　made　nothing　of　the　great　Alexander；
esteeming　us　no　better　than　flies　or　bladders　puffed　up　with　wind；　was　a
sharper　and　more　penetrating；　and；　consequently　in　my　opinion；　a　juster
judge　than　Timon；　surnamed　the　Man…hater；　for　what　a　man　hates　he　lays　to
heart。　　This　last　was　an　enemy　to　all　mankind；　who　passionately　desired
our　ruin；　and　avoided　our　conversation　as　dangerous；　proceeding　from
wicked　and　depraved　natures：　the　other　valued　us　so　little　that　we　could
neither　trouble　nor　infect　him　by　our　example；　and　left　us　to　herd　one
with　another；　not　out　of　fear；　but　from　contempt　of　our　society：
concluding　us　as　incapable　of　doing　good　as　evil。

Of　the　same　strain　was　Statilius'　answer；　when　Brutus　courted　him　into
the　conspiracy　against　Caesar；　he　was　satisfied　that　the　enterprise　was
just；　but　he　did　not　think　mankind　worthy　of　a　wise　man's　concern'；
according　to　the　doctrine　of　Hegesias；　who　said；　that　a　wise　man　ought　to
do　nothing　but　for　himself；　forasmuch　as　he　only　was　worthy　of　it：　and　to
the　saying　of　Theodorus；　that　it　was　not　reasonable　a　wise　man　should
hazard　himself　for　his　country；　and　endanger　wisdom　for　a　company　of
fools。　　Our　condition　is　as　ridiculous　as　risible。




CHAPTER　LI

OF　THE　VANITY　OF　WORDS

A　rhetorician　of　times　past　said；　that　to　make　little　things　appear　great
was　his　profession。　　This　was　a　shoemaker；　who　can　make　a　great　shoe　for
a　little　foot。　＇A　saying　of　Agesilaus。＇　They　would　in　Sparta　have
sent　such　a　fellow　to　be　whipped　for　making　profession　of　a　tricky　and
deceitful　act；　and　I　fancy　that　Archidamus；　who　was　king　of　that　country；
was　a　little　surprised　at　the　answer　of　Thucydides；　when　inquiring　of
him；　which　was　the　better　wrestler；　Pericles；　or　he；　he　replied；　that　it
was　hard　to　affirm；　for　when　I　have　thrown　him；　said　he；　he　always
persuades　the　spectators　that　he　had　no　fall　and　carries　away　the　prize。
＇Quintilian；　ii。　　15。　The　women　who　paint；　pounce；　and　plaster　up
their　ruins；　filling　up　their　wrinkles　and　deformities；　are　less　to
blame；　because　it　is　no　great　matter　whether　we　see　them　in　their　natural
complexions；　whereas　these　make　it　their　business　to　deceive　not　our
sight　only　but　our　judgments；　and　to　adulterate　and　corrupt　the　very
essence　of　things。　　The　republics　that　have　maintained　themselves　in　a
regular　and　well…modelled　government；　such　as　those　of　Lacedaemon　and
Crete；　had　orators　in　no　very　great　esteem。　　Aristo　wisely　defined
rhetoric　to　be　〃a　science　to　persuade　the　people；〃　Socrates　and　Plato〃　an
art　to　flatter　and　deceive。〃　　And　those　who　deny　it　in　the　general
description；　verify　it　throughout　in　their　precepts。　　The　Mohammedans
will　not　suffer　their　children　to　be　instructed　in　it；　as　being　useless；
and　the　Athenians；　perceiving　of　how　pernicious　consequence　the　practice
of　it　was；　it　being　in　their　city　of　universal　esteem；　ordered　the
principal　part；　which　is　to　move　the　affections；　with　their　exordiums　and
perorations；　to　be　taken　away。　　'Tis　an　engine　invented　to　manage　and
govern　a　disorderly　and　tumultuous　rabble；　and　that　never　is　made　use　of；
but　like　physic　to　the　sick；　in　a　discomposed　state。　　In　those　where　the
vulgar　or　the　ignorant；　or　both　together；　have　been　all…powerful　and　able
to　give　the　law；　as　in　those　of　Athens；　Rhodes；　and　Rome；　and　where　the
public　affairs　have　been　in　a　continual　tempest　of　commotion；　to　such
places　have　the　orators　always　repaired。　　And　in　truth；　we　shall　find　few
persons　in　those　republics　who　have　pushed　their　fortunes　to　any　great
degree　of　eminence　without　the　assistance　of　eloquence。

Pompey；　Caesar；　Crassus；　Lucullus；　Lentulus；　Metellus；　thence　took　their
chiefest　spring；　to　mount　to　that　degree　of　authority　at　which　they　at
last　arrived；　making　it　of　greater　use　to　them　than　arms；　contrary　to　the
opinion　of　better　times；　for；　L。　Volumnius　speaking　publicly　in　favour　of
the　election　of　（Q。　Fabius　and　Pub。　Decius；　to　the　consular　dignity：
〃These　are　men；〃　said　he；　〃born　for　war　and　great　in　execution；　in　the
combat　of　the　tongue　altogether　wanting；　spirits　truly　consular。　　The
subtle；　eloquent；　and　learned　are　only　good　for　the　city；　to　make
praetors　of；　to　administer　justice。〃＇Livy；　x。　22。＇

Eloquence　most　flourished　at　Rome　when　the　public　affairs　were　in　the
worst　condition　and　most　disquieted　with　intestine　commotions；　as　a　free
and　untilled　soil　bears　the　worst　weeds。　　By　which　it　should　seem　that　a
monarchical　government　has　less　need　of　it　than　any　other：　for　the
stupidity　and　facility　natural　to　the　common　people；　and　that　render　them
subject　to　be　turned　and　twined　and；　led　by　the　ears　by　this　charming
harmony　of　words；　without　weighing　or　considering　the　truth　and　reality
of　things　by　the　force　of　reason：　this　facility；　I　say；　is　not　easily
found　in　a　single　person；　and　it　is　also　more　easy　by　good　education　and
advice　to　secure　him　from　the　impression　of　this　poison。　　There　was　never
any　famous　orator　known　to　come　out　of　Persia　or　Macedon。

I　have　entered　into　this　discourse　upon　the　occasion　of　an　Italian　I
lately　received　into　my　service；　and　who　was　clerk　of　the　kitchen　to　the
late　Cardinal　Caraffa　till　his　death。　　I　put　this　fellow　upon　an　account
of　his　office：　when　he　fell　to　discourse　of　this　palate…science；　with
such　a　settled　countenance　and　magisterial　gravity；　as　if　he　had　been
handling　some　profound　point　of　divinity。　　He　made　a　learned　distinction
of　the　several　sorts　of　appetites；　of　that　a　man　has　before　he　begins　to
eat；　and　of　those　after　the　second　and　third　service；　the　means　simply　to
satisfy　the　first；　and　then　to　raise　and　actuate　the　other　two；　the
ordering　of　the　sauces；　first　in　general；　and　then　proceeded　to　the
qualities　of　the　ingredients　and　their　effects；　the　differences　of　salads
according　to　their　seasons；　those　which　ought　to　be　served　up　hot；　and
which　cold；　the　manner　of　their　garnishment　and　decoration　to　render　them
acceptable　to　the　eye。　　After　which　he　entered　upon　the　order　of　the
whole　service；　full　of　weighty　and　important　considerations：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Nec　minimo　sane　discrimine　refert；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quo　gestu　lepores；　et　qu