the essays of montaigne, v8-第7节

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　　　　　ii。；　cap。　20；　where　he　defines　Maratarexvia　'to　be　a　certain
　　　　　unnecessary　imitation　of　art；　which　really　does　neither　good　nor
　　　　　harm；　but　is　as　unprofitable　and　ridiculous　as　was　the　labour　of
　　　　　that　man　who　had　so　perfectly　learned　to　cast　small　peas　through　the
　　　　　eye　of　a　needle　at　a　good　distance　that　he　never　missed　one；　and　was
　　　　　justly　rewarded　for　it；　as　is　said；　by　Alexander；　who　saw　the
　　　　　performance；　with　a　bushel　of　peas。〃Coste。

who　having　a　man　brought　before　him　that　had　learned　to　throw　a　grain　of
millet　with　such　dexterity　and　assurance　as　never　to　miss　the　eye　of　a
needle；　and　being　afterwards　entreated　to　give　something　for　the　reward
of　so　rare　a　performance；　he　pleasantly；　and　in　my　opinion　justly；
ordered　a　certain　number　of　bushels　of　the　same　grain　to　be　delivered　to
him；　that　he　might　not　want　wherewith　to　exercise　so　famous　an　art。　　'Tis
a　strong　evidence　of　a　weak　judgment　when　men　approve　of　things　for　their
being　rare　and　new；　or　for　their　difficulty；　where　worth　and　usefulness
are　not　conjoined　to　recommend　them。

I　come　just　now　from　playing　with　my　own　family　at　who　could　find　out　the
most　things　that　hold　by　their　two　extremities；　as　Sire；　which　is　a　title
given　to　the　greatest　person　in　the　nation；　the　king；　and　also　to　the
vulgar；　as　merchants；　but　never　to　any　degree　of　men　between。　　The　women
of　great　quality　are　called　Dames；　inferior　gentlewomen；　Demoiselles；　and
the　meanest　sort　of　women；　Dames；　as　the　first。　　The　cloth　of　state　over
our　tables　is　not　permitted　but　in　the　palaces　of　princes　and　in　taverns。
Democritus　said；　that　gods　and　beasts　had　sharper　sense　than　men；　who　are
of　a　middle　form。　　The　Romans　wore　the　same　habit　at　funerals　and　feasts。
It　is　most　certain　that　an　extreme　fear　and　an　extreme　ardour　of　courage
equally　trouble　and　relax　the　belly。　　The　nickname　of　Trembling　with
which　they　surnamed　Sancho　XII。；　king　of　Navarre；　tells　us　that　valour
will　cause　a　trembling　in　the　limbs　as　well　as　fear。　　Those　who　were
arming　that　king；　or　some　other　person；　who　upon　the　like　occasion　was
wont　to　be　in　the　same　disorder；　tried　to　compose　him　by　representing　the
danger　less　he　was　going　to　engage　himself　in：　〃You　understand　me　ill；〃
said　he；　〃for　could　my　flesh　know　the　danger　my　courage　will　presently
carry　it　into；　it　would　sink　down　to　the　ground。〃　　The　faintness　that
surprises　us　from　frigidity　or　dislike　in　the　exercises　of　Venus　are　also
occasioned　by　a　too　violent　desire　and　an　immoderate　heat。　　Extreme
coldness　and　extreme　heat　boil　and　roast。　　Aristotle　says；　that　sows　of
lead　will　melt　and　run　with　cold　and　the　rigour　of　winter　just　as　with　a
vehement　heat。　　Desire　and　satiety　fill　all　the　gradations　above　and
below　pleasure　with　pain。　　Stupidity　and　wisdom　meet　in　the　same　centre
of　sentiment　and　resolution；　in　the　suffering　of　human　accidents。　　The
wise　control　and　triumph　over　ill；　the　others　know　it　not：　these　last
are；　as　a　man　may　say；　on　this　side　of　accidents；　the　others　are　beyond
them；　who　after　having　well　weighed　and　considered　their　qualities；
measured　and　judged　them　what　they　are；　by　virtue　of　a　vigorous　soul　leap
out　of　their　reach；　they　disdain　and　trample　them　underfoot；　having　a
solid　and　well…fortified　soul；　against　which　the　darts　of　fortune；　coming
to　strike；　must　of　necessity　rebound　and　blunt　themselves；　meeting　with　a
body　upon　which　they　can　fix　no　impression；　the　ordinary　and　middle
condition　of　men　are　lodged　betwixt　these　two　extremities；　consisting　of
such　as　perceive　evils；　feel　them；　and　are　not　able　to　support　them。
Infancy　and　decrepitude　meet　in　the　imbecility　of　the　brain；　avarice　and
profusion　in　the　same　thirst　and　desire　of　getting。

A　man　may　say　with　some　colour　of　truth　that　there　is　an　Abecedarian
ignorance　that　precedes　knowledge；　and　a　doctoral　ignorance　that　comes
after　it：　an　ignorance　that　knowledge　creates　and　begets；　at　the　same
time　that　it　despatches　and　destroys　the　first。　　Of　mean　understandings；
little　inquisitive；　and　little　instructed；　are　made　good　Christians；　who
by　reverence　and　obedience　simply　believe　and　are　constant　in　their
belief。　　In　the　average　understandings　and　the　middle　sort　of　capacities；
the　error　of　opinion　is　begotten；　they　follow　the　appearance　of　the　first
impression；　and　have　some　colour　of　reason　on　their　side　to　impute　our
walking　on　in　the　old　beaten　path　to　simplicity　and　stupidity；　meaning　us
who　have　not　informed　ourselves　by　study。　　The　higher　and　nobler　souls；
more　solid　and　clear…sighted；　make　up　another　sort　of　true　believers；　who
by　a　long　and　religious　investigation　of　truth；　have　obtained　a　clearer
and　more　penetrating　light　into　the　Scriptures；　and　have　discovered　the
mysterious　and　divine　secret　of　our　ecclesiastical　polity；　and　yet　we　see
some；　who　by　the　middle　step；　have　arrived　at　that　supreme　degree　with
marvellous　fruit　and　confirmation；　as　to　the　utmost　limit　of　Christian
intelligence；　and　enjoy　their　victory　with　great　spiritual　consolation；
humble　acknowledgment　of　the　divine　favour；　reformation　of　manners；　and
singular　modesty。　　I　do　not　intend　with　these　to　rank　those　others；　who
to　clear　themselves　from　all　suspicion　of　their　former　errors　and　to
satisfy　us　that　they　are　sound　and　firm；　render　themselves　extremely
indiscreet　and　unjust；　in　the　carrying　on　our　cause；　and　blemish　it　with
infinite　reproaches　of　violence　and　oppression。　　The　simple　peasants　are
good　people；　and　so　are　the　philosophers；　or　whatever　the　present　age
calls　them；　men　of　strong　and　clear　reason；　and　whose　souls　are　enriched
with　an　ample　instruction　of　profitable　sciences。　　The　mongrels　who　have
disdained　the　first　form　of　the　ignorance　of　letters；　and　have　not　been
able　to　attain　to　the　other　（sitting　betwixt　two　stools；　as　I　and　a　great
many　more　of　us　do）；　are　dangerous；　foolish；　and　importunate；　these　are
they　that　trouble　the　world。　　And　therefore　it　is　that　I；　for　my　own
part；　retreat　as　much　as　I　can　towards　the　first　and　natural　station；
whence　I　so　vainly　attempted　to　advance。

Popular　and　purely　natural　poesy

　　　　　＇〃The　term　poesie　populaire　was　employed；　for　the　first　time；　in　the
　　　　　French　language　on　this　occasion。　　Montaigne　created　the　expression；
　　　　　and　indicated　its　nature。〃Ampere。＇

has　in　it　certain　artless　graces；　by　which　she　may　come　into　comparison
with　the　greatest　beauty　of　poetry　perfected　by　art：　as　we　see　in　our
Gascon　villanels　and　the　songs　that　are　brought　us　from　nations　that　have
no　knowledge　of　any　manner　of　science；　nor　so　much　as　the　use　of　writing。
The　middle　sort　of　poesy　betwixt　these　two　is　despised；　of　no　value；
honour；　or　esteem。

But　seeing　that　the　path　once　laid　open　to　the　fancy；　I　have　found；　as　it
commonly　falls　out；　that　what　we　have　taken　for　a　difficult　exercise　and
a　rare　subject；　prove　to　be　nothing　so；　and　that　after　the　invention　is
once　warm；　it　finds　out　an　infinite　number　of　parallel　examples。　　I　shall
only　add　this　onethat；　were　these　Essays　of　mine　considerable　enough　to
deserve　a　critical　judgment；　it　might　then；　I　think；　fall　out　that　they
would　not　much　take　with　common　and　vulgar　capacities；　nor　be　very
acceptable　to　the　singular　and　excellent　sort　of　men；　the　first　would　not
understand　them　enough；　and　the　last　too　much；　and　so　they　may　hover　in
the　middle　region。



CHAPTER　LV

OF　SMELLS

It　has　been　reported　of　some；　as　of　Alexander　the　Great；　that　their　sweat
exhaled　an　odoriferous　smell；　occasioned　by　some　rare　and　extraordinary
constitution；　of　which　Plutarch　and　others　have　been　inquisitive　into　the
cause。　　But　the　ordinary　constitution　of　human　bodies　is　quite　otherwise；
and　their　best　and　chiefest　excellency　is　to　be　exempt　from　smell。　　Nay；
the　sweetness　even　of　the　purest　breath　has　nothing　in　it　of　greater
perfection　than　to　be　without　any　offensive　smell；　like　those　of
healthful　children；　which　made　Plautus　say　of　a　woman：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Mulier　tum　bene　olet；　ubi　nihil　olet。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃She　smells　sweetest；　who　smells　not　at　all。
　　　　　　　　　　Plautus；　Mostel；　i。　3；　116。＇

And　such　as　make　use　of　fine　exotic　perfumes　are　with　good　reason　to　be
suspected　of　some　natural　imperfection　which　they　endeavour　by　these
odours　to　conceal。　　To　smell；　though　well；　is　to　stink：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Rides　nos；　Coracine；　nil　olentes
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Malo；　quam　bene　olere；　nil　olere。〃

　　　　　＇〃You　laugh　at　us；　Coracinus；　because　we　are　not　scented；　I　would；
　　　　　rather　than　smell　well；　not　smell　at　all。〃Martial；　vi。　55；　4。＇

And　elsewhere：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Posthume；　non　bene　olet；　qui　bene　semper　olet。〃

　　　　　＇〃Posthumus；　he　who　ever　smells　well　does　not　smell　well。〃
　　　　　Idem；　ii。　12；　14。＇

I　am　nevertheless　a　great　lover　of　good　smells；　and　as　much　abominate　the
ill　ones；　which　also　I　scent　at　a　greater　distance；　I　think；　than　other
men：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Namque　sagacius　unus　odoror；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Polypus；　an　gravis　hirsutis　cubet　hircus　in　aliis
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quam　canis　acer；　ubi　latest　sus。〃

　　　　　＇〃My　nose　is　quicker　to　scent　a　fetid　sore　or　a　rank　armpit；　than　a
　　　　　dog　to　smell　out　the　hidden　sow。〃Horace；　Epod。；　xii。　　4。＇

Of　smells；　the　simple　and　natural　seem