the essays of montaigne, v4-第1节

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The　Essays　of　Montaigne；　V4

by　Michel　de　Montaigne

Translated　by　Charles　Cotton

Edited　by　William　Carew　Hazilitt

1877







CONTENTS　OF　VOLUME　4。


XXII。　　　　　Of　custom；　and　that　we　should　not　easily　change　a　law　received
XXIII。　　　　Various　events　from　the　same　counsel。
XXIV。　　　　　Of　pedantry。



CHAPTER　XXII

OF　CUSTOM；　AND　THAT　WE　SHOULD　NOT　EASILY　CHANGE　A　LAW　RECEIVED

He　seems　to　me　to　have　had　a　right　and　true　apprehension　of　the　power　of
custom；　who　first　invented　the　story　of　a　country…woman　who；　having
accustomed　herself　to　play　with　and　carry　a　young　calf　in　her　arms；　and
daily　continuing　to　do　so　as　it　grew　up；　obtained　this　by　custom；　that；
when　grown　to　be　a　great　ox；　she　was　still　able　to　bear　it。　　For；　in
truth；　custom　is　a　violent　and　treacherous　schoolmistress。　　She；　by
little　and　little；　slily　and　unperceived；　slips　in　the　foot　of　her
authority；　but　having　by　this　gentle　and　humble　beginning；　with　the
benefit　of　time；　fixed　and　established　it；　she　then　unmasks　a　furious　and
tyrannic　countenance；　against　which　we　have　no　more　the　courage　or　the
power　so　much　as　to　lift　up　our　eyes。　　We　see　her；　at　every　turn；　forcing
and　violating　the　rules　of　nature：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Usus　efficacissimus　rerum　omnium　magister。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Custom　is　the　best　master　of　all　things。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Pliny；　Nat。　　Hist。；xxvi。　2。＇

I　refer　to　her　Plato's　cave　in　his　Republic；　and　the　physicians；　who　so
often　submit　the　reasons　of　their　art　to　her　authority；　as　the　story　of
that　king；　who　by　custom　brought　his　stomach　to　that　pass；　as　to　live　by
poison；　and　the　maid　that　Albertus　reports　to　have　lived　upon　spiders。
In　that　new　world　of　the　Indies；　there　were　found　great　nations；　and　in
very　differing　climates；　who　were　of　the　same　diet；　made　provision　of
them；　and　fed　them　for　their　tables；　as　also；　they　did　grasshoppers；
mice；　lizards；　and　bats；　and　in　a　time　of　scarcity　of　such　delicacies；　a
toad　was　sold　for　six　crowns；　all　which　they　cook；　and　dish　up　with
several　sauces。　　There　were　also　others　found；　to　whom　our　diet；　and　the
flesh　we　eat；　were　venomous　and　mortal：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Consuetudinis　magna　vis　est：　pernoctant　venatores　in　nive：
　　　　　　　　　　in　montibus　uri　se　patiuntur：　pugiles；　caestibus　contusi；
　　　　　　　　　　ne　ingemiscunt　quidem。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　power　of　custom　is　very　great：　huntsmen　will　lie　out　all
　　　　　night　in　the　snow；　or　suffer　themselves　to　be　burned　up　by　the　sun
　　　　　on　the　mountains；　boxers；　hurt　by　the　caestus；　never　utter　a
　　　　　groan。〃Cicero；　Tusc。；　ii。　17＇

These　strange　examples　will　not　appear　so　strange　if　we　consider　what　we
have　ordinary　experience　of；　how　much　custom　stupefies　our　senses。　　We
need　not　go　to　what　is　reported　of　the　people　about　the　cataracts　of　the
Nile；　and　what　philosophers　believe　of　the　music　of　the　spheres；　that　the
bodies　of　those　circles　being　solid　and　smooth；　and　coming　to　touch　and
rub　upon　one　another；　cannot　fail　of　creating　a　marvellous　harmony；　the
changes　and　cadences　of　which　cause　the　revolutions　and　dances　of　the
stars；　but　that　the　hearing　sense　of　all　creatures　here　below；　being
universally；　like　that　of　the　Egyptians；　deafened；　and　stupefied　with　the
continual　noise；　cannot；　how　great　soever；　perceive　it＇This　passage　is
taken　from　Cicero；　〃Dream　of　Scipio〃；　see　his　De　Republica；　vi。　　II。　　The
Egyptians　were　said　to　be　stunned　by　the　noise　of　the　Cataracts。＇
Smiths；　millers；　pewterers；　forgemen；　and　armourers　could　never　be　able
to　live　in　the　perpetual　noise　of　their　own　trades；　did　it　strike　their
ears　with　the　same　violence　that　it　does　ours。

My　perfumed　doublet　gratifies　my　own　scent　at　first；　but　after　I　have
worn　it　three　days　together；　'tis　only　pleasing　to　the　bystanders。　　This
is　yet　more　strange；　that　custom；　notwithstanding　long　intermissions　and
intervals；　should　yet　have　the　power　to　unite　and　establish　the　effect　of
its　impressions　upon　our　senses；　as　is　manifest　in　such　as　live　near　unto
steeples　and　the　frequent　noise　of　the　bells。　　I　myself　lie　at　home　in　a
tower；　where　every　morning　and　evening　a　very　great　bell　rings　out　the
Ave　Maria：　the　noise　shakes　my　very　tower；　and　at　first　seemed
insupportable　to　me；　but　I　am　so　used　to　it；　that　I　hear　it　without　any
manner　of　offence；　and　often　without　awaking　at　it。

Plato　＇Diogenes　Laertius；　iii。　38。　　But　he　whom　Plato　censured　was　not
a　boy　playing　at　nuts；　but　a　man　throwing　dice。＇　reprehending　a　boy　for
playing　at　nuts；　〃Thou　reprovest　me；〃　says　the　boy；　〃for　a　very　little
thing。〃　　〃Custom；〃　replied　Plato；　〃　is　no　little　thing。〃　　I　find　that　our
greatest　vices　derive　their　first　propensity　from　our　most　tender
infancy；　and　that　our　principal　education　depends　upon　the　nurse。
Mothers　are　mightily　pleased　to　see　a　child　writhe　off　the　neck　of　a
chicken；　or　to　please　itself　with　hurting　a　dog　or　a　cat；　and　such　wise
fathers　there　are　in　the　world；　who　look　upon　it　as　a　notable　mark　of　a
martial　spirit；　when　they　hear　a　son　miscall；　or　see　him　domineer　over　a
poor　peasant；　or　a　lackey；　that　dares　not　reply；　nor　turn　again；　and　a
great　sign　of　wit；　when　they　see　him　cheat　and　overreach　his　playfellow
by　some　malicious　treachery　and　deceit。　　Yet　these　are　the　true　seeds　and
roots　of　cruelty；　tyranny；　and　treason；　they　bud　and　put　out　there；　and
afterwards　shoot　up　vigorously；　and　grow　to　prodigious　bulk；　cultivated
by　custom。　　And　it　is　a　very　dangerous　mistake　to　excuse　these　vile
inclinations　upon　the　tenderness　of　their　age；　and　the　triviality　of　the
subject：　first；　it　is　nature　that　speaks；　whose　declaration　is　then　more
sincere；　and　inward　thoughts　more　undisguised；　as　it　is　more　weak　and
young；　secondly；　the　deformity　of　cozenage　does　not　consist　nor　depend
upon　the　difference　betwixt　crowns　and　pins；　but　I　rather　hold　it　more
just　to　conclude　thus：　why　should　he　not　cozen　in　crowns　since　he　does　it
in　pins；　than　as　they　do；　who　say　they　only　play　for　pins；　they　would　not
do　it　if　it　were　for　money？　　Children　should　carefully　be　instructed　to
abhor　vices　for　their　own　contexture；　and　the　natural　deformity　of　those
vices　ought　so　to　be　represented　to　them；　that　they　may　not　only　avoid
them　in　their　actions；　but　especially　so　to　abominate　them　in　their
hearts；　that　the　very　thought　should　be　hateful　to　them；　with　what　mask
soever　they　may　be　disguised。

I　know　very　well；　for　what　concerns　myself；　that　from　having　been　brought
up　in　my　childhood　to　a　plain　and　straightforward　way　of　dealing；　and
from　having　had　an　aversion　to　all　manner　of　juggling　and　foul　play　in　my
childish　sports　and　recreations　（and；　indeed；　it　is　to　be　noted；　that　the
plays　of　children　are　not　performed　in　play；　but　are　to　be　judged　in　them
as　their　most　serious　actions）；　there　is　no　game　so　small　wherein　from　my
own　bosom　naturally；　and　without　study　or　endeavour；　I　have　not　an
extreme　aversion　from　deceit。　　I　shuffle　and　cut　and　make　as　much　clatter
with　the　cards；　and　keep　as　strict　account　for　farthings；　as　it　were　for
double　pistoles；　when　winning　or　losing　against　my　wife　and　daughter；
'tis　indifferent　to　me；　as　when　I　play　in　good　earnest　with　others；　for
round　sums。　　At　all　times；　and　in　all　places；　my　own　eyes　are　sufficient
to　look　to　my　fingers；　I　am　not　so　narrowly　watched　by　any　other；　neither
is　there　any　I　have　more　respect　to。

I　saw　the　other　day；　at　my　own　house；　a　little　fellow；　a　native　of
Nantes；　born　without　arms；　who　has　so　well　taught　his　feet　to　perform　the
services　his　hands　should　have　done　him；　that　truly　these　have　half
forgotten　their　natural　office；　and；　indeed；　the　fellow　calls　them　his
hands；　with　them　he　cuts　anything；　charges　and　discharges　a　pistol；
threads　a　needle；　sews；　writes；　puts　off　his　hat；　combs　his　head；　plays
at　cards　and　dice；　and　all　this　with　as　much　dexterity　as　any　other　could
do　who　had　more；　and　more　proper　limbs　to　assist　him。　　The　money　I　gave
himfor　he　gains　his　living　by　shewing　these　featshe　took　in　his　foot；
as　we　do　in　our　hand。　　I　have　seen　another　who；　being　yet　a　boy；
flourished　a　two…handed　sword；　and；　if　I　may　so　say；　handled　a　halberd
with　the　mere　motions　of　his　neck　and　shoulders　for　want　of　hands；　tossed
them　into　the　air；　and　caught　them　again；　darted　a　dagger；　and　cracked　a
whip　as　well　as　any　coachman　in　France。

But　the　effects　of　custom　are　much　more　manifest　in　the　strange
impressions　she　imprints　in　our　minds；　where　she　meets　with　less
resistance。　　What　has　she　not　the　power　to　impose　upon　our　judgments　and
beliefs？　　Is　there　any　so　fantastic　opinion　（omitting　the　gross
impostures　of　religions；　with　which　we　see　so　many　great　nations；　and　so
many　understanding　men；　so　strangely　besotted；　for　this　being　beyond　the
reach　of　human　reason；　any　error　is　more　excusable　in　such　as　are　not
endued；　through　the　divine　bounty；　with　an　extraordinary　illumination
from　above）；　but；　of　other　opinions；　are　there　any　so　extravagant；　that
she　has　not　planted　and　established　for　laws　in　those　parts　of　the　world
upon　which　she　has　been　pleased　to　exercise　her　power？　　And　therefore
that　ancient　exclamation　was　exceeding　just：

　　　　　　　〃Non　pudet　physicum；　id　est　speculatorem　venatoremque　naturae；
　　　　　　　　ab　animis　consuetudine