the essays of montaigne, v4-第3节

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their　hair　grow　long　before；　and　some　behind；　shaving　close　the　rest：
where　parents　let　out　their　children；　and　husbands　their　wives；　to　their
guests　to　hire：　where　a　man　may　get　his　own　mother　with　child；　and
fathers　make　use　of　their　own　daughters　or　sons；　without　scandal：　where；
at　their　solemn　feasts；　they　interchangeably　lend　their　children　to　one
another；　without　any　consideration　of　nearness　of　blood。　　In　one　place；
men　feed　upon　human　flesh；　in　another；　'tis　reputed　a　pious　office　for　a
man　to　kill　his　father　at　a　certain　age；　elsewhere；　the　fathers　dispose
of　their　children；　whilst　yet　in　their　mothers'　wombs；　some　to　be
preserved　and　carefully　brought　up；　and　others　to　be　abandoned　or　made
away。　　Elsewhere　the　old　husbands　lend　their　wives　to　young　men；　and　in
another　place　they　are　in　common　without　offence；　in　one　place
particularly；　the　women　take　it　for　a　mark　of　honour　to　have　as　many　gay
fringed　tassels　at　the　bottom　of　their　garment；　as　they　have　lain　with
several　men。　　Moreover；　has　not　custom　made　a　republic　of　women
separately　by　themselves？　has　it　not　put　arms　into　their　hands；　and　made
them　raise　armies　and　fight　battles？　　And　does　she　not；　by　her　own
precept；　instruct　the　most　ignorant　vulgar；　and　make　them　perfect　in
things　which　all　the　philosophy　in　the　world　could　never　beat　into　the
heads　of　the　wisest　men？　　For　we　know　entire　nations；　where　death　was　not
only　despised；　but　entertained　with　the　greatest　triumph；　where　children
of　seven　years　old　suffered　themselves　to　be　whipped　to　death；　without
changing　countenance；　where　riches　were　in　such　contempt；　that　the
meanest　citizen　would　not　have　deigned　to　stoop　to　take　up　a　purse　of
crowns。　　And　we　know　regions；　very　fruitful　in　all　manner　of　provisions；
where；　notwithstanding；　the　most　ordinary　diet；　and　that　they　are　most
pleased　with；　is　only　bread；　cresses；　and　water。　　Did　not　custom；
moreover；　work　that　miracle　in　Chios　that；　in　seven　hundred　years；　it　was
never　known　that　ever　maid　or　wife　committed　any　act　to　the　prejudice　of
her　honour？

To　conclude；　there　is　nothing；　in　my　opinion；　that　she　does　not；　or　may
not　do；　and　therefore；　with　very　good　reason　it　is　that　Pindar　calls　her
the　ruler　of　the　world。　　He　that　was　seen　to　beat　his　father；　and
reproved　for　so　doing；　made　answer；　that　it　was　the　custom　of　their
family；　that；　in　like　manner；　his　father　had　beaten　his　grandfather；　his
grandfather　his　great…grandfather；　〃And　this；〃　says　he；　pointing　to　his
son；　〃when　he　comes　to　my　age；　shall　beat　me。〃　　And　the　father；　whom　the
son　dragged　and　hauled　along　the　streets；　commanded　him　to　stop　at　a
certain　door；　for　he　himself；　he　said；　had　dragged　his　father　no　farther；
that　being　the　utmost　limit　of　the　hereditary　outrage　the　sons　used　to
practise　upon　the　fathers　in　their　family。　　It　is　as　much　by　custom　as
infirmity；　says　Aristotle；　that　women　tear　their　hair；　bite　their　nails；
and　eat　coals　and　earth；　and　more　by　custom　than　nature　that　men　abuse
themselves　with　one　another。

The　laws　of　conscience；　which　we　pretend　to　be　derived　from　nature；
proceed　from　custom；　every　one；　having　an　inward　veneration　for　the
opinions　and　manners　approved　and　received　amongst　his　own　people；
cannot；　without　very　great　reluctance；　depart　from　them；　nor　apply
himself　to　them　without　applause。　　In　times　past；　when　those　of　Crete
would　curse　any　one；　they　prayed　the　gods　to　engage　him　in　some　ill
custom。　　But　the　principal　effect　of　its　power　is；　so　to　seize　and
ensnare　us；　that　it　is　hardly　in　us　to　disengage　ourselves　from　its
gripe；　or　so　to　come　to　ourselves；　as　to　consider　of　and　to　weigh　the
things　it　enjoins。　　To　say　the　truth；　by　reason　that　we　suck　it　in　with
our　milk；　and　that　the　face　of　the　world　presents　itself　in　this　posture
to　our　first　sight；　it　seems　as　if　we　were　born　upon　condition　to　follow
on　this　track；　and　the　common　fancies　that　we　find　in　repute　everywhere
about　us；　and　infused　into　our　minds　with　the　seed　of　our　fathers；　appear
to　be　the　most　universal　and　genuine；　from　whence　it　comes　to　pass；　that
whatever　is　off　the　hinges　of　custom；　is　believed　to　be　also　off　the
hinges　of　reason；　how　unreasonably　for　the　most　part；　God　knows。

If；　as　we　who　study　ourselves　have　learned　to　do；　every　one　who　hears　a
good　sentence；　would　immediately　consider　how　it　does　in　any　way　touch
his　own　private　concern；　every　one　would　find；　that　it　was　not　so　much　a
good　saying；　as　a　severe　lash　to　the　ordinary　stupidity　of　his　own
judgment：　but　men　receive　the　precepts　and　admonitions　of　truth；　as
directed　to　the　common　sort；　and　never　to　themselves；　and　instead　of
applying　them　to　their　own　manners；　do　only　very　ignorantly　and
unprofitably　commit　them　to　memory。　　But　let　us　return　to　the　empire　of
custom。

Such　people　as　have　been　bred　up　to　liberty；　and　subject　to　no　other
dominion　but　the　authority　of　their　own　will；　look　upon　all　other　form　of
government　as　monstrous　and　contrary　to　nature。　　Those　who　are　inured　to
monarchy　do　the　same；　and　what　opportunity　soever　fortune　presents　them
with　to　change；　even　then；　when　with　the　greatest　difficulties　they　have
disengaged　themselves　from　one　master；　that　was　troublesome　and　grievous
to　them；　they　presently　run；　with　the　same　difficulties；　to　create
another；　being　unable　to　take　into　hatred　subjection　itself。

'Tis　by　the　mediation　of　custom；　that　every　one　is　content　with　the　place
where　he　is　planted　by　nature；　and　the　Highlanders　of　Scotland　no　more
pant　after　Touraine；　than　the　Scythians　after　Thessaly。　　Darius　asking
certain　Greeks　what　they　would　take　to　assume　the　custom　of　the　Indians；
of　eating　the　dead　bodies　of　their　fathers　（for　that　was　their　use；
believing　they　could　not　give　them　a　better　nor　more　noble　sepulture　than
to　bury　them　in　their　own　bodies）；　they　made　answer；　that　nothing　in　the
world　should　hire　them　to　do　it；　but　having　also　tried　to　persuade　the
Indians　to　leave　their　custom；　and；　after　the　Greek　manner；　to　burn　the
bodies　of　their　fathers；　they　conceived　a　still　greater　horror　at　the
motion。＇Herodotus；　iii。　38。＇　Every　one　does　the　same；　for　use　veils
from　us　the　true　aspect　of　things。

　　　　　　　　　〃Nil　adeo　magnum；　nec　tam　mirabile　quidquam
　　　　　　　　　　Principio；　quod　non　minuant　mirarier　omnes　Paullatim。〃

　　　　　＇〃There　is　nothing　at　first　so　grand；　so　admirable；　which　by　degrees
　　　　　people　do　not　regard　with　less　admiration。〃Lucretius；　ii。　1027＇

Taking　upon　me　once　to　justify　something　in　use　amongst　us；　and　that　was
received　with　absolute　authority　for　a　great　many　leagues　round　about　us；
and　not　content；　as　men　commonly　do；　to　establish　it　only　by　force　of　law
and　example；　but　inquiring　still　further　into　its　origin；　I　found　the
foundation　so　weak；　that　I　who　made　it　my　business　to　confirm　others；　was
very　near　being　dissatisfied　myself。　　'Tis　by　this　receipt　that　Plato　
＇Laws；　viii。　　6。＇　undertakes　to　cure　the　unnatural　and　preposterous
loves　of　his　time；　as　one　which　he　esteems　of　sovereign　virtue；　namely；
that　the　public　opinion　condemns　them；　that　the　poets；　and　all　other
sorts　of　writers；　relate　horrible　stories　of　them；　a　recipe；　by　virtue　of
which　the　most　beautiful　daughters　no　more　allure　their　fathers'　lust；
nor　brothers；　of　the　finest　shape　and　fashion；　their　sisters'　desire；　the
very　fables　of　Thyestes；　OEdipus；　and　Macareus；　having　with　the　harmony
of　their　song；　infused　this　wholesome　opinion　and　belief　into　the　tender
brains　of　children。　　Chastity　is；　in　truth；　a　great　and　shining　virtue；
and　of　which　the　utility　is　sufficiently　known；　but　to　treat　of　it；　and
to　set　it　off　in　its　true　value；　according　to　nature；　is　as　hard　as　'tis
easy　to　do　so　according　to　custom；　laws；　and　precepts。　　The　fundamental
and　universal　reasons　are　of　very　obscure　and　difficult　research；　and　our
masters　either　lightly　pass　them　over；　or　not　daring　so　much　as　to　touch
them；　precipitate　themselves　into　the　liberty　and　protection　of　custom；
there　puffing　themselves　out　and　triumphing　to　their　heart's　content：
such　as　will　not　suffer　themselves　to　be　withdrawn　from　this　original
source；　do　yet　commit　a　greater　error；　and　subject　themselves　to　wild
opinions；　witness　Chrysippus；＇Sextus　Empiricus；　Pyyrhon。　　Hypotyp。；　i。
14。＇　who；　in　so　many　of　his　writings；　has　strewed　the　little　account　he
made　of　incestuous　conjunctions；　committed　with　how　near　relations
soever。

Whoever　would　disengage　himself　from　this　violent　prejudice　of　custom；
would　find　several　things　received　with　absolute　and　undoubting　opinion；
that　have　no　other　support　than　the　hoary　head　and　rivelled　face　of
ancient　usage。　　But　the　mask　taken　off；　and　things　being　referred　to　the
decision　of　truth　and　reason；　he　will　find　his　judgment　as　it　were
altogether　overthrown；　and　yet　restored　to　a　much　more　sure　estate。　　For
example；　I　shall　ask　him；　what　can　be　more　strange　than　to　see　a　people
obliged　to　obey　laws　they　never　understood；　bound　in　all　their　domestic
affairs；　as　marriages；　donations；　wills；　sales；　and　purchases；　to　rules
they　cannot　possibly　know；　being　neither　written　nor　published　in　their
own　language；　and　of　which　they　are　of　necessity　to　purchase　both　the
interpretation　and　the　use？　　Not　ac