the essays of montaigne, v4-第4节

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own　language；　and　of　which　they　are　of　necessity　to　purchase　both　the
interpretation　and　the　use？　　Not　according　to　the　ingenious　opinion　of
Isocrates；　＇Discourse　to　Nicocles。＇　who　counselled　his　king　to　make
the　traffics　and　negotiations　of　his　subjects；　free；　frank；　and　of　profit
to　them；　and　their　quarrels　and　disputes　burdensome；　and　laden　with　heavy
impositions　and　penalties；　but；　by　a　prodigious　opinion；　to　make　sale　of
reason　itself；　and　to　give　to　laws　a　course　of　merchandise。　　I　think
myself　obliged　to　fortune　that；　as　our　historians　report；　it　was　a　Gascon
gentleman；　a　countryman　of　mine；　who　first　opposed　Charlemagne；　when　he
attempted　to　impose　upon　us　Latin　and　imperial　laws。

What　can　be　more　savage；　than　to　see　a　nation　where；　by　lawful　custom；
the　office　of　a　judge　is　bought　and　sold；　where　judgments　are　paid　for
with　ready　money；　and　where　justice　may　legitimately　be　denied　to　him
that　has　not　wherewithal　to　pay；　a　merchandise　in　so　great　repute；　as　in
a　government　to　create　a　fourth　estate　of　wrangling　lawyers；　to　add　to
the　three　ancient　ones　of　the　church；　nobility；　and　people；　which　fourth
estate；　having　the　laws　in　their　own　hands；　and　sovereign　power　over
men's　lives　and　fortunes；　makes　another　body　separate　from　nobility：
whence　it　comes　to　pass；　that　there　are　double　laws；　those　of　honour　and
those　of　justice；　in　many　things　altogether　opposite　one　to　another；　the
nobles　as　rigorously　condemning　a　lie　taken；　as　the　other　do　a　lie
revenged：　by　the　law　of　arms；　he　shall　be　degraded　from　all　nobility　and
honour　who　puts　up　with　an　affront；　and　by　the　civil　law；　he　who
vindicates　his　reputation　by　revenge　incurs　a　capital　punishment：　he　who
applies　himself　to　the　law　for　reparation　of　an　offence　done　to　his
honour；　disgraces　himself；　and　he　who　does　not；　is　censured　and　punished
by　the　law。　　Yet　of　these　two　so　different　things；　both　of　them　referring
to　one　head；　the　one　has　the　charge　of　peace；　the　other　of　war；　those
have　the　profit；　these　the　honour；　those　the　wisdom；　these　the　virtue；
those　the　word；　these　the　action；　those　justice；　these　valour；　those
reason；　these　force；　those　the　long　robe；　these　the　short；divided
betwixt　them。

For　what　concerns　indifferent　things；　as　clothes；　who　is　there　seeking　to
bring　them　back　to　their　true　use；　which　is　the　body's　service　and
convenience；　and　upon　which　their　original　grace　and　fitness　depend；　for
the　most　fantastic；　in　my　opinion；　that　can　be　imagined；　I　will　instance
amongst　others；　our　flat　caps；　that　long　tail　of　velvet　that　hangs　down
from　our　women's　heads；　with　its　party…coloured　trappings；　and　that　vain
and　futile　model　of　a　member　we　cannot　in　modesty　so　much　as　name；　which；
nevertheless；　we　make　show　and　parade　of　in　public。　　These
considerations；　notwithstanding；　will　not　prevail　upon　any　understanding
man　to　decline　the　common　mode；　but；　on　the　contrary；　methinks；　all
singular　and　particular　fashions　are　rather　marks　of　folly　and　vain
affectation　than　of　sound　reason；　and　that　a　wise　man；　within；　ought　to
withdraw　and　retire　his　soul　from　the　crowd；　and　there　keep　it　at　liberty
and　in　power　to　judge　freely　of　things；　but　as　to　externals；　absolutely
to　follow　and　conform　himself　to　the　fashion　of　the　time。　　Public　society
has　nothing　to　do　with　our　thoughts；　but　the　rest；　as　our　actions；　our
labours；　our　fortunes；　and　our　lives；　we　are　to　lend　and　abandon　them　to
its　service　and　to　the　common　opinion；　as　did　that　good　and　great
Socrates　who　refused　to　preserve　his　life　by　a　disobedience　to　the
magistrate；　though　a　very　wicked　and　unjust　one　for　it　is　the　rule　of
rules；　the　general　law　of　laws；　that　every　one　observe　those　of　the　place
wherein　he　lives。

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃It　is　good　to　obey　the　laws　of　one's　country。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Excerpta　ex　Trag。　Gyaecis；　Grotio　interp。；　1626；　p。　937。＇

And　now　to　another　point。　　It　is　a　very　great　doubt；　whether　any　so
manifest　benefit　can　accrue　from　the　alteration　of　a　law　received；　let　it
be　what　it　will；　as　there　is　danger　and　inconvenience　in　altering　it；
forasmuch　as　government　is　a　structure　composed　of　divers　parts　and
members　joined　and　united　together；　with　so　strict　connection；　that　it　is
impossible　to　stir　so　much　as　one　brick　or　stone；　but　the　whole　body　will
be　sensible　of　it。　　The　legislator　of　the　Thurians　＇Charondas；　Diod。
Sic。；　xii。　　24。＇　ordained；　that　whosoever　would　go　about　either　to
abolish　an　old　law；　or　to　establish　a　new；　should　present　himself　with　a
halter　about　his　neck　to　the　people；　to　the　end；　that　if　the　innovation
he　would　introduce　should　not　be　approved　by　every　one；　he　might
immediately　be　hanged；　and　he　of　the　Lacedaemonians　employed　his　life　to
obtain　from　his　citizens　a　faithful　promise　that　none　of　his　laws　should
be　violated。＇Lycurgus；　Plutarch；　in　Vita；　c。　　22。＇　The　Ephoros　who　so
rudely　cut　the　two　strings　that　Phrynis　had　added　to　music　never　stood　to
examine　whether　that　addition　made　better　harmony；　or　that　by　its　means
the　instrument　was　more　full　and　complete；　it　was　enough　for　him　to
condemn　the　invention；　that　it　was　a　novelty；　and　an　alteration　of　the
old　fashion。　　Which　also　is　the　meaning　of　the　old　rusty　sword　carried
before　the　magistracy　of　Marseilles。

For　my　own　part；　I　have　a　great　aversion　from　a　novelty；　what　face　or
what　pretence　soever　it　may　carry　along　with　it；　and　have　reason；　having
been　an　eyewitness　of　the　great　evils　it　has　produced。　　For　those　which
for　so　many　years　have　lain　so　heavy　upon　us；　it　is　not　wholly
accountable；　but　one　may　say；　with　colour　enough；　that　it　has
accidentally　produced　and　begotten　the　mischiefs　and　ruin　that　have　since
happened；　both　without　and　against　it；　it；　principally；　we　are　to　accuse
for　these　disorders：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Heu！　patior　telis　vulnera　facta　meis。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Alas！　　The　wounds　were　made　by　my　own　weapons。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Ovid；　Ep。　Phyll。　Demophoonti；　vers。　48。＇

They　who　give　the　first　shock　to　a　state；　are　almost　naturally　the　first
overwhelmed　in　its　ruin　the　fruits　of　public　commotion　are　seldom　enjoyed
by　him　who　was　the　first　motor；　he　beats　and　disturbs　the　water　for
another's　net。　　The　unity　and　contexture　of　this　monarchy；　of　this　grand
edifice；　having　been　ripped　and　torn　in　her　old　age；　by　this　thing　called
innovation；　has　since　laid　open　a　rent；　and　given　sufficient　admittance
to　such　injuries：　the　royal　majesty　with　greater　difficulty　declines　from
the　summit　to　the　middle；　then　it　falls　and　tumbles　headlong　from　the
middle　to　the　bottom。　　But　if　the　inventors　do　the　greater　mischief；　the
imitators　are　more　vicious　to　follow　examples　of　which　they　have　felt　and
punished　both　the　horror　and　the　offence。　　And　if　there　can　be　any　degree
of　honour　in　ill…doing；　these　last　must　yield　to　the　others　the　glory　of
contriving；　and　the　courage　of　making　the　first　attempt。　　All　sorts　of
new　disorders　easily　draw；　from　this　primitive　and　ever…flowing　fountain；
examples　and　precedents　to　trouble　and　discompose　our　government：　we　read
in　our　very　laws；　made　for　the　remedy　of　this　first　evil；　the　beginning
and　pretences　of　all　sorts　of　wicked　enterprises；　and　that　befalls　us；
which　Thucydides　said　of　the　civil　wars　of　his　time；　that；　in　favour　of
public　vices；　they　gave　them　new　and　more　plausible　names　for　their
excuse；　sweetening　and　disguising　their　true　titles；　which　must　be　done；
forsooth；　to　reform　our　conscience　and　belief：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Honesta　oratio　est；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Fine　words　truly。〃Ter。　　And。；　i。　I；　114。＇

but　the　best　pretence　for　innovation　is　of　very　dangerous　consequence：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Aden　nihil　motum　ex　antiquo　probabile　est。〃

　　　　　＇〃We　are　ever　wrong　in　changing　ancient　ways。〃Livy；　xxxiv。　54＇

And　freely　to　speak　my　thoughts；　it　argues　a　strange　self…love　and　great
presumption　to　be　so　fond　of　one's　own　opinions；　that　a　public　peace　must
be　overthrown　to　establish　them；　and　to　introduce　so　many　inevitable
mischiefs；　and　so　dreadful　a　corruption　of　manners；　as　a　civil　war　and
the　mutations　of　state　consequent　to　it；　always　bring　in　their　train；　and
to　introduce　them；　in　a　thing　of　so　high　concern；　into　the　bowels　of
one's　own　country。　　Can　there　be　worse　husbandry　than　to　set　up　so　many
certain　and　knowing　vices　against　errors　that　are　only　contested　and
disputable？　　And　are　there　any　worse　sorts　of　vices　than　those　committed
against　a　man's　own　conscience；　and　the　natural　light　of　his　own　reason？
The　Senate；　upon　the　dispute　betwixt　it　and　the　people　about　the
administration　of　their　religion；　was　bold　enough　to　return　this　evasion
for　current　pay：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Ad　deos　id　magis；　quam　ad　se；　pertinere：　ipsos　visuros；
　　　　　　　　　　ne　sacra　sua　polluantur；〃

　　　　　＇〃Those　things　belong　to　the　gods　to　determine　than　to　them；　let　the
　　　　　gods；　therefore；　take　care　that　their　sacred　mysteries　were　not
　　　　　profaned。〃Livy；　x。　6。＇

according　to　what　the　oracle　answered　to　those　of　Delphos　who；　fearing　to
be　invaded　by　the　Persians　in　the　Median　war；　inquired　of　Apollo；　how
they　should　dispose　of　the　holy　treasure　of　his　temple；　whether　they
should　hide；　or　remove　it　to　some　other　place？　　He　returned　them　answer；
that　they　should　stir　nothing　from　thence；　and　o