the essays of montaigne, v4-第6节

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been　denoted　to　him；　and　presently　sent　for　him；　to　whom；　being　come
before　him；　seeing　him　already　pale　and　trembling　with　the　conscience　of
his　guilt；　he　thus　said；　〃Monsieur；〃　such　an　one；　〃you　guess　what　I　have
to　say　to　you；　your　countenance　discovers　it；　'tis　in　vain　to　disguise
your　practice；　for　I　am　so　well　informed　of　your　business；　that　it　will
but　make　worse　for　you；　to　go　about　to　conceal　or　deny　it：　you　know　very
well　such　and　such　passages〃　（which　were　the　most　secret　circumstances　of
his　conspiracy）；　〃and　therefore　be　sure；　as　you　tender　your　own　life；
to　confess　to　me　the　whole　truth　of　the　design。〃　　The　poor　man　seeing
himself　thus　trapped　and　convicted　（for　the　whole　business　had　been
discovered　to　the　queen　by　one　of　the　accomplices）；　was　in　such　a　taking；
he　knew　not　what　to　do；　but；　folding　his　hands；　to　beg　and　sue　for　mercy；
he　threw　himself　at　his　prince's　feet；　who　taking　him　up；　proceeded　to
say；　〃Come；　sir；　tell　me；　have　I　at　any　time　done　you　offence？　　or　have
I；　through　private　hatred　or　malice；　offended　any　kinsman　or　friend　of
yours？　　It　is　not　above　three　weeks　that　I　have　known　you；　what
inducement；　then；　could　move　you　to　attempt　my　death？〃　　To　which　the
gentleman　with　a　trembling　voice　replied；　〃That　it　was　no　particular
grudge　he　had　to　his　person；　but　the　general　interest　and　concern　of　his
party；　and　that　he　had　been　put　upon　it　by　some　who　had　persuaded　him　it
would　be　a　meritorious　act；　by　any　means；　to　extirpate　so　great　and　so
powerful　an　enemy　of　their　religion。〃　　〃Well；〃　said　the　prince；　〃I　will
now　let　you　see；　how　much　more　charitable　the　religion　is　that　I
maintain；　than　that　which　you　profess：　yours　has　counselled　you　to　kill
me；　without　hearing　me　speak；　and　without　ever　having　given　you　any　cause
of　offence；　and　mine　commands　me　to　forgive　you；　convict　as　you　are；　by
your　own　confession；　of　a　design　to　kill　me　without　reason。＇Imitated　by
Voltaire。　　See　Nodier；　Questions；　p。　165。＇　Get　you　gone；　let　me　see　you
no　more；　and；　if　you　are　wise；　choose　henceforward　honester　men　for　your
counsellors　in　your　designs。〃　＇Dampmartin；　La　Fortune　de　la　Coup；　liv。
ii。；　p。　139＇

The　Emperor　Augustus；＇This　story　is　taken　from　Seneca；　De　Clementia；
i。　　9。＇　being　in　Gaul；　had　certain　information　of　a　conspiracy　L。　Cinna
was　contriving　against　him；　he　therefore　resolved　to　make　him　an　example；
and；　to　that　end；　sent　to　summon　his　friends　to　meet　the　next　morning　in
counsel。　　But　the　night　between　he　passed　in　great　unquietness　of　mind；
considering　that　he　was　about　to　put　to　death　a　young　man；　of　an
illustrious　family；　and　nephew　to　the　great　Pompey；　and　this　made　him
break　out　into　several　passionate　complainings。　　〃What　then；〃　said　he；
〃is　it　possible　that　I　am　to　live　in　perpetual　anxiety　and　alarm；　and
suffer　my　would…be　assassin；　meantime；　to　walk　abroad　at　liberty？　　Shall
he　go　unpunished；　after　having　conspired　against　my　life；　a　life　that　I
have　hitherto　defended　in　so　many　civil　wars；　in　so　many　battles　by　land
and　by　sea？　　And　after　having　settled　the　universal　peace　of　the　whole
world；　shall　this　man　be　pardoned；　who　has　conspired　not　only　to　murder；
but　to　sacrifice　me？〃for　the　conspiracy　was　to　kill　him　at　sacrifice。
After　which；　remaining　for　some　time　silent；　he　began　again；　in　louder
tones；　and　exclaimed　against　himself；　saying：　　〃Why　livest　thou；　if　it　be
for　the　good　of　so　many　that　thou　shouldst　die？　must　there　be　no　end　of
thy　revenges　and　cruelties？　　Is　thy　life　of　so　great　value；　that　so　many
mischiefs　must　be　done　to　preserve　it？〃　　His　wife　Livia；　seeing　him　in
this　perplexity：　〃Will　you　take　a　woman's　counsel？〃　　said　she。　　〃Do　as
the　physicians　do；　who；　when　the　ordinary　recipes　will　do　no　good；　make
trial　of　the　contrary。　　By　severity　you　have　hitherto　prevailed　nothing；
Lepidus　has　followed　Salvidienus；　Murena；　Lepidus；　Caepio；　Murena；
Egnatius；　Caepio。　　Begin　now；　and　try　how　sweetness　and　clemency　will
succeed。　　Cinna　is　convict；　forgive　him；　he　will　never　henceforth　have
the　heart　to　hurt　thee；　and　it　will　be　an　act　to　thy　glory。〃　　Augustus
was　well　pleased　that　he　had　met　with　an　advocate　of　his　own　humour；
wherefore；　having　thanked　his　wife；　and；　in　the　morning；　countermanded
his　friends　he　had　before　summoned　to　council；　he　commanded　Cinna　all
alone　to　be　brought　to　him；　who　being　accordingly　come；　and　a　chair　by
his　appointment　set　him；　having　ordered　all　the　rest　out　of　the　room；　he
spake　to　him　after　this　manner：　〃In　the　first　place；　Cinna；　I　demand　of
thee　patient　audience；　do　not　interrupt　me　in　what　I　am　about　to　say；　and
I　will　afterwards　give　thee　time　and　leisure　to　answer。　　Thou　knowest；
Cinna；　＇This　passage；　borrowed　from　Seneca；　has　been　paraphrased　in
verse　by　Corneille。　　See　Nodier；　Questions　de　la　Literature　llgale；　1828；
pp。　7；　160。　　The　monologue　of　Augustus　in　this　chapter　is　also　from
Seneca。　　Ibid。；　164。＇　that　having　taken　thee　prisoner　in　the　enemy's
camp；　and　thou　an　enemy；　not　only　so　become；　but　born　so；　I　gave　thee　thy
life；　restored　to　thee　all　thy　goods；　and；　finally；　put　thee　in　so　good　a
posture；　by　my　bounty；　of　living　well　and　at　thy　ease；　that　the
victorious　envied　the　conquered。　The　sacerdotal　office　which　thou　madest
suit　to　me　for；　I　conferred　upon　thee；　after　having　denied　it　to　others；
whose　fathers　have　ever　borne　arms　in　my　service。　　After　so　many
obligations；　thou　hast　undertaken　to　kill　me。〃　　At　which　Cinna　crying　out
that　he　was　very　far　from　entertaining　any　so　wicked　a　thought：　〃Thou
dost　not　keep　thy　promise；　Cinna；〃　continued　Augustus；　〃that　thou　wouldst
not　interrupt　me。　　Yes；　thou　hast　undertaken　to　murder　me　in　such　a
place；　on　such　a　day；　in　such　and　such　company；　and　in　such　a　manner。〃
At　which　words；　seeing　Cinna　astounded　and　silent；　not　upon　the　account
of　his　promise　so　to　be；　but　interdict　with　the　weight　of　his　conscience：
〃Why；〃　proceeded　Augustus；　〃to　what　end　wouldst　thou　do　it？　　Is　it　to　be
emperor？　　Believe　me；　the　Republic　is　in　very　ill　condition；　if　I　am　the
only　man　betwixt　thee　and　the　empire。　　Thou　art　not　able　so　much　as　to
defend　thy　own　house；　and　but　t'other　day　was　baffled　in　a　suit；　by　the
opposed　interest　of　a　mere　manumitted　slave。　　What；　hast　thou　neither
means　nor　power　in　any　other　thing；　but　only　to　undertake　Caesar？　　I　quit
the　throne；　if　there　be　no　other　than　I　to　obstruct　thy　hopes。　　Canst
thou　believe　that　Paulus；　that　Fabius；　that　the　Cossii　and　the　Servilii；
and　so　many　noble　Romans；　not　only　so　in　title；　but　who　by　their　virtue
honour　their　nobility；　would　suffer　or　endure　thee？〃　　After　this；　and　a
great　deal　more　that　he　said　to　him　（for　he　was　two　long　hours　in
speaking）；　〃Now　go；　Cinna；　go　thy　way：　I　give　thee　that　life　as　traitor
and　parricide；　which　I　before　gave　thee　in　the　quality　of　an　enemy。　　Let
friendship　from　this　time　forward　begin　betwixt　us；　and　let　us　show
whether　I　have　given；　or　thou　hast　received　thy　life　with　the　better
faith〃；　and　so　departed　from　him。　　Some　time　after；　he　preferred　him　to
the　consular　dignity；　complaining　that　he　had　not　the　confidence　to
demand　it；　had　him　ever　after　for　his　very　great　friend；　and　was；　at
last；　made　by　him　sole　heir　to　all　his　estate。　　Now；　from　the　time　of
this　accident　which　befell　Augustus　in　the　fortieth　year　of　his　age；　he
never　had　any　conspiracy　or　attempt　against　him；　and　so　reaped　the　due
reward　of　this　his　so　generous　clemency。　　But　it　did　not　so　happen　with
our　prince；　his　moderation　and　mercy　not　so　securing　him；　but　that　he
afterwards　fell　into　the　toils　of　the　like　treason；＇The　Duc　de　Guise
was　assassinated　in　1563　by　Poltrot。＇so　vain　and　futile　a　thing　is
human　prudence；　throughout　all　our　projects；　counsels　and　precautions；
Fortune　will　still　be　mistress　of　events。

We　repute　physicians　fortunate　when　they　hit　upon　a　lucky　cure；　as　if
there　was　no　other　art　but　theirs　that　could　not　stand　upon　its　own　legs；
and　whose　foundations　are　too　weak　to　support　itself　upon　its　own　basis；
as　if　no　other　art　stood　in　need　of　Fortune's　hand　to　help　it。　　For　my
part；　I　think　of　physic　as　much　good　or　ill　as　any　one　would　have　me：
for；　thanks　be　to　God；　we　have　no　traffic　together。　　I　am　of　a　quite
contrary　humour　to　other　men；　for　I　always　despise　it；　but　when　I　am
sick；　instead　of　recanting；　or　entering　into　composition　with　it；　I
begin；　moreover；　to　hate　and　fear　it；　telling　them　who　importune　me　to
take　physic；　that　at　all　events　they　must　give　me　time　to　recover　my
strength　and　health；　that　I　may　be　the　better　able　to　support　and
encounter　the　violence　and　danger　of　their　potions。　　I　let　nature　work；
supposing　her　to　be　sufficiently　armed　with　teeth　and　claws　to　defend
herself　from　the　assaults　of　infirmity；　and　to　uphold　that　contexture；
the　dissolution　of　which　she　flies　and　abhors。　　I　am　afraid；　lest；
instead　of　assisting　her　when　close　grappled　and　struggling　with　disease；
I　should　assist　her　adversary；　and　burden　her　still　more　with　work　to　do。

Now；　I　say；　that　not　in　physic　only；　but　in　other　more　certain　arts；
fortune　has　a　very　great　part。

The　poetic　raptures；　the　flights　of　fancy；　that　ravish　and　transport　the
author　out　of　himself；　why　should　we　not　attribute　them　to　his　good
fortune