the essays of montaigne, v4-第9节

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begin　to　examine　if　there　be　life；　if　there　be　motion；　if　man　be　any
other　than　an　ox；　＇〃If　Montaigne　has　copied　all　this　from　Plato's
Theatetes；　p。127；　F。　　as　it　is　plain　by　all　which　he　has　added
immediately　after；　that　he　has　taken　it　from　that　dialogue）；　he　has
grossly　mistaken　Plato's　sentiment；　who　says　here　no　more　than　this；　that
the　philosopher　is　so　ignorant　of　what　his　neighbour　does；　that　he　scarce
knows　whether　he　is　a　man；　or　some　other　animal：Coste。〃＇what　it　is　to
do　and　to　suffer？　　what　animals　law　and　justice　are？　　Do　they　speak　of
the　magistrates；　or　to　him；　'tis　with　a　rude；　irreverent；　and　indecent
liberty。　　Do　they　hear　their　prince；　or　a　king　commended？　　they　make　no
more　of　him；　than　of　a　shepherd；　goatherd；　or　neatherd：　a　lazy　Coridon；
occupied　in　milking　and　shearing　his　herds　and　flocks；　but　more　rudely
and　harshly　than　the　herd　or　shepherd　himself。　　Do　you　repute　any　man　the
greater　for　being　lord　of　two　thousand　acres　of　land？　they　laugh　at　such
a　pitiful　pittance；　as　laying　claim　themselves　to　the　whole　world　for
their　possession。　　Do　you　boast　of　your　nobility；　as　being　descended　from
seven　rich　successive　ancestors？　they　look　upon　you　with　an　eye　of
contempt；　as　men　who　have　not　a　right　idea　of　the　universal　image　of
nature；　and　that　do　not　consider　how　many　predecessors　every　one　of　us
has　had；　rich；　poor；　kings；　slaves；　Greeks；　and　barbarians；　and　though
you　were　the　fiftieth　descendant　from　Hercules；　they　look　upon　it　as　a
great　vanity；　so　highly　to　value　this；　which　is　only　a　gift　of　fortune。
And　'twas　so　the　vulgar　sort　contemned　them；　as　men　ignorant　of　the　most
elementary　and　ordinary　things；　as　presumptuous　and　insolent。

But　this　Platonic　picture　is　far　different　from　that　these　pedants　are
presented　by。　　Those　were　envied　for　raising　themselves　above　the　common
sort；　for　despising　the　ordinary　actions　and　offices　of　life；　for　having
assumed　a　particular　and　inimitable　way　of　living；　and　for　using　a
certain　method　of　high…flight　and　obsolete　language；　quite　different　from
the　ordinary　way　of　speaking：　but　these　are　contemned　as　being　as　much
below　the　usual　form；　as　incapable　of　public　employment；　as　leading　a
life　and　conforming　themselves　to　the　mean　and　vile　manners　of　the
vulgar：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Odi　ignava　opera；　philosopha　sententia。〃

　　　　　＇〃I　hate　men　who　jabber　about　philosophy；　but　do　nothing。〃
　　　　　Pacuvius；　ap　Gellium；　xiii。　8。＇


For　what　concerns　the　philosophers；　as　I　have　said；　if　they　were　in
science；　they　were　yet　much　greater　in　action。　　And；　as　it　is　said　of　the
geometrician　of　Syracuse；＇Archimedes。＇　who　having　been　disturbed　from
his　contemplation；　to　put　some　of　his　skill　in　practice　for　the　defence
of　his　country；　that　he　suddenly　set　on　foot　dreadful　and　prodigious
engines；　that　wrought　effects　beyond　all　human　expectation；　himself；
notwithstanding；　disdaining　all　his　handiwork；　and　thinking　in　this　he
had　played　the　mere　mechanic；　and　violated　the　dignity　of　his　art；　of
which　these　performances　of　his　he　accounted　but　trivial　experiments　and
playthings　so　they；　whenever　they　have　been　put　upon　the　proof　of　action；
have　been　seen　to　fly　to　so　high　a　pitch；　as　made　it　very　well　appear；
their　souls　were　marvellously　elevated；　and　enriched　by　the　knowledge　of
things。　　But　some　of　them；　seeing　the　reins　of　government　in　the　hands　of
incapable　men；　have　avoided　all　management　of　political　affairs；　and　he
who　demanded　of　Crates；　how　long　it　was　necessary　to　philosophise；
received　this　answer：　〃Till　our　armies　are　no　more　commanded　by　fools。〃
＇Diogenes　Laertius；　vi。　92。＇　Heraclitus　resigned　the　royalty　to　his
brother；　and；　to　the　Ephesians；　who　reproached　him　that　he　spent　his　time
in　playing　with　children　before　the　temple：　〃Is　it　not　better；〃　said　he；
〃to　do　so；　than　to　sit　at　the　helm　of　affairs　in　your　company？〃　　Others
having　their　imagination　advanced　above　the　world　and　fortune；　have
looked　upon　the　tribunals　of　justice；　and　even　the　thrones　of　kings；　as
paltry　and　contemptible；　insomuch；　that　Empedocles　refused　the　royalty
that　the　Agrigentines　offered　to　him。　　Thales；　once　inveighing　in
discourse　against　the　pains　and　care　men　put　themselves　to　to　become
rich；　was　answered　by　one　in　the　company；　that　he　did　like　the　fox；　who
found　fault　with　what　he　could　not　obtain。　　Whereupon；　he　had　a　mind；　for
the　jest's　sake；　to　show　them　to　the　contrary；　and　having；　for　this
occasion；　made　a　muster　of　all　his　wits；　wholly　to　employ　them　in　the
service　of　profit　and　gain；　he　set　a　traffic　on　foot；　which　in　one　year
brought　him　in　so　great　riches；　that　the　most　experienced　in　that　trade
could　hardly　in　their　whole　lives；　with　all　their　industry；　have　raked　so
much　together。＇Diogenes　Laertius；　Life　of　Thales；　i。　　26；　Cicero；　De
Divin。；　i。　　49。＇　That　which　Aristotle　reports　of　some　who　called　both
him　and　Anaxagoras；　and　others　of　their　profession；　wise　but　not　prudent；
in　not　applying　their　study　to　more　profitable　thingsthough　I　do　not
well　digest　this　verbal　distinctionthat　will　not；　however；　serve　to
excuse　my　pedants；　for　to　see　the　low　and　necessitous　fortune　wherewith
they　are　content；　we　have　rather　reason　to　pronounce　that　they　are
neither　wise　nor　prudent。

But　letting　this　first　reason　alone；　I　think　it　better　to　say；　that　this
evil　proceeds　from　their　applying　themselves　the　wrong　way　to　the　study
of　the　sciences；　and　that；　after　the　manner　we　are　instructed；　it　is　no
wonder　if　neither　the　scholars　nor　the　masters　become；　though　more
learned；　ever　the　wiser；　or　more　able。　　In　plain　truth；　the　cares　and
expense　our　parents　are　at　in　our　education；　point　at　nothing；　but　to
furnish　our　heads　with　knowledge；　but　not　a　word　of　judgment　and　virtue。
Cry　out；　of　one　that　passes　by；　to　the　people：　〃O；　what　a　learned　man！〃
and　of　another；　〃O；　what　a　good　man！〃　＇Translated　from　Seneca；　Ep。；
88。＇　they　will　not　fail　to　turn　their　eyes；　and　address　their　respect
to　the　former。　　There　should　then　be　a　third　crier；　〃O；　the　blockheads！〃
Men　are　apt　presently　to　inquire；　does　such　a　one　understand　Greek　or
Latin？　　Is　he　a　poet？　　or　does　he　write　in　prose？　　But　whether　he　be
grown　better　or　more　discreet；　which　are　qualities　of　principal　concern；
these　are　never　thought　of。　　We　should　rather　examine；　who　is　better
learned；　than　who　is　more　learned。

We　only　labour　to　stuff　the　memory；　and　leave　the　conscience　and　the
understanding　unfurnished　and　void。　　Like　birds　who　fly　abroad　to　forage
for　grain；　and　bring　it　home　in　the　beak；　without　tasting　it　themselves；
to　feed　their　young；　so　our　pedants　go　picking　knowledge　here　and　there；
out　of　books；　and　hold　it　at　the　tongue's　end；　only　to　spit　it　out　and
distribute　it　abroad。　　And　here　I　cannot　but　smile　to　think　how　I　have
paid　myself　in　showing　the　foppery　of　this　kind　of　learning；　who　myself
am　so　manifest　an　example；　for；　do　I　not　the　same　thing　throughout　almost
this　whole　composition？　　I　go　here　and　there；　culling　out　of　several
books　the　sentences　that　best　please　me；　not　to　keep　them　（for　I　have　no
memory　to　retain　them　in）；　but　to　transplant　them　into　this；　where；　to
say　the　truth；　they　are　no　more　mine　than　in　their　first　places。　　We　are；
I　conceive；　knowing　only　in　present　knowledge；　and　not　at　all　in　what　is
past；　or　more　than　is　that　which　is　to　come。　　But　the　worst　on't　is；
their　scholars　and　pupils　are　no　better　nourished　by　this　kind　of
inspiration；　and　it　makes　no　deeper　impression　upon　them；　but　passes　from
hand　to　hand；　only　to　make　a　show　to　be　tolerable　company；　and　to　tell
pretty　stories；　like　a　counterfeit　coin　in　counters；　of　no　other　use　or
value；　but　to　reckon　with；　or　to　set　up　at　cards：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Apud　alios　loqui　didicerunt　non　ipsi　secum。〃

　　　　　＇〃They　have　learned　to　speak　from　others；　not　from　themselves。〃
　　　　　Cicero；　Tusc。　Quaes；　v。　36。＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Non　est　loquendum；　sed　gubernandum。〃

　　　　　＇〃Speaking　is　not　so　necessary　as　governing。〃　Seneca；　Ep。；　108。＇

Nature；　to　shew　that　there　is　nothing　barbarous　where　she　has　the　sole
conduct；　oftentimes；　in　nations　where　art　has　the　least　to　do；　causes
productions　of　wit；　such　as　may　rival　the　greatest　effect　of　art
whatever。　　In　relation　to　what　I　am　now　speaking　of；　the　Gascon　proverb；
derived　from　a　cornpipe；　is　very　quaint　and　subtle：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Bouha　prou　bouha；　mas　a　remuda　lous　dits　quem。〃

　　　　　＇〃You　may　blow　till　your　eyes　start　out；　but　if　once　you　offer　to
　　　　　stir　your　fingers；　it　is　all　over。〃＇

We　can　say；　Cicero　says　thus；　these　were　the　manners　of　Plato；　these　are
the　very　words　of　Aristotle：　but　what　do　we　say　ourselves？　　What　do　we
judge？　　A　parrot　would　say　as　much　as　that。

And　this　puts　me　in　mind　of　that　rich　gentleman　of　Rome；＇Calvisius
Sabinus。　　Seneca；　Ep。；　27。＇　who　had　been　solicitous；　with　very　great
expense；　to　procure　men　that　were　excellent　in　all　sorts　of　science；　whom
he　had　always　attending　his　person；　to　the　end；　that　when　amongst　his
friends　any　occasion　fell　out　of　speaking　of　any　subject　whatsoever；　they
might　supply　his　place；　and　be　ready　to　prompt　him；　one　with　a　sentence
of　Seneca；　another　with　a　verse　of　Homer；　and　so　forth；　every　one
according　to　his　talent；　and　he　fancied　this　kn