the essays of montaigne, v19-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



The　heat　of　summer　is　more　an　enemy　to　me　than　the　cold　of　winter；　for；
besides　the　incommodity　of　heat；　less　remediable　than　cold；　and　besides
the　force　of　the　sunbeams　that　strike　upon　the　head；　all　glittering　light
offends　my　eyes；　so　that　I　could　not　now　sit　at　dinner　over　against　a
flaming　fire。

To　dull　the　whiteness　of　paper；　in　those　times　when　I　was　more　wont　to
read；　I　laid　a　piece　of　glass　upon　my　book；　and　found　my　eyes　much
relieved　by　it。　　I　am　to　this　hourto　the　age　of　fifty…fourIgnorant　of
the　use　of　spectacles；　and　I　can　see　as　far　as　ever　I　did；　or　any　other。
'Tis　true　that　in　the　evening　I　begin　to　find　a　little　disturbance　and
weakness　in　my　sight　if　I　read；　an　exercise　I　have　always　found
troublesome；　especially　by　night。　　Here　is　one　step　back；　and　a　very
manifest　one；　I　shall　retire　another：　from　the　second　to　the　third；　and
so　to　the　fourth；　so　gently；　that　I　shall　be　stark　blind　before　I　shall
be　sensible　of　the　age　and　decay　of　my　sight：　so　artificially　do　the
Fatal　Sisters　untwist　our　lives。　　And　so　I　doubt　whether　my　hearing
begins　to　grow　thick；　and　you　will　see　I　shall　have　half　lost　it；　when　I
shall　still　lay　the　fault　on　the　voices　of　those　who　speak　to　me。　　A　man
must　screw　up　his　soul　to　a　high　pitch　to　make　it　sensible　how　it　ebbs
away。

My　walking　is　quick　and　firm；　and　I　know　not　which　of　the　two；　my　mind　or
my　body；　I　have　most　to　do　to　keep　in　the　same　state。　　That　preacher　is
very　much　my　friend　who　can　fix　my　attention　a　whole　sermon　through：　in
places　of　ceremony；　where　every　one's　countenance　is　so　starched；　where　I
have　seen　the　ladies　keep　even　their　eyes　so　fixed；　I　could　never　order
it　so；　that　some　part　or　other　of　me　did　not　lash　out；　so　that　though　I
was　seated；　I　was　never　settled；　and　as　to　gesticulation；　I　am　never
without　a　switch　in　my　hand；　walking　or　riding。　　As　the　philosopher
Chrysippus'　maid　said　of　her　master；　that　he　was　only　drunk　in　his　legs；
for　it　was　his　custom　to　be　always　kicking　them　about　in　what　place
soever　he　sat；　and　she　said　it　when；　the　wine　having　made　all　his
companions　drunk；　he　found　no　alteration　in　himself　at　all；　it　may　have
been　said　of　me　from　my　infancy；　that　I　had　either　folly　or　quicksilver
in　my　feet；　so　much　stirring　and　unsettledness　there　is　in　them；　wherever
they　are　placed。

'Tis　indecent；　besides　the　hurt　it　does　to　one's　health；　and　even　to　the
pleasure　of　eating；　to　eat　greedily　as　I　do；　I　often　bite　my　tongue；　and
sometimes　my　fingers；　in　my　haste。　　Diogenes；　meeting　a　boy　eating　after
that　manner；　gave　his　tutor　a　box　on　the　ear！　　There　were　men　at　Rome
that　taught　people　to　chew；　as　well　as　to　walk；　with　a　good　grace。　　I
lose　thereby　the　leisure　of　speaking；　which　gives　great　relish　to　the
table；　provided　the　discourse　be　suitable；　that　is；　pleasant　and　short。

There　is　jealousy　and　envy　amongst　our　pleasures；　they　cross　and　hinder
one　another。　　Alcibiades；　a　man　who　well　understood　how　to　make　good
cheer；　banished　even　music　from　the　table；　that　it　might　not　disturb　the
entertainment　of　discourse；　for　the　reason；　as　Plato　tells　us；　〃that　it
is　the　custom　of　ordinary　people　to　call　fiddlers　and　singing　men　to
feasts；　for　want　of　good　discourse　and　pleasant　talk；　with　which　men　of
understanding　know　how　to　entertain　one　another。〃　　Varro　requires　all
this　in　entertainments：　〃Persons　of　graceful　presence　and　agreeable
conversation；　who　are　neither　silent　nor　garrulous；　neatness　and
delicacy；　both　of　meat　and　place；　and　fair　weather。〃　　The　art　of　dining
well　is　no　slight　art；　the　pleasure　not　a　slight　pleasure；　neither　the
greatest　captains　nor　the　greatest　philosophers　have　disdained　the　use　or
science　of　eating　well。　　My　imagination　has　delivered　three　repasts　to
the　custody　of　my　memory；　which　fortune　rendered　sovereignly　sweet　to　me；
upon　several　occasions　in　my　more　flourishing　age；　my　present　state
excludes　me；　for　every　one；　according　to　the　good　temper　of　body　and　mind
wherein　he　then　finds　himself；　furnishes　for　his　own　share　a　particular
grace　and　savour。　　I；　who　but　crawl　upon　the　earth；　hate　this　inhuman
wisdom；　that　will　have　us　despise　and　hate　all　culture　of　the　body；　I
look　upon　it　as　an　equal　injustice　to　loath　natural　pleasures　as　to　be
too　much　in　love　with　them。　　Xerxes　was　a　blockhead；　who；　environed　with
all　human　delights；　proposed　a　reward　to　him　who　could　find　out　others；
but　he　is　not　much　less　so　who　cuts　off　any　of　those　pleasures　that
nature　has　provided　for　him。　　A　man　should　neither　pursue　nor　avoid　them；
but　receive　them。　　I　receive　them；　I　confess；　a　little　too　warmly　and
kindly；　and　easily　suffer　myself　to　follow　my　natural　propensions。　　We
have　no　need　to　exaggerate　their　inanity；　they　themselves　will　make　us
sufficiently　sensible　of　it；　thanks　to　our　sick　wet…blanket　mind；　that
puts　us　out　of　taste　with　them　as　with　itself；　it　treats　both　itself　and
all　it　receives；　one　while　better；　and　another　worse；　according　to　its
insatiable；　vagabond；　and　versatile　essence：

　　　　　　　　　〃Sincerum　est　nisi　vas；　quodcunque　infundis；　acescit。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Unless　the　vessel　be　clean；　it　will　sour　whatever
　　　　　　　　　　you　put　into　it。〃Horace；　Ep。；　i。　2；　54。＇

I；　who　boast　that　I　so　curiously　and　particularly　embrace　the
conveniences　of　life；　find　them；　when　I　most　nearly　consider　them；　very
little　more　than　wind。　　But　what？　　We　are　all　wind　throughout；　and；
moreover；　the　wind　itself；　more　discreet　than　we；　loves　to　bluster　and
shift　from　corner　to　corner；　and　contents　itself　with　its　proper　offices
without　desiring　stability　and　solidity…qualities　not　its　own。

The　pure　pleasures；　as　well　as　the　pure　displeasures；　of　the　imagination；
say　some；　are　the　greatest；　as　was　expressed　by　the　balance　of
Critolaiis。　　'Tis　no　wonder；　it　makes　them　to　its　own　liking；　and　cuts
them　out　of　the　whole　cloth；　of　this　I　every　day　see　notable　examples；
and；　peradventure；　to　be　desired。　　But　I；　who　am　of　a　mixed　and　heavy
condition；　cannot　snap　so　soon　at　this　one　simple　object；　but　that　I
negligently　suffer　myself　to　be　carried　away　with　the　present　pleasures
of　the；　general　human　law；　intellectually　sensible；　and　sensibly
intellectual。　　The　Cyrenaic　philosophers　will　have　it　that　as　corporal
pains；　so　corporal　pleasures　are　more　powerful；　both　as　double　and　as
more　just。　　There　are　some；　as　Aristotle　says；　who　out　of　a　savage　kind
of　stupidity　dislike　them；　and　I　know　others　who　out　of　ambition　do　the
same。　　Why　do　they　not；　moreover；　forswear　breathing？　　why　do　they　not
live　of　their　own？　　why　not　refuse　light；　because　it　is　gratuitous；　and
costs　them　neither　invention　nor　exertion？　　Let　Mars；　Pallas；　or　Mercury
afford　them　their　light　by　which　to　see；　instead　of　Venus；　Ceres；　and
Bacchus。　　These　boastful　humours　may　counterfeit　some　content；　for　what
will　not　fancy　do？　　But　as　to　wisdom；　there　is　no　touch　of　it。　　Will　they
not　seek　the　quadrature　of　the　circle；　even　when　on　their　wives？　　I　hate
that　we　should　be　enjoined　to　have　our　minds　in　the　clouds；　when　our
bodies　are　at　table；　I　would　not　have　the　mind　nailed　there；　nor　wallow
there；　I　would　have　it　take　place　there　and　sit；　but　not　lie　down。
Aristippus　maintained　nothing　but　the　body；　as　if　we　had　no　soul；　Zeno
comprehended　only　the　soul；　as　if　we　had　no　body：　both　of　them　faultily。
Pythagoras；　they　say；　followed　a　philosophy　that　was　all　contemplation；
Socrates　one　that　was　all　conduct　and　action；　Plato　found　a　mean　betwixt
the　two；　but　they　only　say　this　for　the　sake　of　talking。　　The　true
temperament　is　found　in　Socrates；　and；　Plato　is　much　more　Socratic　than
Pythagoric；　and　it　becomes　him　better。　　When　I　dance；　I　dance；　when　I
sleep；　I　sleep。　　Nay；　when　I　walk　alone　in　a　beautiful　orchard；　if　my
thoughts　are　some　part　of　the　time　taken　up　with　external　occurrences；
I　some　part　of　the　time　call　them　back　again　to　my　walk；　to　the　orchard；
to　the　sweetness　of　that　solitude；　and　to　myself。

Nature　has　mother…like　observed　this；　that　the　actions　she　has　enjoined
us　for　our　necessity　should　be　also　pleasurable　to　us；　and　she　invites　us
to　them；　not　only　by　reason；　but　also　by　appetite；　and　'tis　；injustice　to
infringe　her　laws。　　When　I　see　alike　Caesar　and　Alexander；　in　the　midst
of　his　greatest　business；　so　fully　enjoy　human　and　corporal　pleasures；　I
do　not　say　that　he　relaxed　his　mind：　I　say　that　he　strengthened　it；　by
vigour　of　courage　subjecting　those　violent　employments　and　laborious
thoughts　to　the　ordinary　usage　of　life：　wise；　had　he　believed　the　last
was　his　ordinary；　the　first　his　extraordinary；　vocation。　　We　are　great
fools。　　〃He　has　passed　his　life　in　idleness；〃　say　we：　〃I　have　done
nothing　to…day。〃　　What？　have　you　not　lived？　　that　is　not　only　the
fundamental；　but　the　most　illustrious；　of　your　occupations。　　〃Had　I　been
put　to　the　management　of　great　affairs；　I　should　have　made　it　seen　what　I
could　do。〃　　〃Have　you　known　how　to　meditate　and　manage　your　life？　　you
have　performed　the　greatest　work　of　all。〃　　In　order　to　shew　and　develop
herself；　nature　needs　only　fortune；　she　equally　manifests　herself　in　all
stages；　and　behind　a　curtain　as　well　as　without　one。　　Have　you　known　how
to　regulate　your　conduct；　you　have　done　a　great　deal　more　than　h