the essays of montaigne, v19-第14节

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to　regulate　your　conduct；　you　have　done　a　great　deal　more　than　he　who　has
composed　books。　　Have　you　known　how　to　take　repose；　you　have　done　more
than　he　who　has　taken　empires　and　cities。

The　glorious　masterpiece　of　man　is　to　live　to　purpose；　all　other　things：
to　reign；　to　lay　up　treasure；　to　build；　are　but　little　appendices　and
props。　　I　take　pleasure　in　seeing　a　general　of　an　army；　at　the　foot　of　a
breach　he　is　presently　to　assault；　give　himself　up　entire　and　free　at
dinner；　to　talk　and　be　merry　with　his　friends。　　And　Brutus；　when　heaven
and　earth　were　conspired　against　him　and　the　Roman　liberty；　stealing　some
hour　of　the　night　from　his　rounds　to　read　and　scan　Polybius　in　all
security。　　'Tis　for　little　souls；　buried　under　the　weight　of　affairs；　not
from　them　to　know　how　clearly　to　disengage　themselves；　not　to　know　how　to
lay　them　aside　and　take　them　up　again：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃O　fortes；　pejoraque　passi
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Mecum　saepe　viri！　　nunc　vino　pellite　curas
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Cras　ingens　iterabimus　aequor。〃

　　　　　＇〃O　brave　spirits；　who　have　often　suffered　sorrow　with　me；　drink
　　　　　cares　away；　tomorrow　we　will　embark　once　more　on　the　vast　sea。〃
　　　　　Horace；　Od。；　i。　7；　30。＇

Whether　it　be　in　jest　or　earnest；　that　the　theological　and　Sorbonnical
wine；　and　their　feasts；　are　turned　into　a　proverb；　I　find　it　reasonable
they　should　dine　so　much　more　commodiously　and　pleasantly；　as　they　have
profitably　and　seriously　employed　the　morning　in　the　exercise　of　their
schools。　　The　conscience　of　having　well　spent　the　other　hours；　is　the
just　and　savoury　sauce　of　the　dinner…table。　　The　sages　lived　after　that
manner；　and　that　inimitable　emulation　to　virtue；　which　astonishes　us　both
in　the　one　and　the　other　Cato；　that　humour　of　theirs；　so　severe　as　even
to　be　importunate；　gently　submits　itself　and　yields　to　the　laws　of　the
human　condition；　of　Venus　and　Bacchus；　according　to　the　precepts　of　their
sect；　that　require　the　perfect　sage　to　be　as　expert　and　intelligent　in
the　use　of　natural　pleasures　as　in　all　other　duties　of　life：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Cui　cor　sapiat；　ei　et　sapiat　palatus。〃

Relaxation　and　facility；　methinks；　wonderfully　honour　and　best　become　a
strong　and　generous　soul。　　Epaminondas　did　not　think　that　to　take　part；
and　that　heartily；　in　songs　and　sports　and　dances　with　the　young　men　of
his　city；　were　things　that　in　any　way　derogated　from　the　honour　of　his
glorious　victories　and　the　perfect　purity　of　manners　that　was　in　him。
And　amongst　so　many　admirable　actions　of　Scipio　the　grandfather；　a　person
worthy　to　be　reputed　of　a　heavenly　extraction；　there　is　nothing　that
gives　him　a　greater　grace　than　to　see　him　carelessly　and　childishly
trifling　at　gathering　and　selecting　cockle　shells；　and　playing　at　quoits；

　　　　　＇This　game；　as　the　〃Dictionnaire　de　Trevoux〃　describes　it；　is　one
　　　　　wherein　two　persons　contend　which　of　them　shall　soonest　pick　up　some
　　　　　object。＇

amusing　and　tickling　himself　in　representing　by　writing　in　comedies　the
meanest　and　most　popular　actions　of　men。　　And　his　head　full　of　that
wonderful　enterprise　of　Hannibal　and　Africa；　visiting　the　schools　in
Sicily；　and　attending　philosophical　lectures；　to　the　extent　of　arming　the
blind　envy　of　his　enemies　at　Rome。　　Nor　is　there　anything　more　remarkable
in　Socrates　than　that；　old　as　he　was；　he　found　time　to　make　himself
taught　dancing　and　playing　upon　instruments；　and　thought　it　time　well
spent。　　This　same　man　was　seen　in　an　ecstasy；　standing　upon　his　feet　a
whole　day　and　a　night　together；　in　the　presence　of　all　the　Grecian　army；
surprised　and　absorbed　by　some　profound　thought。　　He　was　the　first；
amongst　so　many　valiant　men　of　the　army；　to　run　to　the　relief　of
Alcibiades；　oppressed　with　the　enemy；　to　shield　him　with　his　own　body；
and　disengage　him　from　the　crowd　by　absolute　force　of　arms。　　It　was　he
who；　in　the　Delian　battle；　raised　and　saved　Xenophon　when　fallen　from　his
horse；　and　who；　amongst　all　the　people　of　Athens；　enraged　as　he　was　at　so
unworthy　a　spectacle；　first　presented　himself　to　rescue　Theramenes；　whom
the　thirty　tyrants　were　leading　to　execution　by　their　satellites；　and
desisted　not　from　his　bold　enterprise　but　at　the　remonstrance　of
Theramenes　himself；　though　he　was　only　followed　by　two　more　in　all。　　He
was　seen；　when　courted　by　a　beauty　with　whom　he　was　in　love；　to　maintain
at　need　a　severe　abstinence。　　He　was　seen　ever　to　go　to　the　wars；　and
walk　upon　ice；　with　bare　feet；　to　wear　the　same　robe；　winter　and　summer；
to　surpass　all　his　companions　in　patience　of　bearing　hardships；　and　to
eat　no　more　at　a　feast　than　at　his　own　private　dinner。　　He　was　seen；　for
seven…and…twenty　years　together；　to　endure　hunger；　poverty；　the
indocility　of　his　children；　and　the　nails　of　his　wife；　with　the　same
countenance。　　And；　in　the　end；　calumny；　tyranny；　imprisonment；　fetters；
and　poison。　　But　was　this　man　obliged　to　drink　full　bumpers　by　any　rule
of　civility？　　he　was　also　the　man　of　the　whole　army　with　whom　the
advantage　in　drinking；　remained。　　And　he　never　refused　to　play　at
noisettes；　nor　to　ride　the　hobby…horse　with　children；　and　it　became　him
well；　for　all　actions；　says　philosophy；　equally　become　and　equally　honour
a　wise　man。　　We　have　enough　wherewithal　to　do　it；　and　we　ought　never　to
be　weary　of　presenting　the　image　of　this　great　man　in　all　the　patterns
and　forms　of　perfection。　　There　are　very　few　examples　of　life；　full　and
pure；　and　we　wrong　our　teaching　every　day；　to　propose　to　ourselves　those
that　are　weak　and　imperfect；　scarce　good　for　any　one　service；　and　rather
pull　us　back；　corrupters　rather　than　correctors　of　manners。　　The　people
deceive　themselves；　a　man　goes　much　more　easily　indeed　by　the　ends；　where
the　extremity　serves　for　a　bound；　a　stop；　and　guide；　than　by　the　middle
way；　large　and　open；　and　according　to　art；　more　than　according　to　nature：
but　withal　much　less　nobly　and　commendably。

Greatness　of　soul　consists　not　so　much　in　mounting　and　in　pressing
forward；　as　in　knowing　how　to　govern　and　circumscribe　itself；　it　takes
everything　for　great；　that　is　enough；　and　demonstrates　itself　in
preferring　moderate　to　eminent　things。　　There　is　nothing　so　fine　and
legitimate　as　well　and　duly　to　play　the　man；　nor　science　so　arduous　as
well　and　naturally　to　know　how　to　live　this　life；　and　of　all　the
infirmities　we　have；　'tis　the　most　barbarous　to　despise　our　being。

Whoever　has　a　mind　to　isolate　his　spirit；　when　the　body　is　ill　at　ease；
to　preserve　it　from　the　contagion；　let　him　by　all　means　do　it　if　he　can：
but　otherwise　let　him　on　the　contrary　favour　and　assist　it；　and　not
refuse　to　participate　of　its　natural　pleasures　with　a　conjugal
complacency；　bringing　to　it；　if　it　be　the　wiser；　moderation；　lest　by
indiscretion　they　should　get　confounded　with　displeasure。　　Intemperance
is　the　pest　of　pleasure；　and　temperance　is　not　its　scourge；　but　rather
its　seasoning。　　Euxodus；　who　therein　established　the　sovereign　good；　and
his　companions；　who　set　so　high　a　value　upon　it；　tasted　it　in　its　most
charming　sweetness；　by　the　means　of　temperance；　which　in　them　was
singular　and　exemplary。

I　enjoin　my　soul　to　look　upon　pain　and　pleasure　with　an　eye　equally
regulated：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Eodem　enim　vitio　est　effusio　animi　in　laetitia
　　　　　　　　　　quo　in　dolore　contractio；〃

　　　　　＇〃For　from　the　same　imperfection　arises　the　expansion　of　the
　　　　　mind　in　pleasure　and　its　contraction　in　sorrow。〃
　　　　　Cicero；　Tusc。　　Quaes。；　iv。　31。＇

and　equally　firm；　but　the　one　gaily　and　the　other　severely；　and　so　far　as
it　is　able；　to　be　careful　to　extinguish　the　one　as　to　extend　the　other。
The　judging　rightly　of　good　brings　along　with　it　the　judging　soundly　of
evil：　pain　has　something　of　the　inevitable　in　its　tender　beginnings；　and
pleasure　something　of　the　evitable　in　its　excessive　end。　　Plato　couples
them　together；　and　wills　that　it　should　be　equally　the　office　of
fortitude　to　fight　against　pain；　and　against　the　immoderate　and　charming
blandishments　of　pleasure：　they　are　two　fountains；　from　which　whoever
draws；　when　and　as　much　as　he　needs；　whether　city；　man；　or　beast；　is　very
fortunate。　　The　first　is　to　be　taken　medicinally　and　upon　necessity；　and
more　scantily；　the　other　for　thirst；　but　not　to；　drunkenness。　　Pain；
pleasure；　love　and　hatred　are　the　first　things　that　a　child　is　sensible
of：　if；　when　reason　comes；　they　apply　it　to　themselves；　that　is　virtue。

I　have　a　special　vocabulary　of　my　own；　I　〃pass　away　time；〃　when　it　is　ill
and　uneasy；　but　when　'tis　good　I　do　not　pass　it　away：　〃I　taste　it　over
again　and　adhere　to　it〃；　one　must　run　over　the　ill　and　settle　upon　the
good。　　This　ordinary　phrase　of　pastime；　and　passing　away　the　time；
represents　the　usage　of　those　wise　sort　of　people　who　think　they　cannot
do　better　with　their　lives　than　to　let　them　run　out　and　slide　away；　pass
them　over；　and　baulk　them；　and；　as　much　as　they　can；　ignore　them　and　shun
them　as　a　thing　of　troublesome　and　contemptible　quality：　but　I　know　it　to
be　another　kind　of　thing；　and　find　it　both　valuable　and　commodious；　even
in　its　latest　decay；　wherein　I　now　enjoy　it；　and　nature　has　delivered　it
into　our　hands　in　such　and　so　favourable　circumstances　that　we　have　only
ourselves　to　blame　if　it　be　troubl