the essays of montaigne, v19-第2节

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dead　body　floating　in　the　sea；　and　not　being　able　to　approach　it；　set　to
work　to　drink　the　water　and　lay　the　passage　dry；　and　so　choked
themselves。　　To　which　what　one　Crates'　said　of　the　writings　of　Heraclitus
falls　pat　enough；　〃that　they　required　a　reader　who　could　swim　well；〃　so
that　the　depth　and　weight　of　his　learning　might　not　overwhelm　and　stifle
him。　　'Tis　nothing　but　particular　weakness　that　makes　us　content　with
what　others　or　ourselves　have　found　out　in　this　chase　after　knowledge：
one　of　better　understanding　will　not　rest　so　content；　there　is　always
room　for　one　to　follow；　nay；　even　for　ourselves；　and　another　road；　there
is　no　end　of　our　inquisitions；　our　end　is　in　the　other　world。　　'Tis　a
sign　either　that　the　mind　has　grown　shortsighted　when　it　is　satisfied；　or
that　it　has　got　weary。　　No　generous　mind　can　stop　in　itself；　it　will
still　tend　further　and　beyond　its　power；　it　has　sallies　beyond　its
effects；　if　it　do　not　advance　and　press　forward；　and　retire；　and　rush　and
wheel　about；　'tis　but　half　alive；　its　pursuits　are　without　bound　or
method；　its　aliment　is　admiration；　the　chase；　ambiguity；　which　Apollo
sufficiently　declared　in　always　speaking　to　us　in　a　double；　obscure；　and
oblique　sense：　not　feeding；　but　amusing　and　puzzling　us。　　'Tis　an
irregular　and　perpetual　motion；　without　model　and　without　aim；　its
inventions　heat；　pursue；　and　interproduce　one　another：

Estienne　de　la　Boetie；　thus　translated　by　Cotton：

　　　　　　　　　〃So　in　a　running　stream　one　wave　we　see
　　　　　　　　　　After　another　roll　incessantly；
　　　　　　　　　　And　as　they　glide；　each　does　successively
　　　　　　　　　　Pursue　the　other；　each　the　other　fly
　　　　　　　　　　By　this　that's　evermore　pushed　on；　and　this
　　　　　　　　　　By　that　continually　preceded　is：
　　　　　　　　　　The　water　still　does　into　water　swill；
　　　　　　　　　　Still　the　same　brook；　but　different　water　still。〃

There　is　more　ado　to　interpret　interpretations　than　to　interpret　things；
and　more　books　upon　books　than　upon　any　other　subject；　we　do　nothing　but
comment　upon　one　another。　　Every　place　swarms　with　commentaries；　of
authors　there　is　great　scarcity。　　Is　it　not　the　principal　and　most
reputed　knowledge　of　our　later　ages　to　understand　the　learned？　　Is　it　not
the　common　and　final　end　of　all　studies？　　Our　opinions　are　grafted　upon
one　another；　the　first　serves　as　a　stock　to　the　second；　the　second　to　the
third；　and　so　forth；　thus　step　by　step　we　climb　the　ladder；　whence　it
comes　to　pass　that　he　who　is　mounted　highest　has　often　more　honour　than
merit；　for　he　is　got　up　but　an　inch　upon　the　shoulders　of　the　last；　but
one。

How　often；　and；　peradventure；　how　foolishly；　have　I　extended　my　book　to
make　it　speak　of　itself；　foolishly；　if　for　no　other　reason　but　this；　that
it　should　remind　me　of　what　I　say　of　others　who　do　the　same：　that　the
frequent　amorous　glances　they　cast　upon　their　work　witness　that　their
hearts　pant　with　self…love；　and　that　even　the　disdainful　severity
wherewith　they　scourge　them　are　but　the　dandlings　and　caressings　of
maternal　love；　as　Aristotle；　whose　valuing　and　undervaluing　himself　often
spring　from　the　same　air　of　arrogance。　　My　own　excuse　is；　that　I　ought　in
this　to　have　more　liberty　than　others；　forasmuch　as　I　write　specifically
of　myself　and　of　my　writings；　as　I　do　of　my　other　actions；　that　my　theme
turns　upon　itself；　but　I　know　not　whether　others　will　accept　this　excuse。

I　observed　in　Germany　that　Luther　has　left　as　many　divisions　and　disputes
about　the　doubt　of　his　opinions；　and　more；　than　he　himself　raised　upon
the　Holy　Scriptures。　　Our　contest　is　verbal：　I　ask　what　nature　is；　what
pleasure；　circle；　and　substitution　are？　　the　question　is　about　words；　and
is　answered　accordingly。　　A　stone　is　a　body；　but　if　a　man　should　further
urge：　〃And　what　is　a　body？〃〃Substance〃；　〃And　what　is　substance？〃　　and
so　on；　he　would　drive　the　respondent　to　the　end　of　his　Calepin。

　　　　　＇Calepin　（Ambrogio　da　Calepio）；　a　famous　lexicographer　of　the
　　　　　fifteenth　century。　　His　Polyglot　Dictionary　became　so　famous；　that
　　　　　Calepin　became　a　common　appellation　for　a　lexicon＇

We　exchange　one　word　for　another；　and　often　for　one　less　understood。
I　better　know　what　man　is　than　I　know　what　Animal　is；　or　Mortal；　or
Rational。　　To　satisfy　one　doubt；　they　give　me　three；　'tis　the　Hydra's
head。　　Socrates　asked　Menon；　〃What　virtue　was。〃　　〃There　is；〃　says　Menon；
〃the　virtue　of　a　man　and　of　a　woman；　of　a　magistrate　and　of　a　private
person；　of　an　old　man　and　of　a　child。〃　　Very　fine；〃　cried　Socrates；
〃we　were　in　quest　of　one　virtue；　and　thou　hast　　brought　us　a　whole
swarm。〃　　We　put　one　question；　and　they　return　us　a　whole　hive。　　As　no
event；　no　face；　entirely　resembles　another；　so　do　they　not　entirely
differ：　an　ingenious　mixture　of　nature。　　If　our　faces　were　not　alike；　we
could　not　distinguish　man　from　beast；　if　they　were　not　unlike；　we　could
not　distinguish　one　man　from　another；　all　things　hold　by　some　similitude；
every　example　halts；　and　the　relation　which　is　drawn　from　experience　is
always　faulty　and　imperfect。　　Comparisons　are　ever…coupled　at　one　end　or
other：　so　do　the　laws　serve；　and　are　fitted　to　every　one　of　our　affairs；
by　some　wrested；　biassed；　and　forced　interpretation。

Since　the　ethic　laws；　that　concern　the　particular　duty　of　every　one　in
himself；　are　so　hard　to　be　framed；　as　we　see　they　are；　'tis　no　wonder　if
those　which　govern　so　many　particulars　are　much　more　so。　　Do　but　consider
the　form　of　this　justice　that　governs　us；　'tis　a　true　testimony　of　human
weakness；　so　full　is　it　of　error　and　contradiction。　　What　we　find　to　be
favour　and　severity　in　justiceand　we　find　so　much　of　them　both；　that　I
know　not　whether　the　medium　is　as　often　met　with　are　sickly　and　unjust
members　of　the　very　body　and　essence　of　justice。　　Some　country　people
have　just　brought　me　news　in　great　haste；　that　they　presently　left　in　a
forest　of　mine　a　man　with　a　hundred　wounds　upon　him；　who　was　yet
breathing；　and　begged　of　them　water　for　pity's　sake；　and　help　to　carry
him　to　some　place　of　relief；　they　tell　me　they　durst　not　go　near　him；　but
have　run　away；　lest　the　officers　of　justice　should　catch　them　there；　and
as　happens　to　those　who　are　found　near　a　murdered　person；　they　should　be
called　in　question　about　this　accident；　to　their　utter　ruin；　having
neither　money　nor　friends　to　defend　their　innocence。　　What　could　I　have
said　to　these　people？　　'Tis　certain　that　this　office　of　humanity　would
have　brought　them　into　trouble。

How　many　innocent　people　have　we　known　that　have　been　punished；　and　this
without　the　judge's　fault；　and　how　many　that　have　not　arrived　at　our
knowledge？　　This　happened　in　my　time：　certain　men　were　condemned　to　die
for　a　murder　committed；　their　sentence；　if　not　pronounced；　at　least
determined　and　concluded　on。　　The　judges；　just　in　the　nick；　are　informed
by　the　officers　of　an　inferior　court　hard　by；　that　they　have　some　men　in
custody；　who　have　directly　confessed　the　murder；　and　made　an　indubitable
discovery　of　all　the　particulars　of　the　fact。　　Yet　it　was　gravely
deliberated　whether　or　not　they　ought　to　suspend　the　execution　of　the
sentence　already　passed　upon　the　first　accused：　they　considered　the
novelty　of　the　example　judicially；　and　the　consequence　of　reversing
judgments；　that　the　sentence　was　passed；　and　the　judges　deprived　of
repentance；　and　in　the　result；　these　poor　devils　were　sacrificed　by　the
forms　of　justice。　　Philip；　or　some　other；　　provided　against　a　like
inconvenience　after　this　manner。　　He　had　condemned　a　man　in　a　great　fine
towards　another　by　an　absolute　judgment。　　The　truth　some　time　after　being
discovered；　he　found　that　he　had　passed　an　unjust　sentence。　　On　one　side
was　the　reason　of　the　cause；　on　the　other　side；　the　reason　of　the
judicial　forms：　he　in　some　sort　satisfied　both；　leaving　the　sentence　in
the　state　it　was；　and　out　of　his　own　purse　recompensing　the　condemned
party。　　But　he　had　to　do　with　a　reparable　affair；　my　men　were　irreparably
hanged。　　How　many　condemnations　have　I　seen　more　criminal　than　the　crimes
themselves？

All　which　makes　me　remember　the　ancient　opinions；　〃That　'tis　of　necessity
a　man　must　do　wrong　by　retail　who　will　do　right　in　gross；　and　injustice
in　little　things；　who　would　come　to　do　justice　in　great：　that　human
justice　is　formed　after　the　model　of　physic；　according　to　which；　all　that
is　useful　is　also　just　and　honest：　and　of　what　is　held　by　the　Stoics；
that　Nature　herself　proceeds　contrary　to　justice　in　most　of　her　works：
and　of　what　is　received　by　the　Cyrenaics；　that　there　is　nothing　just　of
itself；　but　that　customs　and　laws　make　justice：　and　what　the　Theodorians
held　that　theft；　sacrilege；　and　all　sorts　of　uncleanness；　are　just　in　a
sage；　if　he　knows　them　to　be　profitable　to　him。〃　　There　is　no　remedy：　I
am　in　the　same　case　that　Alcibiades　was；　that　I　will　never；　if　I　can　help
it；　put　myself　into　the　hands　of　a　man　who　may　determine　as　to　my　head；
where　my　life　and　honour　shall　more　depend　upon　the　skill　and　diligence
of　my　attorney　than　on　my　own　innocence。　　I　would　venture　myself　with
such　justice　as　would　take　notice　of　my　good　deeds；　as　well　as　my　ill；
where　I　had　as　much　to　hope　as　to　fear：　indemnity　is　not　sufficient　pay
to　a　man　who　does　better　than　not　to　do　amiss。