the essays of montaigne, v19-第4节

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the　front　of　his　temple；＇At　Delphi＇　as　comprehending　all　he　had　to
advise　us。　　Plato　says　also；　that　prudence　is　no　other　thing　than　the
execution　of　this　ordinance；　and　Socrates　minutely　verifies　it　in
Xenophon。　　The　difficulties　and　obscurity　are　not　discerned　in　any
science　but　by　those　who　are　got　into　it；　for　a　certain　degree　of
intelligence　is　required　to　be　able　to　know　that　a　man　knows　not；　and　we
must　push　against　a　door　to　know　whether　it　be　bolted　against　us　or　no：
whence　this　Platonic　subtlety　springs；　that　〃neither　they　who　know　are　to
enquire；　forasmuch　as　they　know；　nor　they　who　do　not　know；　forasmuch　as
to　inquire　they　must　know　what　they　inquire　of。　　So　in　this；　〃of　knowing
a　man's　self；〃　that　every　man　is　seen　so　resolved　and　satisfied　with
himself；　that　every　man　thinks　himself　sufficiently　intelligent；
signifies　that　every　one　knows　nothing　about　the　matter；　as　Socrates
gives　Euthydemus　to　understand。　　I；　who　profess　nothing　else；　therein
find　so　infinite　a　depth　and　variety；　that　all　the　fruit　I　have　reaped
from　my　learning　serves　only　to　make　me　sensible　how　much　I　have　to
learn。　　To　my　weakness；　so　often　confessed；　I　owe　the　propension　I　have
to　modesty；　to　the　obedience　of　belief　prescribed　me；　to　a　constant
coldness　and　moderation　of　opinions；　and　a　hatred　of　that　troublesome　and
wrangling　arrogance；　wholly　believing　and　trusting　in　itself；　the　capital
enemy　of　discipline　and　truth。　　Do　but　hear　them　domineer；　the　first
fopperies　they　utter；　'tis　in　the　style　wherewith　men　establish　religions
and　laws：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Nihil　est　turpius；　quam　cognitioni　et　perceptions
　　　　　　　　　　assertionem　approbationemque　praecurrere。〃

　　　　　＇〃Nothing　is　worse　than　that　assertion　and　decision　should　precede
　　　　　knowledge　and　perception。〃Cicero；　Acad。；　i。　13。＇

Aristarchus　said　that　anciently　there　were　scarce　seven　sages　to　be　found
in　the　world；　and　in　his　time　scarce　so　many　fools：　have　not　we　more
reason　than　he　to　say　so　in　this　age　of　ours？　　Affirmation　and　obstinacy
are　express　signs　of　want　of　wit。　　This　fellow　may　have　knocked　his　nose
against　the　ground　a　hundred　times　in　a　day；　yet　he　will　be　at　his　Ergo's
as　resolute　and　sturdy　as　before。　　You　would　say　he　had　had　some　new　soul
and　vigour　of　understanding　infused　into　him　since；　and　that　it　happened
to　him；　as　to　that　ancient　son　of　the　earth；　who　took　fresh　courage　and
vigour　by　his　fall；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Cui　cum　tetigere　parentem；
　　　　　　　　　　　　jam　defecta　vigent　renovata　robore　membra：〃

　　　　　＇〃Whose　broken　limbs；　when　they　touched　his　mother　earth；
　　　　　immediately　new　force　acquired。〃Lucan；　iv。　599。＇

does　not　this　incorrigible　coxcomb　think　that　he　assumes　a　new
understanding　by　undertaking　a　new　dispute？　　'Tis　by　my　own　experience
that　I　accuse　human　ignorance；　which　is；　in　my　opinion；　the　surest　part
of　the　world's　school。　　Such　as　will　not　conclude　it　in　themselves；　by　so
vain　an　example　as　mine；　or　their　own；　let　them　believe　it　from　Socrates；
the　master　of　masters；　for　the　philosopher　Antisthenes　said　to　his
disciples；　〃Let　us　go　and　hear　Socrates；　there　I　will　be　a　pupil　with　you〃；
and；　maintaining　this　doctrine　of　the　Stoic　sect；　〃that　virtue　was
sufficient　to　make　a　life　completely　happy；　having　no　need　of　any　other
thing　whatever〃；　except　of　the　force　of　Socrates；　added　he。

That　long　attention　that　I　employ　in　considering　myself；　also　fits　rile
to　judge　tolerably　enough　of　others；　and　there　are　few　things　whereof　I
speak　better　and　with　better　excuse。　　I　happen　very　often　more　exactly　to
see　and　distinguish　the　qualities　of　my　friends　than　they　do　themselves：
I　have　astonished　some　with　the　pertinence　of　my　description；　and　have
given　them　warning　of　themselves。　　By　having　from　my　infancy　been
accustomed　to　contemplate　my　own　life　in　those　of　others；　I　have　acquired
a　complexion　studious　in　that　particular；　and　when　I　am　once　interit　upon
it；　I　let　few　things　about　me；　whether　countenances；　humours；
or　discourses；　that　serve　to　that　purpose；　escape　me。　　I　study　all；
both　what　I　am　to　avoid　and　what　I　am　to　follow。　　Also　in　my　friends；
I　discover　by　their　productions　their　inward　inclinations；　not　by
arranging　this　infinite　variety　of　so　diverse　and　unconnected　actions
into　certain　species　and　chapters；　and　distinctly　distributing　my　parcels
and　divisions　under　known　heads　and　classes；

　　　　　　　　　　〃Sed　neque　quam　multae　species；　nec　nomina　quae　sint；
　　　　　　　　　　Est　numerus。〃

　　　　　＇〃But　neither　can　we　enumerate　how　many　kinds　there　what　are　their
　　　　　names。〃Virgil；　Georg。；　ii。　103。＇

The　wise　speak　and　deliver　their　fancies　more　specifically；　and　piece　by
piece；　I；　who　see　no　further　into　things　than　as　use　informs　me；　present
mine　generally　without　rule　and　experimentally：　I　pronounce　my　opinion　by
disjointed　articles；　as　a　thing　that　cannot　be　spoken　at　once　and　in
gross；　relation　and　conformity　are　not　to　be　found　in　such　low　and　common
souls　as　ours。　　Wisdom　is　a　solid　and　entire　building；　of　which　every
piece　keeps　its　place　and　bears　its　mark：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Sola　sapientia　in　se　tota　conversa　est。〃

　　　　　＇〃Wisdom　only　is　wholly　within　itself〃Cicero；　De　Fin。；　iii。　7。＇

I　leave　it　to　artists；　and　I　know　not　whether　or　no　they　will　be　able　to
bring　it　about；　in　so　perplexed；　minute；　and　fortuitous　a　thing；　to
marshal　into　distinct　bodies　this　infinite　diversity　of　faces；　to　settle
our　inconstancy；　and　set　it　in　order。　　I　do　not　only　find　it　hard　to
piece　our　actions　to　one　another；　but　I　moreover　find　it　hard　properly　to
design　each　by　itself　by　any　principal　quality；　so　ambiguous　and　variform
they　are　with　diverse　lights。　　That　which　is　remarked　for　rare　in
Perseus；　king　of　Macedon；　〃that　his　mind；　fixing　itself　to　no　one
condition；　wandered　in　all　sorts　of　living；　and　represented　manners　so
wild　and　erratic　that　it　was　neither　known　to　himself　or　any　other　what
kind　of　man　he　was；〃　seems　almost　to　fit　all　the　world；　and；　especially；
I　have　seen　another　of　his　make；　to　whom　I　think　this　conclusion　might
more　properly　be　applied；　no　moderate　settledness；　still　running　headlong
from　one　extreme　to　another；　upon　occasions　not　to　be　guessed　at；　no　line
of　path　without　traverse　and　wonderful　contrariety：　no　one　quality　simple
and　unmixed；　so　that　the　best　guess　men　can　one　day　make　will　be；　that　he
affected　and　studied　to　make　himself　known　by　being　not　to　be　known。　　A
man　had　need　have　sound　ears　to　hear　himself　frankly　criticised；　and　as
there　are　few　who　can　endure　to　hear　it　without　being　nettled；　those　who
hazard　the　undertaking　it　to　us　manifest　a　singular　effect　of　friendship；
for　'tis　to　love　sincerely　indeed；　to　venture　to　wound　and　offend　us；　for
our　own　good。　　I　think　it　harsh　to　judge　a　man　whose　ill　qualities　are
more　than　his　good　ones：　Plato　requires　three　things　in　him　who　will
examine　the　soul　of　another：　knowledge；　benevolence；　boldness。

I　was　sometimes　asked；　what　I　should　have　thought　myself　fit　for；　had　any
one　designed　to　make　use　of　me；　while　I　was　of　suitable　years：

　　　　　　　　　〃Dum　melior　vires　sanguis　dabat；　aemula　necdum
　　　　　　　　　　Temporibus　geminis　canebat　sparsa　senectus：〃

　　　　　＇〃Whilst　better　blood　gave　me　vigour；　and　before　envious　old　age
　　　　　whitened　and　thinned　my　temples。〃AEneid；　V。　415。＇

〃for　nothing；〃　said　I；　and　I　willingly　excuse　myself　from　knowing
anything　which　enslaves　me　to　others。　　But　I　had　told　the　truth　to　my
master；＇Was　this　Henri　VI。？　　D。W。＇　and　had　regulated　his　manners；　if
he　had　so　pleased；　not　in　gross；　by　scholastic　lessons；　which　I
understand　not；　and　from　which　I　see　no　true　reformation　spring　in　those
that　do；　but　by　observing　them　by　leisure；　at　all　opportunities；　and
simply　and　naturally　judging　them　as　an　eye…witness；　distinctly　one　by
one；　giving　him　to　understand　upon　what　terms　he　was　in　the　common
opinion；　in　opposition　to　his　flatterers。　　There　is　none　of　us　who　would
not　be　worse　than　kings；　if　so　continually　corrupted　as　they　are　with
that　sort　of　canaille。　　How；　if　Alexander；　that　great　king　and
philosopher；　cannot　defend　himself　from　them！

I　should　have　had　fidelity；　judgment；　and　freedom　enough　for　that
purpose。　　It　would　be　a　nameless　office；　otherwise　it　would　lose　its
grace　and　its　effect；　and　'tis　a　part　that　is　not　indifferently　fit　for
all　men；　for　truth　itself　has　not　the　privilege　to　be　spoken　at　all　times
and　indiscriminately；　its　use；　noble　as　it　is；　has　its　circumspections
and　limits。　　It　often　falls　out；　as　the　world　goes；　that　a　man　lets　it
slip　into　the　ear　of　a　prince；　not　only　to　no　purpose；　but　moreover
injuriously　and　unjustly；　and　no　man　shall　make　me　believe　that　a
virtuous　remonstrance　may　not　be　viciously　applied；　and　that　the　interest
of　the　substance　is　not　often　to　give　way　to　that　of　the　form。

For　such　a　purpose；　I　would　　have　a　man　who　is　content　with　his　own
fortune：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Quod　sit；　esse　velit；　nihilque　malit；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇Who　is　pleased　with　what　he　is　and　desires　nothing　further。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Martial；　x。　ii；　18。＇

and　of　moderate　station；　forasmuch　as；　on　the　one　hand；　he　would　not　be
afraid　to　touch　his　master's　heart　to　the　quick；　for　fear　by　that　means
of　losing　his　preferment：　and；