the essays of montaigne, v2-第3节

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For　all　passions　that　suffer　themselves　to　be　relished　and　digested　are
but　moderate：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Curae　leves　loquuntur；　ingentes　stupent。〃

　　　　　＇〃Light　griefs　can　speak：　deep　sorrows　are　dumb。〃
　　　　　Seneca；　Hippolytus；　act　ii。　scene　3。＇

A　surprise　of　unexpected　joy　does　likewise　often　produce　the　same　effect：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ut　me　conspexit　venientem；　et　Troja　circum
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Arma　amens　vidit；　magnis　exterrita　monstris；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Diriguit　visu　in　medio；　calor　ossa　reliquit；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Labitur；　et　longo　vix　tandem　tempore　fatur。〃

　　　　　＇〃When　she　beheld　me　advancing；　and　saw；　with　stupefaction；　the
　　　　　Trojan　arms　around　me；　terrified　with　so　great　a　prodigy；　she
　　　　　fainted　away　at　the　very　sight：　vital　warmth　forsook　her　limbs：　she
　　　　　sinks　down；　and；　after　a　long　interval；　with　difficulty　speaks。〃…
　　　　　AEneid；　iii。　306。＇

Besides　the　examples　of　the　Roman　lady；　who　died　for　joy　to　see　her　son
safe　returned　from　the　defeat　of　Cannae；　and　of　Sophocles　and　of
Dionysius　the　Tyrant；　＇Pliny；　vii。　　53。　　Diodorus　Siculus；　however　（xv。
c。　20）；　tells　us　that　Dionysius　〃was　so　overjoyed　at　the　news　that　he
made　a　great　sacrifice　upon　it　to　the　gods；　prepared　sumptuous　feasts；　to
which　he　invited　all　his　friends；　and　therein　drank　so　excessively　that
it　threw　him　into　a　very　bad　distemper。〃＇who　died　of　joy；　and　of
Thalna；　who　died　in　Corsica；　reading　news　of　the　honours　the　Roman　Senate
had　decreed　in　his　favour；　we　have；　moreover；　one　in　our　time；　of　Pope
Leo　X。；　who　upon　news　of　the　taking　of　Milan；　a　thing　he　had　so　ardently
desired；　was　rapt　with　so　sudden　an　excess　of　joy　that　he　immediately
fell　into　a　fever　and　died。　＇Guicciardini；　Storia　d'Italia；　vol。
xiv。＇　And　for　a　more　notable　testimony　of　the　imbecility　of　human
nature；　it　is　recorded　by　the　ancients　＇Pliny；　'ut　supra'＇　that
Diodorus　the　dialectician　died　upon　the　spot；　out　of　an　extreme　passion
of　shame；　for　not　having　been　able　in　his　own　school；　and　in　the　presence
of　a　great　auditory；　to　disengage　himself　from　a　nice　argument　that　was
propounded　to　him。　　I；　for　my　part；　am　very　little　subject　to　these
violent　passions；　I　am　naturally　of　a　stubborn　apprehension；　which　also；
by　reasoning；　I　every　day　harden　and　fortify。




CHAPTER　III

THAT　OUR　AFFECTIONS　CARRY　THEMSELVES　BEYOND　US

Such　as　accuse　mankind　of　the　folly　of　gaping　after　future　things；　and
advise　us　to　make　our　benefit　of　those　which　are　present；　and　to　set　up
our　rest　upon　them；　as　having　no　grasp　upon　that　which　is　to　come；　even
less　than　that　which　we　have　upon　what　is　past；　have　hit　upon　the　most
universal　of　human　errors；　if　that　may　be　called　an　error　to　which　nature
herself　has　disposed　us；　in　order　to　the　continuation　of　her　own　work；
prepossessing　us；　amongst　several　others；　with　this　deceiving
imagination；　as　being　more　jealous　of　our　action　than　afraid　of　our
knowledge。

We　are　never　present　with；　but　always　beyond　ourselves：　fear；　desire；
hope；　still　push　us　on　towards　the　future；　depriving　us；　in　the　meantime；
of　the　sense　and　consideration　of　that　which　is　to　amuse　us　with　the
thought　of　what　shall　be；　even　when　we　shall　be　no　more。　＇Rousseau；
Emile；　livre　ii。＇

　　　　　　　　　　〃Calamitosus　est　animus　futuri　auxius。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　mind　anxious　about　the　future　is　unhappy。〃
　　　　　Seneca；　Epist。；　98。＇

We　find　this　great　precept　often　repeated　in　Plato；　〃Do　thine　own　work；
and　know　thyself。〃　　Of　which　two　parts；　both　the　one　and　the　other
generally；　comprehend　our　whole　duty；　and　do　each　of　them　in　like　manner
involve　the　other；　for　who　will　do　his　own　work　aright　will　find　that　his
first　lesson　is　to　know　what　he　is；　and　that　which　is　proper　to　himself；
and　who　rightly　understands　himself　will　never　mistake　another　man's　work
for　his　own；　but　will　love　and　improve　himself　above　all　other　things；
will　refuse　superfluous　employments；　and　reject　all　unprofitable　thoughts
and　propositions。　　As　folly；　on　the　one　side；　though　it　should　enjoy　all
it　desire；　would　notwithstanding　never　be　content；　so；　on　the　other；
wisdom；　acquiescing　in　the　present；　is　never　dissatisfied　with　itself。
＇Cicero；　Tusc。　　Quae。；　57；　v。　18。＇　Epicurus　dispenses　his　sages　from
all　foresight　and　care　of　the　future。

Amongst　those　laws　that　relate　to　the　dead；　I　look　upon　that　to　be　very
sound　by　which　the　actions　of　princes　are　to　be　examined　after　their
decease。　＇Diodorus　Siculus；　i。　6。＇　　They　are　equals　with；　if　not
masters　of　the　laws；　and；　therefore；　what　justice　could　not　inflict　upon
their　persons；　'tis　but　reason　should　be　executed　upon　their　reputations
and　the　estates　of　their　successorsthings　that　we　often　value　above
life　itself。　　'Tis　a　custom　of　singular　advantage　to　those　countries
where　it　is　in　use；　and　by　all　good　princes　to　be　desired；　who　have
reason　to　take　it　ill；　that　the　memories　of　the　wicked　should　be　used
with　the　same　reverence　and　respect　with　their　own。　　We　owe　subjection
and　obedience　to　all　our　kings；　whether　good　or　bad；　alike；　for　that　has
respect　unto　their　office；　but　as　to　esteem　and　affection；　these　are　only
due　to　their　virtue。　　Let　us　grant　to　political　government　to　endure　them
with　patience；　however　unworthy；　to　conceal　their　vices；　and　to　assist
them　with　our　recommendation　in　their　indifferent　actions；　whilst　their
authority　stands　in　need　of　our　support。　　But；　the　relation　of　prince　and
subject　being　once　at　an　end；　there　is　no　reason　we　should　deny　the
expression　of　our　real　opinions　to　our　own　liberty　and　common　justice；
and　especially　to　interdict　to　good　subjects　the　glory　of　having
reverently　and　faithfully　served　a　prince；　whose　imperfections　were　to
them　so　well　known；　this　were　to　deprive　posterity　of　a　useful　example。
And　such　as；　out　of　respect　to　some　private　obligation；　unjustly　espouse
and　vindicate　the　memory　of　a　faulty　prince；　do　private　right　at　the
expense　of　public　justice。　　Livy　does　very　truly　say；　＇xxxv。　48。＇
〃That　the　language　of　men　bred　up　in　courts　is　always　full　of　vain
ostentation　and　false　testimony；　every　one　indifferently　magnifying　his
own　master；　and　stretching　his　commendation　to　the　utmost　extent　of
virtue　and　sovereign　grandeur。〃　　Some　may　condemn　the　freedom　of　those
two　soldiers　who　so　roundly　answered　Nero　to　his　beard；　the　one　being
asked　by　him　why　he　bore　him　ill…will？　　〃I　loved　thee；〃　answered　he；
〃whilst　thou　wert　worthy　of　it；　but　since　thou　art　become　a　parricide；　an
incendiary；　a　player；　and　a　coachman；　I　hate　thee　as　thou　dost　deserve。〃
And　the　other；　why　he　should　attempt　to　kill　him？　　〃Because；〃　said　he；
〃I　could　think　of　no　other　remedy　against　thy　perpetual　mischiefs。〃
＇Tacitus；　Annal。；　xv。　67。＇　But　the　public　and　universal　testimonies
that　were　given　of　him　after　his　death　（and　so　will　be　to　all　posterity；
both　of　him　and　all　other　wicked　princes　like　him）；　of　his　tyrannies　and
abominable　deportment；　who；　of　a　sound　judgment；　can　reprove　them？

I　am　scandalised；　that　in　so　sacred　a　government　as　that　of　the
Lacedaemonians　there　should　be　mixed　so　hypocritical　a　ceremony　at　the
interment　of　their　kings；　where　all　their　confederates　and　neighbours；
and　all　sorts　and　degrees　of　men　and　women；　as　well　as　their　slaves；　cut
and　slashed　their　foreheads　in　token　of　sorrow；　repeating　in　their　cries
and　lamentations　that　that　king　（let　him　have　been　as　wicked　as　the
devil）　was　the　best　that　ever　they　had；＇Herodotus；　vi。　　68。＇　by　this
means　attributing　to　his　quality　the　praise　that　only　belongs　to　merit；
and　that　of　right　is　due　to　supreme　desert；　though　lodged　in　the　lowest
and　most　inferior　subject。

Aristotle；　who　will　still　have　a　hand　in　everything；　makes　a　'quaere'
upon　the　saying　of　Solon；　that　none　can　be　said　to　be　happy　until　he　is
dead：　〃whether；　then；　he　who　has　lived　and　died　according　to　his　heart's
desire；　if　he　have　left　an　ill　repute　behind　him；　and　that　his　posterity
be　miserable；　can　be　said　to　be　happy？〃　　Whilst　we　have　life　and　motion；
we　convey　ourselves　by　fancy　and　preoccupation；　whither　and　to　what　we
please；　but　once　out　of　being；　we　have　no　more　any　manner　of
communication　with　that　which　is；　and　it　had　therefore　been　better　said
by　Solon　that　man　is　never　happy；　because　never　so；　till　he　is　no　more。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Quisquam
　　　　　　　　　　Vix　radicitus　e　vita　se　tollit；　et　eicit；
　　　　　　　　　　Sed　facit　esse　sui　quiddam　super　inscius　ipse；
　　　　　　　　　　Nec　removet　satis　a　projecto　corpore　sese；　et
　　　　　　　　　　Vindicat。〃

　　　　　＇〃Scarcely　one　man　can；　even　in　dying；　wholly　detach　himself　from
　　　　　the　idea　of　life；　in　his　ignorance　he　must　needs　imagine　that　there
　　　　　is　in　him　something　that　survives　him；　and　cannot　sufficiently
　　　　　separate　or　emancipate　himself　from　his　remains〃
　　　　　Lucretius；　iii。　890。＇

Bertrand　de　Guesclin；　dying　at　the　siege　of　the　Castle　of　Rancon；　near
unto　Puy；　in　Auvergne；　the　besieged　were　afterwards；　upon　surrender；
enjoined　to　lay　down　the　keys　of　the　place　upon　the　corpse　of　the　dead
general。　　Bartolommeo　d'Alviano；　the　Venetian　General；　happening　to　die
in　the　service　of　the　Republic　in　Brescia；　and　his　corpse　being　to　be
carried　through　the　territory　of　Verona；　an　enemy's　country；　most　of　the
army　were　inclined　t