the essays of montaigne, v2-第4节

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carried　through　the　territory　of　Verona；　an　enemy's　country；　most　of　the
army　were　inclined　to　demand　safe…conduct　from　the　Veronese；　but　Theodoro
Trivulzio　opposed　the　motion；　rather　choosing　to　make　his　way　by　force　of
arms；　and　to　run　the　hazard　of　a　battle；　saying　it　was　by　no　means　fit
that　he　who　in　his　life　was　never　afraid　of　his　enemies　should　seem　to
apprehend　them　when　he　was　dead。　　In　truth；　in　affairs　of　the　same
nature；　by　the　Greek　laws；　he　who　made　suit　to　an　enemy　for　a　body　to
give　it　burial　renounced　his　victory；　and　had　no　more　right　to　erect　a
trophy；　and　he　to　whom　such　suit　was　made　was　reputed　victor。　　By　this
means　it　was　that　Nicias　lost　the　advantage　he　had　visibly　obtained　over
the　Corinthians；　and　that　Agesilaus；　on　the　contrary；　assured　that　which
he　had　before　very　doubtfully　gained　over　the　Boeotians。　＇Plutarch；
Life　of　Nicias；　c。　ii。；　Life　of　Agesilaus；　c。　vi。＇

These　things　might　appear　strange；　had　it　not　been　a　general　practice　in
all　ages　not　only　to　extend　the　concern　of　ourselves　beyond　this　life；
but；　moreover；　to　fancy　that　the　favour　of　Heaven　does　not　only　very
often　accompany　us　to　the　grave；　but　has　also；　even　after　life；　a　concern
for　our　ashes。　　Of　which　there　are　so　many　ancient　examples　（to　say
nothing　of　those　of　our　own　observation）；　that　it　is　not　necessary　I
should　longer　insist　upon　it。　　Edward　I。；　King　of　England；　having　in　the
long　wars　betwixt　him　and　Robert；　King　of　Scotland；　had　experience　of　how
great　importance　his　own　immediate　presence　was　to　the　success　of　his
affairs；　having　ever　been　victorious　in　whatever　he　undertook　in　his　own
person；　when　he　came　to　die；　bound　his　son　in　a　solemn　oath　that；　so　soon
as　he　should　be　dead　he　should　boil　his　body　till　the　flesh　parted　from
the　bones；　and　bury　the　flesh；　reserving　the　bones　to　carry　continually
with　him　in　his　army；　so　often　as　he　should　be　obliged　to　go　against　the
Scots；　as　if　destiny　had　inevitably　attached　victory；　even　to　his
remains。　　John　Zisca；　the　same　who；　to　vindication　of　Wicliffe's
heresies；　troubled　the　Bohemian　state；　left　order　that　they　should　flay
him　after　his　death；　and　of　his　skin　make　a　drum　to　carry　in　the　war
against　his　enemies；　fancying　it　would　contribute　to　the　continuation　of
the　successes　he　had　always　obtained　in　the　wars　against　them。　　In　like
manner　certain　of　the　Indians；　in　their　battles　with　the　Spaniards；
carried　with　them　the　bones　of　one　of　their　captains；　in　consideration　of
the　victories　they　had　formerly　obtained　under　his　conduct。　　And　other
people　of　the　same　New　World　carry　about　with　them；　in　their　wars；　the
relics　of　valiant　men　who　have　died　in　battle；　to　incite　their　courage
and　advance　their　fortune。　　Of　which　examples　the　first　reserve　nothing
for　the　tomb　but　the　reputation　they　have　acquired　by　their　former
achievements；　but　these　attribute　to　them　a　certain　present　and　active
power。

The　proceeding　of　Captain　Bayard　is　of　a　better　composition；　who　finding
himself　wounded　to　death　with　an　harquebuss　shot；　and　being　importuned　to
retire　out　of　the　fight；　made　answer　that　he　would　not　begin　at　the　last
gasp　to　turn　his　back　to　the　enemy；　and　accordingly　still　fought　on；　till
feeling　himself　too　faint　and　no　longer　able　to　sit　on　his　horse；　he
commanded　his　steward　to　set　him　down　at　the　foot　of　a　tree；　but　so　that
he　might　die　with　his　face　towards　the　enemy；　which　he　did。

I　must　yet　add　another　example；　equally　remarkable　for　the　present
consideration　with　any　of　the　former。　　The　Emperor　Maximilian；　great…
grandfather　to　the　now　King　Philip；＇Philip　II。　of　Spain。＇　was　a
prince　endowed　throughout　with　great　and　extraordinary　qualities；　and
amongst　the　rest　with　a　singular　beauty　of　person；　but　had　withal　a
humour　very　contrary　to　that　of　other　princes；　who　for　the　despatch　of
their　most　important　affairs　convert　their　close…stool　into　a　chair　of
State；　which　was；　that　he　would　never　permit　any　of　his　bedchamber；　how
familiar　soever；　to　see　him　in　that　posture；　and　would　steal　aside　to
make　water　as　religiously　as　a　virgin；　shy　to　discover　to　his　physician
or　any　other　whomsoever　those　parts　that　we　are　accustomed　to　conceal。
I　myself；　who　have　so　impudent　a　way　of　talking；　am；　nevertheless；
naturally　so　modest　this　way；　that　unless　at　the　importunity　of　necessity
or　pleasure；　I　scarcely　ever　communicate　to　the　sight　of　any　either　those
parts　or　actions　that　custom　orders　us　to　conceal；　wherein　I　suffer　more
constraint　than　I　conceive　is　very　well　becoming　a　man；　especially　of　my
profession。　　But　he　nourished　this　modest　humour　to　such　a　degree　of
superstition　as　to　give　express　orders　in　his　last　will　that　they　should
put　him　on　drawers　so　soon　as　he　should　be　dead；　to　which；　methinks；　he
would　have　done　well　to　have　added　that　he　should　be　blindfolded；　too；
that　put　them　on。　　The　charge　that　Cyrus　left　with　his　children；　that
neither　they；　nor　any　other；　should　either　see　or　touch　his　body　after
the　soul　was　departed　from　it；＇Xenophon；　Cyropedia；　viii。　7。＇　I
attribute　to　some　superstitious　devotion　of　his；　for　both　his　historian
and　himself；　amongst　their　great　qualities；　marked　the　whole　course　of
their　lives　with　a　singular　respect　and　reverence　to　religion。

I　was　by　no　means　pleased　with　a　story；　told　me　by　a　man　of　very　great
quality　of　a　relation　of　mine；　and　one　who　had　given　a　very　good　account
of　himself　both　in　peace　and　war；　that；　coming　to　die　in　a　very　old　age；
of　excessive　pain　of　the　stone；　he　spent　the　last　hours　of　his　life　in　an
extraordinary　solicitude　about　ordering　the　honour　and　ceremony　of　his
funeral；　pressing　all　the　men　of　condition　who　came　to　see　him　to　engage
their　word　to　attend　him　to　his　grave：　importuning　this　very　prince；　who
came　to　visit　him　at　his　last　gasp；　with　a　most　earnest　supplication　that
he　would　order　his　family　to　be　there；　and　presenting　before　him　several
reasons　and　examples　to　prove　that　it　was　a　respect　due　to　a　man　of　his
condition；　and　seemed　to　die　content；　having　obtained　this　promise；　and
appointed　the　method　and　order　of　his　funeral　parade。　　I　have　seldom
heard　of　so　persistent　a　vanity。

Another；　though　contrary　curiosity　（of　which　singularity；　also；　I　do　not
want　domestic　example）；　seems　to　be　somewhat　akin　to　this；　that　a　man
shall　cudgel　his　brains　at　the　last　moments　of　his　life　to　contrive　his
obsequies　to　so　particular　and　unusual　a　parsimony　as　of　one　servant　with
a　lantern；　I　see　this　humour　commended；　and　the　appointment　of　Marcus。
Emilius　Lepidus；　who　forbade　his　heirs　to　bestow　upon　his　hearse　even　the
common　ceremonies　in　use　upon　such　occasions。　　Is　it　yet　temperance　and
frugality　to　avoid　expense　and　pleasure　of　which　the　use　and　knowledge
are　imperceptible　to　us？　　See；　here；　an　easy　and　cheap　reformation。　　If
instruction　were　at　all　necessary　in　this　case；　I　should　be　of　opinion
that　in　this；　as　in　all　other　actions　of　life；　each　person　should
regulate　the　matter　according　to　his　fortune；　and　the　philosopher　Lycon
prudently　ordered　his　friends　to　dispose　of　his　body　where　they　should
think　most　fit；　and　as　to　his　funeral；　to　order　it　neither　too
superfluous　nor　too　mean。　　For　my　part；　I　should　wholly　refer　the
ordering　of　this　ceremony　to　custom；　and　shall；　when　the　time　comes；
accordingly　leave　it　to　their　discretion　to　whose　lot　it　shall　fall　to　do
me　that　last　office。　〃Totus　hic　locus　est　contemnendus　in　nobis；　non
negligendus　in　nostris；〃＇〃The　place　of　our　sepulture　is　to　be　contemned
by　us；　but　not　to　be　neglected　by　our　friends。〃Cicero；　Tusc。　i。　45。＇
and　it　was　a　holy　saying　of　a　saint；　〃Curatio　funeris；　conditio
sepultura：；　pompa　exequiarum；　magis　sunt　vivorum　solatia；　quam　subsidia
mortuorum。〃　＇〃The　care　of　death；　the　place　of　sepulture；　the　pomps　of
obsequies；　are　rather　consolations　to　the　living　than　succours　to　the
dead。　〃August。　De　Civit。　Dei；　i。　　12。＇　Which　made　Socrates　answer
Crito；　who；　at　death；　asked　him　how　he　would　be　buried：　〃How　you　will；〃
said　he。　〃If　I　were　to　concern　myself　beyond　the　present　about　this
affair；　I　should　be　most　tempted；　as　the　greatest　satisfaction　of　this
kind；　to　imitate　those　who　in　their　lifetime　entertain　themselves　with
the　ceremony　and　honours　of　their　own　obsequies　beforehand；　and　are
pleased　with　beholding　their　own　dead　countenance　in　marble。　　Happy　are
they　who　can　gratify　their　senses　by　insensibility；　and　live　by　their
death！

I　am　ready　to　conceive　an　implacable　hatred　against　all　popular
domination；　though　I　think　it　the　most　natural　and　equitable　of　all；　so
oft　as　I　call　to　mind　the　inhuman　injustice　of　the　people　of　Athens；　who；
without　remission；　or　once　vouchsafing　to　hear　what　they　had　to　say　for
themselves；　put　to　death　their　brave　captains　newly　returned　triumphant
from　a　naval　victory　they　had　obtained　over　the　Lacedaemonians　near　the
Arginusian　Isles；　the　most　bloody　and　obstinate　engagement　that　ever　the
Greeks　fought　at　sea；　because　（after　the　victory）　they　followed　up　the
blow　and　pursued　the　advantages　presented　to　them　by　the　rule　of　war；
rather　than　stay　to　gather　up　and　bury　their　dead。　　And　the　execution　is
yet　rendered　more　odious　by　the　behaviour　of　Diomedon；　who；　being　one　of
the　condemned