the essays of montaigne, v10-第1节

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The　Essays　of　Montaigne；　V10

by　Michel　de　Montaigne

Translated　by　Charles　Cotton

Edited　by　William　Carew　Hazilitt

1877






CONTENTS　OF　VOLUME　10。


VII。　　　　　　Of　recompenses　of　honour。
VIII。　　　　　Of　the　affection　of　fathers　to　their　children。
IX。　　　　　　　Of　the　arms　of　the　Parthians。
X。　　　　　　　　Of　books。
XI。　　　　　　　Of　cruelty。





CHAPTER　VII

OF　RECOMPENSES　OF　HONOUR


They　who　write　the　life　of　Augustus　Caesar；＇Suetonius；　Life　of
Augustus；　c。　　25。＇　observe　this　in　his　military　discipline；　that　he　was
wonderfully　liberal　of　gifts　to　men　of　merit；　but　that　as　to　the　true
recompenses　of　honour　he　was　as　sparing；　yet　he　himself　had　been
gratified　by　his　uncle　with　all　the　military　recompenses　before　he　had
ever　been　in　the　field。　　It　was　a　pretty　invention；　and　received　into
most　governments　of　the　world；　to　institute　certain　vain　and　in
themselves　valueless　distinctions　to　honour　and　recompense　virtue；　such
as　the　crowns　of　laurel；　oak；　and　myrtle；　the　particular　fashion　of　some
garment；　the　privilege　to　ride　in　a　coach　in　the　city；　or　at　night　with　a
torch；　some　peculiar　place　assigned　in　public　assemblies；　the　prerogative
of　certain　additional　names　and　titles；　certain　distinctions　in　the
bearing　of　coats　of　arms；　and　the　like；　the　use　of　which；　according　to
the　several　humours　of　nations；　has　been　variously　received；　and　yet
continues。

We　in　France；　as　also　several　of　our　neighbours；　have　orders　of
knighthood　that　are　instituted　only　for　this　end。　　And　'tis；　in　earnest；
a　very　good　and　profitable　custom　to　find　out　an　acknowledgment　for　the
worth　of　rare　and　excellent　men；　and　to　satisfy　them　with　rewards　that
are　not　at　all　chargeable　either　to　prince　or　people。　　And　that　which　has
always　been　found　by　ancient　experience；　and　which　we　have　heretofore
observed　among　ourselves；　that　men　of　quality　have　ever　been　more　jealous
of　such　recompenses　than　of　those　wherein　there　was　gain　and　profit；　is
not　without　very　good　ground　and　reason。　　If　with　the　reward；　which　ought
to　be　simply　a　recompense　of　honour；　they　should　mix　other　commodities
and　add　riches；　this　mixture；　instead　of　procuring　an　increase　of
estimation；　would　debase　and　abate　it。　　The　Order　of　St。　Michael；　which
has　been　so　long　in　repute　amongst　us；　had　no　greater　commodity　than　that
it　had　no　communication　with　any　other　commodity；　which　produced　this
effect；　that　formerly　there　was　no　office　or　title　whatever　to　which　the
gentry　pretended　with　so　great　desire　and　affection　as　they　did　to　that；
no　quality　that　carried　with　it　more　respect　and　grandeur；　valour　and
worth　more　willingly　embracing　and　with　greater　ambition　aspiring　to　a
recompense　purely　its　own；　and　rather　glorious　than　profitable。　　For；　in
truth；　other　gifts　have　not　so　great　a　dignity　of　usage；　by　reason　they
are　laid　out　upon　all　sorts　of　occasions；　with　money　a　man　pays　the　wages
of　a　servant；　the　diligence　of　a　courier；　dancing；　vaulting；　speaking；
and　the　meanest　offices　we　receive；　nay；　and　reward　vice　with　it　too；　as
flattery；　treachery；　and　pimping；　and　therefore　'tis　no　wonder　if　virtue
less　desires　and　less　willingly　receives　this　common　sort　of　payment；
than　that　which　is　proper　and　peculiar　to　her；　throughout　generous　and
noble。　　Augustus　had　reason　to　be　more　sparing　of　this　than　the　other；
insomuch　that　honour　is　a　privilege　which　derives　its　principal　essence
from　rarity；　and　so　virtue　itself：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Cui　malus　est　nemo；　quis　bonus　esse　potest？〃

　　　　　＇〃To　whom　no　one　is　ill　who　can　be　good？〃…Martial；　xii。　82。＇

We　do　not　intend　it　for　a　commendation　when　we　say　that　such　a　one　is
careful　in　the　education　of　his　children；　by　reason　it　is　a　common　act；
how　just　and　well　done　soever；　no　more　than　we　commend　a　great　tree；
where　the　whole　forest　is　the　same。　　I　do　not　think　that　any　citizen　of
Sparta　glorified　himself　much　upon　his　valour；　it　being　the　universal
virtue　of　the　whole　nation；　and　as　little　upon　his　fidelity　and　contempt
of　riches。　　There　is　no　recompense　becomes　virtue；　how　great　soever；　that
is　once　passed　into　a　custom；　and　I　know　not　withal　whether　we　can　ever
call　it　great；　being　common。

Seeing；　then；　that　these　remunerations　of　honour　have　no　other　value　and
estimation　but　only　this；　that　few　people　enjoy　them；　'tis　but　to　be
liberal　of　them　to　bring　them　down　to　nothing。　　And　though　there　should
be　now　more　men　found　than　in　former　times　worthy　of　our　order；　the
estimation　of　it　nevertheless　should　not　be　abated；　nor　the　honour　made
cheap；　and　it　may　easily　happen　that　more　may　merit　it；　for　there　is　no
virtue　that　so　easily　spreads　as　that　of　military　valour。　　There　is
another　virtue；　true；　perfect；　and　philosophical；　of　which　I　do　not
speak；　and　only　make　use　of　the　word　in　our　common　acceptation；　much
greater　than　this　and　more　full；　which　is　a　force　and　assurance　of　the
soul；　equally　despising　all　sorts　of　adverse　accidents；　equable；　uniform；
and　constant；　of　which　ours　is　no　more　than　one　little　ray。　　Use；
education；　example；　and　custom　can　do　all　in　all　to　the　establishment　of
that　whereof　I　am　speaking；　and　with　great　facility　render　it　common；　as
by　the　experience　of　our　civil　wars　is　manifest　enough；　and　whoever　could
at　this　time　unite　us　all；　Catholic　and　Huguenot；　into　one　body；　and　set
us　upon　some　brave　common　enterprise；　we　should　again　make　our　ancient
military　reputation　flourish。　　It　is　most　certain　that　in　times　past　the
recompense　of　this　order　had　not　only　a　regard　to　valour；　but　had　a
further　prospect；　it　never　was　the　reward　of　a　valiant　soldier　but　of　a
great　captain；　the　science　of　obeying　was　not　reputed　worthy　of　so
honourable　a　guerdon。　　There　was　therein　a　more　universal　military
expertness　required；　and　that　comprehended　the　most　and　the　greatest
qualities　of　a　military　man：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Neque　enim　eaedem　militares　et　imperatorix　artes　sunt；〃

　　　　　＇〃For　the　arts　of　soldiery　and　generalship　are　not　the　same。〃
　　　　　〃Livy；　xxv。　19。＇

as　also；　besides；　a　condition　suitable　to　such　a　dignity。　　But；　I　say；
though　more　men　were　worthy　than　formerly；　yet　ought　it　not　to　be　more
liberally　distributed；　and　it　were　better　to　fall　short　in　not　giving　it
at　all　to　whom　it　should　be　due；　than　for　ever　to　lose；　as　we　have　lately
done；　the　fruit　of　so　profitable　an　invention。　　No　man　of　spirit　will
deign　to　advantage　himself　with　what　is　in　common　with　many；　and　such　of
the　present　time　as　have　least　merited　this　recompense　themselves　make
the　greater　show　of　disdaining　it；　in　order　thereby　to　be　ranked　with
those　to　whom　so　much　wrong　has　been　done　by　the　unworthy　conferring　and
debasing　the　distinction　which　was　their　particular　right。

Now；　to　expect　that　in　obliterating　and　abolishing　this；　suddenly　to
create　and　bring　into　credit　a　like　institution；　is　not　a　proper　attempt
for　so　licentious　and　so　sick　a　time　as　this　wherein　we　now　are；　and　it
will　fall　out　that　the　last　will　from　its　birth　incur　the　same
inconveniences　that　have　ruined　the　other。　＇Montaigne　refers　to　the
Order　of　the　Saint…Esprit；　instituted　by　Henry　III。　　in　1578。＇　　The
rules　for　dispensing　this　new　order　had　need　to　be　extremely　clipt　and
bound　under　great　restrictions；　to　give　it　authority；　and　this　tumultuous
season　is　incapable　of　such　a　curb：　besides　that；　before　this　can　be
brought　into　repute；　'tis　necessary　that　the　memory　of　the　first；　and　of
the　contempt　into　which　it　is　fallen；　be　buried　in　oblivion。

This　place　might　naturally　enough　admit　of　some　discourse　upon　the
consideration　of　valour；　and　the　difference　of　this　virtue　from　others；
but；　Plutarch　having　so　often　handled　this　subject；　I　should　give　myself
an　unnecessary　trouble　to　repeat　what　he　has　said。　　But　this　is　worth
considering：　that　our　nation　places　valour；　vaillance；　in　the　highest
degree　of　virtue；　as　its　very　word　evidences；　being　derived　from　valeur；
and　that；　according　to　our　use；　when　we　say　a　man　of　high　worth　a　good
man；　in　our　court　style'tis　to　say　a　valiant　man；　after　the　Roman　way；
for　the　general　appellation　of　virtue　with　them　takes　etymology　from　vis；
force。　　The　proper；　sole；　and　essential　profession　of；　the　French
noblesse　is　that　of　arms：　and　'tis　likely　that　the　first　virtue　that
discovered　itself　amongst　men　and　has　given　to　some　advantage　over
others；　was　that　by　which　the　strongest　and　most　valiant　have　mastered
the　weaker；　and　acquired　a　particular　authority　and　reputation；　whence
came　to　it　that　dignified　appellation；　or　else；　that　these　nations；　being
very　warlike；　gave　the　pre…eminence　to　that　of　the　virtues　which　was　most
familiar　to　them；　just　as　our　passion　and　the　feverish　solicitude　we　have
of　the　chastity　of　women　occasions　that　to　say；　a　good　woman；　a　woman　of
worth；　a　woman　of　honour　and　virtue；　signifies　merely　a　chaste　woman　as
if；　to　oblige　them　to　that　one　duty；　we　were　indifferent　as　to　all　the
rest；　and　gave　them　the　reins　in　all　other　faults　whatever　to　compound
for　that　one　of　incontinence。




CHAPTER　VIII

OF　THE　AFFECTION　OF　FATHERS　TO　THEIR　CHILDREN

To　Madame　D'Estissac。

MADAM；　if　the　strangeness　and　novelty　of　my　subject；　which　are　wont　to
give　value　to　things；　do　not　save　me；　I