the essays of montaigne, v10-第3节

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fear　this　vice　is；　in　some　sort；　to　be　attributed　to　the　fore…mentioned
vice　of　the　fathers。

And　if　a　man　should　tell　me；　as　a　lord　of　very　good　understanding　once
did；　that　〃he　hoarded　up　wealth；　not　to　extract　any　other　fruit　and　use
from　his　parsimony；　but　to　make　himself　honoured　and　sought　after　by　his
relations；　and　that　age　having　deprived　him　of　all　other　power；　it　was
the　only　remaining　remedy　to　maintain　his　authority　in　his　family；　and　to
keep　him　from　being　neglected　and　despised　by　all　around；〃　in　truth；　not
only　old　age；　but　all　other　imbecility；　according　to　Aristotle；　is　the
promoter　of　avarice；　that　is　something；　but　it　is　physic　for　a　disease
that　a　man　should　prevent　the　birth　of。　　A　father　is　very　miserable　who
has　no　other　hold　on　his　children's　affection　than　the　need　they　have　of
his　assistance；　if　that　can　be　called　affection；　he　must　render　himself
worthy　to　be　respected　by　his　virtue　and　wisdom；　and　beloved　by　his
kindness　and　the　sweetness　of　his　manners；　even　the　very　ashes　of　a　rich
matter　have　their　value；　and　we　are　wont　to　have　the　bones　and　relics　of
worthy　men　in　regard　and　reverence。　　No　old　age　can　be　so　decrepid　in　a
man　who　has　passed　his　life　in　honour；　but　it　must　be　venerable；
especially　to　his　children；　whose　soul　he　must　have　trained　up　to　their
duty　by　reason；　not　by　necessity　and　the　need　they　have　of　him；　nor　by
harshness　and　compulsion：

　　　　　　　　　〃Et　errat　longe　mea　quidem　sententia
　　　　　　　　　　Qui　imperium　credat　esse　gravius；　aut　stabilius；
　　　　　　　　　　Vi　quod　fit；　quam　illud；　quod　amicitia　adjungitur。〃

　　　　　＇〃He　wanders　far　from　the　truth；　in　my　opinion；　who　thinks　that
　　　　　government　more　absolute　and　durable　which　is　acquired　by　force　than
　　　　　that　which　is　attached　to　friendship。Terence；　Adelph。；　i。　I；　40。＇

I　condemn　all　violence　in　the　education　of　a　tender　soul　that　is　designed
for　honour　and　liberty。　　There　is　I　know　not　what　of　servile　in　rigour
and　constraint；　and　I　am　of　opinion　that　what　is　not　to　be　done　by
reason；　prudence；　and　address；　is　never　to　be　affected　by　force。　　I
myself　was　brought　up　after　that　manner；　and　they　tell　me　that　in　all　my
first　age　I　never　felt　the　rod　but　twice；　and　then　very　slightly。　　I
practised　the　same　method　with　my　children；　who　all　of　them　died　at
nurse；　except　Leonora；　my　only　daughter；　and　who　arrived　to　the　age　of
five　years　and　upward　without　other　correction　for　her　childish　faults
（her　mother's　indulgence　easily　concurring）　than　words　only；　and　those
very　gentle；　in　which　kind　of　proceeding；　though　my　end　and　expectation
should　be　both　frustrated；　there　are　other　causes　enough　to　lay　the　fault
on　without　blaming　my　discipline；　which　I　know　to　be　natural　and　just；
and　I　should；　in　this；　have　yet　been　more　religious　towards　the　males；　as
less　born　to　subjection　and　more　free；　and　I　should　have　made　it　my
business　to　fill　their　hearts　with　ingenuousness　and　freedom。　　I　have
never　observed　other　effects　of　whipping　than　to　render　boys　more
cowardly；　or　more　wilfully　obstinate。

Do　we　desire　to　be　beloved　of　our　children？　　Will　we　remove　from　them　all
occasion　of　wishing　our　death　though　no　occasion　of　so　horrid　a　wish　can
either　be　just　or　excusable？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Nullum　scelus　rationem　habet。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇〃No　wickedness　has　reason。〃Livy；　xxviii。　28＇

Let　us　reasonably　accommodate　their　lives　with　what　is　in　our　power。　　In
order　to　this；　we　should　not　marry　so　young　that　our　age　shall　in　a
manner　be　confounded　with　theirs；　for　this　inconvenience　plunges　us　into
many　very　great　difficulties；　and　especially　the　gentry　of　the　nation；
who　are　of　a　condition　wherein　they　have　little　to　do；　and　who　live　upon
their　rents　only：　for　elsewhere；　with　people　who　live　by　their　labour；
the　plurality　and　company　of　children　is　an　increase　to　the　common　stock；
they　are　so　many　new　tools　and　instruments　wherewith　to　grow　rich。

I　married　at　three…and…thirty　years　of　age；　and　concur　in　the　opinion　of
thirty…five；　which　is　said　to　be　that　of　Aristotle。　　　Plato　will　have
nobody　marry　before　thirty；　but　he　has　reason　to　laugh　at　those　who
undertook　the　work　of　marriage　after　five…and…fifty；　and　condemns　their
offspring　as　unworthy　of　aliment　and　life。　　Thales　gave　the　truest
limits；　who；　young　and　being　importuned　by　his　mother　to　marry；　answered；
〃That　it　was　too　soon；〃　and；　being　grown　into　years　and　urged　again；
〃That　it　was　too　late。〃　　A　man　must　deny　opportunity　to　every　inopportune
action。　　The　ancient　Gauls'　looked　upon　it　as　a　very　horrid　thing　for　a
man　to　have　society　with　a　woman　before　he　was　twenty　years　of　age；　and
strictly　recommended　to　the　men　who　designed　themselves　for　war　the
keeping　their　virginity　till　well　grown　in　years；　forasmuch　as　courage　is
abated　and　diverted　by　intercourse　with　women：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ma；　or　congiunto　a　giovinetta　sposa；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　E　lieto　omai　de'　figli；　era　invilito
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Negli　affetti　di　padre　et　di　marito。〃

　　　　　＇〃Now；　married　to　a　young　wife　and　happy　in　children；　he　was
　　　　　demoralised　by　his　love　as　father　and　husband。〃
　　　　　Tasso；　Gierus。；　x。　39。＇

Muley　Hassam；　king　of　Tunis；　he　whom　the　Emperor　Charles　V。　restored　to
his　kingdom；　reproached　the　memory　of　his　father　Mahomet　with　the
frequentation　of　women；　styling　him　loose；　effeminate；　and　a　getter　of
children。＇Of　whom　he　had　thirty…four。＇　The　Greek　history　observes　of
Iccus　the　Tarentine；　of　Chryso；　Astyllus；　Diopompos；　and　others；　that　to
keep　their　bodies　in　order　for　the　Olympic　games　and　such　like　exercises；
they　denied　themselves　during　that　preparation　all　commerce　with　Venus。
In　a　certain　country　of　the　Spanish　Indies　men　were　not　permitted　to
marry　till　after　forty　age；　and　yet　the　girls　were　allowed　at　ten。
'Tis　not　time　for　a　gentleman　of　thirty　years　old　to　give　place　to　his
son　who　is　twenty；　he　is　himself　in　a　condition　to　serve　both　in　the
expeditions　of　war　and　in　the　court　of　his　prince；　has　need　of　all　his
appurtenances；　and　yet；　doubtless；　he　ought　to　surrender　a　share；　but　not
so　great　an　one　as　to　forget　himself　for　others；　and　for　such　an　one　the
answer　that　fathers　have　ordinarily　in　their　mouths；　〃I　will　not　put　off
my　clothes；　before　I　go　to　bed；〃　serves　well。

But　a　father　worn　out　with　age　and　infirmities；　and　deprived　by　weakness
and　want　of　health　of　the　common　society　of　men；　wrongs　himself　and　his
to　amass　a　great　heap　of　treasure。　　He　has　lived　long　enough；　if　he　be
wise；　to　have　a　mind　to　strip　himself　to　go　to　bed；　not　to　his　very
shirt；　I　confess；　but　to　that　and　a　good；　warm　dressing…gown；　the
remaining　pomps；　of　which　he　has　no　further　use；　he　ought　voluntarily　to
surrender　to　those；　to　whom　by　the　order　of　nature　they　belong。　　'Tis
reason　he　should　refer　the　use　of　those　things　to　them；　seeing　that
nature　has　reduced　him　to　such　a　state　that　he　cannot　enjoy　them　himself；
otherwise　there　is　doubtless　malice　and　envy　in　the　case。　　The　greatest
act　of　the　Emperor　Charles　V。　was　that　when；　in　imitation　of　some　of　the
ancients　of　his　own　quality；　confessing　it　but　reason　to　strip　ourselves
when　our　clothes　encumber　and　grow　too　heavy　for　us；　and　to　lie　down　when
our　legs　begin　to　fail　us；　he　resigned　his　possessions；　grandeur；　and
power　to　his　son；　when　he　found　himself　failing　in　vigour；　and　steadiness
for　the　conduct　of　his　affairs　suitable　with　the　glory　he　had　therein
acquired：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Solve　senescentem　mature　sanus　equum；　ne
　　　　　　　　　　Peccet　ad　extremum　ridendus；　et　ilia　ducat。〃

　　　　　＇〃Dismiss　the　old　horse　in　good　time；　lest；　failing　in　the　lists；
　　　　　the　spectators　laugh。〃Horace；　Epist。；　i。；　I；　8。＇

This　fault　of　not　perceiving　betimes　and　of　not　being　sensible　of　the
feebleness　and　extreme　alteration　that　age　naturally　brings　both　upon
body　and　mind；　which；　in　my　opinion；　is　equal；　if　indeed　the　soul　has　not
more　than　half；　has　lost　the　reputation　of　most　of　the　great　men　in　the
world。　　I　have　known　in　my　time；　and　been　intimately　acquainted　with
persons　of　great　authority；　whom　one　might　easily　discern　marvellously
lapsed　from　the　sufficiency　I　knew　they　were　once　endued　with；　by　the
reputation　they　had　acquired　in　their　former　years；　whom　I　could
heartily；　for　their　own　sakes；　have　wished　at　home　at　their　ease；
discharged　of　their　public　or　military　employments；　which　were　now　grown
too　heavy　for　their　shoulders。　　I　have　formerly　been　very　familiar　in　a
gentleman's　house；　a　widower　and　very　old；　though　healthy　and　cheerful
enough：　this　gentleman　had　several　daughters　to　marry　and　a　son　already
of　ripe　age；　which　brought　upon　him　many　visitors；　and　a　great　expense；
neither　of　which　well　pleased　him；　not　only　out　of　consideration　of
frugality；　but　yet　more　for　having；　by　reason　of　his　age；　entered　into　a
course　of　life　far　differing　from　ours。　　I　told　him　one　day　a　little
boldly；　as　I　used　to　do；　that　he　would　do　better　to　give　us　younger　folk
room；　and　to　leave　his　principal　house　（for　he　had　but　that　well　placed
and　furnished）　to　his　son；　and　himself　retire　to　an　estate　he　had　hard
by；　where　nobody　would　trouble　his　repose；　seeing　he　could　not　otherwise
avoid　being　importuned　by　us；　the　condition　of　his　children　considered。
He　took　my