the essays of montaigne, v13-第10节

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excused。　　For；　as　to　Clytus；　the　fault　was　more　than　redeemed；　and　that
very　action；　as　much　as　any　other　whatever；　manifests　the　goodness　of　his
nature；　a　nature　most　excellently　formed　to　goodness；　and　it　was
ingeniously　said　of　him；　that　he　had　his　virtues　from　Nature；　his　vices
from　Fortune。　　As　to　his　being　a　little　given　to　bragging；　a　little　too
impatient　of　hearing　himself　ill…spoken　of；　and　as　to　those　mangers；
arms；　and　bits　he　caused　to　be　strewed　in　the　Indies；　all　those　little
vanities；　methinks；　may　very　well　be　allowed　to　his　youth；　and　the
prodigious　prosperity　of　his　fortune。　　And　who　will　consider　withal　his
so　many　military　virtues；　his　diligence；　foresight；　patience；　discipline；
subtlety；　magnanimity；　resolution；　and　good　fortune；　wherein　（though　we
had　not　had　the　authority　of　Hannibal　to　assure　us）　he　was　the　first　of
men；　the　admirable　beauty　and　symmetry　of　his　person；　even　to　a　miracle；
his　majestic　port　and　awful　mien；　in　a　face　so　young；　ruddy；　and　radiant：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Qualis；　ubi　Oceani　perfusus　Lucifer　unda；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quem　Venus　ante　alios　astrorum　diligit　ignes；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Extulit　os　sacrum　coelo；　tenebrasque　resolvit；〃

　　　　　＇〃As　when；　bathed　in　the　waves　of　Ocean；　Lucifer；　whom　Venus　loves
　　　　　beyond　the　other　stars；　has　displayed　his　sacred　countenance　to　the
　　　　　heaven；　and　disperses　the　darkness〃AEneid；　iii。　589。＇

the　excellence　of　his　knowledge　and　capacity；　the　duration　and　grandeur
of　his　glory；　pure；　clean；　without　spot　or　envy；　and　that　long　after　his
death　it　was　a　religious　belief　that　his　very　medals　brought　good　fortune
to　all　who　carried　them　about　them；　and　that　more　kings　and　princes　have
written　his　actions　than　other　historians　have　written　the　actions　of　any
other　king　or　prince　whatever；　and　that　to　this　very　day　the　Mohammedans；
who　despise　all　other　histories；　admit　of　and　honour　his　alone；　by　a
special　privilege：　whoever；　I　say；　will　seriously　consider　these
particulars；　will　confess　that；　all　these　things　put　together；　I　had
reason　to　prefer　him　before　Caesar　himself；　who　alone　could　make　me
doubtful　in　my　choice：　and　it　cannot　be　denied　that　there　was　more　of　his
own　in　his　exploits；　and　more　of　fortune　in　those　of　Alexander。　　They
were　in　many　things　equal；　and　peradventure　Caesar　had　some　greater
qualities　they　were　two　fires；　or　two　torrents；　overrunning　the　world　by
several　ways；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ac　velut　immissi　diversis　partibus　ignes
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Arentem　in　silvam；　et　virgulta　sonantia　lauro
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Aut　ubi　decursu　rapido　de　montibus　altis
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Dant　sonitum　spumosi　amnes；　et　in　aequora　currunt；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quisque　suum　populatus　iter：〃

　　　　　＇〃And　as　fires　applied　in　several　parts　to　a　dry　wood　and　crackling
　　　　　shrubs　of　laurel；　or　as　with　impetuous　fall　from　the　steep
　　　　　mountains；　foaming　torrents　pour　down　to　the　ocean；　each　clearing　a
　　　　　destructive　course。〃AEneid；　xii。　521。＇

but　though　Caesar's　ambition　had　been　more　moderate；　it　would　still　be　so
unhappy；　having　the　ruin　of　his　country　and　universal　mischief　to　the
world　for　its　abominable　object；　that；　all　things　raked　together　and　put
into　the　balance；　I　must　needs　incline　to　Alexander's　side。

The　third　and　in　my　opinion　the　most　excellent；　is　Epaminondas。　　Of　glory
he　has　not　near　so　much　as　the　other　two　（which；　for　that　matter；　is　but
a　part　of　the　substance　of　the　thing）：　of　valour　and　resolution；　not　of
that　sort　which　is　pushed　on　by　ambition；　but　of　that　which　wisdom　and
reason　can　plant　in　a　regular　soul；　he　had　all　that　could　be　imagined。
Of　this　virtue　of　his；　he　has；　in　my　idea；　given　as　ample　proof　as
Alexander　himself　or　Caesar：　for　although　his　warlike　exploits　were
neither　so　frequent　nor　so　full；　they　were　yet；　if　duly　considered　in　all
their　circumstances；　as　important；　as　bravely　fought；　and　carried　with
them　as　manifest　testimony　of　valour　and　military　conduct；　as　those　of
any　whatever。　　The　Greeks　have　done　him　the　honour；　without
contradiction；　to　pronounce　him　the　greatest　man　of　their　nation；　and　to
be　the　first　of　Greece；　is　easily　to　be　the　first　of　the　world。　　As　to
his　knowledge；　we　have　this　ancient　judgment　of　him；　〃That　never　any　man
knew　so　much；　and　spake　so　little　as　he〃；＇Plutarch；　On　the　Demon　of
Socrates；　c。　23。＇　for　he　was　of　the　Pythagorean　sect；　but　when　he　did
speak；　never　any　man　spake　better；　an　excellent　orator；　and　of　powerful
persuasion。　　But　as　to　his　manners　and　conscience；　he　infinitely
surpassed　all　men　who　ever　undertook　the　management　of　affairs；　for　in
this　one　thing；　which　ought　chiefly　to　be　considered；　which　alone　truly
denotes　us　for　what　we　are；　and　which　alone　I　make　counterbalance　all　the
rest　put　together；　he　comes　not　short　of　any　philosopher　whatever；　not
even　of　Socrates　himself。　　Innocence；　in　this　man；　is　a　quality　peculiar；
sovereign；　constant；　uniform；　incorruptible；　compared　with　which；　it
appears　in　Alexander　subject　to　something　else　subaltern；　uncertain；
variable；　effeminate；　and　fortuitous。

Antiquity　has　judged　that　in　thoroughly　sifting　all　the　other　great
captains；　there　is　found　in　every　one　some　peculiar　quality　that
illustrates　his　name：　in　this　man　only　there　is　a　full　and　equal　virtue
throughout；　that　leaves　nothing　to　be　wished　for　in　him；　whether　in
private　or　public　employment；　whether　in　peace　or　war；　whether　to　live
gloriously　and　grandly；　and　to　die：　I　do　not　know　any　form　or　fortune　of
man　that　I　so　much　honour　and　love。

'Tis　true　that　I　look　upon　his　obstinate　poverty；　as　it　is　set　out　by　his
best　friends；　as　a　little　too　scrupulous　and　nice；　and　this　is　the　only
feature；　though　high　in　itself　and　well　worthy　of　admiration；　that　I　find
so　rugged　as　not　to　desire　to　imitate；　to　the　degree　it　was　in　him。

Scipio　AEmilianus　alone；　could　one　attribute　to　him　as　brave　and
magnificent　an　end；　and　as　profound　and　universal　a　knowledge；　might　be
put　into　the　other　scale　of　the　balance。　　Oh；　what　an　injury　has　time
done　me　to　deprive　me　of　the　sight　of　two　of　the　most　noble　lives　which；
by　the　common　consent　of　all　the　world；　one　of　the　greatest　of　the
Greeks；　and　the　other　of　the　Romans；　were　in　all　Plutarch。　　What　a
matter！　what　a　workman！

For　a　man　that　was　no　saint；　but；　as　we　say；　a　gentleman；　of　civilian　and
ordinary　manners；　and　of　a　moderate　ambition；　the　richest　life　that　I
know；　and　full　of　the　richest　and　most　to　be　desired　parts；　all　things
considered；　is；　in　my　opinion；　that　of　Alcibiades。

But　as　to　what　concerns　Epaminondas；　I　will　here；　for　the　example　of　an
excessive　goodness；　add　some　of　his　opinions：　he　declared；　that　the
greatest　satisfaction　he　ever　had　in　his　whole　life；　was　the　contentment
he　gave　his　father　and　mother　by　his　victory　at　Leuctra；　wherein　his
deference　is　great；　preferring　their　pleasure　before　his　own；　so　dust　and
so　full　of　so　glorious　an　action。　　He　did　not　think　it　lawful；　even　to
restore　the　liberty　of　his　country；　to　kill　a　man　without　knowing　a
cause：　which　made　him　so　cold　in　the　enterprise　of　his　companion
Pelopidas　for　the　relief　of　Thebes。　　He　was　also　of　opinion　that　men　in
battle　ought　to　avoid　the　encounter　of　a　friend　who　was　on　the　contrary
side；　and　to　spare　him。　　And　his　humanity；　even　towards　his　enemies
themselves；　having　rendered　him　suspected　to　the　Boeotians；　for　that；
after　he　had　miraculously　forced　the　Lacedaemonians　to　open　to　him　the
pass　which　they　had　undertaken　to　defend　at　the　entrance　into　the　Morea；
near　Corinth；　he　contented　himself　with　having　charged　through　them；
without　pursuing　them　to　the　utmost；　he　had　his　commission　of　general
taken　from　him；　very　honourably　upon　such　an　account；　and　for　the　shame
it　was　to　them　upon　necessity　afterwards　to　restore　him　to　his　command；
and　so　to　manifest　how　much　upon　him　depended　their　safety　and　honour；
victory　like　a　shadow　attending　him　wherever　he　went；　and　indeed　the
prosperity　of　his　country；　as　being　from　him　derived；　died　with　him。




CHAPTER　XXXVII

OF　THE　RESEMBLANCE　OF　CHILDREN　TO　THEIR　FATHERS

This　faggoting　up　of　so　many　divers　pieces　is　so　done　that　I　never　set
pen　to　paper　but　when　I　have　too　much　idle　time；　and　never　anywhere　but
at　home；　so　that　it　is　compiled　after　divers　interruptions　and　intervals；
occasions　keeping　me　sometimes　many　months　elsewhere。　　As　to　the　rest；
I　never　correct　my　first　by　any　second　conceptions；　I；　peradventure；　may
alter　a　word　or　so；　but　'tis　only　to　vary　the　phrase；　and　not　to　destroy
my　former　meaning。　　I　have　a　mind　to　represent　the　progress　of　my
humours；　and　that　every　one　may　see　each　piece　as　it　came　from　the　forge。
I　could　wish　I　had　begun　sooner；　and　had　taken　more　notice　of　the　course
of　my　mutations。　　A　servant　of　mine　whom　I　employed　to　transcribe　for　me；
thought　he　had　got　a　prize　by　stealing　several　pieces　from　me；　wherewith
he　was　best　pleased；　but　it　is　my　comfort　that　he　will　be　no　greater　a
gainer　than　I　shall　be　a　loser　by　the　theft。　　I　am　grown　older　by　seven
or　eight　years　since　I　began；　nor　has　it　been　without　same　new
acquisition：　I　have；　in　that　time；　by　the　liberality　of　years；　been
acquainted　with　the　stone：　their　commerce　and　long　converse　do　not　well
pass　awa