the essays of montaigne, v13-第4节

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disengage　itself　from　him；　even　in　so　unjust　and　so　wicked　a　cause。

To　return　to　his　clemency：　we　have　many　striking　examples　in　the　time　of
his　government；　when；　all　things　being　reduced　to　his　power；　he　had　no
more　written　against　him　which　he　had　as　sharply　answered：　yet　he　did　not
soon　after　forbear　to　use　his　interest　to　make　him　consul。　　Caius　Calvus；
who　had　composed　several　injurious　epigrams　against　him；　having　employed
many　of　his　friends　to　mediate　a　reconciliation　with　him；　Caesar
voluntarily　persuaded　himself　to　write　first　to　him。　　And　our　good
Catullus；　who　had　so　rudely　ruffled　him　under　the　name　of　Mamurra；　coming
to　offer　his　excuses　to　him；　he　made　the　same　day　sit　at　his　table。
Having　intelligence　of　some　who　spoke　ill　of　him；　he　did　no　more；　but
only　by　a　public　oration　declare　that　he　had　notice　of　it。　　He　still　less
feared　his　enemies　than　he　hated　them；　some　conspiracies　and　cabals　that
were　made　against　his　life　being　discovered　to　him；　he　satisfied　himself
in　publishing　by　proclamation　that　they　were　known　to　him；　without
further　prosecuting　the　conspirators。

As　to　the　respect　he　had　for　his　friends：　Caius　Oppius；　being　with　him
upon　a　journey；　and　finding　himself　ill；　he　left　him　the　only　lodging　he
had　for　himself；　and　lay　all　night　upon　a　hard　ground　in　the　open　air。
As　to　what　concerns　his　justice；　he　put　a　beloved　servant　of　his　to　death
for　lying　with　a　noble　Roman's　wife；　though　there　was　no　complaint　made。〃
Never　had　man　more　moderation　in　his　victory；　nor　more　resolution　in　his
adverse　fortune。

But　all　these　good　inclinations　were　stifled　and　spoiled　by　his　furious
ambition；　by　which　he　suffered　himself　to　be　so　transported　and　misled
that　one　may　easily　maintain　that　this　passion　was　the　rudder　of　all　his
actions；　of　a　liberal　man；　it　made　him　a　public　thief　to　supply　this
bounty　and　profusion；　and　made　him　utter　this　vile　and　unjust　saying；
〃That　if　the　most　wicked　and　profligate　persons　in　the　world　had　been
faithful　in　serving　him　towards　his　advancement；　he　would　cherish　and
prefer　them　to　the　utmost　of　his　power；　as　much　as　the　best　of　men。〃
It　intoxicated　him　with　so　excessive　a　vanity；　as　to　dare　to　boast　in　the
presence　of　his　fellow…citizens；　that　he　had　made　the　great　commonwealth
of　Rome　a　name　without　form　and　without　body；　and　to　say　that　his　answers
for　the　future　should　stand　for　laws；　and　also　to　receive　the　body　of　the
Senate　coming　to　him；　sitting；　to　suffer　himself　to　be　adored；　and　to
have　divine　honours　paid　to　him　in　his　own　presence。　　To　conclude；　this
sole　vice；　in　my　opinion；　spoiled　in　him　the　most　rich　and　beautiful
nature　that　ever　was；　and　has　rendered　his　name　abominable　to　all　good
men；　in　that　he　would　erect　his　glory　upon　the　ruins　of　his　country　and
the　subversion　of　the　greatest　and　most　flourishing　republic　the　world
shall　ever　see。

There　might；　on　the　contrary；　many　examples　be　produced　of　great　men　whom
pleasures　have　made　to　neglect　the　conduct　of　their　affairs；　as　Mark
Antony　and　others；　but　where　love　and　ambition　should　be　in　equal
balance；　and　come　to　jostle　with　equal　forces；　I　make　no　doubt　but　the
last　would　win　the　prize。

To　return　to　my　subject：　'tis　much　to　bridle　our　appetites　by　the
argument　of　reason；　or；　by　violence；　to　contain　our　members　within　their
duty；　but　to　lash　ourselves　for　our　neighbour's　interest；　and　not　only　to
divest　ourselves　of　the　charming　passion　that　tickles　us；　of　the　pleasure
we　feel　in　being　agreeable　to　others；　and　courted　and　beloved　of　every
one；　but　also　to　conceive　a　hatred　against　the　graces　that　produce　that
effect；　and　to　condemn　our　beauty　because　it　inflames　others；　of　this；　I
confess；　I　have　met　with　few　examples。　　But　this　is　one。　　Spurina；　a
young　man　of　Tuscany：

　　　　　　　　　〃Qualis　gemma　micat；　fulvum　quae　dividit　aurum；
　　　　　　　　　　Aut　collo　decus；　aut　cupiti：　vel　quale　per　artem
　　　　　　　　　　Inclusum　buxo　aut　Oricia　terebintho
　　　　　　　　　　Lucet　ebur；〃

　　　　　＇〃As　a　gem　shines　enchased　in　yellow　gold；　or　an　ornament　on　the
　　　　　neck　or　head；　or　as　ivory　has　lustre；　set　by　art　in　boxwood　or
　　　　　Orician　ebony。〃AEneid；　x。　134。＇

being　endowed　with　a　singular　beauty；　and　so　excessive；　that　the　chastest
eyes　could　not　chastely　behold　its　rays；　not　contenting　himself　with
leaving　so　much　flame　and　fever　as　he　everywhere　kindled　without　relief；
entered　into　a　furious　spite　against　himself　and　those　great　endowments
nature　had　so　liberally　conferred　upon　him；　as　if　a　man　were　responsible
to　himself　for　the　faults　of　others；　and　purposely　slashed　and
disfigured；　with　many　wounds　and　scars；　the　perfect　symmetry　and
proportion　that　nature　had　so　curiously　imprinted　in　his　face。　　To　give
my　free　opinion；　I　more　admire　than　honour　such　actions：　such　excesses
are　enemies　to　my　rules。　　The　design　was　conscientious　and　good；　but
certainly　a　little　defective　in　prudence。　　What　if　his　deformity　served
afterwards　to　make　others　guilty　of　the　sin　of　hatred　or　contempt；　or　of
envy　at　the　glory　of　so　rare　a　recommendation；　or　of　calumny；
interpreting　this　humour　a　mad　ambition！　　Is　there　any　form　from　which
vice　cannot；　if　it　will；　extract　occasion　to　exercise　itself；　one　way　or
another？　　It　had　been　more　just；　and　also　more　noble；　to　have　made　of
these　gifts　of　God　a　subject　of　exemplary　regularity　and　virtue。

They　who　retire　themselves　from　the　common　offices；　from　that　infinite
number　of　troublesome　rules　that　fetter　a　man　of　exact　honesty　in　civil
life；　are　in　my　opinion　very　discreet；　what　peculiar　sharpness　of
constraint　soever　they　impose　upon　themselves　in　so　doing。　　'Tis　in　some
sort　a　kind　of　dying　to　avoid　the　pain　of　living　well。　　They　may　have
another　reward；　but　the　reward　of　difficulty　I　fancy　they　can　never　have；
nor；　in　uneasiness；　that　there　can　be　anything　more　or　better　done　than
the　keeping　oneself　upright　amid　the　waves　of　the　world；　truly　and
exactly　performing　all　parts　of　our　duty。　　'Tis；　peradventure；　more　easy
to　keep　clear　of　the　sex　than　to　maintain　one's　self　aright　in　all　points
in　the　society　of　a　wife；　and　a　man　may　with　less　trouble　adapt　himself
to　entire　abstinence　than　to　the　due　dispensation　of　abundance。　　Use；
carried　on　according　to　reason；　has　in　it　more　of　difficulty　than
abstinence；　moderation　is　a　virtue　that　gives　more　work　than　suffering；
the　well　living　of　Scipio　has　a　thousand　fashions；　that　of　Diogenes　but
one；　this　as　much　excels　the　ordinary　lives　in　innocence　as　the　most
accomplished　excel　them　in　utility　and　force。




CHAPTER　XXXIV

OBSERVATION　ON　THE　MEANS　TO　CARRY　ON　A　WAR　ACCORDING　TO　JULIUS　CAESAR

'Tis　related　of　many　great　leaders　that　they　have　had　certain　books　in
particular　esteem；　as　Alexander　the　Great；　Homer；　Scipio　Africanus；
Xenophon；　Marcus　Brutus；　Polybius；　Charles　V。；　Philip'de　Comines；　and
'tis　said　that；　in　our　times；　Machiavelli　is　elsewhere　still　in　repute；
but　the　late　Marshal　Strozzi；　who　had　taken　Caesar　for　his　man；　doubtless
made　the　best　choice；　seeing　that　it　indeed　ought　to　be　the　breviary　of
every　soldier；　as　being　the　true　and　sovereign　pattern　of　the　military
art。　　And；　moreover；　God　knows　with　that　grace　and　beauty　he　has
embellished　that　rich　matter；　with　so　pure；　delicate；　and　perfect
expression；　that；　in　my　opinion；　there　are　no　writings　in　the　world
comparable　to　his；　as　to　that　business。

I　will　set　down　some　rare　and　particular　passages　of　his　wars　that　remain
in　my　memory。

His　army；　being　in　some　consternation　upon　the　rumour　that　was　spread　of
the　great　forces　that　king　Juba　was　leading　against　him；　instead　of
abating　the　apprehension　which　his　soldiers　had　conceived　at　the　news　and
of　lessening　to　them　the　forces　of　the　enemy；　having　called　them　all
together　to　encourage　and　reassure　them；　he　took　a　quite　contrary　way　to
what　we　are　used　to　do；　for　he　told　them　that　they　need　no　more　trouble
themselves　with　inquiring　after　the　enemy's　forces；　for　that　he　was
certainly　informed　thereof；　and　then　told　them　of　a　number　much
surpassing　both　the　truth　and　the　report　that　was　current　in　his　army；
following　the　advice　of　Cyrus　in　Xenophon；　forasmuch　as　the　deception　is
not　of　so　great　importance　to　find　an　enemy　weaker　than　we　expected；　than
to　find　him　really　very　strong；　after　having　been　made　to　believe　that　he
was　weak。

It　was　always　his　use　to　accustom　his　soldiers　simply　to　obey；　without
taking　upon　them　to　control；　or　so　much　as　to　speak　of　their　captain's
designs；　which　he　never　communicated　to　them　but　upon　the　point　of
execution；　and　he　took　a　delight；　if　they　discovered　anything　of　what　he
intended；　immediately　to　change　his　orders　to　deceive　them；　and　to　that
purpose；　would　often；　when　he　had　assigned　his　quarters　in　a　place；　pass
forward　and　lengthen　his　day's　march；　especially　if　it　was　foul　and　rainy
weather。

The　Swiss；　in　the　beginning　of　his　wars　in　Gaul；　having　sent　to　him　to
demand　a　free　passage　over　the　Roman　territories；　though　resolved　to
hinder　them　by　force；　he　nevertheless　spoke　kindly　to　the　messengers；　and
took　some　respite　to　return　an　answer；　to　make　use　of　that　time　for　the
calling　his　army　together。　　These　silly　people　did　not　know　how　good　a
husband　he　was　of　hi