the essays of montaigne, v13-第6节

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Juba；　ten　times　greater　than　his　own？　　These　people　had；　I　know　not　what；
more　than　human　confidence　in　their　fortune；　and　he　was　wont　to　say　that
men　must　embark；　and　not　deliberate；　upon　high　enterprises。　　After　the
battle　of　Pharsalia；　when　he　had　sent　his　army　away　before　him　into　Asia；
and　was　passing　in　one　single　vessel　the　strait　of　the　Hellespont；　he　met
Lucius　Cassius　at　sea　with　ten　tall　men…of…war；　when　he　had　the　courage
not　only　to　stay　his　coming；　but　to　sail　up　to　him　and　summon　him　to
yield；　which　he　did。

Having　undertaken　that　furious　siege　of　Alexia；　where　there　were
fourscore　thousand　men　in　garrison；　all　Gaul　being　in　arms　to　raise　the
siege　and　having　set　an　army　on　foot　of　a　hundred　and　nine　thousand
horse；　and　of　two　hundred　and　forty　thousand　foot；　what　a　boldness　and
vehement　confidence　was　it　in　him　that　he　would　not　give　over　his
attempt；　but　resolved　upon　two　so　great　difficultieswhich　nevertheless
he　overcame；　and；　after　having　won　that　great　battle　against　those
without；　soon　reduced　those　within　to　his　mercy。　　The　same　happened　to
Lucullus　at　the　siege　of　Tigranocerta　against　King　Tigranes；　but　the
condition　of　the　enemy　was　not　the　same；　considering　the　effeminacy　of
those　with　whom　Lucullus　had　to　deal。　　I　will　here　set　down　two　rare　and
extraordinary　events　concerning　this　siege　of　Alexia；　one；　that　the　Gauls
having　drawn　their　powers　together　to　encounter　Caesar；　after　they　had
made　a　general　muster　of　all　their　forces；　resolved　in　their　council　of
war　to　dismiss　a　good　part　of　this　great　multitude；　that　they　might　not
fall　into　confusion。　　This　example　of　fearing　to　be　too　many　is　new；　but；
to　take　it　right；　it　stands　to　reason　that　the　body　of　an　army　should　be
of　a　moderate　greatness；　and　regulated　to　certain　bounds；　both　out　of
respect　to　the　difficulty　of　providing　for　them；　and　the　difficulty　of
governing　and　keeping　them　in　order。　　At　least　it　is　very　easy　to　make　it
appear　by　example　that　armies　monstrous　in　number　have　seldom　done
anything　to　purpose。　　According　to　the　saying　of　Cyrus　in　Xenophon；
〃'Tis　not　the　number　of　men；　but　the　number　of　good　men；　that　gives　the
advantage〃：　the　remainder　serving　rather　to　trouble　than　assist。　　And
Bajazet　principally　grounded　his　resolution　of　giving　Tamerlane　battle；
contrary　to　the　opinion　of　all　his　captains；　upon　this；　that　his　enemies
numberless　number　of　men　gave　him　assured　hopes　of　confusion。
Scanderbeg；　a　very　good　and　expert　judge　in　such　matters；　was　wont　to　say
that　ten　or　twelve　thousand　reliable　fighting　men　were　sufficient　to　a
good　leader　to　secure　his　regulation　in　all　sorts　of　military　occasions。
The　other　thing　I　will　here　record；　which　seems　to　be　contrary　both　to
the　custom　and　rules　of　war；　is；　that　Vercingetorix；　who　was　made　general
of　all　the　parts　of　the　revolted　Gaul；　should　go　shut　up　himself　in
Alexia：　for　he　who　has　the　command　of　a　whole　country　ought　never　to　shut
himself　up　but　in　case　of　such　last　extremity　that　the　only　place　he　has
left　is　in　concern；　and　that　the　only　hope　he　has　left　is　in　the　defence
of　that　city；　otherwise　he　ought　to　keep　himself　always　at　liberty；　that
he　may　have　the　means　to　provide；　in　general；　for　all　parts　of　his
government。

To　return　to　Caesar。　　He　grew；　in　time；　more　slow　and　more　considerate；
as　his　friend　Oppius　witnesses：　conceiving　that　he　ought　not　lightly　to
hazard　the　glory　of　so　many　victories；　which　one　blow　of　fortune　might
deprive　him　of。　　'Tis　what　the　Italians　say；　when　they　would　reproach　the
rashness　and　foolhardiness　of　young　people；　calling　them　Bisognosi
d'onore；　〃necessitous　of　honour；〃　and　that　being　in　so　great　a　want　and
dearth　of　reputation；　they　have　reason　to　seek　it　at　what　price　soever；
which　they　ought　not　to　do　who　have　acquired　enough　already。　　There　may
reasonably　be　some　moderation；　some　satiety；　in　this　thirst　and　appetite
of　glory；　as　well　as　in　other　things：　and　there　are　enough　people　who
practise　it。

He　was　far　remote　from　the　religious　scruples　of　the　ancient　Romans；　who
would　never　prevail　in　their　wars　but　by　dint　of　pure　and　simple　valour；
and　yet　he　was　more　conscientious　than　we　should　be　in　these　days；　and
did　not　approve　all　sorts　of　means　to　obtain　a　victory。　　In　the　war
against　Ariovistus；　whilst　he　was　parleying　with　him；　there　happened　some
commotion　between　the　horsemen；　which　was　occasioned　by　the　fault　of
Ariovistus'　light　horse；　wherein；　though　Caesar　saw　he　had　a　very　great
advantage　of　the　enemy；　he　would　make　no　use　on't；　lest　he　should　have
been　reproached　with　a　treacherous　proceeding。

He　was　always　wont　to　wear　rich　garments；　and　of　a　shining　colour　in
battle；　that　he　might　be　the　more　remarkable　and　better　observed。

He　always　carried　a　stricter　and　tighter　hand　over　his　soldiers　when　near
an　enemy。　　When　the　ancient　Greeks　would　accuse　any　one　of　extreme
insufficiency；　they　would　say；　in　common　proverb；　that　he　could　neither
read　nor　swim；　he　was　of　the　same　opinion；　that　swimming　was　of　great　use
in　war；　and　himself　found　it　so；　for　when　he　had　to　use　diligence；　he
commonly　swam　over　the　rivers　in　his　way；　for　he　loved　to　march　on　foot；
as　also　did　Alexander　the　Great。　　Being　in　Egypt　forced；　to　save　himself；
to　go　into　a　little　boat；　and　so　many　people　leaping　in　with　him　that　it
was　in　danger　of　sinking；　he　chose　rather　to　commit　himself　to　the　sea；
and　swam　to　his　fleet；　which　lay　two　hundred　paces　off；　holding　in　his
left　hand　his　tablets；　and　drawing　his　coatarmour　in　his　teeth；　that　it
might　not　fall　into　the　enemy's　hand；　and　at　this　time　he　was　of　a　pretty
advanced　age。

Never　had　any　general　so　much　credit　with　his　soldiers：　in　the　beginning
of　the　civil　wars；　his　centurions　offered　him　to　find　every　one　a　man…at…
arms　at　his　own　charge；　and　the　foot　soldiers　to　serve　him　at　their　own
expense；　those　who　were　most　at　their　ease；　moreover；　undertaking　to
defray　the　more　necessitous。　　The　late　Admiral　Chastillon

　　　　　＇Gaspard　de　Coligny；　assassinated　　in　the　St。　Bartholomew
　　　　　massacre；　24th　August　1572。＇

showed　us　the　like　example　in　our　civil　wars；　for　the　French　of　his　army
provided　money　out　of　their　own　purses　to　pay　the　foreigners　that　were
with　him。　　There　are　but　rarely　found　examples　of　so　ardent　and　so　ready
an　affection　amongst　the　soldiers　of　elder　times；　who　kept　themselves
strictly　to　their　rules　of　war：　passion　has　a　more　absolute　command　over
us　than　reason；　and　yet　it　happened　in　the　war　against　Hannibal；　that　by
the　example　of　the　people　of　Rome　in　the　city；　the　soldiers　and　captains
refused　their　pay　in　the　army；　and　in　Marcellus'　camp　those　were　branded
with　the　name　of　Mercenaries　who　would　receive　any。　　Having　got　the　worst
of　it　near　Dyrrachium；　his　soldiers　came　and　offered　themselves　to　be
chastised　and　punished；　so　that　there　was　more　need　to　comfort　than
reprove　them。　　One　single　cohort　of　his　withstood　four　of　Pompey's
legions　above　four　hours　together；　till　they　were　almost　all　killed　with
arrows；　so　that　there　were　a　hundred　and　thirty　thousand　shafts　found　in
the　trenches。　　A　soldier　called　Scaeva；　who　commanded　at　one　of　the
avenues；　invincibly　maintained　his　ground；　having　lost　an　eye；　with　one
shoulder　and　one　thigh　shot　through；　and　his　shield　hit　in　two　hundred
and　thirty　places。　It　happened　that　many　of　his　soldiers　being　taken
prisoners；　rather　chose　to　die　than　promise　to　join　the　contrary　side。
Granius　Petronius　was　taken　by　Scipio　in　Africa：　Scipio　having　put　the
rest　to　death；　sent　him　word　that　he　gave　him　his　life；　for　he　was　a　man
of　quality　and　quaestor；　to　whom　Petronius　sent　answer　back；　that
Caesar's　soldiers　were　wont　to　give　others　their　life；　and　not　to　receive
it；　and　immediately　with　his　own　hand　killed　himself。

Of　their　fidelity　there　are　infinite　examples　amongst　them；　that　which
was　done　by　those　who　were　besieged　in　Salona；　a　city　that　stood　for
Caesar　against　Pompey；　is　not；　for　the　rarity　of　an　accident　that　there
happened；　to　be　forgotten。　　Marcus　Octavius　kept　them　close　besieged；
they　within　being　reduced　to　the　extremest　necessity　of　all　things；　so
that　to　supply　the　want　of　men；　most　of　them　being　either　slain　or
wounded；　they　had　manumitted　all　their　slaves；　and　had　been　constrained
to　cut　off　all　the　women's　hair　to　make　ropes　for　their　war　engines；
besides　a　wonderful　dearth　of　victuals；　and　yet　continuing　resolute　never
to　yield。　　After　having　drawn　the　siege　to　a　great　length；　by　which
Octavius　was　grown　more　negligent　and　less　attentive　to　his　enterprise；
they　made　choice　of　one　day　about　noon；　and　having　first　placed　the　women
and　children　upon　the　walls　to　make　a　show；　sallied　upon　the　besiegers
with　such　fury；　that　having　routed　the　first；　second；　and　third　body；　and
afterwards　the　fourth；　and　the　rest；　and　beaten　them　all　out　of　their
trenches；　they　pursued　them　even　to　their　ships；　and　Octavius　himself　was
fain　to　fly　to　Dyrrachium；　where　Pompey　lay。　　I　do　not　at　present
remember　that　I　have　met　with　any　other　example　where　the　besieged　ever
gave　the　besieger　a　total　defeat　and　won　the　field；　nor　that　a　sortie
ever　achieved　the　result　of　a　pure　and　entire　victory。




CHAPTER　XXXV

OF　THREE　GOOD