the essays of montaigne, v1-第4节

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employing　all　his　time　in　making　excursions　bout　the　neighbourhood　on
horseback　or　on　foot；　in　visits；　in　observations　of　every　kind。　　The
churches；　the　stations；　the　processions　even；　the　sermons；　then　the
palaces；　the　vineyards；　the　gardens；　the　public　amusements；　as　the
Carnival；　&c。nothing　was　overlooked。　　He　saw　a　Jewish　child
circumcised；　and　wrote　down　a　most　minute　account　of　the　operation。　　He
met　at　San　Sisto　a　Muscovite　ambassador；　the　second　who　had　come　to　Rome
since　the　pontificate　of　Paul　III。　　This　minister　had　despatches　from　his
court　for　Venice；　addressed　to　the　'Grand　Governor　of　the　Signory'。　　The
court　of　Muscovy　had　at　that　time　such　limited　relations　with　the　other
powers　of　Europe；　and　it　was　so　imperfect　in　its　information；　that　it
thought　Venice　to　be　a　dependency　of　the　Holy　See。〃

Of　all　the　particulars　with　which　he　has　furnished　us　during　his　stay　at
Rome；　the　following　passage　in　reference　to　the　Essays　is　not　the　least
singular：　〃The　Master　of　the　Sacred　Palace　returned　him　his　Essays；
castigated　in　accordance　with　the　views　of　the　learned　monks。　　'He　had
only　been　able　to　form　a　judgment　of　them；'　said　he；　'through　a　certain
French　monk；　not　understanding　French　himself'〃we　leave　Montaigne
himself　to　tell　the　story〃and　he　received　so　complacently　my　excuses
and　explanations　on　each　of　the　passages　which　had　been　animadverted　upon
by　the　French　monk；　that　he　concluded　by　leaving　me　at　liberty　to　revise
the　text　agreeably　to　the　dictates　of　my　own　conscience。　　I　begged　him；
on　the　contrary；　to　abide　by　the　opinion　of　the　person　who　had　criticised
me；　confessing；　among　other　matters；　as；　for　example；　in　my　use　of　the
word　fortune；　in　quoting　historical　poets；　in　my　apology　for　Julian；　in
my　animadversion　on　the　theory　that　he　who　prayed　ought　to　be　exempt　from
vicious　inclinations　for　the　time　being；　item；　in　my　estimate　of　cruelty；
as　something　beyond　simple　death；　item；　in　my　view　that　a　child　ought　to
be　brought　up　to　do　everything；　and　so　on；　that　these　were　my　opinions；
which　I　did　not　think　wrong；　as　to　other　things；　I　said　that　the
corrector　understood　not　my　meaning。　　The　Master；　who　is　a　clever　man；
made　many　excuses　for　me；　and　gave　me　to　suppose　that　he　did　not　concur
in　the　suggested　improvements；　and　pleaded　very　ingeniously　for　me　in　my
presence　against　another　（also　an　Italian）　who　opposed　my　sentiments。〃

Such　is　what　passed　between　Montaigne　and　these　two　personages　at　that
time；　but　when　the　Essayist　was　leaving；　and　went　to　bid　them　farewell；
they　used　very　different　language　to　him。　　〃They　prayed　me；〃　says　he；
〃to　pay　no　attention　to　the　censure　passed　on　my　book；　in　which　other
French　persons　had　apprised　them　that　there　were　many　foolish　things；
adding；　that　they　honoured　my　affectionate　intention　towards　the　Church；
and　my　capacity；　and　had　so　high　an　opinion　of　my　candour　and
conscientiousness　that　they　should　leave　it　to　me　to　make　such
alterations　as　were　proper　in　the　book；　when　I　reprinted　it；　among　other
things；　the　word　fortune。　　To　excuse　themselves　for　what　they　had　said
against　my　book；　they　instanced　works　of　our　time　by　cardinals　and　other
divines　of　excellent　repute　which　had　been　blamed　for　similar　faults；
which　in　no　way　affected　reputation　of　the　author；　or　of　the　publication
as　a　whole；　they　requested　me　to　lend　the　Church　the　support　of　my
eloquence　（this　was　their　fair　speech）；　and　to　make　longer　stay　in　the
place；　where　I　should　be　free　from　all　further　intrusion　on　their　part。
It　seemed　to　me　that　we　parted　very　good　friends。〃

Before　quitting　Rome；　Montaigne　received　his　diploma　of　citizenship；　by
which　he　was　greatly　flattered；　and　after　a　visit　to　Tivoli　he　set　out
for　Loretto；　stopping　at　Ancona；　Fano；　and　Urbino。　　He　arrived　at　the
beginning　of　May　1581；　at　Bagno　della　Villa；　where　he　established
himself；　order　to　try　the　waters。　　There；　we　find　in　the　Journal；　of　his
own　accord　the　Essayist　lived　in　the　strictest　conformity　with　the
regime；　and　henceforth　we　only　hear　of　diet；　the　effect　which　the　waters
had　by　degrees　upon　system；　of　the　manner　in　which　he　took　them；　in　a
word；　he　does　not　omit　an　item　of　the　circumstances　connected　with　his
daily　routine；　his　habit　of　body；　his　baths；　and　the　rest。　　It　was　no
longer　the　journal　of　a　traveller　which　he　kept；　but　the　diary　of　an
invalid；＇〃I　am　reading　Montaigne's　Travels；　which　have　lately　been
found；　there　is　little　in　them　but　the　baths　and　medicines　he　took；　and
what　he　had　everywhere　for　dinner。〃H。　　Walpole　to　Sir　Horace　Mann；　June
8；　1774。＇　attentive　to　the　minutest　details　of　the　cure　which　he　was
endeavouring　to　accomplish：　a　sort　of　memorandum　book；　in　which　he　was
noting　down　everything　that　he　felt　and　did；　for　the　benefit　of　his
medical　man　at　home；　who　would　have　the　care　of　his　health　on　his　return；
and　the　attendance　on　his　subsequent　infirmities。　　Montaigne　gives　it　as
his　reason　and　justification　for　enlarging　to　this　extent　here；　that　he
had　omitted；　to　his　regret；　to　do　so　in　his　visits　to　other　baths；　which
might　have　saved　him　the　trouble　of　writing　at　such　great　length　now；　but
it　is　perhaps　a　better　reason　in　our　eyes；　that　what　he　wrote　he　wrote
for　his　own　use。

We　find　in　these　accounts；　however；　many　touches　which　are　valuable　as
illustrating　the　manners　of　the　place。　　The　greater　part　of　the　entries
in　the　Journal；　giving　the　account　of　these　waters；　and　of　the　travels；
down　to　Montaigne's　arrival　at　the　first　French　town　on　his　homeward
route；　are　in　Italian；　because　he　wished　to　exercise　himself　in　that
language。

The　minute　and　constant　watchfulness　of　Montaigne　over　his　health　and
over　himself　might　lead　one　to　suspect　that　excessive　fear　of　death　which
degenerates　into　cowardice。　　But　was　it　not　rather　the　fear　of　the
operation　for　the　stone；　at　that　time　really　formidable？　　Or　perhaps　he
was　of　the　same　way　of　thinking　with　the　Greek　poet；　of　whom　Cicero
reports　this　saying：　〃I　do　not　desire　to　die；　but　the　thought　of　being
dead　is　indifferent　to　me。〃　　Let　us　hear；　however；　what　he　says　himself
on　this　point　very　frankly：　〃It　would　be　too　weak　and　unmanly　on　my　part
if；　certain　as　I　am　of　always　finding　myself　in　the　position　of　having　to
succumb　in　that　way；＇To　the　stone　or　gravel。＇　and　death　coming　nearer
and　nearer　to　me；　I　did　not　make　some　effort；　before　the　time　came；　to
bear　the　trial　with　fortitude。　　For　reason　prescribes　that　we　should
joyfully　accept　what　it　may　please　God　to　send　us。　　Therefore　the　only
remedy；　the　only　rule；　and　the　sole　doctrine　for　avoiding　the　evils　by
which　mankind　is　surrounded；　whatever　they　are；　is　to　resolve　to　bear
them　so　far　as　our　nature　permits；　or　to　put　an　end　to　them　courageously
and　promptly。〃

He　was　still　at　the　waters　of　La　Villa；　when；　on　the　7th　September　1581；
he　learned　by　letter　that　he　had　been　elected　Mayor　of　Bordeaux　on　the
1st　August　preceding。　　This　intelligence　made　him　hasten　his　departure；
and　from　Lucca　he　proceeded　to　Rome。　　He　again　made　some　stay　in　that
city；　and　he　there　received　the　letter　of　the　jurats　of　Bordeaux；
notifying　to　him　officially　his　election　to　the　Mayoralty；　and　inviting
him　to　return　as　speedily　as　possible。　　He　left　for　France；　accompanied
by　young　D'Estissac　and　several　other　gentlemen；　who　escorted　him　a
considerable　distance；　but　none　went　back　to　France　with　him；　not　even
his　travelling　companion。　　He　passed　by　Padua；　Milan；　Mont　Cenis；　and
Chambery；　thence　he　went　on　to　Lyons；　and　lost　no　time　in　repairing　to
his　chateau；　after　an　absence　of　seventeen　months　and　eight　days。

We　have　just　seen　that；　during　his　absence　in　Italy；　the　author　of　the
Essays　was　elected　mayor　of　Bordeaux。　　〃The　gentlemen　of　Bordeaux；〃　says
he；　〃elected　me　Mayor　of　their　town　while　I　was　at　a　distance　from
France；　and　far　from　the　thought　of　such　a　thing。　　I　excused　myself；　but
they　gave　to　understand　that　I　was　wrong　in　so　doing；　it　being　also　the
command　of　the　king　that　I　should　stand。〃　　This　the　letter　which　Henry
III。　wrote　to　him　on　the　occasion：

MONSIEUR；　DE　MONTAIGNE；Inasmuch　as　I　hold　in　great　esteem　your　fidelity
and　zealous　devotion　to　my　service；　it　has　been　a　pleasure　to　me　to　learn
that　you　have　been　chosen　mayor　of　my　town　of　Bordeaux。　　I　have　had　the
agreeable　duty　of　confirming　the　selection；　and　I　did　so　the　more
willingly；　seeing　that　it　was　made　during　your　distant　absence；　wherefore
it　is　my　desire；　and　I　require　and　command　you　expressly　that　you　proceed
without　delay　to　enter　on　the　duties　to　which　you　have　received　so
legitimate　a　call。　　And　so　you　will　act　in　a　manner　very　agreeable　to　me；
while　the　contrary　will　displease　me　greatly。　　Praying　God；　M。　de
Montaigne；　to　have　you　in　his　holy　keeping。

〃Written　at　Paris；　the　25th　day　of　November　1581。

〃HENRI。

〃A　Monsieur　de　MONTAIGNE；
Knight　of　my　Order；　Gentleman　in　Ordinary　of　my
Chamber；　being　at　present　in　Rome。〃

Montaigne；　in　his　new　employment；　the　most　important　in　the　province；
obeyed　the　axiom；　that　a　man　may　not　refuse　a　duty；　though　it　absorb　his
time　and　attention；　and　even　involve　the　sacrifice　of　his　blood。　　Placed
between　two　extreme　parties；　ever　on　the　point　of　getting　to　bl