the essays of montaigne, v12-第10节

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their　capacity　to　invent　the　most　lingering　deaths。　　They　will　have　their
enemies　despatched；　but　not　so　fast　that　they　may　not　have　leisure　to
taste　their　vengeance。　　And　therein　they　are　mightily　perplexed；　for　if
the　torments　they　inflict　are　violent；　they　are　short；　if　long；　they　are
not　then　so　painful　as　they　desire；　and　thus　plague　themselves　in　choice
of　the　greatest　cruelty。　　Of　this　we　have　a　thousand　examples　in
antiquity；　and　I　know　not　whether　we；　unawares；　do　not　retain　some　traces
of　this　barbarity。

All　that　exceeds　a　simple　death　appears　to　me　absolute　cruelty。　　Our
justice　cannot　expect　that　he；　whom　the　fear　of　dying　by　being　beheaded
or　hanged　will　not　restrain；　should　be　any　more　awed　by　the　imagination
of　a　languishing　fire；　pincers；　or　the　wheel。　　And　I　know　not；　in　the
meantime；　whether　we　do　not　throw　them　into　despair；　for　in　what
condition　can　be　the　soul　of　a　man；　expecting　four…and…twenty　hours
together　to　be　broken　upon　a　wheel；　or　after　the　old　way；　nailed　to　a
cross？　　Josephus　relates　that　in　the　time　of　the　war　the　Romans　made　in
Judaea；　happening　to　pass　by　where　they　had　three　days　before　crucified
certain　Jews；　he　amongst　them　knew　three　of　his　own　friends；　and　obtained
the　favour　of　having　them　taken　down；　of　whom　two；　he　says；　died；　the
third　lived　a　great　while　after。

Chalcondylas；　a　writer　of　good　credit；　in　the　records　he　has　left　behind
him　of　things　that　happened　in　his　time；　and　near　him；　tells　us；　as　of
the　most　excessive　torment；　of　that　the　Emperor　Mohammed　very　often
practised；　of　cutting　off　men　in　the　middle　by　the　diaphragm　with　one
blow　of　a　scimitar；　whence　it　followed　that　they　died　as　it　were　two
deaths　at　once；　and　both　the　one　part；　says　he；　and　the　other；　were　seen
to　stir　and　strive　a　great　while　after　in　very　great　torment。　　I　do　not
think　there　was　any　great　suffering　in　this　motion　the　torments　that　are
the　most　dreadful　to　look　on　are　not　always　the　greatest　to　endure；　and　I
find　those　that　other　historians　relate　to　have　been　practised　by　him
upon　the　Epirot　lords；　are　more　horrid　and　cruel；　where　they　were
condemned　to　be　flayed　alive　piecemeal；　after　so　malicious　a　manner　that
they　continued　fifteen　days　in　that　misery。

And　these　other　two：　Croesus；　having　caused　a　gentleman；　the　favourite　of
his　brother　Pantaleon；　to　be　seized；　carried　him　into　a　fuller's　shop；
where　he　caused　him　to　be　scratched　and　carded　with　the　cards　and　combs
belonging　to　that　trade；　till　he　died。　　George　Sechel；　chief　commander　of
the　peasants　of　Poland；　who　committed　so　many　mischiefs　under　the　title
of　the　Crusade；　being　defeated　in　battle　and　taken　bu　the　Vayvode　of
Transylvania；　was　three　days　bound　naked　upon　the　rack　exposed　to　all
sorts　of　torments　that　any　one　could　contrive　against　him：　during　which
time　many　other　prisoners　were　kept　fasting；　in　the　end；　he　living　and
looking　on；　they　made　his　beloved　brother　Lucat；　for　whom　alone　he
entreated；　taking　on　himself　the　blame　of　all　their　evil　actions　drink
his　blood；　and　caused　twenty　of　his　most　favoured　captains　to　feed　upon
him；　tearing　his　flesh　in　pieces　with　their　teeth；　and　swallowing　the
morsels。　　The　remainder　of　his　body　and　his　bowels；　so　soon　as　he　was
dead；　were　boiled；　and　others　of　his　followers　compelled　to　eat　them。




CHAPTER　XXVIII

ALL　THINGS　HAVE　THEIR　SEASON

Such　as　compare　Cato　the　Censor　with　the　younger　Cato；　who　killed
himself；　compare　two　beautiful　natures；　much　resembling　one　another。
The　first　acquired　his　reputation　several　ways；　and　excels　in　military
exploits　and　the　utility　of　his　public　employments；　but　the　virtue　of　the
younger；　besides　that　it　were　blasphemy　to　compare　any　to　it　in　vigour；
was　much　more　pure　and　unblemished。　　For　who　could　absolve　that　of　the
Censor　from　envy　and　ambition；　having　dared　to　attack　the　honour　of
Scipio；　a　man　in　goodness　and　all　other　excellent　qualities　infinitely
beyond　him　or　any　other　of　his　time？

That　which　they；　report　of　him；　amongst　other　things；　that　in　his　extreme
old　age　he　put　himself　upon　learning　the　Greek　tongue　with　so　greedy　an
appetite；　as　if　to　quench　a　long　thirst；　does　not　seem　to　me　to　make　much
for　his　honour；　it　being　properly　what　we　call　falling　into　second
childhood。　　All　things　have　their　seasons；　even　good　ones；　and　I　may　say
my　Paternoster　out　of　time；　as　they　accused　T。　Quintus　Flaminius；　that
being　general　of　an　army；　he　was　seen　praying　apart　in　the　time　of　a
battle　that　he　won。

　　　　　　　　　　〃Imponit　finem　sapiens　et　rebus　honestis。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　wise　man　limits　even　honest　things。〃Juvenal；　vi。　444＇

Eudemonidas；　seeing　Xenocrates　when　very　old；　still　very　intent　upon　his
school　lectures：　〃When　will　this　man　be　wise；〃　said　he；　〃if　he　is　yet
learning？〃　　And　Philopaemen；　to　those　who　extolled　King　Ptolemy　for　every
day　inuring　his　person　to　the　exercise　of　arms：　〃It　is　not；〃　said　he；
〃commendable　in　a　king　of　his　age　to　exercise　himself　in　these　things；　he
ought　now　really　to　employ　them。〃　　The　young　are　to　make　their
preparations；　the　old　to　enjoy　them；　say　the　sages：　and　the　greatest　vice
they　observe　in　us　is　that　our　desires　incessantly　grow　young　again；　we
are　always　re…beginning　to　live。

Our　studies　and　desires　should　sometime　be　sensible　of　age；　yet　we　have
one　foot　in　the　grave　and　still　our　appetites　and　pursuits　spring　every
day　anew　within　us：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Tu　secanda　marmora
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Locas　sub　ipsum　funus；　et；　sepulcri
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Immemor；　struis　domos。〃

　　　　　＇〃You　against　the　time　of　death　have　marble　cut　for　use；　and；
　　　　　forgetful　of　the　tomb；　build　houses。〃Horace；　Od。；　ii。　18；　17。＇

The　longest　of　my　designs　is　not　of　above　a　year's　extent；　I　think　of
nothing　now　but　ending；　rid　myself　of　all　new　hopes　and　enterprises；　take
my　last　leave　of　every　place　I　depart　from；　and　every　day　dispossess
myself　of　what　I　have。

　　　　　　　　　　〃Olim　jam　nec　perit　quicquam　mihi；　nec　acquiritur。。。。
　　　　　　　　　　plus　superest　viatici　quam　viae。〃

　　　　　＇〃Henceforward　I　will　neither　lose；　nor　expect　to　get：　I　have　more
　　　　　wherewith　to　defray　my　journey；　than　I　have　way　to　go。〃　　（Or）：
　　　　　〃Hitherto　nothing　of　me　has　been　lost　or　gained；　more　remains　to　pay
　　　　　the　way　than　there　is　way。〃Seneca；　Ep。；　77。　　（The　sense　seems　to
　　　　　be　that　so　far　he　had　met　his　expenses；　but　that　for　the　future　he
　　　　　was　likely　to　have　more　than　he　required。）＇

　　　　　　　　　　〃Vixi；　et；　quem　dederat　cursum　fortuna；　peregi。〃

　　　　　＇〃I　have　lived　and　finished　the　career　Fortune　placed　before　me。〃
　　　　　AEneid；　iv。　653。＇

'Tis　indeed　the　only　comfort　I　find　in　my　old　age；　that　it　mortifies　in
me　several　cares　and　desires　wherewith　my　life　has　been　disturbed；　the
care　how　the　world　goes；　the　care　of　riches；　of　grandeur；　of　knowledge；
of　health；　of　myself。　　There　are　men　who　are　learning　to　speak　at　a　time
when　they　should　learn　to　be　silent　for　ever。　　A　man　may　always　study；
but　he　must　not　always　go　to　school　what　a　contemptible　thing　is　an　old
Abecedarian！＇Seneca；　Ep。　36＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Diversos　diversa　juvant；　non　omnibus　annis
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Omnia　conveniunt。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Various　things　delight　various　men；　all　things　are　not
　　　　　　　　　　for　all　ages。〃Gall。；　Eleg。；　i。　104。＇

If　we　must　study；　let　us　study　what　is　suitable　to　our　present　condition；
that　we　may　answer　as　he　did；　who　being　asked　to　what　end　he　studied　in
his　decrepit　age；　〃that　I　may　go　out　better；〃　said　he；　〃and　at　greater
ease。〃　　Such　a　study　was　that　of　the　younger　Cato；　feeling　his　end
approach；　and　which　he　met　with　in　Plato's　Discourse　of　the　Eternity　of
the　Soul：　not；　as　we　are　to　believe；　that　he　was　not　long　before
furnished　with　all　sorts　of　provision　for　such　a　departure；　for　of
assurance；　an　established　will　and　instruction；　he　had　more　than　Plato
had　in　all　his　writings；　his　knowledge　and　courage　were　in　this　respect
above　philosophy；　he　applied　himself　to　this　study；　not　for　the　service
of　his　death；　but；　as　a　man　whose　sleeps　were　never　disturbed　in　the
importance　of　such　a　deliberation；　he　also；　without　choice　or　change；
continued　his　studies　with　the　other　accustomary　actions　of　his　life。
The　night　that　he　was　denied　the　praetorship　he　spent　in　play；　that
wherein　he　was　to　die　he　spent　in　reading。　　The　loss　either　of　life
or　of　office　was　all　one　to　him。




CHAPTER　XXIX

OF　VIRTUE

I　find　by　experience；　that　there　is　a　good　deal　to　be　said　betwixt　the
flights　and　emotions　of　the　soul　or　a　resolute　and　constant　habit；　and
very　well　perceive　that　there　is　nothing　we　may　not　do；　nay；　even　to　the
surpassing　the　Divinity　itself；　says　a　certain　person；　forasmuch　as　it　is
more　to　render　a　man's　self　impassible　by　his　own　study　and　industry；
than　to　be　so　by　his　natural　condition；　and　even　to　be　able　to　conjoin　to
man's　imbecility　and　frailty　a　God…like　resolution　and　assurance；　but　it
is　by　fits　and　starts；　and　in　the　lives　of　those　heroes　of　times　past
there　are　sometimes　miraculous　impulses；　and　that　seem　infinitely　to
exceed　our　natural　force；　but　they　are　indeed　only　impulses：　and　'tis
hard　to　believe；　that　these　so　elevated　qualities　in　a　man　can　so
thoroughly　tinct　and　imbue　the　soul　that　they　shou