the essays of montaigne, v12-第11节

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hard　to　believe；　that　these　so　elevated　qualities　in　a　man　can　so
thoroughly　tinct　and　imbue　the　soul　that　they　should　become　ordinary；
and；　as　it　were；　natural　in　him。　　It　accidentally　happens　even　to　us；
who　are　but　abortive　births　of　men；　sometimes　to　launch　our　souls；　when
roused　by　the　discourses　or　examples　of　others；　much　beyond　their
ordinary　stretch；　but　'tis　a　kind　of　passion　which　pushes　and　agitates
them；　and　in　some　sort　ravishes　them　from　themselves：　but；　this
perturbation　once　overcome；　we　see　that　they　insensibly　flag　and　slacken
of　themselves；　if　not　to　the　lowest　degree；　at　least　so　as　to　be　no　more
the　same；　insomuch　as　that　upon　every　trivial　occasion；　the　losing　of　a
bird；　or　the　breaking；　of　a　glass；　we　suffer　ourselves　to　be　moved　little
less　than　one　of　the　common　people。　　I　am　of　opinion；　that　order；
moderation；　and　constancy　excepted；　all　things　are　to　be　done　by　a　man
that　is　very　imperfect　and　defective　in　general。　　Therefore　it　is；　say
the　Sages；　that　to　make　a　right　judgment　of　a　man；　you　are　chiefly　to　pry
into　his　common　actions；　and　surprise　him　in　his　everyday　habit。

Pyrrho；　he　who　erected　so　pleasant　a　knowledge　upon　ignorance；
endeavoured；　as　all　the　rest　who　were　really　philosophers　did；　to　make
his　life　correspond　with　his　doctrine。　　And　because　he　maintained　the
imbecility　of　human　judgment　to　be　so　extreme　as　to　be　incapable　of　any
choice　or　inclination；　and　would　have　it　perpetually　wavering　and
suspended；　considering　and　receiving　all　things　as　indifferent；　'tis
said；　that　he　always　comforted　himself　after　the　same　manner　and
countenance：　if　he　had　begun　a　discourse；　he　would　always　end　what　he　had
to　say；　though　the　person　he　was　speaking　to　had　gone　away：　if　he　walked；
he　never　stopped　for　any　impediment　that　stood　in　his　way；　being
preserved　from　precipices；　collision　with　carts；　and　other　like
accidents；　by　the　care　of　his　friends：　for；　to　fear　or　to　avoid　anything；
had　been　to　shock　his　own　propositions；　which　deprived　the　senses
themselves　of　all　election　and　certainty。　　Sometimes　he　suffered　incision
and　cauteries　with　so　great　constancy　as　never　to　be　seen　so　much　as　to
wince。　　'Tis　something　to　bring　the　soul　to　these　imaginations；　'tis　more
to　join　the　effects；　and　yet　not　impossible；　but　to　conjoin　them　with
such　perseverance　and　constancy　as　to　make　them　habitual；　is　certainly；
in　attempts　so　remote　from　the　common　usage；　almost　incredible　to　be
done。　　Therefore　it　was；　that　being　sometime　taken　in　his　house　sharply
scolding　with　his　sister；　and　being　reproached　that　he　therein
transgressed　his　own　rules　of　indifference：　〃What！〃　said　he；　〃must　this
bit　of　a　woman　also　serve　for　a　testimony　to　my　rules？〃　　Another　time；
being　seen　to　defend　himself　against　a　dog：　〃It　is；〃　said　he；　〃very　hard
totally　to　put　off　man；　and　we　must　endeavour　and　force　ourselves　to
resist　and　encounter　things；　first　by　effects；　but　at　least　by　reason　and
argument。〃

About　seven　or　eight　years　since；　a　husbandman　yet　living；　but　two
leagues　from　my　house；　having　long　been　tormented　with　his　wife's
jealousy；　coming　one　day　home　from　his　work；　and　she　welcoming　him　with
her　accustomed　railing；　entered　into　so　great　fury　that　with　a　sickle　he
had　yet　in　his　hand；　he　totally　cut　off　all　those　parts　that　she　was
jealous　of　and　threw　them　in　her　face。　　And；　'tis　said　that　a　young
gentleman　of　our　nation；　brisk　and　amorous；　having　by　his　perseverance　at
last　mollified　the　heart　of　a　fair　mistress；　enraged；　that　upon　the　point
of　fruition　he　found　himself　unable　to　perform；　and　that；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Nec　viriliter
　　　　　　　　　　Iners　senile　penis　extulit　caput。〃

　　　　　＇（The　19th　or　20th　century　translators　leave　this　phrase
　　　　　untranslated　and　with　no　explanation。　D。W。）
　　　　　Tibullus；　Priap。　　Carm。；　84。＇

as　soon　as　ever　he　came　home　he　deprived　himself　of　the　rebellious
member；　and　sent　it　to　his　mistress；　a　cruel　and　bloody　victim　for　the
expiation　of　his　offence。　　If　this　had　been　done　upon　mature
consideration；　and　upon　the　account　of　religion；　as　the　priests　of　Cybele
did；　what　should　we　say　of　so　high　an　action？

A　few　days　since；　at　Bergerac；　five　leagues　from　my　house；　up　the　river
Dordogne；　a　woman　having　overnight　been　beaten　and　abused　by　her　husband；
a　choleric　ill…conditioned　fellow；　resolved　to　escape　from　his　ill…usage
at　the　price　of　her　life；　and　going　so　soon　as　she　was　up　the　next
morning　to　visit　her　neighbours；　as　she　was　wont　to　do；　and　having　let
some　words　fall　in　recommendation　of　her　affairs；　she　took　a　sister　of
hers　by　the　hand；　and　led　her　to　the　bridge；　whither　being　come；　and
having　taken　leave　of　her；　in　jest　as　it　were；　without　any　manner　of
alteration　in　her　countenance；　she　threw　herself　headlong　from　the　top
into　the　river；　and　was　there　drowned。　　That　which　is　the　most　remarkable
in　this　is；　that　this　resolution　was　a　whole　night　forming　in　her　head。

It　is　quite　another　thing　with　the　Indian　women　for　it　being　the　custom
there　for　the　men　to　have　many　wives；　and　the　best　beloved　of　them　to
kill　herself　at　her　husband's　decease；　every　one　of　them　makes　it　the
business　of　her　whole　life　to　obtain　this　privilege　and　gain　this
advantage　over　her　companions；　and　the　good　offices　they　do　their
husbands　aim　at　no　other　recompense　but　to　be　preferred　in　accompanying
him　in　death：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ubi　mortifero　jacta　est　fax　ultima　lecto；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Uxorum　fusis　stat　pia　turba　comis
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Et　certamen　habent　lethi；　quae　viva　sequatur
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Conjugium：　pudor　est　non　licuisse　mori。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ardent　victrices；　et　flammae　pectora　praebent；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Imponuntque　suis　ora　perusta　viris。〃

　　　　　＇〃For　when　they　threw　the　torch　on　the　funeral　bed；　the　pious　wives
　　　　　with　hair　dishevelled；　stand　around　striving；　which；　living；　shall
　　　　　accompany　her　spouse；　and　are　ashamed　that　they　may　not　die；　they
　　　　　who　are　preferred　expose　their　breasts　to　the　flame；　and　they　lay
　　　　　their　scorched　lips　on　those　of　their　husbands。〃
　　　　　Propertius；　iii。　13；　17。＇

A　certain　author　of　our　times　reports　that　he　has　seen　in　those　Oriental
nations　this　custom　in　practice；　that　not　only　the　wives　bury　themselves
with　their　husbands；　but　even　the　slaves　he　has　enjoyed　also；　which　is
done　after　this　manner：　The　husband　being　dead；　the　widow　may　if　she　will
（but　few　will）　demand　two　or　three　months'　respite　wherein　to　order　her
affairs。　　The　day　being　come；　she　mounts　on　horseback；　dressed　as　fine　as
at　her　wedding；　and　with　a　cheerful　countenance　says　she　is　going　to
sleep　with　her　spouse；　holding　a　looking…glass　in　her　left　hand　and　an
arrow　in　the　other。　　Being　thus　conducted　in　pomp；　accompanied　with　her
kindred　and　friends　and　a　great　concourse　of　people　in　great　joy；　she　is
at　last　brought　to　the　public　place　appointed　for　such　spectacles：　this
is　a　great　space；　in　the　midst　of　which　is　a　pit　full　of　wood；　and
adjoining　to　it　a　mount　raised　four　or　five　steps；　upon　which　she　is
brought　and　served　with　a　magnificent　repast；　which　being　done；　she　falls
to　dancing　and　singing；　and　gives　order；　when　she　thinks　fit；　to　kindle
the　fire。　　This　being　done；　she　descends；　and　taking　the　nearest　of　her
husband's　relations　by　the　hand；　they　walk　to　the　river　close　by；　where
she　strips　herself　stark　naked；　and　having　distributed　her　clothes　and
jewels　to　her　friends；　plunges　herself　into　the　water；　as　if　there　to
cleanse　herself　from　her　sins；　coming　out　thence；　she　wraps　herself　in　a
yellow　linen　of　five…and…twenty　ells　long；　and　again　giving　her　hand　to
this　kinsman　of　her　husband's；　they　return　back　to　the　mount；　where　she
makes　a　speech　to　the　people；　and　recommends　her　children　to　them；　if　she
have　any。　　Betwixt　the　pit　and　the　mount　there　is　commonly　a　curtain
drawn　to　screen　the　burning　furnace　from　their　sight；　which　some　of　them；
to　manifest　the　greater　courage；　forbid。　　Having　ended　what　she　has　to
say；　a　woman　presents　her　with　a　vessel　of　oil；　wherewith　to　anoint　her
head　and　her　whole　body；　which　when　done　with　she　throws　into　the　fire；
and　in　an　instant　precipitates　herself　after。　　Immediately；　the　people
throw　a　good　many　billets　and　logs　upon　her　that　she　may　not　be　long　in
dying；　and　convert　all　their　joy　into　sorrow　and　mourning。　　If　they　are
persons　of　meaner　condition；　the　body　of　the　defunct　is　carried　to　the
place　of　sepulture；　and　there　placed　sitting；　the　widow　kneeling　before
him；　embracing　the　dead　body；　and　they　continue　in　this　posture　whilst
the　people　build　a　wall　about　them；　which　so　soon　as　it　is　raised　to　the
height　of　the　woman's　shoulders；　one　of　her　relations　comes　behind　her；
and　taking　hold　of　her　head；　twists　her　neck；　so　soon　as　she　is　dead；　the
wall　is　presently　raised　up；　and　closed；　and　there　they　remain　entombed。

There　was；　in　this　same　country；　something　like　this　in　their
gymnosophists；　for　not　by　constraint　of　others　nor　by　the　impetuosity　of
a　sudden　humour；　but　by　the　express　profession　of　their　order；　their
custom　was；　as　soon　as　they　arrived　at　a　certain　age；　or　that　they　saw
themselves　threatened　by　any　disease；　to　cause　a　funeral　pile　to　be
erected　for　them；　and　on　the　top　a　stately　bed；