the essays of montaigne, v12-第13节

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exploit。




CHAPTER　XXX。

OF　A　MONSTROUS　CHILD

This　story　shall　go　by　itself；　for　I　will　leave　it　to　physicians　to
discourse　of。　　Two　days　ago　I　saw　a　child　that　two　men　and　a　nurse；　who
said　they　were　the　father；　the　uncle；　and　the　aunt　of　it；　carried　about
to　get　money　by　showing　it；　by　reason　it　was　so　strange　a　creature。　　It
was；　as　to　all　the　rest；　of　a　common　form；　and　could　stand　upon　its　feet；
could　go　and　gabble　much　like　other　children　of　the　same　age；　it　had
never　as　yet　taken　any　other　nourishment　but　from　the　nurse's　breasts；
and　what；　in　my　presence；　they　tried　to　put　into　the　mouth　of　it；　it　only
chewed　a　little　and　spat　it　out　again　without　swallowing；　the　cry　of　it
seemed　indeed　a　little　odd　and　particular；　and　it　was　just　fourteen
months　old。　　Under　the　breast　it　was　joined　to　another　child；　but　without
a　head；　and　which　had　the　spine　of　the　back　without　motion；　the　rest
entire；　for　though　it　had　one　arm　shorter　than　the　other；　it　had　been
broken　by　accident　at　their　birth；　they　were　joined　breast　to　breast；　and
as　if　a　lesser　child　sought　to　throw　its　arms　about　the　neck　of　one
something　bigger。　　The　juncture　and　thickness　of　the　place　where　they
were　conjoined　was　not　above　four　fingers；　or　thereabouts；　so　that　if　you
thrust　up　the　imperfect　child　you　might　see　the　navel　of　the　other　below
it；　and　the　joining　was　betwixt　the　paps　and　the　navel。　　The　navel　of　the
imperfect　child　could　not　be　seen；　but　all　the　rest　of　the　belly；　so　that
all　that　was　not　joined　of　the　imperfect　one；　as　arms；　buttocks；　thighs；
and　legs；　hung　dangling　upon　the　other；　and　might　reach　to　the　mid…leg。
The　nurse；　moreover；　told　us　that　it　urined　at　both　bodies；　and　that　the
members　of　the　other　were　nourished；　sensible；　and　in　the　same　plight
with　that　she　gave　suck　to；　excepting　that　they　were　shorter　and　less。
This　double　body　and　several　limbs　relating　to　one　head　might　be
interpreted　a　favourable　prognostic　to　the　king；＇Henry　III。＇　of
maintaining　these　various　parts　of　our　state　under　the　union　of　his　laws；
but　lest　the　event　should　prove　otherwise；　'tis　better　to　let　it　alone；
for　in　things　already　past　there　needs　no　divination；

　　　　　　　　　　〃Ut　quum　facts　sunt；　tum　ad　conjecturam
　　　　　　　　　　aliqui　interpretatione　revocentur；〃

　　　　　＇〃So　as　when　they　are　come　to　pass；　they　may　then　by　some
　　　　　interpretation　be　recalled　to　conjecture〃
　　　　　Cicero；　De　Divin。；　ii。　31。＇

as　'tis　said　of　Epimenides；　that　he　always　prophesied　backward。

I　have　just　seen　a　herdsman　in　Medoc；　of　about　thirty　years　of　age；　who
has　no　sign　of　any　genital　parts；　he　has　three　holes　by　which　he
incessantly　voids　his　water；　he　is　bearded；　has　desire；　and　seeks　contact
with　women。

Those　that　we　call　monsters　are　not　so　to　God；　who　sees　in　the　immensity
of　His　work　the　infinite　forms　that　He　has　comprehended　therein；　and　it
is　to　be　believed　that　this　figure　which　astonishes　us　has　relation　to
some　other　figure　of　the　same　kind　unknown　to　man。　　From　His　all　wisdom
nothing　but　good；　common；　and　regular　proceeds；　but　we　do　not　discern　the
disposition　and　relation：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Quod　crebro　videt；　non　miratur；　etiamsi；
　　　　　　　　　　cur　fiat；　nescit。　　Quod　ante　non　vidit；　id；
　　　　　　　　　　si　evenerit；　ostentum　esse　censet。〃

　　　　　＇〃What　he　often　sees　he　does　not　admire；　though　he　be　ignorant　how
　　　　　it　comes　to　pass。　　When　a　thing　happens　he　never　saw　before；　he
　　　　　thinks　that　it　is　a　portent。〃Cicero；　De　Divin。；　ii。　　22。＇

Whatever　falls　out　contrary　to　custom　we　say　is　contrary　to　nature；　but
nothing；　whatever　it　be；　is　contrary　to　her。　　Let；　therefore；　this
universal　and　natural　reason　expel　the　error　and　astonishment　that
novelty　brings　along　with　it。




CHAPTER　XXXI

OF　ANGER

Plutarch　is　admirable　throughout；　but　especially　where　he　judges　of　human
actions。　　What　fine　things　does　he　say　in　the　comparison　of　Lycurgus　and
Numa　upon　the　subject　of　our　great　folly　in　abandoning　children　to　the
care　and　government　of　their　fathers？　　The　most　of　our　civil　governments；
as　Aristotle　says；〃　leave；　after　the　manner　of　the　Cyclopes；　to　every　one
the　ordering　of　their　wives　and　children；　according　to　their　own　foolish
and　indiscreet　fancy；　and　the　Lacedaemonian　and　Cretan　are　almost　the
only　governments　that　have　committed　the　education　of　children　to　the
laws。　　Who　does　not　see　that　in　a　state　all　depends　upon　their　nurture
and　bringing　up？　and　yet　they　are　left　to　the　mercy　of　parents；　let　them
be　as　foolish　and　ill…conditioned　as　they　may；　without　any　manner　of
discretion。

Amongst　other　things；　how　often　have　I；　as　I　have　passed　along　our
streets；　had　a　good　mind　to　get　up　a　farce；　to　revenge　the　poor　boys　whom
I　have　seen　hided；　knocked　down；　and　miserably　beaten　by　some　father　or
mother；　when　in　their　fury　and　mad　with　rage？　　You　shall　see　them　come
out　with　fire　and　fury　sparkling　in　their　eyes：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Rabie　jecur　incendente；　feruntur；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Praecipites；　ut　saxa　jugis　abrupta；　quibus　mons
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Subtrahitur；　clivoque　latus　pendente　recedit；〃

　　　　　＇〃They　are　headlong　borne　with　burning　fury　as　great　stones　torn
　　　　　from　the　mountains；　by　which　the　steep　sides　are　left　naked　and
　　　　　bare。〃Juvenal；　Sat。；　vi。　647。＇

（and　according　to　Hippocrates；　the　most　dangerous　maladies　are　they　that
disfigure　the　countenance）；　with　a　roaring　and　terrible　voice；　very　often
against　those　that　are　but　newly　come　from　nurse；　and　there　they　are
lamed　and　spoiled　with　blows；　whilst　our　justice　takes　no　cognisance　of
it；　as　if　these　maims　and　dislocations　were　not　executed　upon　members　of
our　commonwealth：

　　　　　　　　　〃Gratum　est；　quod　patria；　civem　populoque　dedisti；
　　　　　　　　　　Si　facis；　ut　patrix　sit　idoneus；　utilis　agris；
　　　　　　　　　　Utilis　et　bellorum　et　pacis　rebus　agendis。〃

　　　　　＇〃It　is　well　when　to　thy　country　and　the　people　thou　hast　given　a
　　　　　citizen；　provided　thou　make　fit　for　his　country's　service；　useful　to
　　　　　till　the　earth；　useful　in　affairs　of　war　and　peace〃
　　　　　Juvenal；　Sat。；　xiv。　70。＇

There　is　no　passion　that　so　much　transports　men　from　their　right　judgment
as　anger。　　No　one　would　demur　upon　punishing　a　judge　with　death　who
should　condemn　a　criminal　on　the　account　of　his　own　choler；　why；　then；
should　fathers　and　pedagogues　be　any　more　allowed　to　whip　and　chastise
children　in　their　anger？　　'Tis　then　no　longer　correction；　but　revenge。
Chastisement　is　instead　of　physic　to　children；　and　would　we　endure　a
physician　who　should　be　animated　against　and　enraged　at　his　patient？

We　ourselves；　to　do　well；　should　never　lay　a　hand　upon　our　servants
whilst　our　anger　lasts。　　When　the　pulse　beats；　and　we　feel　emotion　in
ourselves；　let　us　defer　the　business；　things　will　indeed　appear　otherwise
to　us　when　we　are　calm　and　cool。　　'Tis　passion　that　then　commands；　'tis
passion　that　speaks；　and　not　we。　　Faults　seen　through　passion　appear　much
greater　to　us　than　they　really　are；　as　bodies　do　when　seen　through　a
mist。　　He　who　is　hungry　uses　meat；　but　he　who　will　make　use　of
chastisement　should　have　neither　hunger　nor　thirst　to　it。　　And；　moreover；
chastisements　that　are　inflicted　with　weight　and　discretion　are　much
better　received　and　with　greater　benefit　by　him　who　suffers；　otherwise；
he　will　not　think　himself　justly　condemned　by　a　man　transported　with
anger　and　fury；　and　will　allege　his　master's　excessive　passion；　his
inflamed　countenance；　his　unwonted　oaths；　his　emotion　and　precipitous
rashness；　for　his　own　justification：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ora　tument　ira；　nigrescunt　sanguine　venae；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Lumina　Gorgoneo　saevius　igne　micant。〃

　　　　　＇〃Their　faces　swell；　their　veins　grow　black　with　rage；　and　their
　　　　　eyes　sparkle　with　Gorgonian　fire。〃Ovid；　De　Art。　Amandi；　iii。　503。＇

Suetonius　reports　that　Caius　Rabirius　having　been　condemned　by　Caesar；
the　thing　that　most　prevailed　upon　the　people　（to　whom　he　had　appealed）
to　determine　the　cause　in　his　favour；　was　the　animosity　and　vehemence
that　Caesar　had　manifested　in　that　sentence。

Saying　is　a　different　thing　from　doing；　we　are　to　consider　the　sermon
apart　and　the　preacher　apart。　　These　men　lent　themselves　to　a　pretty
business　who　in　our　times　have　attempted　to　shake　the　truth　of　our　Church
by　the　vices　of　her　ministers；　she　extracts　her　testimony　elsewhere；　'tis
a　foolish　way　of　arguing　and　that　would　throw　all　things　into　confusion。
A　man　whose　morals　are　good　may　have　false　opinions；　and　a　wicked　man　may
preach　truth；　even　though　he　believe　it　not　himself。　　'Tis　doubtless　a
fine　harmony　when　doing　and　saying　go　together；　and　I　will　not　deny　but
that　saying；　when　the　actions　follow；　is　not　of　greater　authority　and
efficacy；　as　Eudamidas　said；　hearing　a　philosopher　talk　of　military
affairs：　〃These　things　are　finely　said；　but　he　who　speaks　them　is　not　to
be　believed　for　his　ears　have　never　been　used　to　the　sound　of　the
trumpet。〃　　And　Cleomenes；　hearing　an　orator　declaiming　upon　valour；　burst
out　into　laughter；　at　which　the　other　being　angry；　〃I　should；〃　said　he　to
him；　〃do　the　same　if　it　were　a　swallow　that　spoke　of　this　subject；　but　if
it　were　an　eagle　I　should　willingly　hear　him。〃　　I　perceive；　methinks；　in
the　writings　of　the　ancients；　that　he　who　speaks　w