the essays of montaigne, v12-第2节

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wordsnay；　to　lie　against　a　man's　own　knowledge？　　Lying　is　a　base　vice；
a　vice　that　one　of　the　ancients　portrays　in　the　most　odious　colours　when
he　says；　〃that　it　is　to　manifest　a　contempt　of　God；　and　withal　a　fear　of
men。〃　　It　is　not　possible　more　fully　to　represent　the　horror；　baseness；
and　irregularity　of　it；　for　what　can　a　man　imagine　more　hateful　and
contemptible　than　to　be　a　coward　towards　men；　and　valiant　against　his
Maker？　　Our　intelligence　being　by　no　other　way　communicable　to　one
another　but　by　a　particular　word；　he　who　falsifies　that　betrays　public
society。　　'Tis　the　only　way　by　which　we　communicate　our　thoughts　and
wills；　'tis　the　interpreter　of　the　soul；　and　if　it　deceive　us；　we　no
longer　know　nor　have　further　tie　upon　one　another；　if　that　deceive　us；　it
breaks　all　our　correspondence；　and　dissolves　all　the　ties　of　government。
Certain　nations　of　the　newly　discovered　Indies　（I　need　not　give　them
names；　seeing　they　are　no　more；　for；　by　wonderful　and　unheardof　example；
the　desolation　of　that　conquest　has　extended　to　the　utter　abolition　of
names　and　the　ancient　knowledge　of　places）　offered　to　their　gods　human
blood；　but　only　such　as　was　drawn　from　the　tongue　and　ears；　to　expiate
for　the　sin　of　lying；　as　well　heard　as　pronounced。　　That　good　fellow　of
Greece　＇Plutarch；　Life　of　Lysander；　c。　4。＇　said　that　children　are
amused　with　toys　and　men　with　words。

As　to　our　diverse　usages　of　giving　the　lie；　and　the　laws　of　honour　in
that　case；　and　the　alteration　they　have　received；　I　defer　saying　what　I
know　of　them　to　another　time；　and　shall　learn；　if　I　can；　in　the
meanwhile；　at　what　time　the　custom　took　beginning　of　so　exactly　weighing
and　measuring　words；　and　of　making　our　honour　interested　in　them；　for　it
is　easy　to　judge　that　it　was　not　anciently　amongst　the　Romans　and　Greeks。
And　it　has　often　seemed　to　me　strange　to　see　them　rail　at　and　give　one
another　the　lie　without　any　quarrel。　　Their　laws　of　duty　steered　some
other　course　than　ours。　　Caesar　is　sometimes　called　thief；　and　sometimes
drunkard；　to　his　teeth。　　We　see　the　liberty　of　invective　they　practised
upon　one　another；　I　mean　the　greatest　chiefs　of　war　of　both　nations；
where　words　are　only　revenged　with　words；　and　do　not　proceed　any　farther。




CHAPTER　XIX

OF　LIBERTY　OF　CONSCIENCE

'Tis　usual　to　see　good　intentions；　if　carried　on　without　moderation；　push
men　on　to　very　vicious　effects。　　In　this　dispute　which　has　at　this　time
engaged　France　in　a　civil　war；　the　better　and　the　soundest　cause　no　doubt
is　that　which　maintains　the　ancient　religion　and　government　of　the
kingdom。　　Nevertheless；　amongst　the　good　men　of　that　party　（for　I　do　not
speak　of　those　who　only　make　a　pretence　of　it；　either　to　execute　their
own　particular　revenges　or　to　gratify　their　avarice；　or　to　conciliate　the
favour　of　princes；　but　of　those　who　engage　in　the　quarrel　out　of　true
zeal　to　religion　and　a　holy　desire　to　maintain　the　peace　and　government
of　their　country）；　of　these；　I　say；　we　see　many　whom　passion　transports
beyond　the　bounds　of　reason；　and　sometimes　inspires　with　counsels　that
are　unjust　and　violent；　and；　moreover；　rash。

It　is　certain　that　in　those　first　times；　when　our　religion　began　to　gain
authority　with　the　laws；　zeal　armed　many　against　all　sorts　of　pagan
books；　by　which　the　learned　suffered　an　exceeding　great　loss；　a　disorder
that　I　conceive　to　have　done　more　prejudice　to　letters　than　all　the
flames　of　the　barbarians。　　Of　this　Cornelius　Tacitus　is　a　very　good
testimony；　for　though　the　Emperor　Tacitus；　his　kinsman；　had；　by　express
order；　furnished　all　the　libraries　in　the　world　with　it；　nevertheless　one
entire　copy　could　not　escape　the　curious　examination　of　those　who　desired
to　abolish　it　for　only　five　or　six　idle　clauses　that　were　contrary　to　our
belief。

They　had　also　the　trick　easily　to　lend　undue　praises　to　all　the　emperors
who　made　for　us；　and　universally　to　condemn　all　the　actions　of　those　who
were　adversaries；　as　is　evidently　manifest　in　the　Emperor　Julian；
surnamed　the　Apostate；

　　　　　＇The　character　of　the　Emperor　Julian　was　censured；　when　Montaigne
　　　　　was　at　Rome　in　1581；　by　the　Master　of　the　Sacred　Palace；　who；
　　　　　however；　as　Montaigne　tells　us　in　his　journal　（ii。　　35）；　referred　it
　　　　　to　his　conscience　to　alter　what　he　should　think　in　bad　taste。　　This
　　　　　Montaigne　did　not　do；　and　this　chapter　supplied　Voltaire　with　the
　　　　　greater　part　of　the　praises　he　bestowed　upon　the　Emperor。Leclerc。＇

who　was；　in　truth；　a　very　great　and　rare　man；　a　man　in　whose　soul
philosophy　was　imprinted　in　the　best　characters；　by　which　he　professed　to
govern　all　his　actions；　and；　in　truth；　there　is　no　sort　of　virtue　of
which　he　has　not　left　behind　him　very　notable　examples：　in　chastity　（of
which　the　whole　of　his　life　gave　manifest　proof）　we　read　the　same　of　him
that　was　said　of　Alexander　and　Scipio；　that　being　in　the　flower　of　his
age；　for　he　was　slain　by　the　Parthians　at　one…and…thirty；　of　a　great　many
very　beautiful　captives；　he　would　not　so　much　as　look　upon　one。　　As　to
his　justice；　he　took　himself　the　pains　to　hear　the　parties；　and　although
he　would　out　of　curiosity　inquire　what　religion　they　were　of；
nevertheless；　the　antipathy　he　had　to　ours　never　gave　any　counterpoise　to
the　balance。　　He　made　himself　several　good　laws；　and　repealed　a　great
part　of　the　subsidies　and　taxes　levied　by　his　predecessors。

We　have　two　good　historians　who　were　eyewitnesses　of　his　actions：　one　of
whom；　Marcellinus；　in　several　places　of　his　history　sharply　reproves　an
edict　of　his　whereby　he　interdicted　all　Christian　rhetoricians　and
grammarians　to　keep　school　or　to　teach；　and　says　he　could　wish　that　act
of　his　had　been　buried　in　silence：　it　is　probable　that　had　he　done　any
more　severe　thing　against　us；　he；　so　affectionate　as　he　was　to　our　party；
would　not　have　passed　it　over　in　silence。　　He　was　indeed　sharp　against
us；　but　yet　no　cruel　enemy；　for　our　own　people　tell　this　story　of　him；
that　one　day；　walking　about　the　city　of　Chalcedon；　Maris；　bishop　of　the
place；　was　so　bold　as　to　tell　him　that　he　was　impious；　and　an　enemy　to
Christ；　at　which；　they　say；　he　was　no　further　moved　than　to　reply；
〃Go；　poor　wretch；　and　lament　the　loss　of　thy　eyes；〃　to　which　the　bishop
replied　again；　〃I　thank　Jesus　Christ　for　taking　away　my　sight；　that　I　may
not　see　thy　impudent　visage；〃　affecting　in　that；　they　say；　a
philosophical　patience。　　But　this　action　of　his　bears　no　comparison　to
the　cruelty　that　he　is　said　to　have　exercised　against　us。　　〃He　was；〃　says
Eutropius；　　my　other　witness；　〃an　enemy　to　Christianity；　　but　without
putting　his　hand　to　blood。〃　　And；　to　return　to　his　justice；　there　is
nothing　in　that　whereof　he　can　be　accused；　the　severity　excepted　he
practised　in　the　beginning　of　his　reign　against　those　who　had　followed
the　party　of　Constantius；　his　predecessor。　　As　to　his　sobriety；　he　lived
always　a　soldier…like　life；　and　observed　a　diet　and　routine；　like　one
that　prepared　and　inured　himself　to　the　austerities　of　war。　　His
vigilance　was　such；　that　he　divided　the　night　into　three　or　four　parts；
of　which　the　least　was　dedicated　to　sleep；　the　rest　was　spent　either　in
visiting　the　state　of　his　army　and　guards　in　person；　or　in　study；　for
amongst　other　rare　qualities；　he　was　very　excellent　in　all　sorts　of
learning。　　'Tis　said　of　Alexander　the　Great；　that　being　in　bed；　for　fear
lest　sleep　should　divert　him　from　his　thoughts　and　studies；　he　had　always
a　basin　set　by　his　bedside；　and　held　one　of　his　hands　out　with　a　ball　of
copper　in　it；　to　the　end；　that；　beginning　to　fall　asleep；　and　his　fingers
leaving　their　hold；　the　ball　by　falling　into　the　basin；　might　awake　him。
But　the　other　had　his　soul　so　bent　upon　what　he　had　a　mind　to　do；　and　so
little　disturbed　with　fumes　by　reason　of　his　singular　abstinence；　that　he
had　no　need　of　any　such　invention。　　As　to　his　military　experience；　he　was
excellent　in　all　the　qualities　of　a　great　captain；　as　it　was　likely　he
should；　being　almost　all　his　life　in　a　continual　exercise　of　war；　and
most　of　that　time　with　us　in　France；　against　the　Germans　and　Franks：　we
hardly　read　of　any　man　who　ever　saw　more　dangers；　or　who　made　more
frequent　proofs　of　his　personal　valour。

His　death　has　something　in　it　parallel　with　that　of　Epaminondas；　for　he
was　wounded　with　an　arrow；　and　tried　to　pull　it　out；　and　had　done　so；　but
that；　being　edged；　it　cut　and　disabled　his　hand。　　He　incessantly　called
out　that　they　should　carry　him　again　into　the　heat　of　the　battle；　to
encourage　his　soldiers；　who　very　bravely　disputed　the　fight　without　him；
till　night　parted　the　armies。　　He　stood　obliged　to　his　philosophy　for　the
singular　contempt　he　had　for　his　life　and　all　human　things。　　He　had　a
firm　belief　of　the　immortality　of　souls。

In　matter　of　religion　he　was　wrong　throughout；　and　was　surnamed　the
Apostate　for　having　relinquished　ours：　nevertheless；　the　opinion　seems　to
me　more　probable；　that　he　had　never　thoroughly　embraced　it；　but　had
dissembled　out　of　obedience　to　the　laws；　till　he　came　to　the　empire。
He　was　in　his　own　so　superstitious；　that　he　was　laughed　at　for　it　by
those　of　his　own　time；　of　the　same　opinion；　who　jeeringly　said；　that　had
he　got　the　victory　over　the　Parthians；　he　had　des