the essays of montaigne, v12-第3节

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those　of　his　own　time；　of　the　same　opinion；　who　jeeringly　said；　that　had
he　got　the　victory　over　the　Parthians；　he　had　destroyed　the　breed　of　oxen
in　the　world　to　supply　his　sacrifices。　　He　was；　moreover；　besotted　with
the　art　of　divination；　and　gave　authority　to　all　sorts　of　predictions。
He　said；　amongst　other　things　at　his　death；　that　he　was　obliged　to　the
gods；　and　thanked　them；　in　that　they　would　not　cut　him　off　by　surprise；
having　long　before　advertised　him　of　the　place　and　hour　of　his　death；　nor
by　a　mean　and　unmanly　death；　more　becoming　lazy　and　delicate　people；　nor
by　a　death　that　was　languishing；　long；　and　painful；　and　that　they　had
thought　him　worthy　to　die　after　that　noble　manner；　in　the　progress　of　his
victories；　in　the　flower　of　his　glory。　　He　had　a　vision　like　that　of
Marcus　Brutus；　that　first　threatened　him　in　Gaul；　and　afterward　appeared
to　him　in　Persia　just　before　his　death。　　These　words　that　some　make　him
say　when　he　felt　himself　wounded：　〃Thou　hast　overcome；　Nazarene〃；　or　as
others；　〃Content　thyself；　Nazarene〃；　would　hardly　have　been　omitted；　had
they　been　believed；　by　my　witnesses；　who；　being　present　in　the　army；　have
set　down　to　the　least　motions　and　words　of　his　end；　no　more　than　certain
other　miracles　that　are　reported　about　it。

And　to　return　to　my　subject；　he　long　nourished；　says　Marcellinus；
paganism　in　his　heart；　but　all　his　army　being　Christians；　he　durst　not
own　it。　　But　in　the　end；　seeing　himself　strong　enough　to　dare　to　discover
himself；　he　caused　the　temples　of　the　gods　to　be　thrown　open；　and　did　his
uttermost　to　set　on　foot　and　to　encourage　idolatry。　　Which　the　better　to
effect；　having　at　Constantinople　found　the　people　disunited；　and　also　the
prelates　of　the　church　divided　amongst　themselves；　having　convened　them
all　before　him；　he　earnestly　admonished　them　to　calm　those　civil
dissensions；　and　that　every　one　might　freely；　and　without　fear；　follow
his　own　religion。　　Which　he　the　more　sedulously　solicited；　in　hope　that
this　licence　would　augment　the　schisms　and　factions　of　their　division；
and　hinder　the　people　from　reuniting；　and　consequently　fortifying
themselves　against　him　by　their　unanimous　intelligence　and　concord；
having　experienced　by　the　cruelty　of　some　Christians；　that　there　is　no
beast　in　the　world　so　much　to　be　feared　by　man　as　man；　these　are　very
nearly　his　words。

Wherein　this　is　very　worthy　of　consideration；　that　the　Emperor　Julian
made　use　of　the　same　receipt　of　liberty　of　conscience　to　inflame　the
civil　dissensions　that　our　kings　do　to　extinguish　them。　　So　that　a　man
may　say　on　one　side；　that　to　give　the　people　the　reins　to　entertain　every
man　his　own　opinion；　is　to　scatter　and　sow　division；　and；　as　it　were；　to
lend　a　hand　to　augment　it；　there　being　no　legal　impediment　or　restraint
to　stop　or　hinder　their　career；　but；　on　the　other　side；　a　man　may　also
say；　that　to　give　the　people　the　reins　to　entertain　every　man　his　own
opinion；　is　to　mollify　and　appease　them　by　facility　and　toleration；　and
to　dull　the　point　which　is　whetted　and　made　sharper　by　singularity；
novelty；　and　difficulty：　and　I　think　it　is　better　for　the　honour　of　the
devotion　of　our　kings；　that　not　having　been　able　to　do　what　they　would；
they　have　made　a　show　of　being　willing　to　do　what　they　could。




CHAPTER　XX

THAT　WE　TASTE　NOTHING　PURE

The　feebleness　of　our　condition　is　such　that　things　cannot；　in　their
natural　simplicity　and　purity；　fall　into　our　use；　the　elements　that　we
enjoy　are　changed；　and　so　'tis　with　metals；　and　gold　must　be　debased　with
some　other　matter　to　fit　it　for　our　service。　　Neither　has　virtue；　so
simple　as　that　which　Aristo；　Pyrrho；　and　also　the　Stoics；　made　the　end　of
life；　nor　the　Cyrenaic　and　Aristippic　pleasure；　been　without　mixture
useful　to　it。　　Of　the　pleasure　and　goods　that　we　enjoy；　there　is　not　one
exempt　from　some　mixture　of　ill　and　inconvenience：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Medio　de　fonte　leporum；
　　　　　　　　　　Surgit　amari　aliquid；　quod　in　ipsis　fioribus　angat。〃

　　　　　＇〃From　the　very　fountain　of　our　pleasure；　something　rises　that　is
　　　　　bitter；　which　even　in　flowers　destroys。〃Lucretius；　iv。　1130。＇

Our　extremest　pleasure　has　some　sort　of　groaning　and　complaining　in　it；
would　you　not　say　that　it　is　dying　of　pain？　　Nay；　when　we　frame　the　image
of　it　in　its　full　excellence；　we　stuff　it　with　sickly　and　painful
epithets　and　qualities；　languor；　softness；　feebleness；　faintness；
'morbidezza'：　a　great　testimony　of　their　consanguinity　and
consubstantiality。　　The　most　profound　joy　has　more　of　severity　than
gaiety；　in　it。　　The　highest　and　fullest　contentment　offers　more　of　the
grave　than　of　the　merry：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ipsa　felicitas；　se　nisi　temperat；　premit。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Even　felicity；　unless　it　moderate　itself；　oppresses？
　　　　　　　　　　　Seneca；　Ep。　74。＇

Pleasure　chews　and　grinds　us；　according　to　the　old　Greek　verse；　which
says　that　the　gods　sell　us　all　the　goods　they　give　us；　that　is　to　say；
that　they　give　us　nothing　pure　and　perfect；　and　that　we　do　not　purchase
but　at　the　price　of　some　evil。

Labour　and　pleasure；　very　unlike　in　nature；　associate；　nevertheless；
by　I　know　not　what　natural　conjunction。　　Socrates　says；　that　some　god
tried　to　mix　in　one　mass　and　to　confound　pain　and　pleasure；　but　not　being
able　to　do　it；　he　bethought　him　at　least　to　couple　them　by　the　tail。
Metrodorus　said；　that　in　sorrow　there　is　some　mixture　of　pleasure。　　I
know　not　whether　or　no　he　intended　anything　else　by　that　saying；　but　for
my　part；　I　am　of　opinion　that　there　is　design；　consent；　and　complacency
in　giving　a　man's　self　up　to　melancholy。　I　say；　that　besides　ambition；
which　may　also　have　a　stroke　in　the　business；　there　is　some　shadow　of
delight　and　delicacy　which　smiles　upon　and　flatters　us　even　in　the　very
lap　of　melancholy。　　Are　there　not　some　constitutions　that　feed　upon　it？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Est　quaedam　flere　voluptas；〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇〃'Tis　a　certain　kind　of　pleasure　to　weep。〃
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ovid；　Trist。；　iv。　　3；　27。＇

and　one　Attalus　in　Seneca　says；　that　the　memory　of　our　lost　friends　is　as
grateful　to　us；　as　bitterness　in　wine；　when　too　old；　is　to　the　palate：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Minister　vetuli；　puer；　Falerni
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Inger'　mi　calices　amariores〃

　　　　　＇〃Boy；　when　you　pour　out　old　Falernian　wine；　the　bitterest　put
　　　　　into　my　bowl。〃Catullus；　xxvii。　I。＇

and　as　apples　that　have　a　sweet　tartness。

Nature　discovers　this　confusion　to　us；　painters　hold　that　the　same
motions　and　grimaces　of　the　face　that　serve　for　weeping；　serve　for
laughter　too；　and　indeed；　before　the　one　or　the　other　be　finished；　do　but
observe　the　painter's　manner　of　handling；　and　you　will　be　in　doubt　to
which　of　the　two　the　design　tends；　and　the　extreme　of　laughter　does　at
last　bring　tears：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Nullum　sine　auctoramento　malum　est。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃No　evil　is　without　its　compensation。〃Seneca；　Ep。；　69。＇

When　I　imagine　man　abounding　with　all　the　conveniences　that　are　to　be
desired　（let　us　put　the　case　that　all　his　members　were　always　seized　with
a　pleasure　like　that　of　generation；　in　its　most　excessive　height）　I　feel
him　melting　under　the　weight　of　his　delight；　and　see　him　utterly　unable
to　support　so　pure；　so　continual；　and　so　universal　a　pleasure。　　Indeed；
he　is　running　away　whilst　he　is　there；　and　naturally　makes　haste　to
escape；　as　from　a　place　where　he　cannot　stand　firm；　and　where　he　is
afraid　of　sinking。

When　I　religiously　confess　myself　to　myself；　I　find　that　the　best　virtue
I　have　has　in　it　some　tincture　of　vice；　and　I　am　afraid　that　Plato；　in
his　purest　virtue　（I；　who　am　as　sincere　and　loyal　a　lover　of　virtue　of
that　stamp　as　any　other　whatever）；　if　he　had　listened　and　laid　his　ear
close　to　himself　and　he　did　so　no　doubtwould　have　heard　some　jarring
note　of　human　mixture；　but　faint　and　only　perceptible　to　himself。　　Man　is
wholly　and　throughout　but　patch　and　motley。　　Even　the　laws　of　justice
themselves　cannot　subsist　without　mixture　of　injustice；　insomuch　that
Plato　says；　they　undertake　to　cut　off　the　hydra's　head；　who　pretend　to
clear　the　law　of　all　inconveniences：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Omne　magnum　exemplum　habet　aliquid　ex　iniquo；
　　　　　　　　　　quod　contra　singulos　utilitate　publics　rependitur；〃

　　　　　＇〃Every　great　example　has　in　it　some　mixture　of　injustice；　which
　　　　　recompenses　the　wrong　done　to　particular　men　by　the　public　utility。〃
　　　　　Annals；　xiv。　44。＇

says　Tacitus。

It　is　likewise　true；　that　for　the　use　of　life　and　the　service　of　public
commerce；　there　may　be　some　excesses　in　the　purity　and　perspicacity　of
our　minds；　that　penetrating　light　has　in　it　too　much　of　subtlety　and
curiosity：　we　must　a　little　stupefy　and　blunt　them　to　render　them　more
obedient　to　example　and　practice；　and　a　little　veil　and　obscure　them；　the
better　to　proportion　them　to　this　dark　and　earthly　life。　　And　therefore
common　and　less　speculative　souls　are　found　to　be　more　proper　for　and
more　successful　in　the　management　of　affairs；　and　the　elevated　and
exquisite　opinions　of　philosophy　unfit　for　business。　　This　sharp　vivacity
of　soul；　and　the　supple　and　restless　volubility　attending　it；　disturb　our
negotiations。　　We　are　to　manage　human　enterprises　more　superficially　and
roughly；　and　leave