the essays of montaigne, v12-第7节

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of　all　sortswhere　he　pleasantly　tells　the　story　of　Caelius；　who；　to
avoid　making　his　court　to　some　great　men　of　Rome；　to　wait　their　rising；
and　to　attend　them　abroad；　pretended　to　have　the　gout；　and　the　better　to
colour　this　anointed　his　legs；　and　had　them　lapped　up　in　a　great　many
swathings；　and　perfectly　counterfeited　both　the　gesture　and　countenance
of　a　gouty　person；　till　in　the　end；　Fortune　did　him　the　kindness　to　make
him　one　indeed：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Quantum　curs　potest　et　ars　doloris
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Desiit　fingere　Caelius　podagram。〃

　　　　　＇〃How　great　is　the　power　of　counterfeiting　pain：　Caelius　has　ceased
　　　　　to　feign　the　gout；　he　has　got　it。〃Martial；　Ep。；　vii。　39；　8。＇

I　think　I　have　read　somewhere　in　Appian　a　story　like　this；　of　one　who　to
escape　the　proscriptions　of　the　triumvirs　of　Rome；　and　the　better　to　be
concealed　from　the　discovery　of　those　who　pursued　him；　having　hidden
himself　in　a　disguise；　would　yet　add　this　invention；　to　counterfeit
having　but　one　eye；　but　when　he　came　to　have　a　little　more　liberty；　and
went　to　take　off　the　plaster　he　had　a　great　while　worn　over　his　eye；　he
found　he　had　totally　lost　the　sight　of　it　indeed；　and　that　it　was
absolutely　gone。　　'Tis　possible　that　the　action　of　sight　was　dulled　from
having　been　so　long　without　exercise；　and　that　the　optic　power　was　wholly
retired　into　the　other　eye：　for　we　evidently　perceive　that　the　eye　we
keep　shut　sends　some　part　of　its　virtue　to　its　fellow；　so　that　it　will
swell　and　grow　bigger；　and　so　inaction；　with　the　heat　of　ligatures　and；
plasters；　might　very　well　have　brought　some　gouty　humour　upon　the
counterfeiter　in　Martial。

Reading　in　Froissart　the　vow　of　a　troop　of　young　English　gentlemen；　to
keep　their　left　eyes　bound　up　till　they　had　arrived　in　France　and
performed　some　notable　exploit　upon　us；　I　have　often　been　tickled　with
this　thought；　that　it　might　have　befallen　them　as　it　did　those　others；
and　they　might　have　returned　with　but　an　eye　a…piece　to　their　mistresses；
for　whose　sakes　they　had　made　this　ridiculous　vow。

Mothers　have　reason　to　rebuke　their　children　when　they　counterfeit　having
but　one　eye；　squinting；　lameness；　or　any　other　personal　defect；　for；
besides　that　their　bodies　being　then　so　tender；　may　be　subject　to　take　an
ill　bent；　fortune；　I　know　not　how；　sometimes　seems　to　delight　in　taking
us　at　our　word；　and　I　have　heard　several　examples　related　of　people　who
have　become　really　sick；　by　only　feigning　to　be　so。　　I　have　always　used；
whether　on　horseback　or　on　foot；　to　carry　a　stick　in　my　hand；　and　even　to
affect　doing　it　with　an　elegant　air；　many　have　threatened　that　this　fancy
would　one　day　be　turned　into　necessity：　if　so；　I　should　be　the　first　of
my　family　to　have　the　gout。

But　let　us　a　little　lengthen　this　chapter；　and　add　another　anecdote
concerning　blindness。　　Pliny　reports　of　one　who；　dreaming　he　was　blind；
found　himself　so　indeed　in　the　morning　without　any　preceding　infirmity　in
his　eyes。　　The　force　of　imagination　might　assist　in　this　case；　as　I　have
said　elsewhere；　and　Pliny　seems　to　be　of　the　same　opinion；　but　it　is　more
likely　that　the　motions　which　the　body　felt　within；　of　which　physicians；
if　they　please；　may　find　out　the　cause；　taking　away　his　sight；　were　the
occasion　of　his　dream。

Let　us　add　another　story；　not　very　improper　for　this　subject；　which
Seneca　relates　in　one　of　his　epistles：　〃You　know；〃　says　he；　writing　to
Lucilius；　〃that　Harpaste；　my　wife's　fool；　is　thrown　upon　me　as　an
hereditary　charge；　for　I　have　naturally　an　aversion　to　those　monsters；
and　if　I　have　a　mind　to　laugh　at　a　fool；　I　need　not　seek　him　far；　I　can
laugh　at　myself。　　This　fool　has　suddenly　lost　her　sight：　I　tell　you　a
strange；　but　a　very　true　thing　she　is　not　sensible　that　she　is　blind；　but
eternally　importunes　her　keeper　to　take　her　abroad；　because　she　says　the
house　is　dark。　　That　what　we　laugh　at　in　her；　I　pray　you　to　believe；
happens　to　every　one　of　us：　no　one　knows　himself　to　be　avaricious　or
grasping；　and；　again；　the　blind　call　for　a　guide；　while　we　stray　of　our
own　accord。　　I　am　not　ambitious；　we　say；　but　a　man　cannot　live　otherwise
at　Rome；　I　am　not　wasteful；　but　the　city　requires　a　great　outlay；　'tis
not　my　fault　if　I　am　cholericif　I　have　not　yet　established　any　certain
course　of　life：　'tis　the　fault　of　youth。　　Let　us　not　seek　our　disease　out
of　ourselves；　'tis　in　us；　and　planted　in　our　bowels；　and　the　mere　fact
that　we　do　not　perceive　ourselves　to　be　sick；　renders　us　more　hard　to　be
cured。　　If　we　do　not　betimes　begin　to　see　to　ourselves；　when　shall　we
have　provided　for　so　many　wounds　and　evils　wherewith　we　abound？　　And　yet
we　have　a　most　sweet　and　charming　medicine　in　philosophy；　for　of　all　the
rest　we　are　sensible　of　no　pleasure　till　after　the　cure：　this　pleases　and
heals　at　once。〃　　This　is　what　Seneca　says；　that　has　carried　me　from　my
subject；　but　there　is　advantage　in　the　change。




CHAPTER　XXVI

OF　THUMBS

Tacitus　reports；　that　amongst　certain　barbarian　kings　their　manner　was；
when　they　would　make　a　firm　obligation；　to　join　their　right　hands　close
to　one　another；　and　intertwist　their　thumbs；　and　when；　by　force　of
straining　the　blood；　it　appeared　in　the　ends；　they　lightly　pricked　them
with　some　sharp　instrument；　and　mutually　sucked　them。

Physicians　say　that　the　thumbs　are　the　master　fingers　of　the　hand；　and
that　their　Latin　etymology　is　derived　from　〃pollere。〃　The　Greeks　called
them　'Avtixeip'；　as　who　should　say；　another　hand。　　And　it　seems　that　the
Latins　also　sometimes　take　it　in　this　sense　for　the　whole　hand：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Sed　nec　vocibus　excitata　blandis；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Molli　pollici　nec　rogata；　surgit。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Neither　to　be　excited　by　soft　words　or　by　the　thumb。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Mart。；　xii。　98；　8。＇

It　was　at　Rome　a　signification　of　favour　to　depress　and　turn　in　the
thumbs：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Fautor　utroque　tuum　laudabit　pollice　ludum：〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Thy　patron　will　applaud　thy　sport　with　both　thumbs〃
　　　　　　　　　　Horace。＇

and　of　disfavour　to　elevate　and　thrust　them　outward：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Converso　pollice　vulgi；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quemlibet　occidunt　populariter。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃The　populace；　with　inverted　thumbs；　kill　all　that
　　　　　　　　　　come　before　them。〃Juvenal；　iii。　36＇

The　Romans　exempted　from　war　all　such　as　were　maimed　in　the　thumbs；　as
having　no　more　sufficient　strength　to　hold　their　weapons。　　Augustus
confiscated　the　estate　of　a　Roman　knight　who　had　maliciously　cut　off　the
thumbs　of　two　young　children　he　had；　to　excuse　them　from　going　into　the
armies；　and；　before　him；　the　Senate；　in　the　time　of　the　Italic　war；　had
condemned　Caius　Vatienus　to　perpetual　imprisonment；　and　confiscated　all
his　goods；　for　having　purposely　cut　off　the　thumb　of　his　left　hand；　to
exempt　himself　from　that　expedition。　　Some　one；　I　have　forgotten　who；
having　won　a　naval　battle；　cut　off　the　thumbs　of　all　his　vanquished
enemies；　to　render　them　incapable　of　fighting　and　of　handling　the　oar。
The　Athenians　also　caused　the　thumbs　of　the　AEginatans　to　be　cut　off；
to　deprive　them　of　the　superiority　in　the　art　of　navigation。

In　Lacedaemon；　pedagogues　chastised　their　scholars　by　biting　their
thumbs。




CHAPTER　XXVII

COWARDICE　THE　MOTHER　OF　CRUELTY

I　have　often　heard　it　said　that　cowardice　is　the　mother　of　cruelty；　and　I
have　found　by　experience　that　malicious　and　inhuman　animosity　and
fierceness　are　usually　accompanied　with　feminine　weakness。　　I　have　seen
the　most　cruel　people；　and　upon　frivolous　occasions；　apt　to　cry。
Alexander；　the　tyrant　of　Pheres；　durst　not　be　a　spectator　of　tragedies　in
the　theatre；　for　fear　lest　his　citizens　should　see　him　weep　at　the
misfortunes　of　Hecuba　and　Andromache；　who　himself　without　pity　caused　so
many　people　every　day　to　be　murdered。　　Is　it　not　meanness　of　spirit　that
renders　them　so　pliable　to　all　extremities？　　Valour；　whose　effect　is　only
to　be　exercised　against　resistance

　　　　　　　　　　〃Nec　nisi　bellantis　gaudet　cervice　juvenci〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Nor　delights　in　killing　a　bull　unless　he　resists。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Claudius；　Ep。　ad　Hadrianum；　v。　39。＇

stops　when　it　sees　the　enemy　at　its　mercy；　but　pusillanimity；　to　say　that
it　was　also　in　the　game；　not　having　dared　to　meddle　in　the　first　act　of
danger；　takes　as　its　part　the　second；　of　blood　and　massacre。　　The　murders
in　victories　are　commonly　performed　by　the　rascality　and　hangers…on　of　an
army；　and　that　which　causes　so　many　unheard　of　cruelties　in　domestic　wars
is；　that　this　canaille　makes　war　in　imbruing　itself　up　to　the　elbows　in
blood；　and　ripping　up　a　body　that　lies　prostrate　at　its　feet；　having　no
sense　of　any　other　valour：

　　　　　　　　　〃Et　lupus；　et　turpes　instant　morientibus　ursi；
　　　　　　　　　　Et　quaecunque　minor　nobilitate　fera　est：〃

　　　　　＇〃Wolves　and　the　filthy　bears；　and　all　the　baser　beasts；
　　　　　fall　upon　the　dying。〃Ovid；　Trist。；　iii。　5；　35。＇

like　cowardly　dogs；　that　in　the　house　worry　and　tear　the　skins　of　wild
beasts；　they　durst　not　come　near　in　the　field。　　What　is　it　in　these　times
of　ours　that　makes　our　quarrels　mortal；　and　that；　whereas　our　fathers　had
some　degrees　of　revenge；　we　now　begin　with　the　last　in　ours；　and　at　the
first　meeting　nothing　is　to　be　said　but；　kill？　　What　is　this　but
cowardice？

Ev