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the essays of montaigne, v12-第8节

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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?

Every one is sensible that there is more bravery and disdain in subduing
an enemy; than in cutting; his throat; and in making him yield; than in
putting him to the sword: besides that the appetite of revenge is better
satisfied and pleased because its only aim is to make itself felt: And
this is the reason why we do not fall upon a beast or a stone when they
hurt us; because they are not capable of being sensible of our revenge;
and to kill a man is to save him from the injury and offence we intend
him。  And as Bias cried out to a wicked fellow; 〃I know that sooner or
later thou wilt have thy reward; but I am afraid I shall not see it〃;
'Plutarch; on the Delay in Divine Justice; c。 2。' and pitied the
Orchomenians that the penitence of Lyciscus for the treason committed
against them; came at a season when there was no one remaining alive of
those who had been interested in the offence; and whom the pleasure of
this penitence should affect: so revenge is to be pitied; when the person
on whom it is executed is deprived of means of suffering under it: for as
the avenger will look on to enjoy the pleasure of his revenge; so the
person on whom he takes revenge should be a spectator too; to be
afflicted and to repent。  〃He will repent it;〃 we say; and because we
have given him a pistol…shot through the head; do we imagine he will
repent?  On the contrary; if we but observe; we shall find; that he makes
mouths at us in falling; and is so far from penitency; that he does not
so much as repine at us; and we do him the kindest office of life; which
is to make him die insensibly; and soon: we are afterwards to hide
ourselves; and to shift and fly from the officers of justice; who pursue
us; whilst he is at rest。  Killing is good to frustrate an offence to
come; not to revenge one that is already past; and more an act of fear
than of bravery; of precaution than of courage; of defence than of
enterprise。  It is manifest that by it we lose both the true end of
revenge and the care of our reputation; we are afraid; if he lives he
will do us another injury as great as the first; 'tis not out of
animosity to him; but care of thyself; that thou gettest rid of him。

In the kingdom of Narsingah this expedient would be useless to us; where
not only soldiers; but tradesmen also; end their differences by the
sword。  The king never denies the field to any who wish to fight; and
when they are persons of quality; he looks on; rewarding the victor with
a chain of gold;for which any one who pleases may fight with him again;
so that; by having come off from one combat; he has engaged himself in
many。

If we thought by virtue to be always masters of our enemies; and to
triumph over them at pleasure; we should be sorry they should escape from
us as they do; by dying: but we have a mind to conquer; more with safety
than honour; and; in our quarrel; more pursue the end than the glory。

Asnius Pollio; who; as being a worthy man; was the less to be excused;
committed a like; error; when; having written a libel against Plancus; he
forbore to publish it till he was dead; which is to bite one's thumb at a
blind man; to rail at one who is deaf; to wound a man who has no feeling;
rather than to run the hazard of his resentment。  And it was also said of
him that it was only for hobgoblins to wrestle with the dead。

He who stays to see the author die; whose writings he intends to
question; what does he say but that he is weak in his aggressiveness?
It was told to Aristotle that some one had spoken ill of him: 〃Let him
do more;〃 said he; 〃let him whip me too; provided I am not there。〃

Our fathers contented themselves with revenging an insult with the lie;
the lie with a box of the ear; and so forward; they were valiant enough
not to fear their adversaries; living and provoked we tremble for fear so
soon as we see them on foot。  And that this is so; does not our noble
practice of these days; equally to prosecute to death both him that has
offended us and him we have offended; make it out?  'Tis also a kind
of cowardice that has introduced the custom of having seconds; thirds;
and fourths in our duels; they were formerly duels; they are now
skirmishes; rencontres; and battles。  Solitude was; doubtless; terrible
to those who were the first inventors of this practice:

               〃Quum in se cuique minimum fiduciae esset;〃

for naturally any company whatever is consolatory in danger。  Third
persons were formerly called in to prevent disorder and foul play only;
and to be witness of the fortune of the combat; but now they have brought
it to this pass that the witnesses themselves engage; whoever is invited
cannot handsomely stand by as an idle spectator; for fear of being
suspected either of want of affection or of courage。  Besides the
injustice and unworthiness of such an action; of engaging other strength
and valour in the protection of your honour than your own; I conceive it
a disadvantage to a brave man; and who wholly relies upon himself; to
shuffle his fortune with that of a second; every one runs hazard enough
himself without hazarding for another; and has enough to do to assure
himself in his own valour for the defence of his life; without intrusting
a thing so dear in a third man's hand。  For; if it be not expressly
agreed upon before to the contrary; 'tis a combined party of all four;
and if your second be killed; you have two to deal withal; with good
reason; and to say that it is foul play; it is so indeed; as it is; well
armed; to attack a man who has but the hilt of a broken sword in his
hand; or; clear and untouched; a man who is desperately wounded: but if
these be advantages you have got by fighting; you may make use of them
without reproach。  The disparity and inequality are only weighed and
considered from the condition of the combatants when they began; as to
the rest; you must take your chance: and though you had; alone; three
enemies upon you at once; your two companions being killed; you have no
more wrong done you; than I should do in a battle; by running a man
through whom I should see engaged with one of our own men; with the like
advantage。  The nature of society will have it so that where there is
troop against troop; as where our Duke of Orleans challenged Henry; king
of England; a hundred against a hundred; three hundred against as many;
as the Argians against the Lacedaemonians; three to three; as the Horatii
against the Curiatii; the multitude on either side is considered but as
one single man: the hazard; wherever there is company; being confused and
mixed。

I have a domestic interest in this discourse; for my brother; the Sieur
de Mattecoulom; was at Rome asked by a gentleman with whom he had no
great acquaintance; and who was a defendant challenged by another; to be
his second; in this duel he found himself matched with a gentleman much
better known to him。  (I would fain have an explanation of these rules of
honour; which so often shock and confound those of reason。)  After having
despatched his man; seeing the two principals still on foot and sound; he
ran in to disengage his friend。  What could he do less? should he have
stood still; and if chance would have ordered it so; have seen him he was
come thither to defend killed before his face? what he had hitherto done
helped not the business; the quarrel was yet undecided。  The courtesy
that you can; and certainly ought to shew to your enemy; when you have
reduced him to an ill condition and have a great advantage over him; I do
not see how you can do it; where the interest of another is concerned;
where you are only called in as an assistant; and the quarrel is none of
yours: he could neither be just nor courteous; at the hazard of him he
was there to serve。  And he was therefore enlarged from the prisons of
Italy at the speedy and solemn request of our king。  Indiscreet nation!
we are not content to make our vices and follies known to the world by
report only; but we must go into foreign countries; there to show them
what fools we are。  Put three Frenchmen into the deserts of Libya; they
will not live a month together without fighting; so that you would say
this peregrination were a thing purposely designed to give foreigners the
pleasure of our tragedies; and; for the most part; to such as rejoice and
laugh at our miseries。  We go into Italy to learn to fence; and exercise
the art at the expense of our lives before we have learned it; and yet;
by the rule of discipline; we should put the theory before the practice。
We discover ourselves to be but learners:

              〃Primitae juvenum miserae; bellique futuri
               Dura rudimenta。〃

     '〃Wretched the elementary trials of youth; and hard the
     rudiments of approaching war。〃Virgil; AEneid; xi。 156。'

I know that fencing is an art very useful to its end (in a duel betwixt
two princes; cousin…germans; in Spain; the elder; says Livy; by his skill
and dexterity in arms; easily overcoming the greater and more awkward
strength of the younger); 

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