the essays of montaigne, v15-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


but；　bringing　her　business　about　with　too　much　ease；　by　reason　of　her
husband's　stupidity；　she　soon　scorned　that　way；　and　presently　fell　to
making　open　love；　to　own　her　lovers；　and　to　favour　and　entertain　them　in
the　sight　of　all：　she　would　make　him　know　and　see　how　she　used　him。　　This
animal；　not　to　be　roused　with　all　this；　and　rendering　her　pleasures　dull
and　flat　by　his　too　stupid　facility；　by　which　he　seemed　to　authorise　and
make　them　lawful；　what　does　she？　　Being　the　wife　of　a　living　and
healthful　emperor；　and　at　Rome；　the　theatre　of　the　world；　in　the　face　of
the　sun；　and　with　solemn　ceremony；　and　to　Silius；　who　had　long　before
enjoyed　her；　she　publicly　marries　herself　one　day　that　her　husband　was
gone　out　of　the　city。　　Does　it　not　seem　as　if　she　was　going　to　become
chaste　by　her　husband's　negligence？　or　that　she　sought　another　husband
who　might　sharpen　her　appetite　by　his　jealousy；　and　who　by　watching
should　incite　her？　　But　the　first　difficulty　she　met　with　was　also　the
last：　this　beast　suddenly　roused　these　sleepy；　sluggish　sort　of　men　are
often　the　most　dangerous：　I　have　found　by　experience　that　this　extreme
toleration；　when　it　comes　to　dissolve；　produces　the　most　severe　revenge；
for　taking　fire　on　a　sudden；　anger　and　fury　being　combined　in　one；
discharge　their　utmost　force　at　the　first　onset；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Irarumque　omnes　effundit　habenas：〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃He　let　loose　his　whole　　fury。〃AEneid；　xii。　499。＇

he　put　her　to　death；　and　with　her　a　great　number　of　those　with　whom　she
had　intelligence；　and　even　one　of　them　who　could　not　help　it；　and　whom
she　had　caused　to　be　forced　to　her　bed　with　scourges。

What　Virgil　says　of　Venus　and　Vulcan；　Lucretius　had　better　expressed　of　a
stolen　enjoyment　betwixt　her　and　Mars：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Belli　fera　moenera　Mavors
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Armipotens　regit；　ingremium　qui　saepe　tuum　se
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Rejictt；　aeterno　devinctus　vulnere　amoris
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Pascit　amore　avidos　inhians　in　te；　Dea；　visus；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Eque　tuo　pendet　resupini　spiritus　ore
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Hunc　tu；　Diva；　tuo　recubantem　corpore　sancto
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Circumfusa　super；　suaveis　ex　ore　loquelas
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Funde。〃

　　　　　＇〃Mars；　the　god　of　wars；　who　controls　the　cruel　tasks　of　war；　often
　　　　　reclines　on　thy　bosom；　and　greedily　drinks　love　at　both　his　eyes；
　　　　　vanquished　by　the　eternal　wound　of　love：　and　his　breath；　as　he
　　　　　reclines；　hangs　on　thy　lips；　bending　thy　head　over　him　as　he　lies
　　　　　upon　thy　sacred　person；　pour　forth　sweet　and　persuasive　words。〃
　　　　　Lucretius；　i。　23。＇

When　I　consider　this　rejicit；　fiascit；　inhians；　ynolli；　fovet；　medullas；
labefacta；　pendet；　percurrit；　and　that　noble　circumfusa；　mother　of　the
pretty　infuses；　I　disdain　those　little　quibbles　and　verbal　allusions　that
have　since　sprung　up。　　Those　worthy　people　stood　in　need　of　no　subtlety
to　disguise　their　meaning；　their　language　is　downright；　and　full　of
natural　and　continued　vigour；　they　are　all　epigram；　not　only　the　tail；
but　the　head；　body；　and　feet。　　There　is　nothing　forced；　nothing
languishing；　but　everything　keeps　the　same　pace：

　　　　　〃Contextus　totes　virilis　est；　non　sunt　circa　flosculos　occupati。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　whole　contexture　is　manly；　they　don't　occupy　themselves　with
　　　　　little　flowers　of　rhetoric。〃Seneca；　Ep。；　33。＇

'Tis　not　a　soft　eloquence；　and　without　offence　only；　'tis　nervous　and
solid；　that　does　not　so　much　please；　as　it　fills　and　ravishes　the
greatest　minds。　　When　I　see　these　brave　forms　of　expression；　so　lively；
so　profound；　I　do　not　say　that　'tis　well　said；　but　well　thought。　　'Tis
the　sprightliness　of　the　imagination　that　swells　and　elevates　the　words：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Pectus　est　quod　disertum　Tacit。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃The　heart　makes　the　man　eloquent。〃Quintilian；　x。　7。＇

Our　people　call　language；　judgment；　and　fine　words；　full　conceptions。
This　painting　is　not　so　much　carried　on　by　dexterity　of　hand　as　by　having
the　object　more　vividly　imprinted　in　the　soul。　　Gallus　speaks　simply
because　he　conceives　simply：　Horace　does　not　content　himself　with　a
superficial　expression；　that　would　betray　him；　he　sees　farther　and　more
clearly　into　things；　his　mind　breaks　into　and　rummages　all　the　magazine
of　words　and　figures　wherewith　to　express　himself；　and　he　must　have　them
more　than　ordinary；　because　his　conception　is　so。　　Plutarch　says'　that　he
sees　the　Latin　tongue　by　the　things：　'tis　here　the　same：　the　sense
illuminates　and　produces　the　words；　no　more　words　of　air；　but　of　flesh
and　bone；　they　signify　more　than　they　say。　　Moreover；　those　who　are　not
well　skilled　in　a　language　present　some　image　of　this；　for　in　Italy　I
said　whatever　I　had　a　mind　to　in　common　discourse；　but　in　more　serious
talk；　I　durst　not　have　trusted　myself　with　an　idiom　that　I　could　not　wind
and　turn　out　of　its　ordinary　pace；　I　would　have　a　power　of　introducing
something　of　my　own。

The　handling　and　utterance　of　fine　wits　is　that　which　sets　off　language；
not　so　much　by　innovating　it；　as　by　putting　it　to　more　vigorous　and
various　services；　and　by　straining；　bending；　and　adapting　it　to　them。
They　do　not　create　words；　but　they　enrich　their　own；　and　give　them　weight
and　signification　by　the　uses　they　put　them　to；　and　teach　them　unwonted
motions；　but　withal　ingeniously　and　discreetly。　　And　how　little　this
talent　is　given　to　all　is　manifest　by　the　many　French　scribblers　of　this
age：　they　are　bold　and　proud　enough　not　to　follow　the　common　road；　but
want　of　invention　and　discretion　ruins　them；　there　is　nothing　seen　in
their　writings　but　a　wretched　affectation　of　a　strange　new　style；　with
cold　and　absurd　disguises；　which；　instead　of　elevating；　depress　the
matter：　provided　they　can　but　trick　themselves　out　with　new　words；　they
care　not　what　they　signify；　and　to　bring　in　a　new　word　by　the　head　and
shoulders；　they　leave　the　old　one；　very　often　more　sinewy　and　significant
than　the　other。

There　is　stuff　enough　in　our　language；　but　there　is　a　defect　in　cutting
out：　for　there　is　nothing　that　might　not　be　made　out　of　our　terms　of
hunting　and　war；　which　is　a　fruitful　soil　to　borrow　from；　and　forms　of
speaking；　like　herbs；　improve　and　grow　stronger　by　being　transplanted。
I　find　it　sufficiently　abundant；　but　not　sufficiently　pliable　and
vigorous；　it　commonly　quails　under　a　powerful　conception；　if　you　would
maintain　the　dignity　of　your　style；　you　will　often　perceive　it　to　flag
and　languish　under　you；　and　there　Latin　steps　in　to　its　relief；　as　Greek
does　to　others。　　Of　some　of　these　words　I　have　just　picked　out　we　do　not
so　easily　discern　the　energy；　by　reason　that　the　frequent　use　of　them　has
in　some　sort　abased　their　beauty；　and　rendered　it　common；　as　in　our
ordinary　language　there　are　many　excellent　phrases　and　metaphors　to　be
met　with；　of　which　the　beauty　is　withered　by　age；　and　the　colour　is
sullied　by　too　common　handling；　but　that　nothing　lessens　the　relish　to　an
understanding　man；　nor　does　it　derogate　from　the　glory　of　those　ancient
authors　who；　'tis　likely；　first　brought　those　words　into　that　lustre。

The　sciences　treat　of　things　too　refinedly；　after　an　artificial；　very
different　from　the　common　and　natural；　way。　　My　page　makes　love；　and
understands　it；　but　read　to　him　Leo　Hebraeus　＇Leo　the　Jew；　Ficinus；
Cardinal　Bembo；　and　Mario　Equicola　all　wrote　Treatises　on　Love。＇
and　Ficinus；　where　they　speak　of　love；　its　thoughts　and　actions；　he
understands　it　not。　　I　do　not　find　in　Aristotle　most　of　my　ordinary
motions；　they　are　there　covered　and　disguised　in　another　robe　for　the　use
of　the　schools。　　Good　speed　them！　were　I　of　the　trade；　I　would　as　much
naturalise　art　as　they　artificialise　nature。　　Let　us　let　Bembo　and
Equicola　alone。

When　I　write；　I　can　very　well　spare　both　the　company　and　the　remembrance
of　books；　lest　they　should　interrupt　my　progress；　and　also；　in　truth；　the
best　authors　too　much　humble　and　discourage　me：　I　am　very　much　of　the
painter's　mind；　who；　having　represented　cocks　most　wretchedly　ill；
charged　all　his　boys　not　to　suffer　any　natural　cock　to　come　into　his
shop；　and　had　rather　need　to　give　myself　a　little　lustre；　of　the
invention　of　Antigenides　the　musician；　who；　when　he　was　asked　to　sing　or
play；　took　care　beforehand　that　the　auditory　should；　either　before　or
after；　be　satiated　with　some　other　ill　musicians。　　But　I　can　hardly　be
without　Plutarch；　he　is　so　universal　and　so　full；　that　upon　all
occasions；　and　what　extravagant　subject　soever　you　take　in　hand；　he　will
still　be　at　your　elbow；　and　hold　out　to　you　a　liberal　and　not　to　be
exhausted　hand　of　riches　and　embellishments。　　It　vexes　me　that　he　is　so
exposed　to　be　the　spoil　of　those　who　are　conversant　with　him：　I　can
scarce　cast　an　eye　upon　him　but　I　purloin　either　a　leg　or　a　wing。

And　also　for　this　design　of　mine　'tis　convenient　for　me　for　me　to　write
at　home；　in　a　wild　country；　where　I　have　nobody　to　assist　or　relieve　me；
where　I　hardly　see　a　man　who　understands　the　Latin　of　his　Paternoster；
and　of　French　a　little　less。　　I　might　have　made　it　better　elsewhere；　but
then　the　work　would　have　been　less　my　own；　and　its　principal　end　and
perfection　is　to　be　exactly　mine。　　I　readily　correct　an　accidental　error；
of　wh