the essays of montaigne, v15-第4节

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competitors　should　appear　to　be　entirely　equal；　they　should　have　respect
to　birth：　this　was　justly　to　give　it　its　rank。　　A　young　man　unknown；
coming　to　Antigonus　to　make　suit　for　his　father's　command；　a　valiant　man
lately　dead：　〃Friend；〃　said　he；〃　in　such　preferments　as　these；　I　have　not
so　much　regard　to　the　nobility　of　my　soldiers　as　to　their　prowess。〃
And；　indeed；　it　ought　not　to　go　as　it　did　with　the　officers　of　the　kings
of　Sparta；　trumpeters；　fiddlers；　cooks；　the　children　of　whom　always
succeeded　to　their　places；　how　ignorant　soever；　and　were　preferred　before
the　most　experienced　in　the　trade。　　They　of　Calicut　make　of　nobles　a　sort
of　superhuman　persons：　they　are　interdicted　marriage　and　all　but　warlike
employments：　they　may　have　of　concubines　their　fill；　and　the　women　as
many　lovers；　without　being　jealous　of　one　another；　but　'tis　a　capital　and
irremissible　crime　to　couple　with　a　person　of　meaner　conditions　than
themselves；　and　they　think　themselves　polluted；　if　they　have　but　touched
one　in　walking　along；　and　supposing　their　nobility　to　be　marvellously
interested　and　injured　in　it；　kill　such　as　only　approach　a　little　too
near　them：　insomuch　that　the　ignoble　are　obliged　to　cry　out　as　they　walk；
like　the　gondoliers　of　Venice；　at　the　turnings　of　streets　for　fear　of
jostling；　and　the　nobles　command　them　to　step　aside　to　what　part　they
please：　by　that　means　these　avoid　what　they　repute　a　perpetual　ignominy；
those　certain　death。　　No　time；　no　favour　of　the　prince；　no　office；　or
virtue；　or　riches；　can　ever　prevail　to　make　a　plebeian　become　noble：　to
which　this　custom　contributes；　that　marriages　are　interdicted　betwixt
different　trades；　the　daughter　of　one　of　the　cordwainers'　gild　is　not
permitted　to　marry　a　carpenter；　and　parents　are　obliged　to　train　up　their
children　precisely　in　their　own　callings；　and　not　put　them　to　any　other
trade；　by　which　means　the　distinction　and　continuance　of　their　fortunes
are　maintained。

A　good　marriage；　if　there　be　any　such；　rejects　the　company　and　conditions
of　love；　and　tries　to　represent　those　of　friendship。　　'Tis　a　sweet
society　of　life；　full　of　constancy；　trust；　and　an　infinite　number　of
useful　and　solid　services　and　mutual　obligations；　which　any　woman　who　has
a　right　taste：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Optato　quam　junxit　lumine　taeda〃

　　　　　＇〃Whom　the　marriage　torch　has　joined　with　the　desired　light。〃
　　　　　Catullus；　lxiv。　79。＇

would　be　loth　to　serve　her　husband　in　quality　of　a　mistress。　　If　she　be
lodged　in　his　affection　as　a　wife；　she　is　more　honourably　and　securely
placed。　　When　he　purports　to　be　in　love　with　another；　and　works　all　he
can　to　obtain　his　desire；　let　any　one　but　ask　him；　on　which　he　had　rather
a　disgrace　should　fall；　his　wife　or　his　mistress；　which　of　their
misfortunes　would　most　afflict　him；　and　to　which　of　them　he　wishes　the
most　grandeur；　the　answer　to　these　questions　is　out　of　dispute　in　a　sound
marriage。

And　that　so　few　are　observed　to　be　happy；　is　a　token　of　its　price　and
value。　　If　well　formed　and　rightly　taken；　'tis　the　best　of　all　human
societies；　we　cannot　live　without　it；　and　yet　we　do　nothing　but　decry　it。
It　happens；　as　with　cages；　the　birds　without　despair　to　get　in；　and　those
within　despair　of　getting　out。　　Socrates　being　asked；　whether　it　was　more
commodious　to　take　a　wife　or　not；　〃Let　a　man　take　which　course　he　will；〃
said　he；　〃he　will　repent。〃　　'Tis　a　contract　to　which　the　common
saying：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Homo　homini　aut　deus　aut　lupus；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Man　to　man　is　either　a　god　or　a　wolf。〃Erasmus；　Adag。＇

may　very　fitly　be　applied；　there　must　be　a　concurrence　of　many　qualities
in　the　construction。　　It　is　found　nowadays　more　convenient　for　simple　and
plebeian　souls；　where　delights；　curiosity；　and　idleness　do　not　so　much
disturb　it；　but　extravagant　humours；　such　as　mine；　that　hate　all　sorts　of
obligation　and　restraint；　are　not　so　proper　for　it：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Et　mihi　dulce　magis　resoluto　vivere　collo。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃And　it　is　sweet　to　me　to　live　with　a　loosened　neck。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Pseudo　Gallus；　i。　61。＇

Might　I　have　had　my　own　will；　I　would　not　have　married　Wisdom　herself；　if
she　would　have　had　me。　　But　'tis　to　much　purpose　to　evade　it；　the　common
custom　and　usance　of　life　will　have　it　so。　　The　most　of　my　actions　are
guided　by　example；　not　by　choice；　and　yet　I　did　not　go　to　it　of　my　own
voluntary　motion；　I　was　led　and　drawn　to　it　by　extrinsic　occasions；　for
not　only　things　that　are　incommodious　in　themselves；　but　also　things
however　ugly；　vicious；　and　to　be　avoided；　may　be　rendered　acceptable　by
some　condition　or　accident；　so　unsteady　and　vain　is　all　human　resolution！
and　I　was　persuaded　to　it；　when　worse　prepared　and　less　tractable　than　I
am　at　present；　that　I　have　tried　what　it　is：　and　as　great　a　libertine　as
I　am　taken　to　be；　I　have　in　truth　more　strictly　observed　the　laws　of
marriage；　than　I　either　promised　or　expected。　　'Tis　in　vain　to　kick；　when
a　man　has　once　put　on　his　fetters：　a　man　must　prudently　manage　his
liberty；　but　having　once　submitted　to　obligation；　he　must　confine　himself
within　the　laws　of　common　duty；　at　least；　do　what　he　can　towards　it。
They　who　engage　in　this　contract；　with　a　design　to　carry　themselves　in　it
with　hatred　and　contempt；　do　an　unjust　and　inconvenient　thing；　and　the
fine　rule　that　I　hear　pass　from　hand　to　hand　amongst　the　women；　as　a
sacred　oracle：

　　　　　＇〃Serve　thy　husband　as　thy　master；　but　guard　thyself　against　him　as
　　　　　from　a　traitor。〃＇

which　is　to　say；　comport　thyself　towards　him　with　a　dissembled；　inimical；
and　distrustful　reverence　（a　cry　of　war　and　defiance）；　is　equally
injurious　and　hard。　　I　am　too　mild　for　such　rugged　designs：　to　say　the
truth；　I　am　not　arrived　to　that　perfection　of　ability　and　refinement　of
wit；　to　confound　reason　with　injustice；　and　to　laugh　at　all　rule　and
order　that　does　not　please　my　palate；　because　I　hate　superstition；　I　do
not　presently　run　into　the　contrary　extreme　of　irreligion。

　　　　　（If　a　man　hate　superstition　he　cannot　love　religion。　　D。W。）

If　a　man　does　not　always　perform　his　duty；　he　ought　at　least　to　love　and
acknowledge　it；　'tis　treachery　to　marry　without　espousing。

Let　us　proceed。

Our　poet　represents　a　marriage　happy　in　a　good　accord　wherein
nevertheless　there　is　not　much　loyalty。　　Does　he　mean；　that　it　is　not
impossible　but　a　woman　may　give　the　reins　to　her　own　passion；　and　yield
to　the　importunities　of　love；　and　yet　reserve　some　duty　toward　marriage；
and　that　it　may　be　hurt；　without　being　totally　broken？　　A　serving　man　may
cheat　his　master；　whom　nevertheless　he　does　not　hate。　　Beauty；
opportunity；　and　destiny　（for　destiny　has　also　a　hand　in't）；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Fatum　est　in　partibus　illis
　　　　　　　　　　Quas　sinus　abscondit；　nam；　si　tibi　sidera　cessent；
　　　　　　　　　　Nil　faciet　longi　mensura　incognita　nervi；〃

　　　　　＇〃There　is　a　fatality　about　the　hidden　parts：　let　nature　have
　　　　　endowed　you　however　liberally；　'tis　of　no　use；　if　your　good　star
　　　　　fails　you　in　the　nick　of　time。〃Juvenal；　ix。　32。＇

have　attached　her　to　a　stranger；　though　not　so　wholly；　peradventure；　but
that　she　may　have　some　remains　of　kindness　for　her　husband。　　They　are　two
designs；　that　have　several　paths　leading　to　them；　without　being
confounded　with　one　another；　a　woman　may　yield　to　a　man　she　would　by　no
means　have　married；　not　only　for　the　condition　of　his　fortune；　but　for
those　also　of　his　person。　　Few　men　have　made　a　wife　of　a　mistress；　who
have　not　repented　it。　　And　even　in　the　other　world；　what　an　unhappy　life
does　Jupiter　lead　with　his；　whom　he　had　first　enjoyed　as　a　mistress！
'Tis；　as　the　proverb　runs；　to　befoul　a　basket　and　then　put　it　upon　one's
head。　　I　have　in　my　time；　in　a　good　family；　seen　love　shamefully　and
dishonestly　cured　by　marriage：　the　considerations　are　widely　different。
We　love　at　once；　without　any　tie；　two　things　contrary　in　themselves。

Socrates　was　wont　to　say；　that　the　city　of　Athens　pleased；　as　ladies　do
whom　men　court　for　love；　every　one　loved　to　come　thither　to　take　a　turn；
and　pass　away　his　time；　but　no　one　liked　it　so　well　as　to　espouse　it；
that　is；　to　inhabit　there；　and　to　make　it　his　constant　residence。　　I　have
been　vexed　to　see　husbands　hate　their　wives　only　because　they　themselves
do　them　wrong；　we　should　not；　at　all　events；　methinks；　love　them　the　less
for　our　own　faults；　they　should　at　least；　upon　the　account　of　repentance
and　compassion；　be　dearer　to　us。

They　are　different　ends；　he　says；　and　yet　in　some　sort　compatible；
marriage　has　utility；　justice；　honour；　and　constancy　for　its　share；
a　flat；　but　more　universal　pleasure：　love　founds　itself　wholly　upon
pleasure；　and；　indeed；　has　it　more　full；　lively；　and　sharp；　a　pleasure
inflamed　by　difficulty；　there　must　be　in　it　sting　and　smart：　'tis　no
longer　love；　if　without　darts　and　fire。　　The　bounty　of　ladies　is　too
profuse　in　marriage；　and　dulls　the　point　of　affection　and　desire：　to
evade　which　inconvenience；　do　but　observe　what　pains　Lycurgus　and　Plato
take　in　their　laws。

Women　are　not　to　blame　at　all；　when　they　refuse　the　rules　of　life　that
are　introduced　into　the　world；　forasmuch　as　the　men　make　them　without
their　help。　　There　is　naturally　contention　and　brawling　betwixt　th