the essays of montaigne, v6-第7节

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as　'tis　said　that　the　sea　then　divided　Sicily　from　Italy

　　　　　　　　　〃Haec　loca；　vi　quondam　et　vasta　convulsa　ruina；
　　　　　　　　　　Dissiluisse　ferunt；　quum　protenus　utraque　tellus
　　　　　　　　　　Una　foret〃

　　　　　＇〃These　lands；　they　say；　formerly　with　violence　and　vast　desolation
　　　　　convulsed；　burst　asunder；　where　erewhile　were。〃AEneid；　iii。　414。＇

Cyprus　from　Syria；　the　isle　of　Negropont　from　the　continent　of　Beeotia；
and　elsewhere　united　lands　that　were　separate　before；　by　filling　up　the
channel　betwixt　them　with　sand　and　mud：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Sterilisque　diu　palus；　aptaque　remis；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Vicinas　urbes　alit；　et　grave　sentit　aratrum。〃

　　　　　＇〃That　which　was　once　a　sterile　marsh；　and　bore　vessels　on　its
　　　　　bosom；　now　feeds　neighbouring　cities；　and　admits　the　plough。〃
　　　　　Horace；　De　Arte　Poetica；　v。　65。＇

But　there　is　no　great　appearance　that　this　isle　was　this　New　World　so
lately　discovered：　for　that　almost　touched　upon　Spain；　and　it　were　an
incredible　effect　of　an　inundation；　to　have　tumbled　back　so　prodigious　a
mass；　above　twelve　hundred　leagues：　besides　that　our　modern　navigators
have　already　almost　discovered　it　to　be　no　island；　but　terra　firma；　and
continent　with　the　East　Indies　on　the　one　side；　and　with　the　lands　under
the　two　poles　on　the　other　side；　or；　if　it　be　separate　from　them；　it　is
by　so　narrow　a　strait　and　channel；　that　it　none　the　more　deserves　the
name　of　an　island　for　that。

It　should　seem；　that　in　this　great　body；　there　are　two　sorts　of　motions；
the　one　natural　and　the　other　febrific；　as　there　are　in　ours。　　When　I
consider　the　impression　that　our　river　of　Dordogne　has　made　in　my　time　on
the　right　bank　of　its　descent；　and　that　in　twenty　years　it　has　gained　so
much；　and　undermined　the　foundations　of　so　many　houses；　I　perceive　it　to
be　an　extraordinary　agitation：　for　had　it　always　followed　this　course；
or　were　hereafter　to　do　it；　the　aspect　of　the　world　would　be　totally
changed。　　But　rivers　alter　their　course；　sometimes　beating　against　the
one　side；　and　sometimes　the　other；　and　some　times　quietly　keeping　the
channel。　　I　do　not　speak　of　sudden　inundations；　the　causes　of　which
everybody　understands。　　In　Medoc；　by　the　seashore；　the　Sieur　d'Arsac；　my
brother；　sees　an　estate　he　had　there；　buried　under　the　sands　which　the
sea　vomits　before　it：　where　the　tops　of　some　houses　are　yet　to　be　seen；
and　where　his　rents　and　domains　are　converted　into　pitiful　barren
pasturage。　　The　inhabitants　of　this　place　affirm；　that　of　late　years　the
sea　has　driven　so　vehemently　upon　them；　that　they　have　lost　above　four
leagues　of　land。　　These　sands　are　her　harbingers：　and　we　now　see　great
heaps　of　moving　sand；　that　march　half　a　league　before　her；　and　occupy　the
land。

The　other　testimony　from　antiquity；　to　which　some　would　apply　this
discovery　of　the　New　World；　is　in　Aristotle；　at　least；　if　that　little
book　of　Unheard　of　Miracles　be　his　＇one　of　the　spurious　publications
brought　out　under　his　name　D。W。＇。　　He　there　tells　us；　that　certain
Carthaginians；　having　crossed　the　Atlantic　Sea　without　the　Straits　of
Gibraltar；　and　sailed　a　very　long　time；　discovered　at　last　a　great　and
fruitful　island；　all　covered　over　with　wood；　and　watered　with　several
broad　and　deep　rivers；　far　remote　from　all　terra　firma；　and　that　they；
and　others　after　them；　allured　by　the　goodness　and　fertility　of　the　soil；
went　thither　with　their　wives　and　children；　and　began　to　plant　a　colony。
But　the　senate　of　Carthage　perceiving　their　people　by　little　and　little
to　diminish；　issued　out　an　express　prohibition；　that　none；　upon　pain　of
death；　should　transport　themselves　thither；　and　also　drove　out　these　new
inhabitants；　fearing；　'tis　said；　lest'　in　process　of　time　they　should　so
multiply　as　to　supplant　themselves　and　ruin　their　state。　　But　this
relation　of　Aristotle　no　more　agrees　with　our　new…found　lands　than　the
other。

This　man　that　I　had　was　a　plain　ignorant　fellow；　and　therefore　the　more
likely　to　tell　truth：　for　your　better…bred　sort　of　men　are　much　more
curious　in　their　observation；　'tis　true；　and　discover　a　great　deal　more；
but　then　they　gloss　upon　it；　and　to　give　the　greater　weight　to　what　they
deliver；　and　allure　your　belief；　they　cannot　forbear　a　little　to　alter
the　story；　they　never　represent　things　to　you　simply　as　they　are；　but
rather　as　they　appeared　to　them；　or　as　they　would　have　them　appear　to
you；　and　to　gain　the　reputation　of　men　of　judgment；　and　the　better　to
induce　your　faith；　are　willing　to　help　out　the　business　with　something
more　than　is　really　true；　of　their　own　invention。　　Now　in　this　case；　we
should　either　have　a　man　of　irreproachable　veracity；　or　so　simple　that　he
has　not　wherewithal　to　contrive；　and　to　give　a　colour　of　truth　to　false
relations；　and　who　can　have　no　ends　in　forging　an　untruth。　　Such　a　one
was　mine；　and　besides；　he　has　at　divers　times　brought　to　me　several
seamen　and　merchants　who　at　the　same　time　went　the　same　voyage。　　I　shall
therefore　content　myself　with　his　information；　without　inquiring　what　the
cosmographers　say　to　the　business。　　We　should　have　topographers　to　trace
out　to　us　the　particular　places　where　they　have　been；　but　for　having　had
this　advantage　over　us；　to　have　seen　the　Holy　Land；　they　would　have　the
privilege；　forsooth；　to　tell　us　stories　of　all　the　other　parts　of　the
world　beside。　　I　would　have　every　one　write　what　he　knows；　and　as　much　as
he　knows；　but　no　more；　and　that　not　in　this　only　but　in　all　other
subjects；　for　such　a　person　may　have　some　particular　knowledge　and
experience　of　the　nature　of　such　a　river；　or　such　a　fountain；　who；　as　to
other　things；　knows　no　more　than　what　everybody　does；　and　yet　to　give　a
currency　to　his　little　pittance　of　learning；　will　undertake　to　write　the
whole　body　of　physics：　a　vice　from　which　great　inconveniences　derive
their　original。

Now；　to　return　to　my　subject；　I　find　that　there　is　nothing　barbarous　and
savage　in　this　nation；　by　anything　that　I　can　gather；　excepting；　that
every　one　gives　the　title　of　barbarism　to　everything　that　is　not　in　use
in　his　own　country。　　As；　indeed；　we　have　no　other　level　of　truth　and
reason　than　the　example　and　idea　of　the　opinions　and　customs　of　the　place
wherein　we　live：　there　is　always　the　perfect　religion；　there　the　perfect
government；　there　the　most　exact　and　accomplished　usage　of　all　things。
They　are　savages　at　the　same　rate　that　we　say　fruits　are　wild；　which
nature　produces　of　herself　and　by　her　own　ordinary　progress；　whereas；　in
truth；　we　ought　rather　to　call　those　wild　whose　natures　we　have　changed
by　our　artifice　and　diverted　from　the　common　order。　　In　those；　the
genuine；　most　useful；　and　natural　virtues　and　properties　are　vigorous　and
sprightly；　which　we　have　helped　to　degenerate　in　these；　by　accommodating
them　to　the　pleasure　of　our　own　corrupted　palate。　　And　yet　for　all　this；
our　taste　confesses　a　flavour　and　delicacy　excellent　even　to　emulation　of
the　best　of　ours；　in　several　fruits　wherein　those　countries　abound
without　art　or　culture。　　Neither　is　it　reasonable　that　art　should　gain
the　pre…eminence　of　our　great　and　powerful　mother　nature。　　We　have　so
surcharged　her　with　the　additional　ornaments　and　graces　we　have　added　to
the　beauty　and　riches　of　her　own　works　by　our　inventions；　that　we　have
almost　smothered　her；　yet　in　other　places；　where　she　shines　in　her　own
purity　and　proper　lustre；　she　marvellously　baffles　and　disgraces　all　our
vain　and　frivolous　attempts：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Et　veniunt　hederae　sponte　sua　melius；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Surgit　et　in　solis　formosior　arbutus　antris；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Et　volucres　nulls　dulcius　arte　canunt。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　ivy　grows　best　spontaneously；　the　arbutus　best　in　shady　caves；
　　　　　and　the　wild　notes　of　birds　are　sweeter　than　art　can　teach。
　　　　　〃Propertius；　i。　2；　10。＇

Our　utmost　endeavours　cannot　arrive　at　so　much　as　to　imitate　the　nest　of
the　least　of　birds；　its　contexture；　beauty；　and　convenience：　not　so　much
as　the　web　of　a　poor　spider。

All　things；　says　Plato；＇Laws；　10。＇　are　produced　either　by　nature；　by
fortune；　or　by　art；　the　greatest　and　most　beautiful　by　the　one　or　the
other　of　the　former；　the　least　and　the　most　imperfect　by　the　last。

These　nations　then　seem　to　me　to　be　so　far　barbarous；　as　having　received
but　very　little　form　and　fashion　from　art　and　human　invention；　and
consequently　to　be　not　much　remote　from　their　original　simplicity。　　The
laws　of　nature；　however；　govern　them　still；　not　as　yet　much　vitiated　with
any　mixture　of　ours：　but　'tis　in　such　purity；　that　I　am　sometimes
troubled　we　were　not　sooner　acquainted　with　these　people；　and　that　they
were　not　discovered　in　those　better　times；　when　there　were　men　much　more
able　to　judge　of　them　than　we　are。　　I　am　sorry　that　Lycurgus　and　Plato
had　no　knowledge　of　them；　for　to　my　apprehension；　what　we　now　see　in
those　nations；　does　not　only　surpass　all　the　pictures　with　which　the
poets　have　adorned　the　golden　age；　and　all　their　inventions　in　feigning　a
happy　state　of　man；　but；　moreover；　the　fancy　and　even　the　wish　and　desire
of　philosophy　itself；　so　native　and　so　pure　a　simplicity；　as　we　by
experience　see　to　be　in　them；　could　never　enter　into　their　imagination；
nor　could　they　ever　believe　that　human　society　could　have　been