the essays of montaigne, v6-第9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！


Laertius；　vii。　　188。＇　as　our　own　ancestors；　who　being　besieged　by
Caesar　in　the　city　Alexia；　resolved　to　sustain　the　famine　of　the　siege
with　the　bodies　of　their　old　men；　women；　and　other　persons　who　were
incapable　of　bearing　arms。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Vascones；　ut　fama　est；　alimentis　talibus　usi
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Produxere　animas。〃

　　　　　＇〃'Tis　said　the　Gascons　with　such　meats　appeased　their　hunger。〃
　　　　　Juvenal；　Sat。；　xv。　93。

And　the　physicians　make　no　bones　of　employing　it　to　all　sorts　of　use；
either　to　apply　it　outwardly；　or　to　give　it　inwardly　for　the　health　of
the　patient。　　But　there　never　was　any　opinion　so　irregular；　as　to　excuse
treachery；　disloyalty；　tyranny；　and　cruelty；　which　are　our　familiar
vices。　　We　may　then　call　these　people　barbarous；　in　respect　to　the　rules
of　reason：　but　not　in　respect　to　ourselves；　who　in　all　sorts　of　barbarity
exceed　them。　　Their　wars　are　throughout　noble　and　generous；　and　carry　as
much　excuse　and　fair　pretence；　as　that　human　malady　is　capable　of；　having
with　them　no　other　foundation　than　the　sole　jealousy　of　valour。　　Their
disputes　are　not　for　the　conquest　of　new　lands；　for　these　they　already
possess　are　so　fruitful　by　nature；　as　to　supply　them　without　labour　or
concern；　with　all　things　necessary；　in　such　abundance　that　they　have　no
need　to　enlarge　their　borders。　　And　they　are；　moreover；　happy　in　this；
that　they　only　covet　so　much　as　their　natural　necessities　require：　all
beyond　that　is　superfluous　to　them：　men　of　the　same　age　call　one　another
generally　brothers；　those　who　are　younger；　children；　and　the　old　men　are
fathers　to　all。　　These　leave　to　their　heirs　in　common　the　full　possession
of　goods；　without　any　manner　of　division；　or　other　title　than　what　nature
bestows　upon　her　creatures；　in　bringing　them　into　the　world。　　If　their
neighbours　pass　over　the　mountains　to　assault　them；　and　obtain　a　victory；
all　the　victors　gain　by　it　is　glory　only；　and　the　advantage　of　having
proved　themselves　the　better　in　valour　and　virtue：　for　they　never　meddle
with　the　goods　of　the　conquered；　but　presently　return　into　their　own
country；　where　they　have　no　want　of　anything　necessary；　nor　of　this
greatest　of　all　goods；　to　know　happily　how　to　enjoy　their　condition　and
to　be　content。　　And　those　in　turn　do　the　same；　they　demand　of　their
prisoners　no　other　ransom；　than　acknowledgment　that　they　are　overcome：
but　there　is　not　one　found　in　an　age；　who　will　not　rather　choose　to　die
than　make　such　a　confession；　or　either　by　word　or　look　recede　from　the
entire　grandeur　of　an　invincible　courage。　　There　is　not　a　man　amongst
them　who　had　not　rather　be　killed　and　eaten；　than　so　much　as　to　open　his
mouth　to　entreat　he　may　not。　　They　use　them　with　all　liberality　and
freedom；　to　the　end　their　lives　may　be　so　much　the　dearer　to　them；　but
frequently　entertain　them　with　menaces　of　their　approaching　death；　of　the
torments　they　are　to　suffer；　of　the　preparations　making　in　order　to　it；
of　the　mangling　their　limbs；　and　of　the　feast　that　is　to　be　made；　where
their　carcass　is　to　be　the　only　dish。　　All　which　they　do；　to　no　other
end；　but　only　to　extort　some　gentle　or　submissive　word　from　them；　or　to
frighten　them　so　as　to　make　them　run　away；　to　obtain　this　advantage　that
they　were　terrified；　and　that　their　constancy　was　shaken；　and　indeed；　if
rightly　taken；　it　is　in　this　point　only　that　a　true　victory　consists：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Victoria　nulla　est；
　　　　　　　　　　Quam　quae　confessor　animo　quoque　subjugat　hostes。〃

　　　　　＇〃No　victory　is　complete；　which　the　conquered　do　not　admit　to　be
　　　　　so。〃Claudius；　De　Sexto　Consulatu　Honorii；　v。　248。＇

The　Hungarians；　a　very　warlike　people；　never　pretend　further　than　to
reduce　the　enemy　to　their　discretion；　for　having　forced　this　confession
from　them；　they　let　them　go　without　injury　or　ransom；　excepting；　at　the
most；　to　make　them　engage　their　word　never　to　bear　arms　against　them
again。　　We　have　sufficient　advantages　over　our　enemies　that　are　borrowed
and　not　truly　our　own；　it　is　the　quality　of　a　porter；　and　no　effect　of
virtue；　to　have　stronger　arms　and　legs；　it　is　a　dead　and　corporeal
quality　to　set　in　array；　'tis　a　turn　of　fortune　to　make　our　enemy
stumble；　or　to　dazzle　him　with　the　light　of　the　sun；　'tis　a　trick　of
science　and　art；　and　that　may　happen　in　a　mean　base　fellow；　to　be　a　good
fencer。　　The　estimate　and　value　of　a　man　consist　in　the　heart　and　in　the
will：　there　his　true　honour　lies。　　Valour　is　stability；　not　of　legs　and
arms；　but　of　the　courage　and　the　soul；　it　does　not　lie　in　the　goodness　of
our　horse　or　our　arms　but　in　our　own。　　He　that　falls　obstinate　in　his
courage

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Si　succiderit；　de　genu　pugnat〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃If　his　legs　fail　him；　he　fights　on　his　knees。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Seneca；　De　Providentia；　c。　2。＇

he　who；　for　any　danger　of　imminent　death；　abates　nothing　of　his
assurance；　who；　dying；　yet　darts　at　his　enemy　a　fierce　and　disdainful
look；　is　overcome　not　by　us；　but　by　fortune；　he　is　killed；　not　conquered；
the　most　valiant　are　sometimes　the　most　unfortunate。　　There　are　defeats
more　triumphant　than　victories。　　Never　could　those　four　sister　victories；
the　fairest　the　sun　ever　be　held；　of　Salamis；　Plataea；　Mycale；　and
Sicily；　venture　to　oppose　all　their　united　glories；　to　the　single　glory
of　the　discomfiture　of　King　Leonidas　and　his　men；　at　the　pass　of
Thermopylae。　　Who　ever　ran　with　a　more　glorious　desire　and　greater
ambition；　to　the　winning；　than　Captain　Iscolas　to　the　certain　loss　of　a
battle？＇Diodorus　Siculus；　xv。　　64。＇　Who　could　have　found　out　a　more
subtle　invention　to　secure　his　safety；　than　he　did　to　assure　his
destruction？　　He　was　set　to　defend　a　certain　pass　of　Peloponnesus　against
the　Arcadians；　which；　considering　the　nature　of　the　place　and　the
inequality　of　forces；　finding　it　utterly　impossible　for　him　to　do；　and
seeing　that　all　who　were　presented　to　the　enemy；　must　certainly　be　left
upon　the　place；　and　on　the　other　side；　reputing　it　unworthy　of　his　own
virtue　and　magnanimity　and　of　the　Lacedaemonian　name　to　fail　in　any　part
of　his　duty；　he　chose　a　mean　betwixt　these　two　extremes　after　this
manner；　the　youngest　and　most　active　of　his　men；　he　preserved　for　the
service　and　defence　of　their　country；　and　sent　them　back；　and　with　the
rest；　whose　loss　would　be　of　less　consideration；　he　resolved　to　make　good
the　pass；　and　with　the　death　of　them；　to　make　the　enemy　buy　their　entry
as　dear　as　possibly　he　could；　as　it　fell　out；　for　being　presently
environed　on　all　sides　by　the　Arcadians；　after　having　made　a　great
slaughter　of　the　enemy；　he　and　his　were　all　cut　in　pieces。　　Is　there　any
trophy　dedicated　to　the　conquerors　which　was　not　much　more　due　to　these
who　were　overcome？　　The　part　that　true　conquering　is　to　play；　lies　in　the
encounter；　not　in　the　coming　off；　and　the　honour　of　valour　consists　in
fighting；　not　in　subduing。

But　to　return　to　my　story：　these　prisoners　are　so　far　from　discovering
the　least　weakness；　for　all　the　terrors　that　can　be　represented　to　them；
that；　on　the　contrary；　during　the　two　or　three　months　they　are　kept；　they
always　appear　with　a　cheerful　countenance；　importune　their　masters　to
make　haste　to　bring　them　to　the　test；　defy；　rail　at　them；　and　reproach
them　with　cowardice；　and　the　number　of　battles　they　have　lost　against
those　of　their　country。　　I　have　a　song　made　by　one　of　these　prisoners；
wherein　he　bids　them　〃come　all；　and　dine　upon　him；　and　welcome；　for　they
shall　withal　eat　their　own　fathers　and　grandfathers；　whose　flesh　has
served　to　feed　and　nourish　him。　　These　muscles；〃　says　he；　〃this　flesh　and
these　veins；　are　your　own：　poor　silly　souls　as　you　are；　you　little　think
that　the　substance　of　your　ancestors'　limbs　is　here　yet；　notice　what　you
eat；　and　you　will　find　in　it　the　taste　of　your　own　flesh：〃　in　which　song
there　is　to　be　observed　an　invention　that　nothing　relishes　of　the
barbarian。　　Those　that　paint　these　people　dying　after　this　manner；
represent　the　prisoner　spitting　in　the　faces　of　his　executioners　and
making　wry　mouths　at　them。　　And　'tis　most　certain；　that　to　the　very　last
gasp；　they　never　cease　to　brave　and　defy　them　both　in　word　and　gesture。
In　plain　truth；　these　men　are　very　savage　in　comparison　of　us；　of
necessity；　they　must　either　be　absolutely　so　or　else　we　are　savages；　for
there　is　a　vast　difference　betwixt　their　manners　and　ours。

The　men　there　have　several　wives；　and　so　much　the　greater　number；　by　how
much　they　have　the　greater　reputation　for　valour。　　And　it　is　one　very
remarkable　feature　in　their　marriages；　that　the　same　jealousy　our　wives
have　to　hinder　and　divert　us　from　the　friendship　and　familiarity　of　other
women；　those　employ　to　promote　their　husbands'　desires；　and　to　procure
them　many　spouses；　for　being　above　all　things　solicitous　of　their
husbands'　honour；　'tis　their　chiefest　care　to　seek　out；　and　to　bring　in
the　most　companions　they　can；　forasmuch　as　it　is　a　testimony　of　the
husband's　virtue。　　Most　of　our　ladies　will　cry　out；　that　'tis　monstrous；
whereas　in　truth　it　is　not　so；　but　a　truly　matrimonial　virtue；　and　of　the
highest　form。　　In　the　Bible；　Sarah；　with　Leah　and　Rachel；　the　two　wives
of　Jacob；　gave　the　most　beautiful　of　their　handmaids　to　their　husbands；
Livia　preferred　t