the essays of montaigne, v17-第15章

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discreetly　in　bidding　him　〃be　well。〃　　For　my　part；　I　am　but　a　man　of　the
common　sort。　　'Tis　a　wholesome　precept；　certain　and　easy　to　be
understood；　〃Be　content　with　what　you　have；〃　that　is　to　say；　with　reason：
and　yet　to　follow　this　advice　is　no　more　in　the　power　of　the　wise　men　of
the　world　than　in　me。　　'Tis　a　common　saying；　but　of　a　terrible　extent：
what　does　it　not　comprehend？　　All　things　fall　under　discretion　and
qualification。　　I　know　very　well　that；　to　take　it　by　the　letter；　this
pleasure　of　travelling　is　a　testimony　of　uneasiness　and　irresolution；
and；　in　sooth；　these　two　are　our　governing　and　predominating　qualities。
Yes；　I　confess；　I　see　nothing；　not　so　much　as　in　a　dream；　in　a　wish；
whereon　I　could　set　up　my　rest：　variety　only；　and　the　possession　of
diversity；　can　satisfy　me；　that　is；　if　anything　can。　　In　travelling；　it
pleases　me　that　I　may　stay　where　I　like；　without　inconvenience；　and　that
I　have　a　place　wherein　commodiously　to　divert　myself。　　I　love　a　private
life；　because　'tis　my　own　choice　that　I　love　it；　not　by　any　dissenting
from　or　dislike　of　public　life；　which；　peradventure；　is　as　much　according
to　my　complexion。　　I　serve　my　prince　more　cheerfully　because　it　is　by　the
free　election　of　my　own　judgment　and　reason；　without　any　particular
obligation；　and　that　I　am　not　reduced　and　constrained　so　to　do　for　being
rejected　or　disliked　by　the　other　party；　and　so　of　all　the　rest。　　I　hate
the　morsels　that　necessity　carves　me；　any　commodity　upon　which　I　had　only
to　depend　would　have　me　by　the　throat；

　　　　　　　　　　〃Alter　remus　aquas；　alter　mihi　radat　arenas；〃

　　　　　＇〃Let　me　have　one　oar　in　the　water；　and　with　the　other　rake　the
　　　　　shore。〃Propertius；　iii。　3；　23。＇

one　cord　will　never　hold　me　fast　enough。　　You　will　say；　there　is　vanity
in　this　way　of　living。　　But　where　is　there　not？　　All　these　fine　precepts
are　vanity；　and　all　wisdom　is　vanity：

　　　　　〃Dominus　novit　cogitationes　sapientum；　quoniam　vanae　sunt。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　Lord　knoweth　the　thoughts　of　the　wise；　that　they　are　vain。〃
　　　　　Ps。　xciii。　II；　or　I　Cor。　iii。　20。＇

These　exquisite　subtleties　are　only　fit　for　sermons；　they　are　discourses
that　will　send　us　all　saddled　into　the　other　world。　　Life　is　a　material
and　corporal　motion；　an　action　imperfect　and　irregular　of　its　own　proper
essence；　I　make　it　my　business　to　serve　it　according　to　itself：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Quisque　suos　patimur　manes。〃

　　　　　＇〃We　each　of　us　suffer　our　own　particular　demon。〃AEneid；　vi。　743。＇

　　　　　〃Sic　est　faciendum；　ut　contra　naturam　universam　nihil　contendamus；
　　　　　ea　tamen　conservata　propriam　sequamur。〃

　　　　　＇〃We　must　so　order　it　as　by　no　means　to　contend　against　universal
　　　　　nature；　but　yet；　that　rule　being　observed；　to　follow　our　own。〃
　　　　　Cicero；　De　Offcc。；　i。　　31。＇

To　what　end　are　these　elevated　points　of　philosophy；　upon　which　no　human
being　can　rely？　and　those　rules　that　exceed　both　our　use　and　force？

I　see　often　that　we　have　theories　of　life　set　before　us　which　neither　the
proposer　nor　those　who　hear　him　have　any　hope；　nor；　which　is　more；　any
inclination　to　follow。　　Of　the　same　sheet　of　paper　whereon　the　judge　has
but　just　written　a　sentence　against　an　adulterer；　he　steals　a　piece
whereon　to　write　a　love…letter　to　his　companion's　wife。　　She　whom　you
have　but　just　now　illicitly　embraced　will　presently；　even　in　your
hearing；　more　loudly　inveigh　against　the　same　fault　in　her　companion　than
a　Portia　would　do；＇The　chaste　daughter　of　Cato　of　Utica。＇　and　men
there　are　who　will　condemn　others　to　death　for　crimes　that　they
themselves　do　not　repute　so　much　as　faults。　　I　have；　in　my　youth；　seen　a
man　of　good　rank　with　one　hand　present　to　the　people　verses　that　excelled
both　in　wit　and　debauchery；　and　with　the　other；　at　the　same　time；　the
most　ripe　and　pugnacious　theological　reformation　that　the　world　has　been
treated　withal　these　many　years。　　And　so　men　proceed；　we　let　the　laws　and
precepts　follow　their　way；　ourselves　keep　another　course；　not　only　from
debauchery　of　manners；　but　ofttimes　by　judgment　and　contrary　opinion。　　Do
but　hear　a　philosophical　lecture；　the　invention；　eloquence；　pertinency
immediately　strike　upon　your　mind　and　move　you；　there　is　nothing　that
touches　or　stings　your　conscience；　'tis　not　to　this　they　address
themselves。　　Is　not　this　true？。　　It　made　Aristo　say；　that　neither　a　bath
nor　a　lecture　did　aught　unless　it　scoured　and　made　men　clean。　　One　may
stop　at　the　skin；　but　it　is　after　the　marrow　is　picked　out　as；　after　we
have　swallowed　good　wine　out　of　a　fine　cup；　we　examine　the　designs　and
workmanship。　　In　all　the　courts　of　ancient　philosophy；　this　is　to　be
found；　that　the　same　teacher　publishes　rules　of　temperance　and　at　the
same　time　lessons　in　love　and　wantonness；　Xenophon；；　in　the　very　bosom　of
Clinias；　wrote　against　the　Aristippic　virtue。　　'Tis　not　that　there　is　any
miraculous　conversion　in　it　that　makes　them　thus　wavering；　'tis　that
Solon　represents　himself；　sometimes　in　his　own　person；　and　sometimes　in
that　of　a　legislator；　one　while　he　speaks　for　the　crowd；　and　another　for
himself；　taking　the　free　and　natural　rules　for　his　own　share；　feeling
assured　of　a　firm　and　entire　health：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Curentur　dubii　medicis　majoribus　aegri。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Desperate　maladies　require　the　best　doctors。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Juvenal；　xiii。　124。＇

Antisthenes　allows　a　sage　to　love；　and　to　do　whatever　he　thinks
convenient；　without　regard　to　the　laws；　forasmuch　as　he　is　better　advised
than　they；　and　has　a　greater　knowledge　of　virtue。　　His　disciple　Diogenes
said；　that　〃men　to　perturbations　were　to　oppose　reason：　to　fortune；
courage：　to　the　laws；　nature。〃　　For　tender　stomachs；　constrained　and
artificial　recipes　must　be　prescribed：　good　and　strong　stomachs　serve
themselves　simply　with　the　prescriptions　of　their　own　natural　appetite；
after　this　manner　do　our　physicians　proceed；　who　eat　melons　and　drink
iced　wines；　whilst　they　confine　their　patients　to　syrups　and　sops。
〃I　know　not；〃　said　the　courtezan　Lais；　〃what　they　may　talk　of　books；
wisdom；　and　philosophy；　but　these　men　knock　as　often　at　my　door　as　any
others。〃　　At　the　same　rate　that　our　licence　carries　us　beyond　what　is
lawful　and　allowed；　men　have；　often　beyond　universal　reason；　stretched
the　precepts　and　rules　of　our　life：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Nemo　satis　credit　tantum　delinquere；　quantum
　　　　　　　　　　Permittas。〃

　　　　　＇〃No　one　thinks　he　has　done　ill　to　the　full　extent　of　what　he　may。〃
　　　　　Juvenal；　xiv。　233。＇

It　were　to　be　wished　that　there　was　more　proportion　betwixt　the　command
and　the　obedience；　and　the　mark　seems　to　be　unjust　to　which　one　cannot
attain。　　There　is　no　so　good　man；　who　so　squares　all　his　thoughts　and
actions　to　the　laws；　that　he　is　not　faulty　enough　to　deserve　hanging　ten
times　in　his　life；　and　he　may　well　be　such　a　one；　as　it　were　great
injustice　and　great　harm　to　punish　and　ruin：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ole；　quid　ad　te
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　De　cute　quid　faciat　ille　vel　ille　sua？〃

　　　　　＇〃Olus；　what　is　it　to　thee　what　he　or　she　does　with　their　skin？〃
　　　　　Martial；　vii。　9；　I。＇

and　such　an　one　there　may　be；　who　has　no　way　offended　the　laws；　who；
nevertheless；　would　not　deserve　the　character　of　a　virtuous　man；　and　whom
philosophy　would　justly　condemn　to　be　whipped；　so　unequal　and　perplexed
is　this　relation。　　We　are　so　far　from　being　good　men；　according　to　the
laws　of　God；　that　we　cannot　be　so　according　to　our　own　human　wisdom　never
yet　arrived　at　the　duties　it　had　itself　prescribed；　and　could　it　arrive
there；　it　would　still　prescribe　to　itself　others　beyond；　to　which　it
would　ever　aspire　and　pretend；　so　great　an　enemy　to　consistency　is　our
human　condition。　　Man　enjoins　himself　to　be　necessarily　in　fault：　he　is
not　very　discreet　to　cut　out　his　own　duty　by　the　measure　of　another　being
than　his　own。　　To　whom　does　he　prescribe　that　which　he　does　not　expect
any　one　should　perform？　is　he　unjust　in　not　doing　what　it　is　impossible
for　him　to　do？　　The　laws　which　condemn　us　not　to　be　able；　condemn　us　for
not　being　able。

At　the　worst；　this　difform　liberty　of　presenting　ourselves　two　several
ways；　the　actions　after　one　manner　and　the　reasoning　after　another；　may
be　allowed　to　those　who　only　speak　of　things；　but