the essays of montaigne, v5-第13部分

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concerns　myself；　I　was　above　six　years　of　age　before　I　understood　either
French　or　Perigordin；　any　more　than　Arabic；　and　without　art；　book；
grammar；　or　precept；　whipping；　or　the　expense　of　a　tear；　I　had；　by　that
time；　learned　to　speak　as　pure　Latin　as　my　master　himself；　for　I　had　no
means　of　mixing　it　up　with　any　other。　　If；　for　example；　they　were　to　give
me　a　theme　after　the　college　fashion；　they　gave　it　to　others　in　French；
but　to　me　they　were　to　give　it　in　bad　Latin；　to　turn　it　into　that　which
was　good。　　And　Nicolas　Grouchy；　who　wrote　a　book　De　Comitiis　Romanorum；
Guillaume　Guerente；　who　wrote　a　comment　upon　Aristotle：　George　Buchanan；
that　great　Scottish　poet：　and　Marc　Antoine　Muret　（whom　both　France　and
Italy　have　acknowledged　for　the　best　orator　of　his　time）；　my　domestic
tutors；　have　all　of　them　often　told　me　that　I　had　in　my　infancy　that
language　so　very　fluent　and　ready；　that　they　were　afraid　to　enter　into
discourse　with　me。　　And　particularly　Buchanan；　whom　I　since　saw　attending
the　late　Mareschal　de　Brissac；　then　told　me；　that　he　was　about　to　write　a
treatise　of　education；　the　example　of　which　he　intended　to　take　from
mine；　for　he　was　then　tutor　to　that　Comte　de　Brissac　who　afterward　proved
so　valiant　and　so　brave　a　gentleman。

As　to　Greek；　of　which　I　have　but　a　mere　smattering；　my　father　also
designed　to　have　it　taught　me　by　a　device；　but　a　new　one；　and　by　way　of
sport；　tossing　our　declensions　to　and　fro；　after　the　manner　of　those　who；
by　certain　games　of　tables；　learn　geometry　and　arithmetic。　　For　he；
amongst　other　rules；　had　been　advised　to　make　me　relish　science　and　duty
by　an　unforced　will；　and　of　my　own　voluntary　motion；　and　to　educate　my
soul　in　all　liberty　and　delight；　without　any　severity　or　constraint；
which　he　was　an　observer　of　to　such　a　degree；　even　of　superstition；　if　I
may　say　so；　that　some　being　of　opinion　that　it　troubles　and　disturbs　the
brains　of　children　suddenly　to　wake　them　in　the　morning；　and　to　snatch
them　violentlyand　over…hastily　from　sleep　（wherein　they　are　much　more
profoundly　involved　than　we）；　he　caused　me　to　be　wakened　by　the　sound　of
some　musical　instrument；　and　was　never　unprovided　of　a　musician　for　that
purpose。　　By　this　example　you　may　judge　of　the　rest；　this　alone　being
sufficient　to　recommend　both　the　prudence　and　the　affection　of　so　good　a
father；　who　is　not　to　be　blamed　if　he　did　not　reap　fruits　answerable　to
so　exquisite　a　culture。　　Of　this；　two　things　were　the　cause：　first；　a
sterile　and　improper　soil；　for；　though　I　was　of　a　strong　and　healthful
constitution；　and　of　a　disposition　tolerably　sweet　and　tractable；　yet　I
was；　withal；　so　heavy；　idle；　and　indisposed；　that　they　could　not　rouse　me
from　my　sloth；　not　even　to　get　me　out　to　play。　　What　I　saw；　I　saw　clearly
enough；　and　under　this　heavy　complexion　nourished　a　bold　imagination　and
opinions　above　my　age。　　I　had　a　slow　wit　that　would　go　no　faster　than　it
was　led；　a　tardy　understanding；　a　languishing　invention；　and　above　all；
incredible　defect　of　memory；　so　that；　it　is　no　wonder；　if　from　all　these
nothing　considerable　could　be　extracted。　　Secondly；　like　those　who；
impatient　of　along　and　steady　cure；　submit　to　all　sorts　of　prescriptions
and　recipes；　the　good　man　being　extremely　timorous　of　any　way　failing　in
a　thing　he　had　so　wholly　set　his　heart　upon；　suffered　himself　at　last　to
be　overruled　by　the　common　opinions；　which　always　follow　their　leader　as
a　flight　of　cranes；　and　complying　with　the　method　of　the　time；　having　no
more　those　persons　he　had　brought　out　of　Italy；　and　who　had　given　him　the
first　model　of　education；　about　him；　he　sent　me　at　six　years　of　age　to
the　College　of　Guienne；　at　that　time　the　best　and　most　flourishing　in
France。　　And　there　it　was　not　possible　to　add　anything　to　the　care　he　had
to　provide　me　the　most　able　tutors；　with　all　other　circumstances　of
education；　reserving　also　several　particular　rules　contrary　to　the
college　practice；　but　so　it　was；　that　with　all　these　precautions；　it　was
a　college　still。　　My　Latin　immediately　grew　corrupt；　of　which　also　by
discontinuance　I　have　since　lost　all　manner　of　use；　so　that　this　new　way
of　education　served　me　to　no　other　end；　than　only　at　my　first　coming　to
prefer　me　to　the　first　forms；　for　at　thirteen　years　old；　that　I　came　out
of　the　college；　I　had　run　through　my　whole　course　（as　they　call　it）；　and；
in　truth；　without　any　manner　of　advantage；　that　I　can　honestly　brag　of；
in　all　this　time。

The　first　taste　which　I　had　for　books　came　to　me　from　the　pleasure　in
reading　the　fables　of　Ovid's　Metamorphoses；　for；　being　about　seven　or
eight　years　old；　I　gave　up　all　other　diversions　to　read　them；　both　by
reason　that　this　was　my　own　natural　language；　the　easiest　book　that　I　was
acquainted　with；　and　for　the　subject；　the　most　accommodated　to　the
capacity　of　my　age：　for　as　for　the　Lancelot　of　the　Lake；　the　Amadis　of
Gaul；　the　Huon　of　Bordeaux；　and　such　farragos；　by　which　children　are　most
delighted　with；　I　had　never　so　much　as　heard　their　names；　no　more　than　I
yet　know　what　they　contain；　so　exact　was　the　discipline　wherein　I　was
brought　up。　　But　this　was　enough　to　make　me　neglect　the　other　lessons
that　were　prescribed　me；　and　here　it　was　infinitely　to　my　advantage；
to　have　to　do　with　an　understanding　tutor；　who　very　well　knew　discreetly
to　connive　at　this　and　other　truantries　of　the　same　nature；　for　by　this
means　I　ran　through　Virgil's　AEneid；　and　then　Terence；　and　then　Plautus；
and　then　some　Italian　comedies；　allured　by　the　sweetness　of　the　subject；
whereas　had　he　been　so　foolish　as　to　have　taken　me　off　this　diversion；
I　do　really　believe；　I　had　brought　away　nothing　from　the　college　but　a
hatred　of　books；　as　almost　all　our　young　gentlemen　do。　　But　he　carried
himself　very　discreetly　in　that　business；　seeming　to　take　no　notice；　and
allowing　me　only　such　time　as　I　could　steal　from　my　other　regular
studies；　which　whetted　my　appetite　to　devour　those　books。　　For　the　chief
things　my　father　expected　from　their　endeavours　to　whom　he　had　delivered
me　for　education；　were　affability　and　good…humour；　and；　to　say　the　truth；
my　manners　had　no　other　vice　but　sloth　and　want　of　metal。　　The　fear　was
not　that　I　should　do　ill；　but　that　I　should　do　nothing；　nobody
prognosticated　that　I　should　be　wicked；　but　only　useless；　they　foresaw
idleness；　but　no　malice；　and　I　find　it　falls　out　accordingly：
The　complaints　I　hear　of　myself　are　these：　〃He　is　idle；　cold　in　the
offices　of　friendship　and　relation；　and　in　those　of　the　public；　too
particular；　too　disdainful。〃　　But　the　most　injurious　do　not　say；　〃Why　has
he　taken　such　a　thing？　　Why　has　he　not　paid　such　an　one？〃　　but；　〃Why　does
he　part　with　nothing？　　Why　does　he　not　give？〃　　And　I　should　take　it　for　a
favour　that　men　would　expect　from　me　no　greater　effects　of　supererogation
than　these。　　But　they　are　unjust　to　exact　from　me　what　I　do　not　owe；　far
more　rigorously　than　they　require　from　others　that　which　they　do　owe。
In　condemning　me　to　it；　they　efface　the　gratification　of　the　action；　and
deprive　me　of　the　gratitude　that　would　be　my　due　for　it；　whereas　the
active　well…doing　ought　to　be　of　so　much　the　greater　value　from　my　hands；
by　how　much　I　have　never　been　p