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the essays of montaigne, v5-第4部分

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that orders everything; and that acts; rules; and reigns: all other
faculties are blind; and deaf; and without soul。  And certainly we render
it timorous and servile; in not allowing it the liberty and privilege to
do anything of itself。  Whoever asked his pupil what he thought of
grammar and rhetoric; or of such and such a sentence of Cicero?  Our
masters stick them; full feathered; in our memories; and there establish
them like oracles; of which the letters and syllables are of the
substance of the thing。  To know by rote; is no knowledge; and signifies
no more but only to retain what one has intrusted to our memory。  That
which a man rightly knows and understands; he is the free disposer of at
his own full liberty; without any regard to the author from whence he had
it; or fumbling over the leaves of his book。  A mere bookish learning is
a poor; paltry learning; it may serve for ornament; but there is yet no
foundation for any superstructure to be built upon it; according to the
opinion of Plato; who says; that constancy; faith; and sincerity; are the
true philosophy; and the other sciences; that are directed to other ends;
mere adulterate paint。  I could wish that Paluel or Pompey; those two
noted dancers of my time; could have taught us to cut capers; by only
seeing them do it; without stirring from our places; as these men pretend
to inform the understanding without ever setting it to work; or that we
could learn to ride; handle a pike; touch a lute; or sing without the
trouble of practice; as these attempt to make us judge and speak well;
without exercising us in judging or speaking。  Now in this initiation of
our studies in their progress; whatsoever presents itself before us is
book sufficient; a roguish trick of a page; a sottish mistake of a
servant; a jest at the table; are so many new subjects。

And for this reason; conversation with men is of very great use and
travel into foreign countries; not to bring back (as most of our young
monsieurs do) an account only of how many paces Santa Rotonda 'The
Pantheon of Agrippa。' is in circuit; or of the richness of Signora
Livia's petticoats; or; as some others; how much Nero's face; in a statue
in such an old ruin; is longer and broader than that made for him on some
medal; but to be able chiefly to give an account of the humours; manners;
customs; and laws of those nations where he has been; and that we may
whet and sharpen our wits by rubbing them against those of others。  I
would that a boy should be sent abroad very young; and first; so as to
kill two birds with one stone; into those neighbouring nations whose
language is most differing from our own; and to which; if it be not
formed betimes; the tongue will grow too stiff to bend。

And also 'tis the general opinion of all; that a child should not be
brought up in his mother's lap。  Mothers are too tender; and their
natural affection is apt to make the most discreet of them all so
overfond; that they can neither find in their hearts to give them due
correction for the faults they may commit; nor suffer them to be inured
to hardships and hazards; as they ought to be。  They will not endure to
see them return all dust and sweat from their exercise; to drink cold
drink when they are hot; nor see them mount an unruly horse; nor take a
foil in hand against a rude fencer; or so much as to discharge a carbine。
And yet there is no remedy; whoever will breed a boy to be good for
anything when he comes to be a man; must by no means spare him when
young; and must very often transgress the rules of physic:

              〃Vitamque sub dio; et trepidis agat
               In rebus。〃

     '〃Let him live in open air; and ever in movement about something。〃
     Horace; Od。 ii。; 3; 5。'

It is not enough to fortify his soul; you are also to make his sinews
strong; for the soul will be oppressed if not assisted by the members;
and would have too hard a task to discharge two offices alone。  I know
very well to my cost; how much mine groans under the burden; from being
accommodated with a body so tender and indisposed; as eternally leans and
presses upon her; and often in my reading perceive that our masters; in
their writings; make examples pass for magnanimity and fortitude of mind;
which really are rather toughness of skin and hardness of bones; for I
have seen men; women; and children; naturally born of so hard and
insensible a constitution of body; that a sound cudgelling has been less
to them than a flirt with a finger would have been to me; and that would
neither cry out; wince; nor shrink; for a good swinging beating; and when
wrestlers counterfeit the philosophers in patience; 'tis rather strength
of nerves than stoutness of heart。  Now to be inured to undergo labour;
is to be accustomed to endure pain:

                    〃Labor callum obducit dolori。〃

     '〃Labour hardens us against pain。〃Cicero; Tusc。 Quaes。; ii。 15。'

A boy is to be broken in to the toil and roughness of exercise; so as to
be trained up to the pain and suffering of dislocations; cholics;
cauteries; and even imprisonment and the rack itself; for he may come by
misfortune to be reduced to the worst of these; which (as this world
goes) is sometimes inflicted on the good as well as the bad。  As for
proof; in our present civil war whoever draws his sword against the laws;
threatens the honestest men with the whip and the halter。

And; moreover; by living at home; the authority of this governor; which
ought to be sovereign over the boy he has received into his charge; is
often checked and hindered by the presence of parents; to which may also
be added; that the respect the whole family pay him; as their master's
son; and the knowledge he has of the estate and greatness he is heir to;
are; in my opinion; no small inconveniences in these tender years。

And yet; even in this conversing with men I spoke of but now; I have
observed this vice; that instead of gathering observations from others;
we make it our whole business to lay ourselves open to them; and are more
concerned how to expose and set out our own commodities; than how to
increase our stock by acquiring new。  Silence; therefore; and modesty are
very advantageous qualities in conversation。  One should; therefore;
train up this boy to be sparing and an husband of his knowledge when he
has acquired it; and to forbear taking exceptions at or reproving every
idle saying or ridiculous story that is said or told in his presence; for
it is a very unbecoming rudeness to carp at everything that is not
agreeable to our own palate。  Let him be satisfied with correcting
himself; and not seem to condemn everything in another he would not do
himself; nor dispute it as against common customs。

               〃Licet sapere sine pompa; sine invidia。〃

          '〃Let us be wise without ostentation; without envy。〃
          Seneca; Ep。; 103。

Let him avoid these vain and uncivil images of authority; this childish
ambition of coveting to appear better bred and more accomplished; than he
really will; by such carriage; discover himself to be。  And; as if
opportunities of interrupting and reprehending were not to be o
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