the essays of montaigne, v5-第9部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


and　so　make　a　pack…horse　of　him。　　Neither　should　I　think　it　good；　when；
by　reason　of　a　solitary　and　melancholic　complexion；　he　is　discovered　to
be　overmuch　addicted　to　his　book；　to　nourish　that　humour　in　him；　for　that
renders　him　unfit　for　civil　conversation；　and　diverts　him　from　better
employments。　　And　how　many　have　I　seen　in　my　time　totally　brutified　by　an
immoderate　thirst　after　knowledge？　　Carneades　was　so　besotted　with　it；
that　he　would　not　find　time　so　much　as　to　comb　his　head　or　to　pare　his
nails。　　Neither　would　I　have　his　generous　manners　spoiled　and　corrupted
by　the　incivility　and　barbarism　of　those　of　another。　　The　French　wisdom
was　anciently　turned　into　proverb：　〃Early；　but　of　no　continuance。〃　　And；
in　truth；　we　yet　see；　that　nothing　can　be　more　ingenious　and　pleasing
than　the　children　of　France；　but　they　ordinarily　deceive　the　hope　and
expectation　that　have　been　conceived　of　them；　and　grown　up　to　be　men；
have　nothing　extraordinary　or　worth　taking　notice　of：　I　have　heard　men　of
good　understanding　say；　these　colleges　of　ours　to　which　we　send　our　young
people　（and　of　which　we　have　but　too　many）　make　them　such　animals　as　they
are。＇Hobbes　said　that　if　he　Had　been　at　college　as　long　as　other　people
he　should　have　been　as　great　a　blockhead　as　they。　W。C。H。＇　＇And　Bacon
before　Hobbe's　time　had　discussed　the　〃futility〃　of　university　teaching。
D。W。＇

But　to　our　little　monsieur；　a　closet；　a　garden；　the　table；　his　bed；
solitude；　and　company；　morning　and　evening；　all　hours　shall　be　the　same；
and　all　places　to　him　a　study；　for　philosophy；　who；　as　the　formatrix　of
judgment　and　manners；　shall　be　his　principal　lesson；　has　that　privilege
to　have　a　hand　in　everything。　　The　orator　Isocrates；　being　at　a　feast
entreated　to　speak　of　his　art；　all　the　company　were　satisfied　with　and
commended　his　answer：　　〃It　is　not　now　a　time；〃　said　he；　〃to　do　what　I　can
do；　and　that　which　it　is　now　time　to　do；　I　cannot　do。〃　＇Plutarch；
Symp。；　i。　I。＇　For　to　make　orations　and　rhetorical　disputes　in　a　company
met　together　to　laugh　and　make　good　cheer；　had　been　very　unreasonable　and
improper；　and　as　much　might　have　been　said　of　all　the　other　sciences。
But　as　to　what　concerns　philosophy；　that　part　of　it　at　least　that　treats
of　man；　and　of　his　offices　and　duties；　it　has　been　the　common　opinion　of
all　wise　men；　that；　out　of　respect　to　the　sweetness　of　her　conversation；
she　is　ever　to　be　admitted　in　all　sports　and　entertainments。　　And　Plato；
having　invited　her　to　his　feast；　we　see　after　how　gentle　and　obliging　a
manner；　accommodated　both　to　time　and　place；　she　entertained　the　company；
though　in　a　discourse　of　the　highest　and　most　important　nature：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Aeque　pauperibus　prodest；　locupletibus　aeque；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Et；　neglecta；　aeque　pueris　senibusque　nocebit。〃

　　　　　＇〃It　profits　poor　and　rich　alike；　but；　neglected；　equally　hurts　old
　　　　　and　young。〃Horace；　Ep。；　i。　25。＇

By　this　method　of　instruction；　my　young　pupil　will　be　much　more　and
better　employed　than　his　fellows　of　the　college　are。　　But　as　the　steps　we
take　in　walking　to　and　fro　in　a　gallery；　though　three　times　as　many；　do
not　tire　a　man　so　much　as　those　we　employ　in　a　formal　journey；　so　our
lesson；　as　it　were　accidentally　occurring；　without　any　set　obligation　of
time　or　place；　and　falling　naturally　into　every　action；　will　insensibly
insinuate　itself。　　By　which　means　our　very　exercises　and　recreations；
running；　wrestling；　music；　dancing；　hunting；　riding；　and　fencing；　will
prove　to　be　a　good　part　of　our　study。　　I　would　have　his　outward　fashion
and　mien；　and　the　disposition　of　his　limbs；　formed　at　the　same　time　with
his　mind。　　'Tis　not　a　soul；　'tis　not　a　body　that　we　are　training　up；　but
a　man；　and　we　ought　not　to　divide　him。　　And；　as　Plato　says；　we　are　not　to
fashion　one　without　the　other；　but　make　them　draw　together　like　two
horses　harnessed　to　a　coach。　　By　which　saying　of　his；　does　he　not　seem　to
allow　more　time　for；　and　to　take　more　care　of　exercises　for　the　body；　and
to　hold　that　the　mind；　in　a　good　proportion；　does　her　business　at　the
same　time　too？

As　to　the　rest；　this　method　of　education　ought　to　be　carried　on　with　a
severe　sweetness；　quite　contrary　to　the　practice　of　our　pedants；　who；
instead　of　tempting　and　alluring　children　to　letters　by　apt　and　gentle
ways；　do　in　truth　present　nothing　before　them　but　rods　and　ferules；
horror　and　cruelty。　　Away　with　this　violence！　　away　with　this　compulsion！
than　which；　I　certainly　believe　nothing　more　dulls　and　degenerates　a
well…descended　nature。　　If　you　would　have　him　apprehend　shame　and
chastisement；　do　not　harden　him　to　them：　inure　him　to　heat　and　cold；　to
wind　and　sun；　and　to　dangers　that　he　ought　to　despise；　wean　him　from　all
effeminacy　and　delicacy　in　clothes　and　lodging；　eating　and　drinking；
accustom　him　to　everything；　that　he　may　not　be　a　Sir　Paris；　a　carpet…
knight；　but　a　sinewy；　hardy；　and　vigorous　young　man。　　I　have　ever　from　a
child　to　the　age　wherein　I　now　am；　been　of　this　opinion；　and　am　still
constant　to　it。　　But　amongst　other　things；　the　strict　government　of　most
of　our　colleges　has　evermore　displeased　me；　peradventure；　they　might　have
erred　less　perniciously　on　the　indulgent　side。　　'Tis　a　real　house　of
correction　of　imprisoned　youth。　　They　are　made　debauched　by　being
punished　before　they　are　so。　　Do　but　come　in　when　they　are　about　their
lesson；　and　you　shall　hear　nothing　but　the　outcries　of　boys　under
execution；　with　the　thundering　noise　of　their　pedagogues　drunk　with　fury。
A　very　pretty　way　this；　to　tempt　these　tender　and　timorous　souls　to　love
their　book；　with　a　furious　countenance；　and　a　rod　in　hand！　　A　cursed　and
pernicious　way　of　proceeding！　　Besides　what　Quintilian　has　very　well
observed；　that　this　imperious　authority　is　often　attended　by　very
dangerous　consequences；　and　particularly　our　way　of　chastising。　　How　much
more　decent　would　it　be　to　see　their　classes　strewed　with　green　leaves
and　fine　flowers；　than　with　the　bloody　stumps　of　birch　and　willows？　　Were
it　left　to　my　ordering。　　I　should　paint　the　school　with　the　pictures　of
joy　and　gladness；　Flora　and　the　Graces；　as　the　philosopher　Speusippus　did
his。　　Where　their　profit　is；　let　them　there　have　their　pleasure　too。
Such　viands　as　are　proper　and　wholesome　for　children；　should　be　sweetened
with　sugar；　and　such　as　are　dangerous　to　them；　embittered　with　gall。
'Tis　marvellous　to　see　how　solicitous　Plato　is　in　his　Laws　concerning　the
gaiety　and　diversion　of　the　youth　of　his　city；　and　how　much　and　often　he
enlarges　upon　the　races；　sports；　songs；　leaps；　and　dances：　of　which；　he
says；　that　antiquity　has　given　the　ordering　and　patronage　particularly　to
the　gods　themselves；　to　Apollo；　Minerva；　and　the　Muses。　　He　insists　long
upon；　and　is　very　particular　in；　giving　innumerable　precepts　for
exercises；　but　as　to　the　lettered　sciences；　says　very　little；　and　only
seems　particularly　to　recommend　poetry　upon　the　account　of　music。

All　singularity　in　our　manners　and　conditions　is　to　be　avoided；　as
inconsistent　with　civil　society。　　Who　would　not　be　astonished　at　so
strange　a　constitution　as　that　of　Demophoon；　steward　to　Alexander　the
Great；　who　sweated　in　the　shade　and　shivered　in　the　sun？　　I