the essays of montaigne, v15-第11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！


　　　　　　　　　　Martial；　vii。　62；　6。＇

and　those　which　we　fear　the　least　are；　peradventure；　most　to　be　feared；
their　sins　that　make　the　least　noise　are　the　worst：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Offendor　maecha　simpliciore　minus。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃I　am　less　offended　with　a　more　professed　strumpet。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Idem；　vi。　7；6。＇

There　are　ways　by　which　they　may　lose　their　virginity　without
prostitution；　and；　which　is　more；　without　their　knowledge：

　　　　　〃Obsterix；　virginis　cujusdam　integritatem　manu　velut　explorans；　sive
　　　　　malevolentia；　sive　inscitia；　sive　casu；　dum　inspicit；　perdidit。〃

　　　　　＇〃By　malevolence；　or　unskilfulness；　or　accident；　the　midwife；
　　　　　seeking　with　the　hand　to　test　some　maiden's　virginity；　has　sometimes
　　　　　destroyed　it。〃St。　Augustine；　De　Civit。　Dei；　i。　18。＇

Such　a　one；　by　seeking　her　maidenhead；　has　lost　it；　another　by　playing
with　it　has　destroyed　it。　　We　cannot　precisely　circumscribe　the　actions；
we　interdict　them；　they　must　guess　at　our　meaning　under　general　and
doubtful　terms；　the　very　idea　we　invent　for　their　chastity　is　ridiculous：
for；　amongst　the　greatest　patterns　that　I　have　is　Fatua；　the　wife　of
Faunus：　who　never；　after　her　marriage；　suffered　herself　to　be　seen　by　any
man　whatever；　and　the　wife　of　Hiero；　who　never　perceived　her　husband's
stinking　breath；　imagining　that　it　was　common　to　all　men。　　They　must
become　insensible　and　invisible　to　satisfy　us。

Now　let　us　confess　that　the　knot　of　this　judgment　of　duty　principally
lies　in　the　will；　there　have　been　husbands　who　have　suffered　cuckoldom；
not　only　without　reproach　or　taking　offence　at　their　wives；　but　with
singular　obligation　to　them　and　great　commendation　of　their　virtue。
Such　a　woman　has　been；　who　prized　her　honour　above　her　life；　and　yet　has
prostituted　it　to　the　furious　lust　of　a　mortal　enemy；　to　save　her
husband's　life；　and　who；　in　so　doing；　did　that　for　him　she　would　not　have
done　for　herself！　　This　is　not　the　place　wherein　we　are　to　multiply　these
examples；　they　are　too　high　and　rich　to　be　set　off　with　so　poor　a　foil　as
I　can　give　them　here；　let　us　reserve　them　for　a　nobler　place；　but　for
examples　of　ordinary　lustre；　do　we　not　every　day　see　women　amongst　us　who
surrender　themselves　for　their　husbands　sole　benefit；　and　by　their
express　order　and　mediation？　and；　of　old；　Phaulius　the　Argian；　who
offered　his　to　King　Philip　out　of　ambition；　as　Galba　did　it　out　of
civility；　who；　having　entertained　Maecenas　at　supper；　and　observing　that
his　wife　and　he　began　to　cast　glances　at　one　another　and　to　make　eyes　and
signs；　let　himself　sink　down　upon　his　cushion；　like　one　in　a　profound
sleep；　to　give　opportunity　to　their　desires：　which　he　handsomely
confessed；　for　thereupon　a　servant　having　made　bold　to　lay　hands　on　the
plate　upon　the　table；　he　frankly　cried；　〃What；　you　rogue？　do　you　not　see
that　I　only　sleep　for　Maecenas？〃　Such　there　may　be；　whose　manners　may　be
lewd　enough；　whose　will　may　be　more　reformed　than　another；　who　outwardly
carries　herself　after　a　more　regular　manner。　　As　we　see　some　who　complain
of　having　vowed　chastity　before　they　knew　what　they　did；　and　I　have　also
known　others　really；　complain　of　having　been　given　up　to　debauchery
before　they　were　of　the　years　of　discretion。　　The　vice　of　the　parents　or
the　impulse　of　nature；　which　is　a　rough　counsellor；　may　be　the　cause。

In　the　East　Indies；　though　chastity　is　of　singular　reputation；　yet　custom
permitted　a　married　woman　to　prostitute　herself　to　any　one　who　presented
her　with　an　elephant；　and　that　with　glory；　to　have　been　valued　at　so　high
a　rate。　　Phaedo　the　philosopher；　a　man　of　birth；　after　the　taking　of　his
country　Elis；　made　it　his　trade　to　prostitute　the　beauty　of　his　youth；　so
long　as　it　lasted；　to　any　one　that　would；　for　money　thereby　to　gain　his
living：　and　Solon　was　the　first　in　Greece；　'tis　said；　who　by　his　laws
gave　liberty　to　women；　at　the　expense　of　their　chastity；　to　provide　for
the　necessities　of　life；　a　custom　that　Herodotus　says　had　been　received
in　many　governments　before　his　time。　　And　besides；　what　fruit　is　there　of
this　painful　solicitude？　　For　what　justice　soever　there　is　in　this
passion；　we　are　yet　to　consider　whether　it　turns　to　account　or　no：　does
any　one　think　to　curb　them；　with　all　his　industry？

　　　　　　　　　〃Pone　seram；　cohibe：　sed　quis　custodiet　ipsos
　　　　　　　　　　Custodes？　　cauta　est；　et　ab　illis　incipit　uxor。〃

　　　　　＇〃Put　on　a　lock；　shut　them　up　under　a　guard；　but　who　shall　guard
　　　　　the　guard？　　she　knows　what　she　is　about；　and　begins　with　them。〃
　　　　　Juvenal；　vi。　346。＇

What　commodity　will　not　serve　their　turn；　in　so　knowing　an　age？

Curiosity　is　vicious　throughout；　but　'tis　pernicious　here。　　'Tis　folly　to
examine　into　a　disease　for　which　there　is　no　physic　that　does　not　inflame
and　make　it　worse；　of　which　the　shame　grows　still　greater　and　more　public
by　jealousy；　and　of　which　the　revenge　more　wounds　our　children　than　it
heals　us。　　You　wither　and　die　in　the　search　of　so　obscure　a　proof。　　How
miserably　have　they　of　my　time　arrived　at　that　knowledge　who　have　been　so
unhappy　as　to　have　found　it　out？　　If　the　informer　does　not　at　the　same
time　apply　a　remedy　and　bring　relief；　'tis　an　injurious　information；　and
that　better　deserves　a　stab　than　the　lie。　　We　no　less　laugh　at　him　who
takes　pains　to　prevent　it；　than　at　him　who　is　a　cuckold　and　knows　it　not。
The　character　of　cuckold　is　indelible：　who　once　has　it　carries　it　to　his
grave；　the　punishment　proclaims　it　more　than　the　fault。　　It　is　to　much
purpose　to　drag　out　of　obscurity　and　doubt　our　private　misfortunes；
thence　to　expose　them　on　tragic　scaffolds；　and　misfortunes　that　only　hurt
us　by　being　known；　for　we　say　a　good　wife　or　a　happy　marriage；　not　that
they　are　really　so；　but　because　no　one　says　to　the　contrary。　　Men　should
be　so　discreet　as　to　evade　this　tormenting　and　unprofitable　knowledge：
and　the　Romans　had　a　custom；　when　returning　from　any　expedition；　to　send
home　before　to　acquaint　their　wives　with　their　coming；　that　they　might
not　surprise　them；　and　to　this　purpose　it　is　that　a　certain　nation　has
introduced　a　custom；　that　the　priest　shall　on　the　wedding…day　open　the
way　to　the　bride；　to　free　the　husband　from　the　doubt　and　curiosity　of
examining　in　the　first　assault；　whether　she　comes　a　virgin　to　his　bed；　or
has　been　at　the　trade　before。

But　the　world　will　be　talking。　　I　know；　a　hundred　honest　men　cuckolds；
honestly　and　not　unbeseemingly；　a　worthy　man　is　pitied；　not　disesteemed
for　it。　　Order　it　so　that　your　virtue　may　conquer　your　misfortune；　that
good　men　may　curse　the　occasion；　and　that　he　who　wrongs　you　may　tremble
but　to　think　on't。　　And；　moreover；　who　escapes　being　talked　of　at　the
same　rate；　from　the　least　even　to　the　greatest？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Tot　qui　legionibus　imperitivit
　　　　　　　　　　〃Et　melior　quam　to　multis　fuit；　improbe；　rebus。〃

　　　　　＇〃Many　who　have　commanded　legions；　many　a　man　much　better　far　than
　　　　　you；　you　rascal。〃Lucretius；　iii。　1039；　1041。＇

Seest　thou　how　many　honest　men　are　reproached　with　this　in　thy　presence；
believe　that　thou　art　no　more　spared　elsewhere。　　But；　the　very　ladies
will　be　laughing　too；　and　what　are　they　so　apt　to　laugh　at　in　this
virtuous　age　of　ours　as　at　a　peaceable