the essays of montaigne, v15-第15部分

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peradventure；　reason　to　blame　ourselves　for　being　guilty　of　so　foolish
a　production　as　man；　and　to　call　the　act；　and　the　parts　that　are　employed
in　the　act；　shameful　（mine；　truly；　are　now　shameful　and　pitiful）。　　The
Essenians；　of　whom　Pliny　speaks；　kept　up　their　country　for　several　ages
without　either　nurse　or　baby…clouts；　by　the　arrival　of　strangers　who；
following　this　pretty　humour；　came　continually　to　them：　a　whole　nation
being　resolute；　rather　to　hazard　a　total　extermination；　than　to　engage
themselves　in　female　embraces；　and　rather　to　lose　the　succession　of　men；
than　to　beget　one。　　'Tis　said；　that　Zeno　never　had　to　do　with　a　woman　but
once　in　his　life；　and　then　out　of　civility；　that　he　might　not　seem　too
obstinately　to　disdain　the　sex。

　　　　　＇Diogenes　Laertius；　vii。　13。　What　is　there　said；　however；　is　that
　　　　　Zeno　seldom　had　commerce　with　boys；　lest　he　should　be　deemed　a　very
　　　　　misogynist。＇

Every　one　avoids　seeing　a　man　born；　every　one　runs　to　see　him　die；　to
destroy　him　a　spacious　field　is　sought　out　in　the　face　of　the　sun；　but；
to　make　him；　we　creep　into　as　dark　and　private　a　corner　as　we　can：　'tis　a
man's　duty　to　withdraw　himself　bashfully　from　the　light　to　create；　but
'tis　glory　and　the　fountain　of　many　virtues　to　know　how　to　destroy　what
we　have　made：　the　one　is　injury；　the　other　favour：　for　Aristotle　says
that　to　do　any　one　a　kindness；　in　a　certain　phrase　of　his　country；　is　to
kill　him。　　The　Athenians；　to　couple　the　disgrace　of　these　two　actions；
having　to　purge　the　Isle　of　Delos；　and　to　justify　themselves　to　Apollo；
interdicted　at　once　all　births　and　burials　in　the　precincts　thereof：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Nostri　nosmet　paenitet。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃We　are　ashamed　of　ourselves。〃Terence；　Phoymio；　i。　3；　20。＇

There　are　some　nations　that　will　not　be　seen　to　eat。　　I　know　a　lady；　and
of　the　best　quality；　who　has　the　same　opinion；　that　chewing　disfigures
the　face；　and　takes　away　much　from　the　ladies'　grace　and　beauty；　and
therefore　unwillingly　appears　at　a　public　table　with　an　appetite；　and　I
know　a　man　also；　who　cannot　endure　to　see　another　eat；　nor　himself　to　be
seen　eating；　and　who　is　more　shy　of　company　when　putting　in　than　when
putting　out。　　In　the　Turkish　empire；　there　are　a　great　number　of　men　who；
to　excel　others；　never　suffer　themselves　to　be　seen　when　they　make　their
repast：　who　never　have　any　more　than　one　a　week；　who　cut　and　mangle　their
faces　and　limbs；　who　never　speak　to　any　one：　fanatic　people　who　think　to
honour　their　nature　by　disnaturing　themselves；　who　value　themselves　upon
their　contempt　of　themselves；　and　purport　to　grow　better　by　being　worse。
What　monstrous　animal　is　this；　that　is　a　horror　to　himself；　to　whom　his
delights　are　grievous；　and　who　weds　himself　to　misfortune？　　There　are
people　who　conceal　their　life：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Exilioque　domos　et　dulcia　limina　mutant；〃

　　　　　＇〃And　change　for　exile　their　homes　and　pleasant　abodes。〃
　　　　　Virgil；　Georg。；　ii。　511。＇

and　withdraw　them　from　the　sight　of　other　men；　who　avoid　health　and
cheerfulness；　as　dangerous　and　prejudicial　qualities。　　Not　only　many
sects；　but　many　peoples；　curse　their　birth；　and　bless　their　death；　and
there　is　a　place　where　the　sun　is　abominated　and　darkness　adored。　　We　are
only　ingenious　in　using　ourselves　ill：　'tis　the　real　quarry　our
intellects　fly　at；　and　intellect；　when　misapplied；　is　a　dangerous　tool！

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃O　miseri！　quorum　gaudia　crimen　habent！〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃O　wretched　men；　whose　pleasures　are　a　crime！〃
　　　　　　　　　　Pseudo　Gallus；　i。　180。＇

Alas；　poor　man！　　thou　hast　enough　inconveniences　that　are　inevitable；
without　increasing　them　by　throe　own　invention；　and　art　miserable　enough
by　nature；　without　being　so　by　art；　thou　hast　real　and　essential
deformities　enough；　without　forging　those　that　are　imaginary。　　Dost　thou
think　thou　art　too　much　at　ease　unless　half　thy　ease　is　uneasy？　　dost
thou　find　that　thou　hast　not　performed　all　the　necessary　offices　that
nature　has　enjoined　thee；　and　that　she　is　idle　in　thee；　if　thou　dost　not
oblige　thyself　to　other　and　new　offices？　　Thou　dost　not　stick　to　infringe
her　universal　and　undoubted　laws；　but　stickest　to　thy　own　special　and
fantastic　rules；　and　by　how　much　more　particular；　uncertain；　and
contradictory　they　are；　by　so　much　thou　employest　thy　whole　endeavour　in
them：　the　laws　of　thy　parish　occupy　and　bind　thee：　those　of　God　and　the
world　concern　thee　not。　　Run　but　a　little　over　the　examples　of　this　kind；
thy　life　is　full　of　them。

Whilst　the　verses　of　these　two　poets；　treat　so　reservedly　and　discreetly
of　wantonness　as　they　do；　methinks　they　discover　it　much　more　openly。
Ladies　cover　their　necks　with　network；　priests　cover　several　sacred
things；　and　painters　shadow　their　pictures　to　give　them　greater　lustre：
and　'tis　said　that　the　sun　and　wind　strike　more　violently　by　reflection
than　in　a　direct　line。　　The　Egyptian　wisely　answered　him　who　asked　him
what　he　had　under　his　cloak；　〃It　is　hid　under　my　cloak；〃　said　he；　〃that
thou　mayest　not　know　what　it　is：〃　but　there　are　certain　other　things　that
people　hide　only　to　show　them。　　Hear　that　one；　who　speaks　plainer；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Et　nudum　pressi　corpus　ad　usque　meum：〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃And　pressed　her　naked　body　to　mine〃　（Or：）　〃My　body
　　　　　　　　　　I　applied　even　to　her　naked　side〃Ovid；　Amor。；　i。　5；　24。＇

methinks　that　he　emasculates　me。　　Let　Martial　turn　up　Venus　as　high　as　he
may；　he　cannot　shew　her　so　naked：　he　who　says　all　that　is　to　be　said
gluts　and　disgusts　us。　　He　who　is　afraid　to　express　himself；　draws　us　on
to　guess　at　more　than　is　meant；　there　is　treachery　in　this　sort　of
modesty；　and　specially　when　they　half　open；　as　these　do；　so　fair　a　path
to　imagination。　　Both　the　action　and　description　should　relish　of　theft。

The　more　respectful；　more　timorous；　more　coy；　and　secret　love　of　the
Spaniards　and　Italians　pleases　me。　　I　know　not　who　of　old　wished　his
throat　as　long　as　that　of　a　crane；　that　he　might　the　longer　taste　what　he
swallowed；　it　had　been　better　wished　as　to　this　quick　and　precipitous
pleasure；　especially　in　such　natures　as　mine　that　have　the　fault　of　being
too　prompt。　　To　stay　its　flight　and　delay　it　with　preambles：　all　things
a　glance；　a　bow；　a　word；　a　sign；　stand　for　favour　and　recompense　betwixt
them。　　Were　it　not　an　excellent　piece　of　thrift　in　him　who　could　dine　on
the　steam　of　the　roast？　　'Tis　a　passion　that　mixes　with　very　little　solid
essence；　far　more　vanity　and　feverish　raving；　and　we　should　serve　and　pay
it　accordingly。　　Let　us　teach　the　ladies　to　set　a　better　value　and　esteem
upon　themselves；　to　amuse　and　fool　us：　we　give　the　last　charge　at　the
first　onset；　the　French　impetuosity　will　still　show　itself；　by　spinning
out　their　favours；　and　exposing　them　in　small　parcels；　even　miserable　old
age　itself　will　find　some　little　share　of　reward；　according　to　its　worth
and　merit。　　He　who　has　no　fruition　but　in　fruition；　who　wins　nothing
unless　he　sweeps　the　stakes；　who　takes　no　pleasure　in　the　chase　but　in
the　quarry；　ought　not　to　introduce　himself　in　our　school：　the　more　steps
and　degrees　there　are；　so　much　higher　and　more　honourable　is　the
uppermost　seat：　we　should　take　a　pleasure　in　being　conducted　to