the essays of montaigne, v15-第6部分

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that　is；　to　inhabit　there；　and　to　make　it　his　constant　residence。　　I　have
been　vexed　to　see　husbands　hate　their　wives　only　because　they　themselves
do　them　wrong；　we　should　not；　at　all　events；　methinks；　love　them　the　less
for　our　own　faults；　they　should　at　least；　upon　the　account　of　repentance
and　compassion；　be　dearer　to　us。

They　are　different　ends；　he　says；　and　yet　in　some　sort　compatible；
marriage　has　utility；　justice；　honour；　and　constancy　for　its　share；
a　flat；　but　more　universal　pleasure：　love　founds　itself　wholly　upon
pleasure；　and；　indeed；　has　it　more　full；　lively；　and　sharp；　a　pleasure
inflamed　by　difficulty；　there　must　be　in　it　sting　and　smart：　'tis　no
longer　love；　if　without　darts　and　fire。　　The　bounty　of　ladies　is　too
profuse　in　marriage；　and　dulls　the　point　of　affection　and　desire：　to
evade　which　inconvenience；　do　but　observe　what　pains　Lycurgus　and　Plato
take　in　their　laws。

Women　are　not　to　blame　at　all；　when　they　refuse　the　rules　of　life　that
are　introduced　into　the　world；　forasmuch　as　the　men　make　them　without
their　help。　　There　is　naturally　contention　and　brawling　betwixt　them　and
us；　and　the　strictest　friendship　we　have　with　them　is　yet　mixed　with
tumult　and　tempest。　　In　the　opinion　of　our　author；　we　deal
inconsiderately　with　them　in　this：　after　we　have　discovered　that　they
are；　without　comparison；　more　able　and　ardent　in　the　practice　of　love
than　we；　and　that　the　old　priest　testified　as　much；　who　had　been　one
while　a　man；　and　then　a　woman：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Venus　huic　erat　utraque　nota：〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Both　aspects　of　love　were　known　to　him；〃
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Tiresias。　Ovid。　　Metam。；　iii。　323。＇

and　moreover；　that　we　have　learned　from　their　own　mouths　the　proof　that；
in　several　ages；　was　made　by　an　Emperor　and　Empress　of　Rome；＇Proclus。＇
both　famous　for　ability　in　that　affair！　　for　he　in　one　night　deflowered
ten　Sarmatian　virgins　who　were　his　captives：　but　she　had　five…and…twenty
bouts　in　one　night；　changing　her　man　according　to　her　need　and　liking；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Adhuc　ardens　rigidae　tentigine　vulvae
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Et　lassata　viris；　nondum　satiata；　recessit：〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Ardent　still；　she　retired；　fatigued；　but　not　satisfied。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Juvenal；　vi。　128。＇

and　that　upon　the　dispute　which　happened　in　Cataluna；　wherein　a　wife
complaining　of　her　husband's　too　frequent　addresses　to　her；　not　so　much；
as　I　conceive；　that　she　was　incommodated　by　it　（for　I　believe　no　miracles
out　of　religion）　as　under　this　pretence；　to　curtail　and　curb　in　this；
which　is　the　fundamental　act　of　marriage；　the　authority　of　husbands　over
their　wives；　and　to　shew　that　their　frowardness　and　malignity　go　beyond
the　nuptial　bed；　and　spurn　under　foot　even　the　graces　and　sweets　of
Venus；　the　husband；　a　man　truly　brutish　and　unnatural；　replied；　that　even
on　fasting　days　he　could　not　subsist　with　less　than　ten　courses：
whereupon　came　out　that　notable　sentence　of　the　Queen　of　Arragon；　by
which；　after　mature　deliberation　of　her　council；　this　good　queen；　to　give
a　rule　and　example　to　all　succeeding　ages　of　the　moderation　required　in
a　just　marriage；　set　down　six　times　a　day　as　a　legitimate　and　necessary
stint；　surrendering　and　quitting　a　great　deal　of　the　needs　and　desires　of
her　sex；　that　she　might；　she　said；　establish　an　easy；　and　consequently；　a
permanent　and　immutable　rule。　　Hereupon　the　doctors　cry　out：　what　must
the　female　appetite　and　concupiscence　be；　when　their　reason；　their
reformation　and　virtue；　are　taxed　at　such　a　rate；　considering　the　divers
judgments　of　our　appetites？　　for　Solon；　master　of　the　law　school；　taxes
us　but　at　three　a　month；that　men　may　not　fail　in　point　of　conjugal
frequentation：　after　having；　I　say；　believed　and　preached　all　this；　we　go
and　enjoin　them　continency　for　their　particular　share；　and　upon　the　last
and　extreme　penalties。

There　is　no　passion　so　hard　to　contend　with　as　this；　which　we　would　have
them　only　resist；　not　simply　as　an　ordinary　vice；　but　as　an　execrable
abomination；　worse　than　irreligion　and　parricide；　whilst　we；　at　the　same
time；　go　to't　without　offence　or　reproach。　　Even　those　amongst　us　who
have　tried　the　experiment　have　sufficiently　confessed　what　difficulty；　or
rather　impossibility；　they　have　found　by　material　remedies　to　subdue；
weaken；　and　cool　the　body。　　We；　on　the　contrary；　would　have　them　at　once
sound；　vigorous　plump；　high…fed；　and　chaste；　that　is　to　say；　both　hot　and
cold；　for　the　marriage；　which　we　tell　them　is　to　keep　them　from　burning；
is　but　small　refreshment　to　them；　as　we　order　the　matter。　　If　they　take
one　whose　vigorous　age　is　yet　boiling；　he　will　be　proud　to　make　it　known
elsewhere；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Sit　tandem　pudor；　aut　eamus　in　jus；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Multis　mentula　millibus　redempta；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Non　est　haec　tua；　Basse；　vendidisti；〃

　　　　　＇〃Let　there　be　some　shame；　or　we　shall　go　to　law：　your　vigour；
　　　　　bought　by　your　wife　with　many　thousands；　is　no　longer　yours：　thou
　　　　　hast　sold　it。〃Martial；　xii。　90。＇

Polemon　the　philosopher　was　justly　by　his　wife　brought　before　the　judge
for　sowing　in　a　barren　field　the　seed　that　was　due　to　one　that　was
fruitful：　　if；　on　the　other　hand；　they　take　a　decayed　fellow；　they　are　in
a　worse　condition　in　marriage　than　either　maids　or　widows。　　We　think　them
well　provided　for；　because　they　have　a　man　to　lie　with；　as　the　Romans
concluded　Clodia　Laeta；　a　vestal　nun；　violated；　because　Caligula　had
approached　her；　though　it　was　declared　he　did　no　more　but　approach　her：
but；　on　the　contrary；　we　by　that　increase　their　necessity；　forasmuch　as
the　touch　and　company　of　any　man　whatever　rouses　their　desires；　that　in
solitude　would　be　more　quiet。　　And　to　the　end；　'tis　likely；　that　they
might　render　their　chastity　more　meritorious　by　this　circumstance　and
consideration；　Boleslas　and　Kinge　his　wife；　kings　of　Poland；　vowed　it　by
mutual　consent；　being　in　bed　together；　on　their　very　wedding　day；　and
kept　their　vow　in　spite　of　all　matrimonial　conveniences。

We　train　them　up　from　their　infancy　to　the　traffic　of　love；　their　grace；
dressing；　knowledge；　language；　and　whole　instruction　tend　that　way：　their
governesses　imprint　nothing　in　them　but　the　idea　of　love；　if　for　nothing
else　but　by　continually　representing　it　to　them；　to　give　them　a　distaste
for　it。　　My　daughter；　the　only　child　I　have；　is　now　of　an　age　that
forward　young　women　are　allowed　to　be　married　at；　she　is　of　a　slow；　thin；
and　tender　complexion；　and　has　accordingly　been　brought　up　by　her　mother
after　a　retired　and　particular　manner；　so　that　she　but　now　begins　to　be
weaned　from　her　childish　simplicity。　　She　was　reading　before　me　in　a
French　book　where　the　word　'fouteau'；　the　name　of　a　tree　very　well　known；
occurred；　＇The　beech…tree；　the　name　resembles　in　sound　an　obscene
French　word。＇　the　woman；　to　whose　conduct　she　is　committed；　stopped　her
short　a　little　roughly；　and　made　her　skip　over　that　dangerous　step。　　I
let　her　alone；　not　to　trouble　their　rules；　for　I　never　concern　myself　in
that　sort　of　government；　feminine　polity　has　a　mysterious　procedure；　we
must　leave　it　to　them；　but　if　I　am　not　mistaken　the　commerce　of　twenty
lacquies　could　not；　in　six　months'　time；　ha