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the essays of montaigne, v17-第6章

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pikes against him and killed him; looking upon him as convict; his
confusion and silence served them for a confession; for having had so
much leisure to prepare himself in prison; they concluded that it was not
his memory that failed him; but that his conscience tied up his tongue
and stopped his mouth。  And; truly; well said; the place; the assembly;
the expectation; astound a man; even when he has but the ambition to
speak well; what can a man do when 'tis an harangue upon which his life
depends?

For my part; the very being tied to what I am to say is enough to loose
me from it。  When I wholly commit and refer myself to my memory; I lay so
much stress upon it that it sinks under me: it grows dismayed with the
burden。  So much as I trust to it; so much do I put myself out of my own
power; even to the finding it difficult to keep my own countenance; and
have been sometimes very much put to it to conceal the slavery wherein I
was engaged; whereas my design is to manifest; in speaking; a perfect
calmness both of face and accent; and casual and unpremeditated motions;
as rising from present occasions; choosing rather to say nothing to
purpose than to show that I came prepared to speak well; a thing
especially unbecoming a man of my profession; and of too great obligation
on him who cannot retain much。  The preparation begets a great deal more
expectation than it will satisfy。  A man often strips himself to his
doublet to leap no farther than he would have done in his gown:

          〃Nihil est his; qui placere volunt; turn adversarium;
          quam expectatio。〃

     '〃Nothing is so adverse to those who make it their business to
     please as expectation〃Cicero; Acad。; ii。 4'

It is recorded of the orator Curio; that when he proposed the division of
his oration into three or four parts; or three or four arguments or
reasons; it often happened either that he forgot some one; or added one
or two more。  I have always avoided falling into this inconvenience;
having ever hated these promises and prescriptions; not only out of
distrust of my memory; but also because this method relishes too much of
the artist:

                    〃Simpliciora militares decent。〃

     '〃Simplicity becomes warriors。〃Quintilian; Instit。 Orat。; xi。 I。'

'Tis… enough that I have promised to myself never again to take upon me
to speak in a place of respect; for as to speaking; when a man reads his
speech; besides that it is very absurd; it is a mighty disadvantage to
those who naturally could give it a grace by action; and to rely upon the
mercy of my present invention; I would much less do it; 'tis heavy and
perplexed; and such as would never furnish me in sudden and important
necessities。

Permit; reader; this essay its course also; and this third sitting to
finish the rest of my picture: I add; but I correct not。  First; because
I conceive that a man having once parted with his labours to the world;
he has no further right to them; let him do better if he can; in some new
undertaking; but not adulterate what he has already sold。  Of such
dealers nothing should be bought till after they are dead。  Let them well
consider what they do before they; produce it to the light who hastens
them?  My book is always the same; saving that upon every new edition
(that the buyer may not go away quite empty) I take the liberty to add
(as 'tis but an ill jointed marqueterie) some supernumerary emblem; it is
but overweight; that does not disfigure the primitive form of the essays;
but; by a little artful subtlety; gives a kind of particular value to
every one of those that follow。  Thence; however; will easily happen some
transposition of chronology; my stories taking place according to their
opportuneness; not always according to their age。

Secondly; because as to what concerns myself; I fear to lose by change:
my understanding does not always go forward; it goes backward too。  I do
not much less suspect my fancies for being the second or the third; than
for being the first; or present; or past; we often correct ourselves as
foolishly as we do others。  I am grown older by a great many years since
my first publications; which were in the year 1580; but I very much doubt
whether I am grown an inch the wiser。  I now; and I anon; are two several
persons; but whether better; I cannot determine。  It were a fine thing to
be old; if we only travelled towards improvement; but 'tis a drunken;
stumbling; reeling; infirm motion: like that of reeds; which the air
casually waves to and fro at pleasure。  Antiochus had in his youth
strongly written in favour of the Academy; in his old age he wrote as
much against it; would not; which of these two soever I should follow; be
still Antiochus?  After having established the uncertainty; to go about
to establish the certainty of human opinions; was it not to establish
doubt; and not certainty; and to promise; that had he had yet another age
to live; he would be always upon terms of altering his judgment; not so
much for the better; as for something else?

The public favour has given me a little more confidence than I expected;
but what I 'most fear is; lest I should glut the world with my writings;
I had rather; of the two; pique my reader than tire him; as a learned man
of my time has done。  Praise is always pleasing; let it come from whom;
or upon what account it will; yet ought a man to understand why he is
commended; that he may know how to keep up the same reputation still:
imperfections themselves may get commendation。  The vulgar and common
estimation is seldom happy in hitting; and I am much mistaken if; amongst
the writings of my time; the worst are not those which have most gained
the popular applause。  For my part; I return my thanks to those good…
natured men who are pleased to take my weak endeavours in good part; the
faults of the workmanship are nowhere so apparent as in a matter which of
itself has no recommendation。  Blame not me; reader; for those that slip
in here by the fancy or inadvertency of others; every hand; every
artisan; contribute their own materials; I neither concern myself with
orthography (and only care to have it after the old way) nor pointing;
being very inexpert both in the one and the other。  Where they wholly
break the sense; I am very little concerned; for they at least discharge
me; but where they substitute a false one; as they so often do; and wrest
me to their conception; they ruin me。  When the sentence; nevertheless;
is not strong enough for my proportion; a civil person ought to reject it
as spurious; and none of mine。  Whoever shall know how lazy I am; and how
indulgent to my own humour; will easily believe that I had rather write
as many more essays; than be tied to revise these over again for so
childish a correction。

I said elsewhere; that being planted in the very centre of this new
religion; I am not only deprived of any great familiarity with men of
other kind of manners than my own; and of other opinions; by which they
hold together; as by a tie that supersedes all other obligations; but
moreover I do not live without danger; amongst men to whom all things are
equally lawful; and of whom the most part cannot offend the laws more
than they have already done; from which the extremist degree of licence
proceeds。  All the particular being summed up together; I do not find one
man of my country; who pays so dear for the defence of our laws both in
loss and damages (as the lawyers say) as myself; and some there are who
vapour and brag of their zeal and constancy; that if things were justly
weighed; do much less than I。  My house; as one that has ever been open
and free to all comers; and civil to all (for I could never persuade
myself to make it a garrison of war; war being a thing that I prefer to
see as remote as may be); has sufficiently merited popular kindness; and
so that it would be a hard matter justly to insult over me upon my own
dunghill; and I look upon it as a wonderful and exemplary thing that it
yet continues a virgin from blood and plunder during so long a storm; and
so many neighbouring revolutions and tumults。  For to confess the truth;
it had been possible enough for a man of my complexion to have shaken
hands with any one constant and continued form whatever; but the contrary
invasions and incursions; alternations and vicissitudes of fortune round
about me; have hitherto more exasperated than calmed and mollified the
temper of the country; and involved me; over and over again; with
invincible difficulties and dangers。

I escape; 'tis true; but am troubled that it is more by chance; and
something of my own prudence; than by justice; and am not satisfied to be
out of the protection of the laws; and under any other safeguard than
theirs。  As matters stand; I live; above one half; by the favour of
others; which is an untoward obligation。  I do not like to owe my safety
either to the generosity or affection of great persons; who allow me my
legality and my liberty; or to the obliging manners of my predecessors;
or my own: for what if I were another kind of man?  If my deportment; and
the frankness of my conversation or relationship; oblige my
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