the essays of montaigne, v3-第3部分

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but　also；　to　their　own　discretion　and　wisdom；　form　and　model　their
master's　pleasure。　　I　have；　in　my　time；　known　men　of　command　checked　for
having　rather　obeyed　the　express　words　of　the　king's　letters；　than　the
necessity　of　the　affairs　they　had　in　hand。　　Men　of　understanding　do　yet；
to　this　day；　condemn　the　custom　of　the　kings　of　Persia　to　give　their
lieutenants　and　agents　so　little　rein；　that；　upon　the　least　arising
difficulties；　they　must　fain　have　recourse　to　their　further　commands；
this　delay；　in　so　vast　an　extent　of　dominion；　having　often　very　much
prejudiced　their　affairs；　and　Crassus；　writing　to　a　man　whose　profession
it　was　best　to　understand　those　things；　and　pre…acquainting　him　to　what
use　this　mast　was　designed；　did　he　not　seem　to　consult　his　advice；　and　in
a　manner　invite　him　to　interpose　his　better　judgment？




CHAPTER　XVII

OF　FEAR

　　　　　　　　　　〃Obstupui；　steteruntque　comae　et　vox　faucibus　haesit。〃

　　　　　＇〃I　was　amazed；　my　hair　stood　on　end；　and　my　voice　stuck　in　my
　　　　　throat。　　Virgil；　AEneid；　ii。　　774。＇

I　am　not　so　good　a　naturalist　（as　they　call　it）　as　to　discern　by　what
secret　springs　fear　has　its　motion　in　us；　but；　be　this　as　it　may；　'tis　a
strange　passion；　and　such　a　one　that　the　physicians　say　there　is　no　other
whatever　that　sooner　dethrones　our　judgment　from　its　proper　seat；　which
is　so　true；　that　I　myself　have　seen　very　many　become　frantic　through
fear；　and；　even　in　those　of　the　best　settled　temper　it　is　most　certain
that　it　begets　a　terrible　astonishment　and　confusion　during　the　fit。
I　omit　the　vulgar　sort；　to　whom　it　one　while　represents　their　great…
grandsires　risen　out　of　their　graves　in　their　shrouds；　another　while
werewolves；　nightmares；　and　chimaeras；　but　even　amongst　soldiers；　a　sort
of　men　over　whom；　of　all　others；　it　ought　to　have　the　least　power；　how
often　has　it　converted　flocks　of　sheep　into　armed　squadrons；　reeds　and
bullrushes　into　pikes　and　lances；　friends　into　enemies；　and　the　French
white　cross　into　the　red　cross　of　Spain！　　When　Monsieur　de　Bourbon　took
Rome；＇In　1527＇　an　ensign　who　was　upon　guard　at　Borgo　San　Pietro　was
seized　with　such　a　fright　upon　the　first　alarm；　that　he　threw　himself　out
at　a　breach　with　his　colours　upon　his　shoulder；　and　ran　directly　upon　the
enemy；　thinking　he　had　retreated　toward　the　inward　defences　of　the　city；
and　with　much　ado；　seeing　Monsieur　de　Bourbon's　people；　who　thought　it
had　been　a　sally　upon　them；　draw　up　to　receive　him；　at　last　came　to
himself；　and　saw　his　error；　and　then　facing　about；　he　retreated　full
speed　through　the　same　breach　by　which　he　had　gone　out；　but　not　till　he
had　first　blindly　advanced　above　three　hundred　paces　into　the　open　field。
It　did　not；　however；　fall　out　so　well　with　Captain　Giulio's　ensign；　at
the　time　when　St。　Paul　was　taken　from　us　by　the　Comte　de　Bures　and
Monsieur　de　Reu；　for　he；　being　so　astonished　with　fear　as　to　throw
himself；　colours　and　all；　out　of　a　porthole；　was　immediately；　cut　to
pieces　by　the　enemy；　and　in　the　same　siege；　it　was　a　very　memorable　fear
that　so　seized；　contracted；　and　froze　up　the　heart　of　a　gentleman；　that
he　sank　down；　stone…dead；　in　the　breach；　without　any　manner　of　wound　or
hurt　at　all。　　The　like　madness　does　sometimes　push　on　a　whole　multitude；
for　in　one　of　the　encounters　that　Germanicus　had　with　the　Germans；　two
great　parties　were　so　amazed　with　fear　that　they　ran　two　opposite　ways；
the　one　to　the　same　place　from　which　the　other　had　fled。＇Tacit；　Annal。；
i。　　63。＇　Sometimes　it　adds　wings　to　the　heels；　as　in　the　two　first：
sometimes　it　nails　them　to　the　ground；　and　fetters　them　from　moving；　as
we　read　of　the　Emperor　Theophilus；　who；　in　a　battle　he　lost　against　the
Agarenes；　was　so　astonished　and　stupefied　that　he　had　no　power　to　fly

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Adeo　pavor　etiam　auxilia　formidat〃

　　　　　＇〃So　much　does　fear　dread　even　the　means　of　safety。〃Quint。
　　　　　Curt。；　ii。　　II。＇

till　such　time　as　Manuel；　one　of　the　principal　commanders　of　his　army；
having　jogged　and　shaked　him　so　as　to　rouse　him　out　of　his　trance；　said
to　him；　〃Sir；　if　you　will　not　follow　me；　I　will　kill　you；　for　it　is
better　you　should　lose　your　life　than；　by　being　taken；　lose　your　empire。〃
＇Zonaras；　lib。　　iii。＇　But　fear　does　then　manifest　its　utmost　power
when　it　throws　us　upon　a　valiant　despair；　having　before　deprived　us　of
all　sense　both　of　duty　and　honour。　　In　the　first　pitched　battle　the
Romans　lost　against　Hannibal；　under　the　Consul　Sempronius；　a　body　of　ten
thousand　foot；　that　had　taken　fright；　seeing　no　other　escape　for　their
cowardice；　went　and　threw　themselves　headlong　upon　the　great　battalion　of
the　enemies；　which　with　marvellous　force　and　fury　they　charged　through
and　through；　and　routed　with　a　very　great　slaughter　of　the　Carthaginians；
thus　purchasing　an　ignominious　flight　at　the　same　price　they　might　have
gained　a　glorious　victory。＇Livy；　xxi。　　56。＇

The　thing　in　the　world　I　am　most　afraid　of　is　fear；　that　passion　alone；
in　the　trouble　of　it；　exceeding　all　other　accidents。　　What　affliction
could　be　greater　or　more　just　than　that　of　Pompey's　friends；　who；　in　his
ship；　were　spectators　of　that　horrible　murder？　　Yet　so　it　was；　that　the
fear　of　the　Egyptian　vessels　they　saw　coming　to　board　them；　possessed
them　with　so　great　alarm　that　it　is　observed　they　thought　of　nothing　but
calling　upon　the　mariners　to　make　haste；　and　by　force　of　oars　to　escape
away；　till　being　arrived　at　Tyre；　and　delivered　from　fear；　they　had
leisure　to　turn　their　thoughts　to　the　loss　of　their　captain；　and　to　give
vent　to　those　tears　and　lamentations　that　the　other　more　potent　passion
had　till　then　suspended。

　　　　　　　　　　〃Tum　pavor　sapientiam　omnem　mihiex　animo　expectorat。〃

　　　　　＇〃Then　fear　drove　out　all　intelligence　from　my　mind。〃Ennius；　ap。
　　　　　Cicero；　Tusc。；　iv。　　8。＇

Such　as　have　been　well　rubbed　in　some　skirmish；　may　yet；　all　wounded　and
bloody　as　they　are；　be　brought　on　again　the　next　day　to　charge；　but　such
as　have　once　conceived　a　good　sound　fear　of　the　enemy；　will　never　be　made
so　much　as　to　look　him　in　the　face。　　Such　as　are　in　immediate　fear　of　a
losing　their　estates；　of　banishment；　or　of　slavery；　live　in　perpetual
anguish；　and　lose　all　appetite　and　repose；　whereas　such　as　are　actually
poor；　slaves；　or　exiles；　ofttimes　live　as　merrily　as　other　folk。　　And　the
many　people　who；　impatient　of　the　perpetual　alarms　of　fear；　have　hanged
or　drowned　themselves；　or　dashed　themselves　to　pieces；　give　us
sufficiently　to　understand　that　fear　is　more　importunate　and
insupportable　than　death　itself。

The　Greeks　acknowledged　another　kind　of　fear；　differing　from　any　we　have
spoken　of　yet；　that　surprises　us　without　any　visible　cause；　by　an　impulse
from　heaven；　so　that　whole　nations　and　whole　armies　have　been　struck　with
it。　　Such　a　one　was　that　which　brought　so　wonderful　a　desolation　upon
Carthage；　where　nothing　was　to　be　heard　but　affrighted　voices　and
outcries；　where　the　inhabitants　were　seen　to　sally　out　of　their　houses　as
to　an　alarm；　and　there　to　charge；　wound；　and　kill　one　another；　as　if　they
had　been　enemies　come　to　surprise　their　city。　　All　things　were　in
disorder　and　fury　till；　with　prayers　and　sacrifices；　they　had　appeased
their　gods　＇Diod。　　Sic。；　xv。　7＇；　and　this　is　that　they　call　panic
terrors。　＇Ibid。　；　Plutarch　on　Isis　and　Osiris；　c。　　8。＇




CHAPTER　XVIII

THAT　MEN　ARE　NOT　TO　JUDGE　OF　OUR　HAPPINESS　TILL　AFTER　DEATH。

　　　　　＇Charron　has　borrowed　with　unusual　liberality　from　this　and　the
　　　　　succeeding　chapter。　　See　Nodier；　Questions；　p。　206。＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Scilicet　ultima　semper
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Exspectanda　dies　homini　est；　dicique　beatus
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ante　obitum　nemo　supremaque　funera　debet。〃

　　　　　＇〃We　should　all　look　forward　to　our　last　day：　no　one　can　be　called
　　　　　happy　till　he　is　dead　and　buried。〃Ovid；　Met；　iii。　135＇

The　very　children　know　the　story　of　King　Croesus　to　this　purpose；　who
being　taken　prisoner　by　Cyrus；　and　by　him　condemned　to　die；　as　he　was
going　to　execution　cried　out；　〃O　Solon；　Solon！〃　　which　being　presently
reported　to　Cyrus；　and　he　sending　to　inquire　of　him　what　it　meant；
Croesus　gave　him　to　understand　that　he　now　found　the　teaching　Solon　had
formerly　given　him　true　to　his　cost；　which　was；　〃That　men；　however
fortune　may　smile　upon　them；　could　never　be　said　to　be　happy　till　they
had　been　seen　to　pass　over　the　last　day　of　their　lives；〃　by　reason　of　the
uncertainty　and　mutability　of　human　things；　which；　upon　very　light　and
trivial　occasions；　are　subject　to　be　totally　changed　into　a　quite
contrary　condition。　　And　so　it　was　that　Agesilaus　made　answer　to　one　who
was　saying　what　a　happy　young　man　the　King　of　Persia　was；　to　come　so
young　to　so　mighty　a　kingdom：　〃'Tis　true；〃　said　he；　〃　but　neither　was
Priam　unhappy　at　his　years。〃　＇Plutarch；　Apothegms　of　the
Lacedaemonians。＇　In　a　short　time；　kings　of　Macedon；　successors　to　that
mighty　Alexander；　became　joiners　and　scriveners　at　Rome；　a　tyrant　of
Sicily；　a　pedant　at　Corinth；　a　conqueror　of　one…half　of　the　world　and
general　of　so　many　armies；　a　miserable　suppliant　to　the　rascally　officers
of　a　king　of　Egypt：　so　much　did　the　prolongation　of　five　or　six　months　of
life　cost　the　great　Pompey；　and；　in　our　fathers'　days；　Ludovico　Sfor