the essays of montaigne, v3-第4部分

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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　Sforza；
the　tenth　Duke　of　Milan；　whom　all　Italy　had　so　long　truckled　under；　was
seen　to　die　a　wretched　prisoner　at　Loches；　but　not　till　he　had　lived　ten
years　in　captivity；　＇He　was　imprisoned　by　Louis　XI。　in　an　iron　cage＇
which　was　the　worst　part　of　his　fortune。　　The　fairest　of　all　queens；
＇Mary；　Queen　of　Scots。＇　widow　to　the　greatest　king　in　Europe；　did　she
not　come　to　die　by　the　hand　of　an　executioner？　　Unworthy　and　barbarous
cruelty！　　And　a　thousand　more　examples　there　are　of　the　same　kind；　for　it
seems　that　as　storms　and　tempests　have　a　malice　against　the　proud　and
overtowering　heights　of　our　lofty　buildings；　there　are　also　spirits　above
that　are　envious　of　the　greatnesses　here　below：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Usque　adeo　res　humanas　vis　abdita　quaedam
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Obterit；　et　pulchros　fasces；　saevasque　secures
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Proculcare；　ac　ludibrio　sibi　habere　videtur。〃

　　　　　＇〃So　true　it　is　that　some　occult　power　upsets　human　affairs；　the
　　　　　glittering　fasces　and　the　cruel　axes　spurns　under　foot；　and　seems　to
　　　　　make　sport　of　them。〃　Lucretius；　v。　　1231。＇

And　it　should　seem；　also；　that　Fortune　sometimes　lies　in　wait　to　surprise
the　last　hour　of　our　lives；　to　show　the　power　she　has；　in　a　moment；　to
overthrow　what　she　was　so　many　years　in　building；　making　us　cry　out　with
Laberius：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Nimirum　hac　die
　　　　　　　　　　Una　plus　vixi　mihi；　quam　vivendum　fuit。〃

　　　　　＇〃I　have　lived　longer　by　this　one　day　than　I　should　have
　　　　　done。〃Macrobius；　ii。　　7。＇

And；　in　this　sense；　this　good　advice　of　Solon　may　reasonably　be　taken；
but　he；　being　a　philosopher　（with　which　sort　of　men　the　favours　and
disgraces　of　Fortune　stand　for　nothing；　either　to　the　making　a　man　happy
or　unhappy；　and　with　whom　grandeurs　and　powers　are　accidents　of　a　quality
almost　indifferent）　I　am　apt　to　think　that　he　had　some　further　aim；　and
that　his　meaning　was；　that　the　very　felicity　of　life　itself；　which
depends　upon　the　tranquillity　and　contentment　of　a　well…descended　spirit；
and　the　resolution　and　assurance　of　a　well…ordered　soul；　ought　never　to
be　attributed　to　any　man　till　he　has　first　been　seen　to　play　the　last；
and；　doubtless；　the　hardest　act　of　his　part。　　There　may　be　disguise　and
dissimulation　in　all　the　rest：　where　these　fine　philosophical　discourses
are　only　put　on；　and　where　accident；　not　touching　us　to　the　quick；　gives
us　leisure　to　maintain　the　same　gravity　of　aspect；　but；　in　this　last
scene　of　death；　there　is　no　more　counterfeiting：　we　must　speak　out　plain；
and　discover　what　there　is　of　good　and　clean　in　the　bottom　of　the　pot；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Nam　vera；　voces　turn　demum　pectore　ab　imo
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ejiciuntur；　et　eripitur　persona；　manet　res。〃

　　　　　＇Then　at　last　truth　issues　from　the　heart；　the　visor's　gone；
　　　　　the　man　remains。〃　Lucretius；　iii。　　57。＇

Wherefore；　at　this　last；　all　the　other　actions　of　our　life　ought　to　be
tried　and　sifted：　'tis　the　master…day；　'tis　the　day　that　is　judge　of　all
the　rest；　〃'tis　the　day；〃　says　one　of　the　ancients；＇Seneca；　Ep。；　102＇
〃that　must　be　judge　of　all　my　foregoing　years。〃　　To　death　do　I　refer　the
assay　of　the　fruit　of　all　my　studies：　we　shall　then　see　whether　my
discourses　came　only　from　my　mouth　or　from　my　heart。　　I　have　seen　many　by
their　death　give　a　good　or　an　ill　repute　to　their　whole　life。　　Scipio；
the　father…in…law　of　Pompey；　in　dying；　well　removed　the　ill　opinion　that
till　then　every　one　had　conceived　of　him。　　Epaminondas　being　asked　which
of　the　three　he　had　in　greatest　esteem；　Chabrias；　Iphicrates；　or　himself。
〃You　must　first　see　us　die；〃　said　he；　〃before　that　question　can　be
resolved。〃　＇Plutarch；　Apoth。＇　And；　in　truth；　he　would　infinitely
wrong　that　man　who　would　weigh　him　without　the　honour　and　grandeur　of　his
end。

God　has　ordered　all　things　as　it　has　best　pleased　Him；　but　I　have；　in　my
time；　seen　three　of　the　most　execrable　persons　that　ever　I　knew　in　all
manner　of　abominable　living；　and　the　most　infamous　to　boot；　who　all　died
a　very　regular　death；　and　in　all　circumstances　composed；　even　to
perfection。　　There　are　brave　and　fortunate　deaths：　I　have　seen　death　cut
the　thread　of　the　progress　of　a　prodigious　advancement；　and　in　the　height
and　flower　of　its　increase；　of　a　certain　person；　＇Montaigne　doubtless
refers　to　his　friend　Etienne　de　la　Boetie；　at　whose　death　in　1563　he　was
present。＇　with　so　glorious　an　end　that；　in　my　opinion；　his　ambitious
and　generous　designs　had　nothing　in　them　so　high　and　great　as　their
interruption。　　He　arrived；　without　completing　his　course；　at　the　place　to
which　his　ambition　aimed；　with　greater　glory　than　he　could　either　have
hoped　or　desired；　anticipating　by　his　fall　the　name　and　power　to　which　he
aspired　in　perfecting　his　career。　　In　the　judgment　I　make　of　another
man's　life；　I　always　observe　how　he　carried　himself　at　his　death；　and　the
principal　concern　I　have　for　my　own　is　that　I　may　die　wellthat　is；
patiently　and　tranquilly。




CHAPTER　XIX

THAT　TO　STUDY　PHILOSOPY　IS　TO　LEARN　TO　DIE

Cicero　says　＇Tusc。；　i。　　31。＇　〃that　to　study　philosophy　is　nothing　but
to　prepare　one's　self　to　die。〃　　The　reason　of　which　is；　because　study　and
contemplation　do　in　some　sort　withdraw　from　us　our　soul；　and　employ　it
separately　from　the　body；　which　is　a　kind　of　apprenticeship　and　a
resemblance　of　death；　or；　else；　because　all　the　wisdom　and　reasoning　in
the　world　do　in　the　end　conclude　in　this　point；　to　teach　us　not　to　fear
to　die。　　And　to　say　the　truth；　either　our　reason　mocks　us；　or　it　ought　to
have　no　other　aim　but　our　contentment　only；　nor　to　endeavour　anything
but；　in　sum；　to　make　us　live　well；　and；　as　the　Holy　Scripture　says；　at
our　ease。　　All　the　opinions　of　the　world　agree　in　this；　that　pleasure　is
our　end；　though　we　make　use　of　divers　means　to　attain　it：　they　would；
otherwise；　be　rejected　at　the　first　motion；　for　who　would　give　ear　to　him
that　should　propose　affliction　and　misery　for　his　end？　　The　controversies
and　disputes　of　the　philosophical　sects　upon　this　point　are　merely
verbal：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Transcurramus　solertissimas　nugas〃

　　　　　＇〃Let　us　skip　over　those　subtle　trifles。〃Seneca；　Ep。；　117。＇

there　is　more　in　them　of　opposition　and　obstinacy　than　is　consistent
with　so　sacred　a　profession；　but　whatsoever　personage　a　man　takes　upon
himself　to　perform；　he　ever　mixes　his　own　part　with　it。

Let　the　philosophers　say　what　they　will；　the　thing　at　which　we　all　aim；
even　in　virtue　is　pleasure。　　It　amuses　me　to　rattle　in　ears　this　word；
which　they　so　nauseate　to　and　if　it　signify　some　supreme　pleasure　and
contentment；　it　is　more　due　to　the　assistance　of　virtue　than　to　any　other
assistance　whatever。　　This　pleasure；　for　being　more　gay；　more　sinewy；
more　robust　and　more　manly；　is　only　the　more　seriously　voluptuous；　and　we
ought　give　it　the　name　of　pleasure；　as　that　which　is　more　favourable；
gentle；　and　natural；　and　not　that　from　which　we　have　denominated　it。　　The
other　and　meaner　pleasure；　if　it　could　deserve　this　fair　name；　it　ought
to　be　by　way　of　competition；　and　not　of　privilege。　　I　find　it　less　exempt
from　traverses　and　inconveniences　than　virtue　itself；　and；　besides　that
the　enjoyment　is　more　momentary；　fluid；　and　frail；　it　has　its　watchings；
fasts；　and　labours；　its　sweat　and　its　blood；　and；　moreover；　has
particular　to　itself　so　many　several　sorts　of　sharp　and　wounding
passions；　and　so　dull　a　satiety　attending　it；　as　equal　it　to　the　severest
penance。　　And　we　mistake　if　we　think　that　these　incommodities　serve　it
for　a　spur　and　a　seasoning　to　its　sweetness　（as　in　nature　one　contrary　is
quickened　by　another）；　or　say；　when　we　come　to　virtue；　that　like
consequences　and　difficulties　overwhelm　and　render　it　austere　and
inaccessible；　whereas；　much　more　aptly　than　in　voluptuousness；　they
ennoble；　sharpen；　and　heighten　the　perfect　and　divine　pleasure　they
procure　us。　　He　renders　himself　unworthy　of　it　who　will　counterpoise　its
cost　with　its　fruit；　and　neither　understands　the　blessing　nor　how　to　use
it。　　Those　who　preach　to　us　that　the　quest　of　it　is　craggy；　difficult；
and　painful；　but　its　fruition　pleasant；　what　do　they　mean　by　that　but　to
tell　us　that　it　is　always　unpleasing？　　For　what　human　means　will　ever
attain　its　enjoyment？　　The　most　perfect　have　been　fain　to　content
themselves　to　aspire　unto　it；　and　to　approach　it　only；　without　ever
possessing　it。　　But　they　are　deceived；　seeing　that　of　all　the　pleasures
we　know；　the　very　pursuit　is　pleasant。　　The　attempt　ever　relishes　of　the
quality　of　the　thing　to　which　it　is　directed；　for　it　is　a　good　part　of；
and　consubstantial　with；　the　effect。　　The　felicity　and　beatitude　that
glitters　in　Virtue；　shines　throughout　all　her　appurtenances　and　avenues；
even　to　the　first　entry　and　utmost　limits。

Now；　of　all　the　benefits　that　virtue　confers　upon　us；　the　contempt　of
death　is　one　of　the　greatest；　as　the　means　that　accommodates　human　life
with　a　soft　and　easy　tranquillity；　and　gives　us　a　pure　and　pleasant　taste
of　living；　without　which　all　other　pleasure　would　be　extinct。　　Which　is
the　reason　why　all　the　rules　centre　and　concur　in　this　one　article。　　And
althoug