the essays of montaigne, v5-第2章

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and　care　rightly　to　train；　principle；　and　bring　them　up。　　The　symptoms　of
their　inclinations　in　that　tender　age　are　so　obscure；　and　the　promises　so
uncertain　and　fallacious；　that　it　is　very　hard　to　establish　any　solid
judgment　or　conjecture　upon　them。　　Look　at　Cimon；　for　example；　and
Themistocles；　and　a　thousand　others；　who　very　much　deceived　the
expectation　men　had　of　them。　　Cubs　of　bears　and　puppies　readily　discover
their　natural　inclination；　but　men；　so　soon　as　ever　they　are　grownup；
applying　themselves　to　certain　habits；　engaging　themselves　in　certain
opinions；　and　conforming　themselves　to　particular　laws　and　customs；
easily　alter；　or　at　least　disguise；　their　true　and　real　disposition；　and
yet　it　is　hard　to　force　the　propension　of　nature。　　Whence　it　comes　to
pass；　that　for　not　having　chosen　the　right　course；　we　often　take　very
great　pains；　and　consume　a　good　part　of　our　time　m　training　up　children
to　things；　for　which；　by　their　natural　constitution；　they　are　totally
unfit。　　In　this　difficulty；　nevertheless；　I　am　clearly　of　opinion；　that
they　ought　to　be　elemented　in　the　best　and　most　advantageous　studies；
without　taking　too　much　notice　of；　or　being　too　superstitious　in　those
light　prognostics　they　give　of　themselves　in　their　tender　years；　and　to
which　Plato；　in　his　Republic；　gives；　methinks；　too　much　authority。

Madam；　science　is　a　very　great　ornament；　and　a　thing　of　marvellous　use；
especially　in　persons　raised　to　that　degree　of　fortune　in　which　you　are。
And；　in　truth；　in　persons　of　mean　and　low　condition；　it　cannot　perform
its　true　and　genuine　office；　being　naturally　more　prompt　to　assist　in　the
conduct　of　war；　in　the　government　of　peoples；　in　negotiating　the　leagues
and　friendships　of　princes　and　foreign　nations；　than　in　forming　a
syllogism　in　logic；　in　pleading　a　process　in　law；　or　in　prescribing　a
dose　of　pills　in　physic。　　Wherefore；　madam；　believing　you　will　not　omit
this　so　necessary　feature　in　the　education　of　your　children；　who　yourself
have　tasted　its　sweetness；　and　are　of　a　learned　extraction　（for　we　yet
have　the　writings　of　the　ancient　Counts　of　Foix；　from　whom　my　lord；　your
husband；　and　yourself；　are　both　of　you　descended；　and　Monsieur　de
Candale；　your　uncle；　every　day　obliges　the　world　with　others；　which　will
extend　the　knowledge　of　this　quality　in　your　family　for　so　many
succeeding　ages）；　I　will；　upon　this　occasion；　presume　to　acquaint　your
ladyship　with　one　particular　fancy　of　my　own；　contrary　to　the　common
method；　which　is　all　I　am　able　to　contribute　to　your　service　in　this
affair。

The　charge　of　the　tutor　you　shall　provide　for　your　son；　upon　the　choice
of　whom　depends　the　whole　success　of　his　education；　has　several　other
great　and　considerable　parts　and　duties　required　in　so　important　a　trust；
besides　that　of　which　I　am　about　to　speak：　these；　however；　I　shall　not
mention；　as　being　unable　to　add　anything　of　moment　to　the　common　rules：
and　in　this；　wherein　I　take　upon　me　to　advise；　he　may　follow　it　so　far
only　as　it　shall　appear　advisable。

For　a；　boy　of　quality　then；　who　pretends　to　letters　not　upon　the　account
of　profit　（for　so　mean　an　object　is　unworthy　of　the　grace　and　favour
of　the　Muses；　and　moreover；　in　it　a　man　directs　his　service　to　and
depends　upon　others）；　nor　so　much　for　outward　ornament；　as　for　his　own
proper　and　peculiar　use；　and　to　furnish　and　enrich　himself　within；　having
rather　a　desire　to　come　out　an　accomplished　cavalier　than　a　mere　scholar
or　learned　man；　for　such　a　one；　I　say；　I　would；　also；　have　his　friends
solicitous　to　find　him　out　a　tutor；　who　has　rather　a　well…made　than　a
well…filled　head；　＇〃'Tete　bien　faite'；　an　expression　created　by
Montaigne；　and　which　has　remained　a　part　of　our　language。〃Servan。＇
seeking；　indeed；　both　the　one　and　the　other；　but　rather　of　the　two　to
prefer　manners　and　judgment　to　mere　learning；　and　that　this　man　should
exercise　his　charge　after　a　new　method。

'Tis　the　custom　of　pedagogues　to　be　eternally　thundering　in　their　pupil's
ears；　as　they　were　pouring　into　a　funnel；　whilst　the　business　of　the
pupil　is　only　to　repeat　what　the　others　have　said：　now　I　would　have　a
tutor　to　correct　this　error；　and；　that　at　the　very　first；　he　should
according　to　the　capacity　he　has　to　deal　with；　put　it　to　the　test；
permitting　his　pupil　himself　to　taste　things；　and　of　himself　to　discern
and　choose　them；　sometimes　opening　the　way　to　him；　and　sometimes　leaving
him　to　open　it　for　himself；　that　is；　I　would　not　have　him　alone　to　invent
and　speak；　but　that　he　should　also　hear　his　pupil　speak　in　turn。
Socrates；　and　since　him　Arcesilaus；　made　first　their　scholars　speak；　and
then　they　spoke　to　them　＇Diogenes　Laertius；　iv。　36。＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Obest　plerumque　iis；　qui　discere　volunt；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　auctoritas　eorum；　qui　docent。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　authority　of　those　who　teach；　is　very　often　an　impediment　to
　　　　　those　who　desire　to　learn。〃Cicero；　De　Natura　Deor。；　i。　5。＇

It　is　good　to　make　him；　like　a　young　horse；　trot　before　him；　that　he　may
judge　of　his　going；　and　how　much　he　is　to　abate　of　his　own　speed；　to
accommodate　himself　to　the　vigour　and　capacity　of　the　other。　　For　want　of
which　due　proportion　we　spoil　all；　which　also　to　know　how　to　adjust；　and
to　keep　within　an　exact　and　due　measure；　is　one　of　the　hardest　things　I
know；　and　'tis　the　effect　of　a　high　and　well…tempered　soul；　to　know　how
to　condescend　to　such　puerile　motions　and　to　govern　and　direct　them。
I　walk　firmer　and　more　secure　up　hill　than　down。

Such　as；　according　to　our　common　way　of　teaching；　undertake；　with　one　and
the　same　lesson；　and　the　same　measure　of　direction；　to　instruct　several
boys　of　differing　and　unequal　capacities；　are　infinitely　mistaken；　and
'tis　no　wonder；　if　in　a　whole　multitude　of　scholars；　there　are　not　found
above　two　or　three　who　bring　away　any　good　account　of　their　time　and
discipline。　　Let　the　master　not　only　examine　him　about　the　grammatical
construction　of　the　bare　words　of　his　lesson；　but　about　the　sense　and　let
him　judge　of　the　profit　he　has　made；　not　by　the　testimony　of　his　memory；
but　by　that　of　his　life。　　Let　him　make　him　put　what　he　has　learned　into　a
hundred　several　forms；　and　accommodate　it　to　so　many　several　subjects；　to
see　if　he　yet　rightly　comprehends　it；　and　has　made　it　his　own；　taking
instruction　of　his　progress　by　the　pedagogic　institutions　of　Plato。　　'Tis
a　sign　of　crudity　and　indigestion　to　disgorge　what　we　eat　in　the　same
condition　it　was　swallowed；　the　stomach　has　not　performed　its　office
unless　it　have　altered　the　form　and　condition　of　what　was　committed　to　it
to　concoct。　　Our　minds　work　only　upon　trust；　when　bound　and　compelled　to
follow　the　appetite　of　another's　fancy；　enslaved　and　captivated　under　the
authority　of　another's　instruction；　we　have　been　so　subjected　to　the
trammel；　that　we　have　no　free；　nor　natural　pace　of　our　own；　our　own
vigour　and　liberty　are　extinct　and　gone：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Nunquam　tutelae　suae　fiunt。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃They　are　ever　in　wardship。〃Seneca；　Ep。；　33。＇

I　was　privately　carried　at　Pisa　to　see　a　very　honest　man；　but　so　great　an
Aristotelian；　that　his　most　usual　thesis　was：　〃That　the　touchstone　and
square　of　all　solid　imagination；　and　of　all　truth；　was　an　absolute
conformity　to　Aristotle's　doctrine；　and　that　all　besides　was　nothing　but
inanity　and　chimera；　for　that　he　had　seen　all；　and　said　all。〃　A　position；
that　for　having　been　a　little　too　injuriously　and　broadly　interpreted；
brought　him　once　and　long　kept　him　in　great　danger　of　the　Inquisition　at
Rome。

Let　him　make　him　examine　and　thoroughly　sift　everything　he　reads；　and
lodge　nothing　in　his　fancy　upon　simple　authority　and　upon　trust。
Aristotle's　principles　will　then　be　no　more　principles　to　him；　than　those
of　Epicurus　and　the　Stoics：　let　this　diversity　of　opinions　be　propounded
to；　and　laid　before　him；　he　will　himself　choose；　if　he　be　able；　if　not；
he　will　remain　in　doubt。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Che　non　men　the　saver；　dubbiar　m'　aggrata。〃

　　　　　＇〃I　love　to　doubt；　as　well　as　to　know。〃Dante；　Inferno；　xi。　93＇

for；　if　he　embrace　the　opinions　of　Xenophon　and　Plato；　by　his　own　reason；
they　will　no　more　be　theirs；　but　become　his　own。　　Who　follows　another；
follows　nothing；　finds　nothing；　nay；　is　inquisitive　after　nothing。

　　　　　　　　　　〃Non　sumus　sub　rege；　sibi　quisque　se　vindicet。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃We　are　under　no　king；　let　each　vindicate　himself。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Seneca；　Ep。；33＇

Let　him；　at　least；　know　that　he　knows。　　It　will　be　necessary　that　he
imbibe　their　knowledge；　not　that　he　be　corrupted　with　their　precepts；
and　no　matter　if　he　forget　where　he　had　his　learning；　provided　he　know
how　to　apply　it　to　his　own　use。　　Truth　and　reason　are　common　to　every
one；　and　are　no　more　his　who　spake　them　first；　than　his　who　speaks　them
after：　'tis　no　more　according　to　Plato；　than　according　to　me；　since　both
he　and　I　equally　see　and　understand　them。　　Bees　cull　their　several　sweets
from　this　flower　and　that　blossom；　here　and　there　where　they　find　them；
but　themselves　afterwards　make　the　honey；　which　is　all　and　purely　their
own；　and　no　more　thyme　and　marjoram：　so　the　several　fragments　he　borrows
from　others；　he　will　transform　and　shuffle　together　to　compile　a　work
that　shall　be　absolutely　his　own；　that　is　to　say；　his　judgment：
his　instruction；　labour　and　study；　tend　to　nothing　else　but　to　form　that。
He　is　not　obliged　to　discover　whence　he　got　the　materials　that　have
assisted　him；　but　only　to　produce　what　he　has　himself　done　with　them。
Men　that　live　upon　pillage　and　borrowing；　expose　their　purchases　and
buildings　to　every　one's　view：　but　do　not　proclaim　how　they　came　by　the
money。　　We　do　not　see　the　fees　and　perquisites　of　a　gentleman　of　the　long
robe；　but　we　see　the　alliances　wherewith　he　fortifies　himself　and　his
family；　and　the　titles　and　honours　he　has　obtained　for　him　and　his。　　No
man　divulges　his　revenue；　or；　at　least；　which　way　it　comes　in　but　every
one　publishes　his　acquisitions。　　The　advantages　of　our　study　are　to
become　better　and　more　wise。　　'Tis；　says　Epicharmus；　the　understanding
that　sees　and　hears；　'tis　the　understanding　that　improves　everything；
that　orders　everything；　and　that　acts；　rules；　and　reigns：　all　other
faculties　are　blind；　and　deaf；　and　without　soul。　　And　certainly　we　render
it　timorous　and　servile；　in　not　allowing　it　the　liberty　and　privilege　to
do　anything　of　itself。　　Whoever　asked　his　pupil　what　he　thought　of
grammar　and　rhetoric；　or　of　such　and　such　a　sentence　of　Cicero？　　Our
masters　stick　them；　full　feathered；　in　our　memories；　and　there　establish
them　like　oracles；　of　which　the　letters　and　syllables　are　of　the
substance　of　the　thing。　　To　know　by　rote；　is　no　knowledge；　and　signifies
no　more　but　only　to　retain　what　one　has　intrusted　to　our　memory。　　That
which　a　man　rightly　knows　and　understands；　he　is　the　free　disposer　of　at
his　own　full　liberty；　without　any　regard　to　the　author　from　whence　he　had
it；　or　fumbling　over　the　leaves　of　his　book。　　A　mere　bookish　learning　is
a　poor；　paltry　learning；　it　may　serve　for　ornament；　but　there　is　yet　no
foundation　for　any　superstructure　to　be　built　upon　it；　according　to　the
opinion　of　Plato；　who　says；　that　constancy；　faith；　and　sincerity；　are　the
true　philosophy；　and　the　other　sciences；　that　are　directed　to　othe