the essays of montaigne, v2-第3章

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wisdom；　acquiescing　in　the　present；　is　never　dissatisfied　with　itself。
＇Cicero；　Tusc。　　Quae。；　57；　v。　18。＇　Epicurus　dispenses　his　sages　from
all　foresight　and　care　of　the　future。

Amongst　those　laws　that　relate　to　the　dead；　I　look　upon　that　to　be　very
sound　by　which　the　actions　of　princes　are　to　be　examined　after　their
decease。　＇Diodorus　Siculus；　i。　6。＇　　They　are　equals　with；　if　not
masters　of　the　laws；　and；　therefore；　what　justice　could　not　inflict　upon
their　persons；　'tis　but　reason　should　be　executed　upon　their　reputations
and　the　estates　of　their　successorsthings　that　we　often　value　above
life　itself。　　'Tis　a　custom　of　singular　advantage　to　those　countries
where　it　is　in　use；　and　by　all　good　princes　to　be　desired；　who　have
reason　to　take　it　ill；　that　the　memories　of　the　wicked　should　be　used
with　the　same　reverence　and　respect　with　their　own。　　We　owe　subjection
and　obedience　to　all　our　kings；　whether　good　or　bad；　alike；　for　that　has
respect　unto　their　office；　but　as　to　esteem　and　affection；　these　are　only
due　to　their　virtue。　　Let　us　grant　to　political　government　to　endure　them
with　patience；　however　unworthy；　to　conceal　their　vices；　and　to　assist
them　with　our　recommendation　in　their　indifferent　actions；　whilst　their
authority　stands　in　need　of　our　support。　　But；　the　relation　of　prince　and
subject　being　once　at　an　end；　there　is　no　reason　we　should　deny　the
expression　of　our　real　opinions　to　our　own　liberty　and　common　justice；
and　especially　to　interdict　to　good　subjects　the　glory　of　having
reverently　and　faithfully　served　a　prince；　whose　imperfections　were　to
them　so　well　known；　this　were　to　deprive　posterity　of　a　useful　example。
And　such　as；　out　of　respect　to　some　private　obligation；　unjustly　espouse
and　vindicate　the　memory　of　a　faulty　prince；　do　private　right　at　the
expense　of　public　justice。　　Livy　does　very　truly　say；　＇xxxv。　48。＇
〃That　the　language　of　men　bred　up　in　courts　is　always　full　of　vain
ostentation　and　false　testimony；　every　one　indifferently　magnifying　his
own　master；　and　stretching　his　commendation　to　the　utmost　extent　of
virtue　and　sovereign　grandeur。〃　　Some　may　condemn　the　freedom　of　those
two　soldiers　who　so　roundly　answered　Nero　to　his　beard；　the　one　being
asked　by　him　why　he　bore　him　ill…will？　　〃I　loved　thee；〃　answered　he；
〃whilst　thou　wert　worthy　of　it；　but　since　thou　art　become　a　parricide；　an
incendiary；　a　player；　and　a　coachman；　I　hate　thee　as　thou　dost　deserve。〃
And　the　other；　why　he　should　attempt　to　kill　him？　　〃Because；〃　said　he；
〃I　could　think　of　no　other　remedy　against　thy　perpetual　mischiefs。〃
＇Tacitus；　Annal。；　xv。　67。＇　But　the　public　and　universal　testimonies
that　were　given　of　him　after　his　death　（and　so　will　be　to　all　posterity；
both　of　him　and　all　other　wicked　princes　like　him）；　of　his　tyrannies　and
abominable　deportment；　who；　of　a　sound　judgment；　can　reprove　them？

I　am　scandalised；　that　in　so　sacred　a　government　as　that　of　the
Lacedaemonians　there　should　be　mixed　so　hypocritical　a　ceremony　at　the
interment　of　their　kings；　where　all　their　confederates　and　neighbours；
and　all　sorts　and　degrees　of　men　and　women；　as　well　as　their　slaves；　cut
and　slashed　their　foreheads　in　token　of　sorrow；　repeating　in　their　cries
and　lamentations　that　that　king　（let　him　have　been　as　wicked　as　the
devil）　was　the　best　that　ever　they　had；＇Herodotus；　vi。　　68。＇　by　this
means　attributing　to　his　quality　the　praise　that　only　belongs　to　merit；
and　that　of　right　is　due　to　supreme　desert；　though　lodged　in　the　lowest
and　most　inferior　subject。

Aristotle；　who　will　still　have　a　hand　in　everything；　makes　a　'quaere'
upon　the　saying　of　Solon；　that　none　can　be　said　to　be　happy　until　he　is
dead：　〃whether；　then；　he　who　has　lived　and　died　according　to　his　heart's
desire；　if　he　have　left　an　ill　repute　behind　him；　and　that　his　posterity
be　miserable；　can　be　said　to　be　happy？〃　　Whilst　we　have　life　and　motion；
we　convey　ourselves　by　fancy　and　preoccupation；　whither　and　to　what　we
please；　but　once　out　of　being；　we　have　no　more　any　manner　of
communication　with　that　which　is；　and　it　had　therefore　been　better　said
by　Solon　that　man　is　never　happy；　because　never　so；　till　he　is　no　more。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Quisquam
　　　　　　　　　　Vix　radicitus　e　vita　se　tollit；　et　eicit；
　　　　　　　　　　Sed　facit　esse　sui　quiddam　super　inscius　ipse；
　　　　　　　　　　Nec　removet　satis　a　projecto　corpore　sese；　et
　　　　　　　　　　Vindicat。〃

　　　　　＇〃Scarcely　one　man　can；　even　in　dying；　wholly　detach　himself　from
　　　　　the　idea　of　life；　in　his　ignorance　he　must　needs　imagine　that　there
　　　　　is　in　him　something　that　survives　him；　and　cannot　sufficiently
　　　　　separate　or　emancipate　himself　from　his　remains〃
　　　　　Lucretius；　iii。　890。＇

Bertrand　de　Guesclin；　dying　at　the　siege　of　the　Castle　of　Rancon；　near
unto　Puy；　in　Auvergne；　the　besieged　were　afterwards；　upon　surrender；
enjoined　to　lay　down　the　keys　of　the　place　upon　the　corpse　of　the　dead
general。　　Bartolommeo　d'Alviano；　the　Venetian　General；　happening　to　die
in　the　service　of　the　Republic　in　Brescia；　and　his　corpse　being　to　be
carried　through　the　territory　of　Verona；　an　enemy's　country；　most　of　the
army　were　inclined　to　demand　safe…conduct　from　the　Veronese；　but　Theodoro
Trivulzio　opposed　the　motion；　rather　choosing　to　make　his　way　by　force　of
arms；　and　to　run　the　hazard　of　a　battle；　saying　it　was　by　no　means　fit
that　he　who　in　his　life　was　never　afraid　of　his　enemies　should　seem　to
apprehend　them　when　he　was　dead。　　In　truth；　in　affairs　of　the　same
nature；　by　the　Greek　laws；　he　who　made　suit　to　an　enemy　for　a　body　to
give　it　burial　renounced　his　victory；　and　had　no　more　right　to　erect　a
trophy；　and　he　to　whom　such　suit　was　made　was　reputed　victor。　　By　this
means　it　was　that　Nicias　lost　the　advantage　he　had　visibly　obtained　over
the　Corinthians；　and　that　Agesilaus；　on　the　contrary；　assured　that　which
he　had　before　very　doubtfully　gained　over　the　Boeotians。　＇Plutarch；
Life　of　Nicias；　c。　ii。；　Life　of　Agesilaus；　c。　vi。＇

These　things　might　appear　strange；　had　it　not　been　a　general　practice　in
all　ages　not　only　to　extend　the　concern　of　ourselves　beyond　this　life；
but；　moreover；　to　fancy　that　the　favour　of　Heaven　does　not　only　very
often　accompany　us　to　the　grave；　but　has　also；　even　after　life；　a　concern
for　our　ashes。　　Of　which　there　are　so　many　ancient　examples　（to　say
nothing　of　those　of　our　own　observation）；　that　it　is　not　necessary　I
should　longer　insist　upon　it。　　Edward　I。；　King　of　England；　having　in　the
long　wars　betwixt　him　and　Robert；　King　of　Scotland；　had　experience　of　how
great　importance　his　own　immediate　presence　was　to　the　success　of　his
affairs；　having　ever　been　victorious　in　whatever　he　undertook　in　his　own
person；　when　he　came　to　die；　bound　his　son　in　a　solemn　oath　that；　so　soon
as　he　should　be　dead　he　should　boil　his　body　till　the　flesh　parted　from
the　bones；　and　bury　the　flesh；　reserving　the　bones　to　carry　continually
with　him　in　his　army；　so　often　as　he　should　be　obliged　to　go　against　the
Scots；　as　if　destiny　had　inevitably　attached　victory；　even　to　his
remains。　　John　Zisca；　the　same　who；　to　vindication　of　Wicliffe's
heresies；　troubled　the　Bohemian　state；　left　order　that　they　should　flay
him　after　his　death；　and　of　his　skin　make　a　drum　to　carry　in　the　war
against　his　enemies；　fancying　it　would　contribute　to　the　continuation　of
the　successes　he　had　always　obtained　in　the　wars　against　them。　　In　like
manner　certain　of　the　Indians；　in　their　battles　with　the　Spaniards；
carried　with　them　the　bones　of　one　of　their　captains；　in　consideration　of
the　victories　they　had　formerly　obtained　under　his　conduct。　　And　other
people　of　the　same　New　World　carry　about　with　them；　in　their　wars；　the
relics　of　valiant　men　who　have　died　in　battle；　to　incite　their　courage
and　advance　their　fortune。　　Of　which　examples　the　first　reserve　nothing
for　the　tomb　but　the　reputation　they　have　acquired　by　their　former
achievements；　but　these　attribute　to　them　a　certain　present　and　active
power。

The　proceeding　of　Captain　Bayard　is　of　a　better　composition；　who　finding
himself　wounded　to　death　with　an　harquebuss　shot；　and　being　importuned　to
retire　out　of　the　fight；　made　answer　that　he　would　not　begin　at　the　last
gasp　to　turn　his　back　to　the　enemy；　and　accordingly　still　fought　on；　till
feeling　himself　too　faint　and　no　longer　able　to　sit　on　his　horse；　he
commanded　his　steward　to　set　him　down　at　the　foot　of　a　tree；　but　so　that
he　might　die　with　his　face　towards　the　enemy；　which　he　did。

I　must　yet　add　another　example；　equally　remarkable　for　the　present
consideration　with　any　of　the　former。　　The　Emperor　Maximilian；　great…
grandfather　to　the　now　King　Philip；＇Philip　II。　of　Spain。＇　was　a
prince　endowed　throughout　with　great　and　extraordinary　qualities；　and
amongst　the　rest　with　a　singular　beauty　of　person；　but　had　withal　a
humour　very　contrary　to　that　of　other　princes；　who　for　the　despatch　of
their　most　important　affairs　convert　their　close…stool　into　a　chair　of
State；　which　was；　that　he　would　never　permit　any　of　his　bedchamber；　how
familiar　soever；　to　see　him　in　that　posture；　and　would　steal　aside　to
make　water　as　religiously　as　a　virgin；　shy　to　discover　to　his　physician
or　any　other　whomsoever　those　parts　that　we　are　accustomed　to　conceal。
I　myself；　who　have　so　impudent　a　way　of　talking；　am；　nevertheless；
naturally　so　modest　this　way；　that　unless　at　the　importunity　of　necessity
or　pleasure；　I　scarcely　ever　communicate　to　the　sight　of　any　either　those
parts　or　actions　that　custom　orders　us　to　conceal；　wherein　I　suffer　more
constraint　than　I　conceive　is　very　well　becoming　a　man；　especially　of　my
profession。　　But　he　nourished　this　modest　humour　to　such　a　degree　of
superstition　as　to　give　express　orders　in　his　last　will　that　they　should
put　him　on　drawers　so　soon　as　he　should　be　dead；　to　which；　methinks；　he
would　have　done　well　to　have　added　that　he　should　be　blindfolded；　too；
that　put　them　on。　　The　charge　that　Cyrus　left　with　his　children；　that
neither　they；　nor　any　other；　should　either　see　or　touch　his　body　after
the　soul　was　departed　from　it；＇Xenophon；　Cyropedia；　viii。　7。＇　I
attribute　to　some　superstitious　devotion　of　his；　for　both　his　historian
and　himself；　amongst　their　great　qualities；　marked　the　whole　course　of
their　lives　with　a　singular　respect　and　reverence　to　religion。

I　was　by　no　means　pleased　with　a　story；　told　me　by　a　man　of　very　great
quality　of　a　relation　of　mine；　and　one　who　had　given　a　very　good　account
of　himself　both　in　peace　and　war；　that；　coming　to　die　in　a　very　old　age；
of　excessive　pain　of　the　stone；　he　spent　the　last　hours　of　his　life　in　an
extraordinary　solicitude　about　ordering　the　honour　and　ceremony　of　his
funeral；　pressing　all　the　men　of　condition　who　came　to　see　him　to　engage
their　word　to　attend　him　to　his　grave：　importuning　this　very　prince；　who
came　to　visit　him　at　his　last　gasp；　with　a　most　earnest　supplication　that
he　would　order　his　family　to　be　there；　and　presenting　before　him　several
reasons　and　examples　to　prove　that　it　was　a　respect　due　to　a　man　of　his
condition；　and　seemed　to　die　content；　having　obtained　this　promise；　and
appointed　the　method　and　order　of　his　funeral　parade。　　I　have　seldom
heard　of　so　persistent　a　vanity。

Another；　though　contrary　curiosity　（