the essays of montaigne, v2-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


have　known　stories　from　the　mouth　of　a　man　of　very　great　quality；
otherwise　very　pleasant　in　themselves；　become　very　wearisome　by　being
repeated　a　hundred　times　over　and　over　again　to　the　same　people。

Secondly；　that；　by　this　means；　I　the　less　remember　the　injuries　I　have
received；　insomuch　that；　as　the　ancient　said；＇Cicero；　Pro　Ligar。
c。　12。＇　I　should　have　a　register　of　injuries；　or　a　prompter；　as　Darius；
who；　that　he　might　not　forget　the　offence　he　had　received　from　those　of
Athens；　so　oft　as　he　sat　down　to　dinner；　ordered　one　of　his　pages　three
times　to　repeat　in　his　ear；　〃Sir；　remember　the　Athenians〃；＇Herod。；　v。
105。＇　and　then；　again；　the　places　which　I　revisit；　and　the　books　I　read
over　again；　still　smile　upon　me　with　a　fresh　novelty。

It　is　not　without　good　reason　said　〃that　he　who　has　not　a　good　memory
should　never　take　upon　him　the　trade　of　lying。〃　　I　know　very　well　that
the　grammarians　＇Nigidius；　Aulus　Gellius；　xi。　　ii；　Nonius；　v。　　80。＇
distinguish　betwixt　an　untruth　and　a　lie；　and　say　that　to　tell　an　untruth
is　to　tell　a　thing　that　is　false；　but　that　we　ourselves　believe　to　be
true；　and　that　the　definition　of　the　word　to　lie　in　Latin；　from　which　our
French　is　taken；　is　to　tell　a　thing　which　we　know　in　our　conscience　to　be
untrue；　and　it　is　of　this　last　sort　of　liars　only　that　I　now　speak。　　Now；
these　do　either　wholly　contrive　and　invent　the　untruths　they　utter；　or　so
alter　and　disguise　a　true　story　that　it　ends　in　a　lie。　　When　they
disguise　and　often　alter　the　same　story；　according　to　their　own　fancy；
'tis　very　hard　for　them；　at　one　time　or　another；　to　escape　being　trapped；
by　reason　that　the　real　truth　of　the　thing；　having　first　taken　possession
of　the　memory；　and　being　there　lodged　impressed　by　the　medium　of
knowledge　and　science；　it　will　be　difficult　that　it　should　not　represent
itself　to　the　imagination；　and　shoulder　out　falsehood；　which　cannot　there
have　so　sure　and　settled　footing　as　the　other；　and　the　circumstances　of
the　first　true　knowledge　evermore　running　in　their　minds；　will　be　apt　to
make　them　forget　those　that　are　illegitimate；　and　only；　forged　by　their
own　fancy。　　In　what　they；　wholly　invent；　forasmuch　as　there　is　no
contrary　impression　to　jostle　their　invention　there　seems　to　be　less
danger　of　tripping；　and　yet　even　this　by　reason　it　is　a　vain　body　and
without　any　hold；　is　very　apt　to　escape　the　memory；　if　it　be　not　well
assured。　　Of　which　I　had　very　pleasant　experience；　at　the　expense　of　such
as　profess　only　to　form　and　accommodate　their　speech　to　the　affair　they
have　in　hand；　or　to　humour　of　the　great　folks　to　whom　they　are　speaking；
for　the　circumstances　to　which　these　men　stick　not　to　enslave　their　faith
and　conscience　being　subject　to　several　changes；　their　language　must　vary
accordingly：　whence　it　happens　that　of　the　same　thing　they　tell　one　man
that　it　is　this；　and　another　that　it　is　that；　giving　it　several　colours；
which　men；　if　they　once　come　to　confer　notes；　and　find　out　the　cheat；
what　becomes　of　this　fine　art？　　To　which　may　be　added；　that　they　must　of
necessity　very　often　ridiculously　trap　themselves；　for　what　memory　can　be
sufficient　to　retain　so　many　different　shapes　as　they　have　forged　upon
one　and　the　same　subject？　　I　have　known　many　in　my　time　very　ambitious　of
the　repute　of　this　fine　wit；　but　they　do　not　see　that　if　they　have　the
reputation　of　it；　the　effect　can　no　longer　be。

In　plain　truth；　lying　is　an　accursed　vice。　　We　are　not　men；　nor　have
other　tie　upon　one　another；　but　by　our　word。　　If　we　did　but　discover　the
horror　and　gravity　of　it；　we　should　pursue　it　with　fire　and　sword；　and
more　justly　than　other　crimes。　　I　see　that　parents　commonly；　and　with
indiscretion　enough；　correct　their　children　for　little　innocent　faults；
and　torment　them　for　wanton　tricks；　that　have　neither　impression　nor
consequence；　whereas；　in　my　opinion；　lying　only；　and；　which　is　of
something　a　lower　form；　obstinacy；　are　the　faults　which　are　to　be
severely　whipped　out　of　them；　both　in　their　infancy　and　in　their
progress；　otherwise　they　grow　up　and　increase　with　them；　and　after　a
tongue　has　once　got　the　knack　of　lying；　'tis　not　to　be　imagined　how
impossible　it　is　to　reclaim　it　whence　it　comes　to　pass　that　we　see　some；
who　are　otherwise　very　honest　men；　so　subject　and　enslaved　to　this　vice。
I　have　an　honest　lad　to　my　tailor；　whom　I　never　knew　guilty　of　one　truth；
no；　not　when　it　had　been　to　his　advantage。　　If　falsehood　had；　like　truth；
but　one　face　only；　we　should　be　upon　better　terms；　for　we　should　then
take　for　certain　the　contrary　to　what　the　liar　says：　but　the　reverse　of
truth　has　a　hundred　thousand　forms；　and　a　field　indefinite；　without　bound
or　limit。　　The　Pythagoreans　make　good　to　be　certain　and　finite；　and　evil；
infinite　and　uncertain。　　There　are　a　thousand　ways　to　miss　the　white；
there　is　only　one　to　hit　it。　　For　my　own　part；　I　have　this　vice　in　so
great　horror；　that　I　am　not　sure　I　could　prevail　with　my　conscience　to
secure　myself　from　the　most　manifest　and　extreme　danger　by　an　impudent
and　solemn　lie。　　An　ancient　father　says　〃that　a　dog　we　know　is　better
company　than　a　man　whose　language　we　do　not　understand。〃


　　　　　　　　　　〃Ut　externus　alieno　pene　non　sit　hominis　vice。〃

　　　　　＇As　a　foreigner　cannot　be　said　to　supply　us　the　place　of　a　man。〃
　　　　　Pliny；　Nat。　Hist。　vii。　I＇

And　how　much　less　sociable　is　false　speaking　than　silence？

King　Francis　I。　vaunted　that　he　had　by　this　means　nonplussed　Francesco
Taverna；　ambassador　of　Francesco　Sforza；　Duke　of　Milan；　a　man　very　famous
for　his　science　in　talking　in　those　days。　　This　gentleman　had　been　sent
to　excuse　his　master　to　his　Majesty　about　a　thing　of　very　great
consequence；　which　was　this：　the　King；　still　to　maintain　some
intelligence　with　Italy；　out　of　which　he　had　lately　been　driven；　and
particularly　with　the　duchy　of　Milan；　had　thought　it　convenient　to　have　a
gentleman　on　his　behalf　to　be　with　that　Duke：　an　ambassador　in　effect；
but　in　outward　appearance　a　private　person　who　pretended　to　reside　there
upon　his　own　particular　affairs；　for　the　Duke；　much　more　depending　upon
the　Emperor；　especially　at　a　time　when　he　was　in　a　treaty　of　marriage
with　his　niece；　daughter　to　the　King　of　Denmark；　who　is　now　dowager　of
Lorraine；　could　not　manifest　any　practice　and　conference　with　us　without
his　great　interest。　　For　this　commission　one　Merveille；　a　Milanese
gentleman；　and　an　equerry　to　the　King；　being　thought　very　fit；　was
accordingly　despatched　thither　with　private　credentials；　and　instructions
as　ambassador；　and　with　other　letters　of　recommendation　to　the　Duke　about
his　own　private　concerns；　the　better　to　mask　and　colour　the　business；　and
was　so　long　in　that　court；　that　the　Emperor　at　last　had　some　inkling　of
his　real　employment　there；　which　was　the　occasion　of　what　followed　after；
as　we　suppose；　which　was；　that　under　pretence　of　some　murder；　his　trial
was　in　two　days　despatched；　and　his　head　in　the　night　struck　off　in
prison。　　Messire　Francesco　being　come；　and　prepared　with　a　long
counterfeit　history　of　the　affair　（for　the　King　had　applied　himself　to
all　the　princes　of　Christendom；　as　well　as　to　the　Duke　himself；　to　demand
satisfaction）；　had　his　audience　at　the　morning　council；　where；　after　he
had　for　the　support　of　his　cause　laid　open　several　plausible
justifications　of　the　fact；　that　his　master　had　never　looked　upon　this
Merveille　for　other　than　a　private　gentleman　and　his　own　subject；　who　was
there　only　in　order　to　his　own　business；　neither　had　he　ever　lived　under
any　other　aspect；　absolutely　disowning　that　he　had　ever　heard　he　was　one
of　the　King's　household　or　that　his　Majesty　so　much　as　knew　him；　so　far
was　he　from　taking　him　for　an　ambassador：　the　King；　in　his　turn；　pressing
him　with　several　objections　and　demands；　and　challenging　him　on　all
sides；　tripped　him　up　at　last　by　asking；　why；　then；　the　execution　was
performed　by　night；　and　as　it　were　by　stealth？　　At　which　the　poor
confounded　ambassador；　the　more　handsomely　to　disengage　himself；　made
answer；　that　the　Duke　would　have　been　very　loth；　out　of　respect　to　his
Majesty；　that　such　an　execution　should　have　been　performed　by　day。　　Any
one　may　guess　if　he　was　not　well　rated　when　he　came　home；　for　having　so
grossly　tripped　in　the　presence　of　a　prince　of　so　delicate　a　nostril　as
King　Francis。

Pope　Julius　II。　having　sent　an　ambassador　to　the　King　of　England　to
animate　him　against　King　Francis；　the　ambassador　having　had　his　audience；
and　the　King；　before　he　would　give　an　answer；　insisting　upon　the
difficulties　he　should　find　in　setting　on　foot　so　great　a　preparation　as
would　be　necessary　to　attack　so　potent　a　King；　and　urging　some　reasons　to
that　effect；　the　ambassador　very　unseasonably　replied　that　he　had　also
himself　considered　the　same　difficulties；　and　had　represented　them　to　the
Pope。　　From　which　saying　of　his；　so　directly　opposite　to　the　thing
propounded　and　the　business　he　came　about；　which　was　immediately　to
incite　him　to　war；　the　King　of　England　first　derived　the　argument　（which
he　afterward　found　to　be　true）；　that　this　ambassador；　in　his　own　mind；
was　on　the　side　of　the　French；　of　which　having　advertised　his　master；　his
estate　at　his　return　home　was　confiscated；　and　he　himself　very　narrowly
escaped　the　losing　of　his　head。　＇Erasmi　Op。　（1703）；　iv。　col。　684。＇




CHAPTER　X

OF　QUICK　OR　SLOW　SPEECH

　　　　　　　　　　〃Onc　ne　furent　a　touts　toutes　graces　donnees。〃

　　　　　＇〃All　graces　were　never　yet　given　to　any　one　man。〃A　verse
　　　　　in　one　of　La　Brebis'　Sonnets。＇

So　we　see　in　the　gift　of　eloquence；　wherein　some　have　such　a　facility　and
promptness；　and　that　which　we　call　a　present　wit　so　easy；　that　they　are
ever　ready　upon　all　occasions；　and　never　to　be　surprised；　and　others　more
heavy　and　slow；　never　venture　to　utter　anything　but　what　they　have　long
premeditated；　and　taken　great　care　and　pains　to　fit　and　prepare。

Now；　as　we　teach　young　ladies　those　sports　and　exercises　which　are　most
proper　to　set　out　the　grace　and　beauty　of　those　parts　wherein　their
chiefest　ornament　and　perfection　lie；　so　it　should　be　in　these　two
advantages　of　eloquence；　to　which　the　lawyers　and　preachers　of　our　age
seem　principally　to　pretend。　　If　I　were　worthy　to　advise；　the　slow
speaker；　methinks；　should　be　more　proper　for　the　pulpit；　and　the　other
for　the　bar：　and　that　because　the　employment　of　the　first　does　naturally
allow　him　all　the　leisure　he　can　desire　to　prepare　himself；　and　besides；
his　career　is　performed　in　an　even　and　unintermitted　line；　without　stop
or　interruption；　whereas　the　pleader's　business　and　interest　compels　him
to　enter　the　lists　upon　all　occasions；　and　the　unexpected　objections　and
replies　of　his　adverse　party　jostle　him　out　of　his　course；　and　put　him；
upon　the　instant；　to　pump　for　new　and　extempore　answers　and　defences。
Yet；　at　the　interview　betwixt　Pope　Clement　and　King　Francis　at
Marseilles；　it　happened；　quite　contrary；　that　Monsieur　Poyet；　a　man　bred
up　all　his　life　at　the　bar；　and　in　the　highest　repute　for　eloquence；
having　the　charge　of　making　the　harangue　to　the　Pope　committed　to　him；
and　having　so　long　meditated　on　it　beforehand；　as；　so　they　said；　to　have
brought　it　ready　made　along　with　him　from　Paris；　the　very　day　it　was　to
have　been　pronounced；　the