the essays of montaigne, v4-第3章

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to　be　the　most　universal　and　genuine；　from　whence　it　comes　to　pass；　that
whatever　is　off　the　hinges　of　custom；　is　believed　to　be　also　off　the
hinges　of　reason；　how　unreasonably　for　the　most　part；　God　knows。

If；　as　we　who　study　ourselves　have　learned　to　do；　every　one　who　hears　a
good　sentence；　would　immediately　consider　how　it　does　in　any　way　touch
his　own　private　concern；　every　one　would　find；　that　it　was　not　so　much　a
good　saying；　as　a　severe　lash　to　the　ordinary　stupidity　of　his　own
judgment：　but　men　receive　the　precepts　and　admonitions　of　truth；　as
directed　to　the　common　sort；　and　never　to　themselves；　and　instead　of
applying　them　to　their　own　manners；　do　only　very　ignorantly　and
unprofitably　commit　them　to　memory。　　But　let　us　return　to　the　empire　of
custom。

Such　people　as　have　been　bred　up　to　liberty；　and　subject　to　no　other
dominion　but　the　authority　of　their　own　will；　look　upon　all　other　form　of
government　as　monstrous　and　contrary　to　nature。　　Those　who　are　inured　to
monarchy　do　the　same；　and　what　opportunity　soever　fortune　presents　them
with　to　change；　even　then；　when　with　the　greatest　difficulties　they　have
disengaged　themselves　from　one　master；　that　was　troublesome　and　grievous
to　them；　they　presently　run；　with　the　same　difficulties；　to　create
another；　being　unable　to　take　into　hatred　subjection　itself。

'Tis　by　the　mediation　of　custom；　that　every　one　is　content　with　the　place
where　he　is　planted　by　nature；　and　the　Highlanders　of　Scotland　no　more
pant　after　Touraine；　than　the　Scythians　after　Thessaly。　　Darius　asking
certain　Greeks　what　they　would　take　to　assume　the　custom　of　the　Indians；
of　eating　the　dead　bodies　of　their　fathers　（for　that　was　their　use；
believing　they　could　not　give　them　a　better　nor　more　noble　sepulture　than
to　bury　them　in　their　own　bodies）；　they　made　answer；　that　nothing　in　the
world　should　hire　them　to　do　it；　but　having　also　tried　to　persuade　the
Indians　to　leave　their　custom；　and；　after　the　Greek　manner；　to　burn　the
bodies　of　their　fathers；　they　conceived　a　still　greater　horror　at　the
motion。＇Herodotus；　iii。　38。＇　Every　one　does　the　same；　for　use　veils
from　us　the　true　aspect　of　things。

　　　　　　　　　〃Nil　adeo　magnum；　nec　tam　mirabile　quidquam
　　　　　　　　　　Principio；　quod　non　minuant　mirarier　omnes　Paullatim。〃

　　　　　＇〃There　is　nothing　at　first　so　grand；　so　admirable；　which　by　degrees
　　　　　people　do　not　regard　with　less　admiration。〃Lucretius；　ii。　1027＇

Taking　upon　me　once　to　justify　something　in　use　amongst　us；　and　that　was
received　with　absolute　authority　for　a　great　many　leagues　round　about　us；
and　not　content；　as　men　commonly　do；　to　establish　it　only　by　force　of　law
and　example；　but　inquiring　still　further　into　its　origin；　I　found　the
foundation　so　weak；　that　I　who　made　it　my　business　to　confirm　others；　was
very　near　being　dissatisfied　myself。　　'Tis　by　this　receipt　that　Plato　
＇Laws；　viii。　　6。＇　undertakes　to　cure　the　unnatural　and　preposterous
loves　of　his　time；　as　one　which　he　esteems　of　sovereign　virtue；　namely；
that　the　public　opinion　condemns　them；　that　the　poets；　and　all　other
sorts　of　writers；　relate　horrible　stories　of　them；　a　recipe；　by　virtue　of
which　the　most　beautiful　daughters　no　more　allure　their　fathers'　lust；
nor　brothers；　of　the　finest　shape　and　fashion；　their　sisters'　desire；　the
very　fables　of　Thyestes；　OEdipus；　and　Macareus；　having　with　the　harmony
of　their　song；　infused　this　wholesome　opinion　and　belief　into　the　tender
brains　of　children。　　Chastity　is；　in　truth；　a　great　and　shining　virtue；
and　of　which　the　utility　is　sufficiently　known；　but　to　treat　of　it；　and
to　set　it　off　in　its　true　value；　according　to　nature；　is　as　hard　as　'tis
easy　to　do　so　according　to　custom；　laws；　and　precepts。　　The　fundamental
and　universal　reasons　are　of　very　obscure　and　difficult　research；　and　our
masters　either　lightly　pass　them　over；　or　not　daring　so　much　as　to　touch
them；　precipitate　themselves　into　the　liberty　and　protection　of　custom；
there　puffing　themselves　out　and　triumphing　to　their　heart's　content：
such　as　will　not　suffer　themselves　to　be　withdrawn　from　this　original
source；　do　yet　commit　a　greater　error；　and　subject　themselves　to　wild
opinions；　witness　Chrysippus；＇Sextus　Empiricus；　Pyyrhon。　　Hypotyp。；　i。
14。＇　who；　in　so　many　of　his　writings；　has　strewed　the　little　account　he
made　of　incestuous　conjunctions；　committed　with　how　near　relations
soever。

Whoever　would　disengage　himself　from　this　violent　prejudice　of　custom；
would　find　several　things　received　with　absolute　and　undoubting　opinion；
that　have　no　other　support　than　the　hoary　head　and　rivelled　face　of
ancient　usage。　　But　the　mask　taken　off；　and　things　being　referred　to　the
decision　of　truth　and　reason；　he　will　find　his　judgment　as　it　were
altogether　overthrown；　and　yet　restored　to　a　much　more　sure　estate。　　For
example；　I　shall　ask　him；　what　can　be　more　strange　than　to　see　a　people
obliged　to　obey　laws　they　never　understood；　bound　in　all　their　domestic
affairs；　as　marriages；　donations；　wills；　sales；　and　purchases；　to　rules
they　cannot　possibly　know；　being　neither　written　nor　published　in　their
own　language；　and　of　which　they　are　of　necessity　to　purchase　both　the
interpretation　and　the　use？　　Not　according　to　the　ingenious　opinion　of
Isocrates；　＇Discourse　to　Nicocles。＇　who　counselled　his　king　to　make
the　traffics　and　negotiations　of　his　subjects；　free；　frank；　and　of　profit
to　them；　and　their　quarrels　and　disputes　burdensome；　and　laden　with　heavy
impositions　and　penalties；　but；　by　a　prodigious　opinion；　to　make　sale　of
reason　itself；　and　to　give　to　laws　a　course　of　merchandise。　　I　think
myself　obliged　to　fortune　that；　as　our　historians　report；　it　was　a　Gascon
gentleman；　a　countryman　of　mine；　who　first　opposed　Charlemagne；　when　he
attempted　to　impose　upon　us　Latin　and　imperial　laws。

What　can　be　more　savage；　than　to　see　a　nation　where；　by　lawful　custom；
the　office　of　a　judge　is　bought　and　sold；　where　judgments　are　paid　for
with　ready　money；　and　where　justice　may　legitimately　be　denied　to　him
that　has　not　wherewithal　to　pay；　a　merchandise　in　so　great　repute；　as　in
a　government　to　create　a　fourth　estate　of　wrangling　lawyers；　to　add　to
the　three　ancient　ones　of　the　church；　nobility；　and　people；　which　fourth
estate；　having　the　laws　in　their　own　hands；　and　sovereign　power　over
men's　lives　and　fortunes；　makes　another　body　separate　from　nobility：
whence　it　comes　to　pass；　that　there　are　double　laws；　those　of　honour　and
those　of　justice；　in　many　things　altogether　opposite　one　to　another；　the
nobles　as　rigorously　condemning　a　lie　taken；　as　the　other　do　a　lie
revenged：　by　the　law　of　arms；　he　shall　be　degraded　from　all　nobility　and
honour　who　puts　up　with　an　affront；　and　by　the　civil　law；　he　who
vindicates　his　reputation　by　revenge　incurs　a　capital　punishment：　he　who
applies　himself　to　the　law　for　reparation　of　an　offence　done　to　his
honour；　disgraces　himself；　and　he　who　does　not；　is　censured　and　punished
by　the　law。　　Yet　of　these　two　so　different　things；　both　of　them　referring
to　one　head；　the　one　has　the　charge　of　peace；　the　other　of　war；　those
have　the　profit；　these　the　honour；　those　the　wisdom；　these　the　virtue；
those　the　word；　these　the　action；　those　justice；　these　valour；　those
reason；　these　force；　those　the　long　robe；　these　the　short；divided
betwixt　them。

For　what　concerns　indifferent　things；　as　clothes；　who　is　there　seeking　to
bring　them　back　to　their　true　use；　which　is　the　body's　service　and
convenience；　and　upon　which　their　original　grace　and　fitness　depend；　for
the　most　fantastic；　in　my　opinion；　that　can　be　imagined；　I　will　instance
amongst　others；　our　flat　caps；　that　long　tail　of　velvet　that　hangs　down
from　our　women's　heads；　with　its　party…coloured　trappings；　and　that　vain
and　futile　model　of　a　member　we　cannot　in　modesty　so　much　as　name；　which；
nevertheless；　we　make　show　and　parade　of　in　public。　　These
considerations；　notwithstanding；　will　not　prevail　upon　any　understanding
man　to　decline　the　common　mode；　but；　on　the　contrary；　methinks；　all
singular　and　particular　fashions　are　rather　marks　of　folly　and　vain
affectation　than　of　sound　reason；　and　that　a　wise　man；　within；　ought　to
withdraw　and　retire　his　soul　from　the　crowd；　and　there　keep　it　at　liberty
and　in　power　to　judge　freely　of　things；　but　as　to　externals；　absolutely
to　follow　and　conform　himself　to　the　fashion　of　the　time。　　Public　society
has　nothing　to　do　with　our　thoughts；　but　the　rest；　as　our　actions；　our
labours；　our　fortunes；　and　our　lives；　we　are　to　lend　and　abandon　them　to
its　service　and　to　the　common　opinion；　as　did　that　good　and　great
Socrates　who　refused　to　preserve　his　life　by　a　disobedience　to　the
magistrate；　though　a　very　wicked　and　unjust　one　for　it　is　the　rule　of
rules；　the　general　law　of　laws；　that　every　one　observe　those　of　the　place
wherein　he　lives。

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃It　is　good　to　obey　the　laws　of　one's　country。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Excerpta　ex　Trag。　Gyaecis；　Grotio　interp。；　1626；　p。　937。＇

And　now　to　another　point。　　It　is　a　very　great　doubt；　whether　any　so
manifest　benefit　can　accrue　from　the　alteration　of　a　law　received；　let　it
be　what　it　will；　as　there　is　danger　and　inconvenience　in　altering　it；
forasmuch　as　government　is　a　structure　composed　of　divers　parts　and
members　joined　and　united　together；　with　so　strict　connection；　that　it　is
impossible　to　stir　so　much　as　one　brick　or　stone；　but　the　whole　body　will
be　sensible　of　it。　　The　legislator　of　the　Thurians　＇Charondas；　Diod。
Sic。；　xii。　　24。＇　ordained；　that　whosoever　would　go　about　either　to
abolish　an　old　law；　or　to　establish　a　new；　should　present　himself　with　a
halter　about　his　neck　to　the　people；　to　the　end；　that　if　the　innovation
he　would　introduce　should　not　be　approved　by　every　one；　he　might
immediately　be　hanged；　and　he　of　the　Lacedaemonians　employed　his　life　to
obtain　from　his　citizens　a　faithful　promise　that　none　of　his　laws　should
be　violated。＇Lycurgus；　Plutarch；　in　Vita；　c。　　22。＇　The　Ephoros　who　so
rudely　cut　the　two　strings　that　Phrynis　had　added　to　music　never　stood　to
examine　whether　that　addition　made　better　harmony；　or　that　by　its　means
the　instrument　was　more　full　and　complete；　it　was　enough　for　him　to
condemn　the　invention；　that　it　was　a　novelty；　and　an　alteration　of　the
old　fashion。　　Which　also　is　the　meaning　of　the　old　rusty　sword　carried
before　the　magistracy　of　Marseilles。

For　my　own　part；　I　have　a　great　aversion　from　a　novelty；　what　face　or
what　pretence　soever　it　may　carry　along　with　it；　and　have　reason；　having
been　an　eyewitness　of　the　great　evils　it　has　produced。　　For　those　which
for　so　many　years　have　lain　so　heavy　upon　us；　it　is　not　wholly
accountable；　but　one　may　say；　with　colour　enough；　that　it　has
accidentally　produced　and　begotten　the　mischiefs　and　ruin　that　have　since
happened；　both　without　and　against　it；　it；　principally；　we　are　to　accuse
for　these　disorders：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Heu！　patior　telis　vulnera　facta　meis。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Alas！　　The　wounds　were　made　by　my　own　weapons。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Ovid；　Ep。　Phyll。　Demophoonti；　vers。　48。＇

They　who　give　the　first　shock　to　a　state；　are　almost　naturally　the　first
overwhelmed　in　its　ruin　the　fruits　of　public　commotion　are　seldom　enjoyed
by　him　who　was　the　first　motor；　he　beats　and　disturbs　the　water　for