the essays of montaigne, v4-第4章

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by　him　who　was　the　first　motor；　he　beats　and　disturbs　the　water　for
another's　net。　　The　unity　and　contexture　of　this　monarchy；　of　this　grand
edifice；　having　been　ripped　and　torn　in　her　old　age；　by　this　thing　called
innovation；　has　since　laid　open　a　rent；　and　given　sufficient　admittance
to　such　injuries：　the　royal　majesty　with　greater　difficulty　declines　from
the　summit　to　the　middle；　then　it　falls　and　tumbles　headlong　from　the
middle　to　the　bottom。　　But　if　the　inventors　do　the　greater　mischief；　the
imitators　are　more　vicious　to　follow　examples　of　which　they　have　felt　and
punished　both　the　horror　and　the　offence。　　And　if　there　can　be　any　degree
of　honour　in　ill…doing；　these　last　must　yield　to　the　others　the　glory　of
contriving；　and　the　courage　of　making　the　first　attempt。　　All　sorts　of
new　disorders　easily　draw；　from　this　primitive　and　ever…flowing　fountain；
examples　and　precedents　to　trouble　and　discompose　our　government：　we　read
in　our　very　laws；　made　for　the　remedy　of　this　first　evil；　the　beginning
and　pretences　of　all　sorts　of　wicked　enterprises；　and　that　befalls　us；
which　Thucydides　said　of　the　civil　wars　of　his　time；　that；　in　favour　of
public　vices；　they　gave　them　new　and　more　plausible　names　for　their
excuse；　sweetening　and　disguising　their　true　titles；　which　must　be　done；
forsooth；　to　reform　our　conscience　and　belief：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Honesta　oratio　est；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Fine　words　truly。〃Ter。　　And。；　i。　I；　114。＇

but　the　best　pretence　for　innovation　is　of　very　dangerous　consequence：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Aden　nihil　motum　ex　antiquo　probabile　est。〃

　　　　　＇〃We　are　ever　wrong　in　changing　ancient　ways。〃Livy；　xxxiv。　54＇

And　freely　to　speak　my　thoughts；　it　argues　a　strange　self…love　and　great
presumption　to　be　so　fond　of　one's　own　opinions；　that　a　public　peace　must
be　overthrown　to　establish　them；　and　to　introduce　so　many　inevitable
mischiefs；　and　so　dreadful　a　corruption　of　manners；　as　a　civil　war　and
the　mutations　of　state　consequent　to　it；　always　bring　in　their　train；　and
to　introduce　them；　in　a　thing　of　so　high　concern；　into　the　bowels　of
one's　own　country。　　Can　there　be　worse　husbandry　than　to　set　up　so　many
certain　and　knowing　vices　against　errors　that　are　only　contested　and
disputable？　　And　are　there　any　worse　sorts　of　vices　than　those　committed
against　a　man's　own　conscience；　and　the　natural　light　of　his　own　reason？
The　Senate；　upon　the　dispute　betwixt　it　and　the　people　about　the
administration　of　their　religion；　was　bold　enough　to　return　this　evasion
for　current　pay：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Ad　deos　id　magis；　quam　ad　se；　pertinere：　ipsos　visuros；
　　　　　　　　　　ne　sacra　sua　polluantur；〃

　　　　　＇〃Those　things　belong　to　the　gods　to　determine　than　to　them；　let　the
　　　　　gods；　therefore；　take　care　that　their　sacred　mysteries　were　not
　　　　　profaned。〃Livy；　x。　6。＇

according　to　what　the　oracle　answered　to　those　of　Delphos　who；　fearing　to
be　invaded　by　the　Persians　in　the　Median　war；　inquired　of　Apollo；　how
they　should　dispose　of　the　holy　treasure　of　his　temple；　whether　they
should　hide；　or　remove　it　to　some　other　place？　　He　returned　them　answer；
that　they　should　stir　nothing　from　thence；　and　only　take　care　of
themselves；　for　he　was　sufficient　to　look　to　what　belonged　to　him。
＇Herodotus；　viii。　36。＇。

The　Christian　religion　has　all　the　marks　of　the　utmost　utility　and
justice：　but　none　more　manifest　than　the　severe　injunction　it　lays
indifferently　upon　all　to　yield　absolute　obedience　to　the　civil
magistrate；　and　to　maintain　and　defend　the　laws。　　Of　which；　what　a
wonderful　example　has　the　divine　wisdom　left　us；　that；　to　establish　the
salvation　of　mankind；　and　to　conduct　His　glorious　victory　over　death　and
sin；　would　do　it　after　no　other　way；　but　at　the　mercy　of　our　ordinary
forms　of　justice　subjecting　the　progress　and　issue　of　so　high　and　so
salutiferous　an　effect；　to　the　blindness　and　injustice　of　our　customs
and　observances；　sacrificing　the　innocent　blood　of　so　many　of　His　elect；
and　so　long　a　loss　of　so　many　years；　to　the　maturing　of　this　inestimable
fruit？　　There　is　a　vast　difference　betwixt　the　case　of　one　who　follows
the　forms　and　laws　of　his　country；　and　of　another　who　will　undertake　to
regulate　and　change　them；　of　whom　the　first　pleads　simplicity；　obedience；
and　example　for　his　excuse；　who；　whatever　he　shall　do；　it　cannot　be
imputed　to　malice；　'tis　at　the　worst　but　misfortune：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Quis　est　enim；　quem　non　moveat　clarissimis　monumentis
　　　　　　　　　　testata　consignataque　antiquitas？〃

　　　　　＇〃For　who　is　there　that　antiquity；　attested　and　confirmed　by　the
　　　　　fairest　monuments；　cannot　move？〃Cicero；　De　Divin。；　i。　40。＇

besides　what　Isocrates　says；　that　defect　is　nearer　allied　to　moderation
than　excess：　the　other　is　a　much　more　ruffling　gamester；　for　whosoever
shall　take　upon　him　to　choose　and　alter；　usurps　the　authority　of　judging；
and　should　look　well　about　him；　and　make　it　his　business　to　discern
clearly　the　defect　of　what　he　would　abolish；　and　the　virtue　of　what　he　is
about　to　introduce。

This　so　vulgar　consideration　is　that　which　settled　me　in　my　station；　and
kept　even　my　most　extravagant　and　ungoverned　youth　under　the　rein；　so　as
not　to　burden　my　shoulders　with　so　great　a　weight；　as　to　render　myself
responsible　for　a　science　of　that　importance；　and　in　this　to　dare；　what
in　my　better　and　more　mature　judgment；　I　durst　not　do　in　the　most　easy
and　indifferent　things　I　had　been　instructed　in；　and　wherein　the　temerity
of　judging　is　of　no　consequence　at　all；　it　seeming　to　me　very　unjust　to
go　about　to　subject　public　and　established　customs　and　institutions；　to
the　weakness　and　instability　of　a　private　and　particular　fancy　（for
private　reason　has　but　a　private　jurisdiction）；　and　to　attempt　that　upon
the　divine；　which　no　government　will　endure　a　man　should　do；　upon　the
civil　laws；　with　which；　though　human　reason　has　much　more　commerce　than
with　the　other；　yet　are　they　sovereignly　judged　by　their　own　proper
judges；　and　the　extreme　sufficiency　serves　only　to　expound　and　set　forth
the　law　and　custom　received；　and　neither　to　wrest　it；　nor　to　introduce
anything；　of　innovation。　　If；　sometimes；　the　divine　providence　has　gone
beyond　the　rules　to　which　it　has　necessarily　bound　and　obliged　us　men；
it　is　not　to　give　us　any　dispensation　to　do　the　same；　those　are
masterstrokes　of　the　divine　hand；　which　we　are　not　to　imitate；　but　to
admire；　and　extraordinary　examples；　marks　of　express　and　particular
purposes；　of　the　nature　of　miracles；　presented　before　us　for
manifestations　of　its　almightiness；　equally　above　both　our　rules　and
force；　which　it　would　be　folly　and　impiety　to　attempt　to　represent　and
imitate；　and　that　we　ought　not　to　follow；　but　to　contemplate　with　the
greatest　reverence：　acts　of　His　personage；　and　not　for　us。　　Cotta　very
opportunely　declares：

　　　　　〃Quum　de　religione　agitur；　Ti。　Coruncanium；　P。　Scipionem；
　　　　　P。　Scaevolam；　pontifices　maximos；　non　Zenonem；　aut　Cleanthem；
　　　　　aut　Chrysippum；　sequor。〃

　　　　　＇〃When　matter　of　religion　is　in　question；　I　follow　the　high　priests
　　　　　T。　Coruncanius；　P。　Scipio；　P。　Scaevola；　and　not　Zeno；　Cleanthes；　or
　　　　　Chrysippus。〃Cicero；　De　Natura　Deor。；　iii。　2。＇

God　knows；　in　the　present　quarrel　of　our　civil　war；　where　there　are　a
hundred　articles　to　dash　out　and　to　put　in；　great　and　very　considerable；
how　many　there　are　who　can　truly　boast；　they　have　exactly　and　perfectly
weighed　and　understood　the　grounds　and　reasons　of　the　one　and　the　other
party；　'tis　a　number；　if　they　make　any　number；　that　would　be　able　to　give
us　very　little　disturbance。　　But　what　becomes　of　all　the　rest；　under　what
ensigns　do　they　march；　in　what　quarter　do　they　lie？　　Theirs　have　the　same
effect　with　other　weak　and　ill…applied　medicines；　they　have　only　set　the
humours　they　would　purge　more　violently　in　work；　stirred　and　exasperated
by　the　conflict；　and　left　them　still　behind。　　The　potion　was　too　weak　to
purge；　but　strong　enough　to　weaken　us；　so　that　it　does　not　work；　but　we
keep　it　still　in　our　bodies；　and　reap　nothing　from　the　operation　but
intestine　gripes　and　dolours。

So　it　is；　nevertheless；　that　Fortune　still　reserving　her　authority　in
defiance　of　whatever　we　are　able　to　do　or　say；　sometimes　presents　us　with
a　necessity　so　urgent；　that　'tis　requisite　the　laws　should　a　little　yield
and　give　way；　and　when　one　opposes　the　increase　of　an　innovation　that
thus　intrudes　itself　by　violence；　to　keep　a　man's　self　in　so　doing；　in
all　places　and　in　all　things　within　bounds　and　rules　against　those　who
have　the　power；　and　to　whom　all　things　are　lawful　that　may　in　any　way
serve　to　advance　their　design；　who　have　no　other　law　nor　rule　but　what
serves　best　to　their　own　purpose；　'tis　a　dangerous　obligation　and　an
intolerable　inequality：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Aditum　nocendi　perfido　praestat　fides；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃Putting　faith　in　a　treacherous　person；　opens　the　door　to
　　　　　　　　　　harm。〃　Seneca；　OEdip。；　act　iii。；　verse　686。＇

forasmuch　as　the　ordinary　discipline　of　a　healthful　state　does　not
provide　against　these　extraordinary　accidents；　it　presupposes　a　body　that
supports　itself　in　its　principal　members　and　offices；　and　a　common
consent　to　its　obedience　and　observation。　　A　legitimate　proceeding　is
cold；　heavy；　and　constrained；　and　not　fit　to　make　head　against　a
headstrong　and　unbridled　proceeding。　　'Tis　known　to　be　to　this　day　cast
in　the　dish　of　those　two　great　men；　Octavius　and　Cato；　in　the　two　civil
wars　of　Sylla　and　Caesar；　that　they　would　rather　suffer　their　country　to
undergo　the　last　extremities；　than　relieve　their　fellow…citizens　at　the
expense　of　its　laws；　or　be　guilty　of　any　innovation；　for　in　truth；　in
these　last　necessities；　where　there　is　no　other　remedy；　it　would；
peradventure；　be　more　discreetly　done；　to　stoop　and　yield　a　little　to
receive　the　blow；　than；　by　opposing　without　possibility　of　doing　good；
to　give　occasion　to　violence　to　trample　all　under　foot；　and　better　to
make　the　laws　do　what　they　can；　when　they　cannot　do　what　they　would。
After　this　manner　did　he＇Agesilaus。＇　who　suspended　them　for　four…and…
twenty　hours；　and　he　who；　for　once　shifted　a　day　in　the　calendar；　and
that　other　＇Alexander　the　Great。＇　who　of　the　month　of　June　made　a
second　of　May。　　The　Lacedaemonians　themselves；　who　were　so　religious
observers　of　the　laws　of　their　country；　being　straitened　by　one　of　their
own　edicts；　by　which　it　was　expressly　forbidden　to　choose　the　same　man
twice　to　be　admiral；　and　on　the　other　side；　their　affairs　necessarily
requiring；　that　Lysander　should　again　take　upon　him　that　command；　they
made　one　Aratus　admiral；　'tis　true；　but　withal；　Lysander　went　general　of
the　navy；　and；　by　the　same　subtlety；　one　of　their　ambassadors　being　sent
to　the　Athenians　to　obtain　the　revocation　of　some　decree；　and　Pericles
remonstrating　to　him；　that　it　was　forbidden　to　take　away　the　tablet
wherein　a　law　had　once　been　engrossed；　he　advised　him　to　turn　it　only；
that　being　not　forbidden；　and　Plutarch　commends　Philopoemen；　that　being
born　to　command；　he　knew　how　to　do　it；　not　only　according　to　the　laws；
but　also　to　overrule　even　the　laws　themselves；　when　the　public　necessity
so　required。




CHAPTER　XXIII

VARIOUS　EVENTS　FROM　THE　SAME　COUNSEL

Jacques　Amiot；　grand　almoner　of　France；　one　day　related　to　me　this