the essays of montaigne, v4-第7章

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to　the　protection　of　the　gods　and　fortune：　for；　questionless；　in　this
state　he　was　at　the　time　when　he　was　killed。

A　stranger　having　publicly　said；　that　he　could　teach　Dionysius；　the
tyrant　of　Syracuse；　an　infallible　way　to　find　out　and　discover　all　the
conspiracies　his　subjects　could　contrive　against　him；　if　he　would　give
him　a　good　sum　of　money　for　his　pains；　Dionysius　hearing　of　it；　caused
the　man　to　be　brought　to　him；　that　he　might　learn　an　art　so　necessary　to
his　preservation。　　The　man　made　answer；　that　all　the　art　he　knew；　was；
that　he　should　give　him　a　talent；　and　afterwards　boast　that　he　had
obtained　a　singular　secret　from　him。　　Dionysius　liked　the　invention；　and
accordingly　caused　six　hundred　crowns　to　be　counted　out　to　him。
＇Plutarch；　Apothegms。＇　It　was　not　likely　he　should　give　so　great　a
sum　to　a　person　unknown；　but　upon　the　account　of　some　extraordinary
discovery；　and　the　belief　of　this　served　to　keep　his　enemies　in　awe。
Princes；　however；　do　wisely　to　publish　the　informations　they　receive　of
all　the　practices　against　their　lives；　to　possess　men　with　an　opinion
they　have　so　good　intelligence　that　nothing　can　be　plotted　against　them；
but　they　have　present　notice　of　it。　　The　Duke　of　Athens　did　a　great　many
foolish　things　in　the　establishment　of　his　new　tyranny　over　Florence：
but　this　especially　was　most　notable；　that　having　received　the　first
intimation　of　the　conspiracies　the　people　were　hatching　against　him；　from
Matteo　di　Morozzo；　one　of　the　conspirators；　he　presently　put　him　to
death；　to　suppress　that　rumour；　that　it　might　not　be　thought　any　of　the
city　disliked　his　government。

I　remember　I　have　formerly　read　a　story＇In　Appian's　Civil　Wars；　book
iv。。＇　of　some　Roman　of　great　quality　who；　flying　the　tyranny　of　the
Triumvirate；　had　a　thousand　times　by　the　subtlety　of　as　many　inventions
escaped　from　falling　into　the　hands　of　those　that　pursued　him。　　It
happened　one　day　that　a　troop　of　horse；　which　was　sent　out　to　take　him；
passed　close　by　a　brake　where　he　was　squat；　and　missed　very　narrowly　of
spying　him：　but　he　considering；　at　this　point；　the　pains　and　difficulties
wherein　he　had　so　long　continued　to　evade　the　strict　and　incessant
searches　that　were　every　day　made　for　him；　the　little　pleasure　he　could
hope　for　in　such　a　kind　of　life；　and　how　much　better　it　was　for　him　to
die　once　for　all；　than　to　be　perpetually　at　this　pass；　he　started　from
his　seat；　called　them　back；　showed　them　his　form；＇as　of　a　squatting
hare。＇　and　voluntarily　delivered　himself　up　to　their　cruelty；　by　that
means　to　free　both　himself　and　them　from　further　trouble。　　To　invite　a
man's　enemies　to　come　and　cut　his　throat；　seems　a　resolution　a　little
extravagant　and　odd；　and　yet　I　think　he　did　better　to　take　that　course；
than　to　live　in　continual　feverish　fear　of　an　accident　for　which　there
was　no　cure。　　But　seeing　all　the　remedies　a　man　can　apply　to　such　a
disease；　are　full　of　unquietness　and　uncertainty；　'tis　better　with　a
manly　courage　to　prepare　one's　self　for　the　worst　that　can　happen；　and　to
extract　some　consolation　from　this；　that　we　are　not　certain　the　thing　we
fear　will　ever　come　to　pass。




CHAPTER　XXIV

OF　PEDANTRY

I　was　often；　when　a　boy；　wonderfully　concerned　to　see；　in　the　Italian
farces；　a　pedant　always　brought　in　for　the　fool　of　the　play；　and　that　the
title　of　Magister　was　in　no　greater　reverence　amongst　us：　for　being
delivered　up　to　their　tuition；　what　could　I　do　less　than　be　jealous　of
their　honour　and　reputation？　　I　sought　indeed　to　excuse　them　by　the
natural　incompatibility　betwixt　the　vulgar　sort　and　men　of　a　finer
thread；　both　in　judgment　and　knowledge；　forasmuch　as　they　go　a　quite
contrary　way　to　one　another：　but　in　this；　the　thing　I　most　stumbled　at
was；　that　the　finest　gentlemen　were　those　who　most　despised　them；　witness
our　famous　poet　Du　Bellay

　　　　　　　　　　〃Mais　je　hay　par　sur　tout　un　scavoir　pedantesque。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇Of　all　things　I　hate　pedantic　learning。〃Du　Bellay＇

And　'twas　so　in　former　times；　for　Plutarch　says　that　Greek　and　Scholar
were　terms　of　reproach　and　contempt　amongst　the　Romans。　　But　since；　with
the　better　experience　of　age；　I　find　they　had　very　great　reason　so　to　do；
and　that

　　　　　　　　　　〃Magis　magnos　clericos　non　sunt　magis　magnos　sapientes。〃＇

　　　　　＇〃The　greatest　clerks　are　not　the　wisest　men。〃　　A　proverb　given　in
　　　　　Rabelais'　Gargantua；　i。　39。＇

But　whence　it　should　come　to　pass；　that　a　mind　enriched　with　the
knowledge　of　so　many　things　should　not　become　more　quick　and　sprightly；
and　that　a　gross　and　vulgar　understanding　should　lodge　within　it；　without
correcting　and　improving　itself；　all　the　discourses　and　judgments　of　the
greatest　minds　the　world　ever　had；　I　am　yet　to　seek。　　To　admit　so　many
foreign　conceptions；　so　great；　and　so　high　fancies；　it　is　necessary　（as　a
young　lady；　one　of　the　greatest　princesses　of　the　kingdom；　said　to　me
once；　speaking　of　a　certain　person）　that　a　man's　own　brain　must　be
crowded　and　squeezed　together　into　a　less　compass；　to　make　room　for　the
others；　I　should　be　apt　to　conclude；　that　as　plants　are　suffocated　and
drowned　with　too　much　nourishment；　and　lamps　with　too　much　oil；　so　with
too　much　study　and　matter　is　the　active　part　of　the　understanding　which；
being　embarrassed；　and　confounded　with　a　great　diversity　of　things；　loses
the　force　and　power　to　disengage　itself；　and　by　the　pressure　of　this
weight；　is　bowed；　subjected；　and　doubled　up。　　But　it　is　quite　otherwise；
for　our　soul　stretches　and　dilates　itself　proportionably　as　it　fills；　and
in　the　examples　of　elder　times；　we　see；　quite　contrary；　men　very　proper
for　public　business；　great　captains；　and　great　statesmen　very　learned
withal。

And；　as　to　the　philosophers；　a　sort　of　men　remote　from　all　public
affairs；　they　have　been　sometimes　also　despised　by　the　comic　liberty　of
their　times；　their　opinions　and　manners　making　them　appear；　to　men　of
another　sort；　ridiculous。　　Would　you　make　them　judges　of　a　lawsuit；　of
the　actions　of　men？　they　are　ready　to　take　it　upon　them；　and　straight
begin　to　examine　if　there　be　life；　if　there　be　motion；　if　man　be　any
other　than　an　ox；　＇〃If　Montaigne　has　copied　all　this　from　Plato's
Theatetes；　p。127；　F。　　as　it　is　plain　by　all　which　he　has　added
immediately　after；　that　he　has　taken　it　from　that　dialogue）；　he　has
grossly　mistaken　Plato's　sentiment；　who　says　here　no　more　than　this；　that
the　philosopher　is　so　ignorant　of　what　his　neighbour　does；　that　he　scarce
knows　whether　he　is　a　man；　or　some　other　animal：Coste。〃＇what　it　is　to
do　and　to　suffer？　　what　animals　law　and　justice　are？　　Do　they　speak　of
the　magistrates；　or　to　him；　'tis　with　a　rude；　irreverent；　and　indecent
liberty。　　Do　they　hear　their　prince；　or　a　king　commended？　　they　make　no
more　of　him；　than　of　a　shepherd；　goatherd；　or　neatherd：　a　lazy　Coridon；
occupied　in　milking　and　shearing　his　herds　and　flocks；　but　more　rudely
and　harshly　than　the　herd　or　shepherd　himself。　　Do　you　repute　any　man　the
greater　for　being　lord　of　two　thousand　acres　of　land？　they　laugh　at　such
a　pitiful　pittance；　as　laying　claim　themselves　to　the　whole　world　for
their　possession。　　Do　you　boast　of　your　nobility；　as　being　descended　from
seven　rich　successive　ancestors？　they　look　upon　you　with　an　eye　of
contempt；　as　men　who　have　not　a　right　idea　of　the　universal　image　of
nature；　and　that　do　not　consider　how　many　predecessors　every　one　of　us
has　had；　rich；　poor；　kings；　slaves；　Greeks；　and　barbarians；　and　though
you　were　the　fiftieth　descendant　from　Hercules；　they　look　upon　it　as　a
great　vanity；　so　highly　to　value　this；　which　is　only　a　gift　of　fortune。
And　'twas　so　the　vulgar　sort　contemned　them；　as　men　ignorant　of　the　most
elementary　and　ordinary　things；　as　presumptuous　and　insolent。

But　this　Platonic　picture　is　far　different　from　that　these　pedants　are
presented　by。　　Those　were　envied　for　raising　themselves　above　the　common
sort；　for　despising　the　ordinary　actions　and　offices　of　life；　for　having
assumed　a　particular　and　inimitable　way　of　living；　and　for　using　a
certain　method　of　high…flight　and　obsolete　language；　quite　different　from
the　ordinary　way　of　speaking：　but　these　are　contemned　as　being　as　much
below　the　usual　form；　as　incapable　of　public　employment；　as　leading　a
life　and　conforming　themselves　to　the　mean　and　vile　manners　of　the
vulgar：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Odi　ignava　opera；　philosopha　sententia。〃

　　　　　＇〃I　hate　men　who　jabber　about　philosophy；　but　do　nothing。〃
　　　　　Pacuvius；　ap　Gellium；　xiii。　8。＇


For　what　concerns　the　philosophers；　as　I　have　said；　if　they　were　in
science；　they　were　yet　much　greater　in　action。　　And；　as　it　is　said　of　the
geometrician　of　Syracuse；＇Archimedes。＇　who　having　been　disturbed　from
his　contemplation；　to　put　some　of　his　skill　in　practice　for　the　defence
of　his　country；　that　he　suddenly　set　on　foot　dreadful　and　prodigious
engines；　that　wrought　effects　beyond　all　human　expectation；　himself；
notwithstanding；　disdaining　all　his　handiwork；　and　thinking　in　this　he
had　played　the　mere　mechanic；　and　violated　the　dignity　of　his　art；　of
which　these　performances　of　his　he　accounted　but　trivial　experiments　and
playthings　so　they；　whenever　they　have　been　put　upon　the　proof　of　action；
have　been　seen　to　fly　to　so　high　a　pitch；　as　made　it　very　well　appear；
their　souls　were　marvellously　elevated；　and　enriched　by　the　knowledge　of
things。　　But　some　of　them；　seeing　the　reins　of　government　in　the　hands　of
incapable　men；　have　avoided　all　management　of　political　affairs；　and　he
who　demanded　of　Crates；　how　long　it　was　necessary　to　philosophise；
received　this　answer：　〃Till　our　armies　are　no　more　commanded　by　fools。〃
＇Diogenes　Laertius；　vi。　92。＇　Heraclitus　resigned　the　royalty　to　his
brother；　and；　to　the　Ephesians；　who　reproached　him　that　he　spent　his　time
in　playing　with　children　before　the　temple：　〃Is　it　not　better；〃　said　he；
〃to　do　so；　than　to　sit　at　the　helm　of　affairs　in　your　company？〃　　Others
having　their　imagination　advanced　above　the　world　and　fortune；　have
looked　upon　the　tribunals　of　justice；　and　even　the　thrones　of　kings；　as
paltry　and　contemptible；　insomuch；　that　Empedocles　refused　the　royalty
that　the　Agrigentines　offered　to　him。　　Thales；　once　inveighing　in
discourse　against　the　pains　and　care　men　put　themselves　to　to　become
rich；　was　answered　by　one　in　the　company；　that　he　did　like　the　fox；　who
found　fault　with　what　he　could　not　obtain。　　Whereupon；　he　had　a　mind；　for
the　jest's　sake；　to　show　them　to　the　contrary；　and　having；　for　this
occasion；　made　a　muster　of　all　his　wits；　wholly　to　employ　them　in　the
service　of　profit　and　gain；　he　set　a　traffic　on　foot；　which　in　one　year
brought　him　in　so　great　riches；　that　the　most　experienced　in　that　trade
could　hardly　in　their　whole　lives；　with　all　their　industry；　have　raked　so
much　together。＇Diogenes　Laertius；　Life　of　Thales；　i。　　26；　Cicero；　De
Divin。；　i。　　49。＇　That　which　Aristotle　reports　of　some　who　called　both
him　and　Anaxagoras；　and　others　of　their　profession；　wise　but　not　prudent；
in　not　applying　their　study　to　more　profitable　thingsthough　I　do　not
well　digest　this　verbal　distinctionthat　will　not；　however；　serve　to
excuse　my　pedants；　for　to　see　the　low　and　necessitous　fortune　wherewith
they　are　content；　we　have　rather　reason　to　pronounce　that　they　are
n