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the essays of montaigne, v3-第5部分

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the reason why all the rules centre and concur in this one article。  And
although they all in like manner; with common accord; teach us also to
despise pain; poverty; and the other accidents to which human life is
subject; it is not; nevertheless; with the same solicitude; as well by
reason these accidents are not of so great necessity; the greater part of
mankind passing over their whole lives without ever knowing what poverty
is; and some without sorrow or sickness; as Xenophilus the musician; who
lived a hundred and six years in a perfect and continual health; as also
because; at the worst; death can; whenever we please; cut short and put
an end to all other inconveniences。  But as to death; it is inevitable:

              〃Omnes eodem cogimur; omnium
               Versatur urna serius ocius
               Sors exitura; et nos in aeternum
               Exilium impositura cymbae。〃

     '〃We are all bound one voyage; the lot of all; sooner or later; is
     to come out of the urn。  All must to eternal exile sail away。〃
     Hor。; Od。; ii。  3; 25。'

and; consequently; if it frights us; 'tis a perpetual torment; for which
there is no sort of consolation。  There is no way by which it may not
reach us。  We may continually turn our heads this way and that; as in a
suspected country:

          〃Quae; quasi saxum Tantalo; semper impendet。〃

          '〃Ever; like Tantalus stone; hangs over us。〃
          Cicero; De Finib。; i。  18。'

Our courts of justice often send back condemned criminals to be executed
upon the place where the crime was committed; but; carry them to fine
houses by the way; prepare for them the best entertainment you can

                    〃Non Siculae dapes
               Dulcem elaborabunt saporem:
               Non avium cyatheaceae cantus
               Somnum reducent。〃

     '〃Sicilian dainties will not tickle their palates; nor the melody of
     birds and harps bring back sleep。〃Hor。; Od。; iii。  1; 18。'

Do you think they can relish it? and that the fatal end of their journey
being continually before their eyes; would not alter and deprave their
palate from tasting these regalios?

         〃Audit iter; numeratque dies; spatioque viarum
          Metitur vitam; torquetur peste futura。〃

     '〃He considers the route; computes the time of travelling; measuring
     his life by the length of the journey; and torments himself by
     thinking of the blow to come。〃Claudianus; in Ruf。; ii。  137。'

The end of our race is death; 'tis the necessary object of our aim;
which; if it fright us; how is it possible to advance a step without a
fit of ague?  The remedy the vulgar use is not to think on't; but from
what brutish stupidity can they derive so gross a blindness?  They must
bridle the ass by the tail:

          〃Qui capite ipse suo instituit vestigia retro;〃

     '〃Who in his folly seeks to advance backwards〃Lucretius; iv。 474'

'tis no wonder if he be often trapped in the pitfall。  They affright
people with the very mention of death; and many cross themselves; as it
were the name of the devil。  And because the making a man's will is in
reference to dying; not a man will be persuaded to take a pen in hand to
that purpose; till the physician has passed sentence upon and totally
given him over; and then betwixt and terror; God knows in how fit a
condition of understanding he is to do it。

The Romans; by reason that this poor syllable death sounded so harshly to
their ears and seemed so ominous; found out a way to soften and spin it
out by a periphrasis; and instead of pronouncing such a one is dead;
said; 〃Such a one has lived;〃 or 〃Such a one has ceased to live〃
'Plutarch; Life of Cicero; c。  22:' for; provided there was any mention
of life in the case; though past; it carried yet some sound of
consolation。  And from them it is that we have borrowed our expression;
〃The late Monsieur such and such a one。〃'〃feu Monsieur un tel。〃'
Peradventure; as the saying is; the term we have lived is worth our
money。  I was born betwixt eleven and twelve o'clock in the forenoon the
last day of February 1533; according to our computation; beginning the
year the 1st of January;'This was in virtue of an ordinance of Charles
IX。 in 1563。  Previously the year commenced at Easter; so that the 1st
January 1563 became the first day of the year 1563。'and it is now but
just fifteen days since I was complete nine…and…thirty years old; I make
account to live; at least; as many more。  In the meantime; to trouble a
man's self with the thought of a thing so far off were folly。  But what?
Young and old die upon the same terms; no one departs out of life
otherwise than if he had but just before entered into it; neither is any
man so old and decrepit; who; having heard of Methuselah; does not think
he has yet twenty good years to come。  Fool that thou art!  who has
assured unto thee the term of life?  Thou dependest upon physicians'
tales: rather consult effects and experience。  According to the common
course of things; 'tis long since that thou hast lived by extraordinary
favour; thou hast already outlived the ordinary term of life。  And that
it is so; reckon up thy acquaintance; how many more have died before they
arrived at thy age than have attained unto it; and of those who have
ennobled their lives by their renown; take but an account; and I dare lay
a wager thou wilt find more who have died before than after five…and…
thirty years of age。  It is full both of reason and piety; too; to take
example by the humanity of Jesus Christ Himself; now; He ended His life
at three…and…thirty years。  The greatest man; that was no more than a
man; Alexander; died also at the same age。  How many several ways has
death to surprise us?

              〃Quid quisque; vitet; nunquam homini satis
               Cautum est in horas。〃

     '〃Be as cautious as he may; man can never foresee the danger that
     may at any hour befal him。〃  Hor。  O。 ii。  13; 13。'

To omit fevers and pleurisies; who would ever have imagined that a duke
of Brittany; 'Jean II。 died 1305。'should be pressed to death in a
crowd as that duke was at the entry of Pope Clement; my neighbour; into
Lyons? 'Montaigne speaks of him as if he had been a contemporary
neighbour; perhaps because he was the Archbishop of Bordeaux。  Bertrand
le Got was Pope under the title of Clement V。; 1305…14。' Hast thou not
seen one of our kings 'Henry II。; killed in a tournament; July 10;
1559' killed at a tilting; and did not one of his ancestors die by
jostle of a hog? 'Philip; eldest son of Louis le Gros。' AEschylus;
threatened with the fall of a house; was to much purpose circumspect to
avoid that danger; seeing that he was knocked on the head by a tortoise
falling out of an eagle's talons in the air。  Another was choked with a
grape…stone; 'Val。  Max。; ix。  12; ext。 2。' an emperor killed with
the scratch of a comb in combing his head。  AEmilius Lepidus with a
stumble at his own threshold;'Pliny; Nat。  Hist。; vii。  33。' and
Aufidius with a jostle against the door as he entered the council…
chamber。  And betwixt the very thighs of women; Cornelius Gallus the
proctor; Tigillinus; captain of the watch at Rome; Ludovico; son of Guido
di Gonzaga; Marquis of Mantua; and (of worse example) Speusippus; a
Platonic philosopher; and one of our Popes。〃  The poor judge Bebius gave
adjournment in a case for eight days; but he himself; meanwhile; was
condemned by death; and his own stay of life expired。  Whilst Caius
Julius; the physician; was anointing the eyes of a patient; death closed
his own; and; if I may bring in an example of my own blood; a brother of
mine; Captain St。 Martin; a young man; three…and…twenty years old; who
had already given sufficient testimony of his valour; playing a match at
tennis; received a blow of a ball a little above his right ear; which; as
it gave no manner of sign of wound or contusion; he took no notice of it;
nor so much as sat down to repose himself; but; nevertheless; died within
five or six hours after of an apoplexy occasioned by that blow。

These so frequent and common examples passing every day before our eyes;
how is it possible a man should disengage himself from the thought of
death; or avoid fancying that it has us every moment by the throat?  What
matter is it; you will say; which way it comes to pass; provided a man
does not terrify himself with the expectation?  For my part; I am of this
mind; and if a man could by any means avoid it; though by creeping under
a calf's skin; I am one that should not be ashamed of the shift; all I
aim at is; to pass my time at my ease; and the recreations that will most
contribute to it; I take hold of; as little glorious and exemplary as you
will:

              〃Praetulerim 。  。  。  delirus inersque videri;
               Dum mea delectent mala me; vel denique fallant;
               Quam sapere; et ringi。〃

     '〃I had rather seem mad and a sluggard; so that my defects are
     agreeable to myself; or that I am not painfully conscious of them;
     than be wise; and chaptious。〃Hor。; Ep。; ii。 2; 126。'

But 'tis folly to think of doing anything that way。  They go; they come;
they ga
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