第23章

CHAPTERXLIII

OFSUMPTUARYLAWS

Thewaybywhichourlawsattempttoregulateidleandvainexpensesinmeatandclothes，seemstobequitecontrarytotheenddesigned。Thetruewaywouldbetobegetinmenacontemptofsilksandgold，asvain，frivolous，anduseless;whereasweaugmenttothemthehonours，andenhancethevalueofsuchthings，which，sure，isaveryimproperwaytocreateadisgust。Fortoenactthatnonebutprincesshalleatturbot，shallwearvelvetorgoldlace，andinterdictthesethingstothepeople，whatisitbuttobringthemintoagreateresteem，andtoseteveryonemoreagogtoeatandwearthem？Letkingsleaveofftheseensignsofgrandeur;theyhaveothersenoughbesides;thoseexcessesaremoreexcusableinanyotherthanaprince。Wemaylearnbytheexampleofseveralnationsbetterwaysofexteriordistinctionofquality（which，truly，Iconceivetobeveryrequisiteinastate）enough，withoutfosteringtothispurposesuchcorruptionandmanifestinconvenience。

’Tisstrangehowsuddenlyandwithhowmucheasecustomintheseindifferentthingsestablishesitselfandbecomesauthority。Wehadscarcewornclothayear，incompliancewiththecourt，forthemourningofHenryII。，butthatsilkswerealreadygrownintosuchcontemptwitheveryone，thatamansocladwaspresentlyconcludedacitizen:silksweredividedbetwixtthephysiciansandsurgeons，andthoughallotherpeoplealmostwentinthesamehabit，therewas，notwithstanding，inonethingorother，sufficientdistinctionoftheseveralconditionsofmen。

Howsuddenlydogreasychamoisandlinendoubletsbecomethefashioninourarmies，whilstallneatnessandrichnessofhabitfallintocontempt？

Letkingsbutleadthedanceandbegintoleaveoffthisexpense，andinamonththebusinesswillbedonethroughoutthekingdom，withoutedictorordinance;weshallallfollow。Itshouldberatherproclaimed，onthecontrary，thatnooneshouldwearscarletorgoldsmiths’workbutcourtesansandtumblers。

ZeleucusbythelikeinventionreclaimedthecorruptedmannersoftheLocrians。Hislawswere，thatnofreewomanshouldbeallowedanymorethanonemaidtofollowher，unlessshewasdrunk:norwastostiroutofthecitybynight，wearjewelsofgoldabouther，orgoinanembroideredrobe，unlessshewasaprofessedandpublicprostitute;that，bravosexcepted，nomanwastowearagoldring，norbeseeninoneofthoseeffeminaterobeswoveninthecityofMiletus。Bywhichinfamousexceptionshediscreetlydivertedhiscitizensfromsuperfluitiesandperniciouspleasures，anditwasaprojectofgreatutilitytoattractthenbyhonourandambitiontotheirdutyandobedience。

Ourkingscandowhattheypleaseinsuchexternalreformations;theirowninclinationstandsinthiscaseforalaw:

"Quicquidprincipesfaciunt，praeciperevidentur。"

["Whatprincesthemselvesdo，theyseemtoprescribe。"

——Quintil。，Declam。，3。]

WhateverisdoneatcourtpassesforarulethroughtherestofFrance。

Letthecourtiersfalloutwiththeseabominablebreeches，thatdiscoversomuchofthosepartsshouldbeconcealed;thesegreatbellieddoublets，thatmakeuslooklikeIknownotwhat，andaresounfittoadmitofarms;theselongeffeminatelocksofhair;thisfoolishcustomofkissingwhatwepresenttoourequals，andourhandsinsalutingthem，aceremonyinformertimesonlyduetoprinces。Letthemnotpermitthatagentlemanshallappearinplaceofrespectwithouthissword，unbuttonedanduntrussed，asthoughhecamefromthehouseofoffice;andthat，contrarytothecustomofourforefathersandtheparticularprivilegeofthenoblesofthiskingdom，westandalongtimebaretotheminwhatplacesoever，andthesametoahundredothers，somanytierceletsandquarteletsofkingswehavegotnowadaysandotherlikeviciousinnovations:theywillseethemallpresentlyvanishandcrieddown。

Theseare，’tistrue，butsuperficialerrors;buttheyareofillaugury，andenoughtoinformusthatthewholefabriciscrazyandtottering，whenweseetheroughcastofourwallstocleaveandsplit。

PlatoinhisLawsesteemsnothingofmorepestiferousconsequencetohiscitythantogiveyoungmenthelibertyofintroducinganychangeintheirhabits，gestures，dances，songs，andexercises，fromoneformtoanother;shiftingfromthistothat，huntingafternovelties，andapplaudingtheinventors;bywhichmeansmannersarecorruptedandtheoldinstitutionscometobenauseatedanddespised。Inallthings，savingonlyinthosethatareevil，achangeistobefeared;eventhechangeofseasons，winds，viands，andhumours。Andnolawsareintheirtruecredit，butsuchtowhichGodhasgivensolongacontinuancethatnooneknowstheirbeginning，orthatthereeverwasanyother。

CHAPTERXLIV

OFSLEEP

Reasondirectsthatweshouldalwaysgothesameway，butnotalwaysatthesamepace。And，consequently，thoughawisemanoughtnotsomuchtogivethereinstohumanpassionsastolethimdeviatefromtherightpath，hemay，notwithstanding，withoutprejudicetohisduty，leaveittothemtohastenortoslackenhisspeed，andnotfixhimselflikeamotionlessandinsensibleColossus。Couldvirtueitselfputonfleshandblood，Ibelievethepulsewouldbeatfastergoingontoassaultthaningoingtodinner:thatistosay，thereisanecessitysheshouldheatandbemoveduponthisaccount。Ihavetakennotice，asofanextraordinarything，ofsomegreatmen，whointhehighestenterprisesandmostimportantaffairshavekeptthemselvesinsosettledandsereneacalm，asnotatalltobreaktheirsleep。AlexandertheGreat，onthedayassignedforthatfuriousbattlebetwixthimandDarius，sleptsoprofoundlyandsolonginthemorning，thatParmeniowasforcedtoenterhischamber，andcomingtohisbedside，tocallhimseveraltimesbyhisname，thetimetogotofightcompellinghimsotodo。TheEmperorOtho，havingputonaresolutiontokillhimselfthatnight，afterhavingsettledhisdomesticaffairs，dividedhismoneyamongsthisservants，andsetagoodedgeuponaswordhehadmadechoiceofforthepurpose，andnowstayingonlytobesatisfiedwhetherallhisfriendshadretiredinsafety，hefellintososoundasleepthatthegentlemenofhischamberheardhimsnore。ThedeathofthisemperorhasinitcircumstancesparallelingthatofthegreatCato，andparticularlythisjustrelatedforCatobeingreadytodespatchhimself，whilstheonlystayedhishandinexpectationofthereturnofamessengerhehadsenttobringhimnewswhetherthesenatorshehadsentawaywereputoutfromthePortofUtica，hefellintososoundasleep，thattheyheardhimsnoreinthenextroom;andtheman，whomhehadsenttotheport，havingawakenedhimtolethimknowthatthetempestuousweatherhadhinderedthesenatorsfromputtingtosea，hedespatchedawayanothermessenger，andcomposingagainhimselfinthebed，settledtosleep，andslepttillbythereturnofthelastmessengerhehadcertainintelligencetheyweregone。WemayherefurthercomparehimwithAlexanderinthegreatanddangerousstormthatthreatenedhimbytheseditionofthetribuneMetellus，who，attemptingtopublishadecreeforthecallinginofPompeywithhisarmyintothecityatthetimeofCatiline’sconspiracy，wasonlyandthatstoutlyopposedbyCato，sothatverysharplanguageandbittermenacespassedbetwixttheminthesenateaboutthataffair;butitwasthenextday，intheforenoon，thatthecontroversywastobedecided，whereMetellus，besidesthefavourofthepeopleandofCaesar——atthattimeofPompey’sfaction——wastoappearaccompaniedwitharabbleofslavesandgladiators;andCatoonlyfortifiedwithhisowncourageandconstancy;

sothathisrelations，domestics，andmanyvirtuouspeopleofhisfriendswereingreatapprehensionsforhim;andtothatdegree，thatsometherewerewhopassedoverthewholenightwithoutsleep，eating，ordrinking，forthedangertheysawhimrunninginto;hiswifeandsistersdidnothingbutweepandtormentthemselvesinhishouse;whereas，he，onthecontrary，comfortedeveryone，andafterhavingsuppedafterhisusualmanner，wenttobed，andsleptprofoundlytillmorning，whenoneofhisfellow—tribunesrousedhimtogototheencounter。Theknowledgewehaveofthegreatnessofthisman’scouragebytherestofhislife，maywarrantuscertainlytojudgethathisindifferenceproceededfromasoulsomuchelevatedabovesuchaccidents，thathedisdainedtoletittakeanymoreholdofhisfancythananyordinaryincident。

InthenavalengagementthatAugustuswonofSextusPompeiusinSicily，justastheyweretobeginthefight，hewassofastasleepthathisfriendswerecompelledtowakehimtogivethesignalofbattle:andthiswasitthatgaveMarkAntonyafterwardsoccasiontoreproachhimthathehadnotthecouragesomuchaswithopeneyestobeholdtheorderofhisownsquadrons，andnottohavedaredtopresenthimselfbeforethesoldiers，tillfirstAgrippahadbroughthimnewsofthevictoryobtained。ButastotheyoungMarius，whodidmuchworse（forthedayofhislastbattleagainstSylla，afterhehadmarshalledhisarmyandgiventhewordandsignalofbattle，helaidhimdownundertheshadeofatreetoreposehimself，andfellsofastasleepthattheroutandflightofhismencouldhardlywakenhim，hehavingseennothingofthefight），heissaidtohavebeenatthattimesoextremelyspentandwornoutwithlabourandwantofsleep，thatnaturecouldholdoutnolonger。Now，uponwhathasbeensaid，thephysiciansmaydeterminewhethersleepbesonecessarythatourlivesdependuponit:forwereadthatKingPerseusofMacedon，beingprisoneratRome，waskilledbybeingkeptfromsleep;butPlinyinstancessuchashavelivedlongwithoutsleep。Herodotusspeaksofnationswherethemensleepandwakebyhalf—years，andtheywhowritethelifeofthesageEpimenidesaffirmthathesleptseven—and—fiftyyearstogether。

CHAPTERXLV

OFTHEBATTLEOFDREUX

[December19，1562，inwhichtheCatholics，underthecommandoftheDucdeGuiseandtheConstabledeMontmorenci，defeatedtheProtestants，commandedbythePrincedeConde。SeeSismondi，Hist。

desFrancais，vol。xviii。，p。354。]

OurbattleofDreuxisremarkableforseveralextraordinaryincidents;

butsuchashavenogreatkindnessforM。deGuise，normuchfavourhisreputation，arewillingtohavehimthoughttoblame，andthathismakingahaltanddelayingtimewiththeforceshecommanded，whilsttheConstable，whowasgeneralofthearmy，wasrackedthroughandthroughwiththeenemy’sartillery，hisbattalionrouted，andhimselftakenprisoner，isnottobeexcused;andthathehadmuchbetterhaverunthehazardofchargingtheenemyinflank，thanstayingfortheadvantageoffallinginupontherear，tosuffersogreatandsoimportantaloss。

But，besideswhattheeventdemonstrated，hewhowillconsideritwithoutpassionorprejudicewilleasilybeinducedtoconfessthattheaimanddesign，notofacaptainonly，butofeveryprivatesoldier，oughttoregardthevictoryingeneral，andthatnoparticularoccurrences，hownearlysoevertheymayconcernhisowninterest，shoulddiverthimfromthatpursuit。Philopoemen，inanencounterwithMachanidas，havingsentbeforeagoodstrongpartyofhisarchersandslingerstobegintheskirmish，andthesebeingroutedandhotlypursuedbytheenemy，who，pushingonthefortuneoftheirarms，andinthatpursuitpassingbythebattalionwherePhilopoemenwas，thoughhissoldierswereimpatienttofallon，hedidnotthinkfittostirfromhispostnortopresenthimselftotheenemytorelievehismen，buthavingsufferedthesetobechasedandcutinpiecesbeforehisface，chargedinupontheenemy’sfootwhenhesawthemleftunprotectedbythehorse，andnotwithstandingthattheywereLacedaemonians，yettakingtheminthenick，whenthinkingthemselvessecureofthevictory，theybegantodisordertheirranks;hedidthisbusinesswithgreatfacility，andthenputhimselfinpursuitofMachanidas。WhichcaseisverylikethatofMonsieurdeGuise。

InthatbloodybattlebetwixtAgesilausandtheBoeotians，whichXenophon，whowaspresentatit，reportstobethesharpestthathehadeverseen，Agesilauswaivedtheadvantagethatfortunepresentedhim，tolettheBoeotianbattalionspassbyandthentochargethemintherear，howcertainsoeverhemightmakehimselfofthevictory，judgingitwouldratherbeaneffectofconductthanvalour，toproceedthatway;andtherefore，toshowhisprowess，ratherchosewithamarvellousardourofcouragetochargetheminthefront;buthewaswellbeatenandwellwoundedforhispains，andconstrainedatlasttodisengagehimself，andtotakethecoursehehadatfirstneglected;openinghisbattaliontogivewaytothis