第31章

CHAPTERIX

OFTHEARMSOFTHEPARTHIANS

’Tisanillcustomandunmanlythatthegentlemenofourtimehavegot，nottoputonarmsbutjustuponthepointofthemostextremenecessity，andtolaythembyagain，sosoonaseverthereisanyshowofthedangerbeingover;hencemanydisordersarise;foreveryonebustlingandrunningtohisarmsjustwhenheshouldgotocharge，hashiscuirasstobuckleonwhenhiscompanionsarealreadyputtorout。Ourancestorswerewonttogivetheirhead—piece，lanceandgauntletstobecarried，butneverputofftheotherpiecessolongastherewasanyworktobedone。Ourtroopsarenowcumberedandrenderedunsightlywiththeclutterofbaggageandservantswhocannotbefromtheirmasters，byreasontheycarrytheirarms。TitusLiviusspeakingofournation:

"Intolerantissimalaboriscorporavixarmahumerisgerebant。"

["Bodiesmostimpatientoflabourcouldscarceenduretoweartheirarmsontheirshoulders。"——Livy，x。28。]

Manynationsdoyet，anddidanciently，gotowarwithoutdefensivearms，orwithsuch，atleast，aswereofverylittleproof:

"Tegminaqueiscapitum，raptusdesuberecortex。"

["Towhomthecoveringsoftheheadswerethebarkofthecork—tree。"——AEneid，vii。742。]

Alexander，themostadventurouscaptainthateverwas，veryseldomworearmour，andsuchamongstusasslightit，donotbythatmuchharmtothemainconcern;forifweseesomekilledforwantofit，therearefewlesswhomthelumberofarmshelpstodestroy，eitherbybeingoverburthened，crushed，andcrampedwiththeirweight，byarudeshock，orotherwise。For，inplaintruth，toobservetheweightandthicknessofthearmourwehavenowinuse，itseemsasifweonlysoughttodefendourselves，andareratherloadedthansecuredbyit。Wehaveenoughtodotosupportitsweight，beingsomanacledandimmured，asifwewereonlytocontendwithourownarms，andasifwehadnotthesameobligationtodefendthem，thattheyhavetodefendus。Tacitusgivesapleasantdescriptionofthemen—at—armsamongourancientGauls，whoweresoarmedasonlytobeabletostand，withoutpowertoharmortobeharmed，ortoriseagainifoncestruckdown。Lucullus，seeingcertainsoldiersoftheMedes，whoformedthevanofTigranes’army，heavilyarmedandveryuneasy，asifinprisonsofiron，thenceconceivedhopeswithgreateasetodefeatthem，andbythembeganhischargeandvictory。

Andnowthatourmusketeersareincredit，Ibelievesomeinventionwillbefoundouttoimmureusforoursafety，andtodrawustothewarincastles，suchasthosetheancientsloadedtheirelephantswithal。

ThishumourisfardifferingfromthatoftheyoungerScipio，whosharplyreprehendedhissoldiersforhavingplantedcaltropsunderwater，inaditchbywhichthoseofthetownheheldbesiegedmightsallyoutuponhim;saying，thatthosewhoassaultedshouldthinkofattacking，andnottofear;suspecting，withgoodreason，thatthisstoptheyhadputtotheenemies，wouldmakethemselveslessvigilantupontheirguard。Hesaidalsotoayoungman，whoshowedhimafinebucklerhehad，thathewasveryproudof，"Itisaveryfinebucklerindeed，butaRomansoldieroughttoreposegreaterconfidenceinhisrighthandthaninhisleft。"

Now’tisnothingbutthenotbeingusedtowearitthatmakestheweightofourarmoursointolerable:

"L’usbergoindossohaveano，etl’elmointesta，Duediquestiguerrier，de’qualiiocanto;

Nenotteodi，d’appoich’entraroinquestaStanza，gl’haveanomaimessidacanto;

ChefacileaportarcomelavestaEralor，percheinusol’haveantanto:"

["Twoofthewarriors，ofwhomIsing，hadontheirbackstheircuirassandontheirheadstheircasque，andneverhadnightordayoncelaidthemby，whilstheretheywere;thosearms，bylongpractice，weregrownaslighttobearasagarment"

——Ariosto，Cant。，MI。30。]

theEmperorCaracallawaswonttomarchonfoot，completelyarmed，attheheadofhisarmy。TheRomaninfantryalwayscarriednotonlyamorion，asword，andashield（forastoarms，saysCicero，theyweresoaccustomedtohavethemalwayson，thattheywerenomoretroubletothemthantheirownlimbs:

"Armaenimmembramilitisessedicunt。"

but，moreover，fifteendays’provision，togetherwithacertainnumberofstakes，wherewithtofortifytheircamp，sixtypoundsinweight。AndMarius’soldiers，ladenatthesamerate，wereinuredtomarchinorderofbattlefiveleaguesinfivehours，andsometimes，uponanyurgentoccasion，six。

Theirmilitarydisciplinewasmuchruderthanours，andaccordinglyproducedmuchgreatereffects。TheyoungerScipio，reforminghisarmyinSpain，orderedhissoldierstoeatstanding，andnothingthatwasdrest。

ThejeerthatwasgivenaLacedaemoniansoldierismarvellouslypattothispurpose，who，inanexpeditionofwar，wasreproachedforhavingbeenseenundertheroofofahouse:theyweresoinuredtohardshipthat，lettheweatherbewhatitwould，itwasashametobeseenunderanyothercoverthantheroofofheaven。Weshouldnotmarchourpeopleveryfaratthatrate。

Astowhatremains，Marcellinus，amanbredupintheRomanwars，curiouslyobservesthemanneroftheParthiansarmingthemselves，andtherather，forbeingsodifferentfromthatoftheRomans。"Theyhad，"sayshe，"armoursowovenastohaveallthescalesfalloveroneanotherlikesomanylittlefeathers;whichdidnothinghinderthemotionofthebody，andyetwereofsuchresistance，thatourdartshittinguponthem，wouldrebound"（thesewerethecoatsofmailourforefathersweresoconstantlywonttouse）。Andinanotherplace:"theyhad，"sayshe，"strongandablehorses，coveredwiththicktannedhidesofleather，andwerethemselvesarmed’cap—a—pie’withgreatplatesofiron，soartificiallyordered，thatinallpartsofthelimbs，whichrequiredbending，theylentthemselvestothemotion。Onewouldhavesaid，thattheyhadbeenmenofiron;havingarmourfortheheadsoneatlyfitted，andsonaturallyrepresentingtheformofaface，thattheywerenowherevulnerable，saveattwolittleroundholes，thatgavethemalittlelight，correspondingwiththeireyes，andcertainsmallchinksabouttheirnostrils，throughwhichthey，withgreatdifficulty，breathed，"

"Flexilisinductisanimaturlaminamembris，Horribilisvisu;credassimulacramoveriFerrea，cognatoquevirosspiraremetallo。

Parvestitusequis:ferratafronteminantur，Ferratosquemovent，securivulneris，armos。"

["Platesofsteelareplacedoverthebody，soflexiblethat，dreadfultobeseen，youwouldthinkthesenotlivingmen，butmovingimages。Thehorsesaresimilarlyarmed，and，securedfromwounds，movetheirironshoulders。"——Claud，InRuf。，ii。358。]

’Tisadescriptiondrawingverynearresemblingtheequipageofthemen—

at—armsinFrance，withtheirbardedhorses。Plutarchsays，thatDemetriuscausedtwocompletesuitsofarmourtobemadeforhimselfandforAlcimus，acaptainofthegreatestnoteandauthorityabouthim，ofsixscorepoundsweighteach，whereastheordinarysuitsweighedbuthalfasmuch。

CHAPTERX

OFBOOKS

ImakenodoubtbutthatIoftenhappentospeakofthingsthataremuchbetterandmoretrulyhandledbythosewhoaremastersofthetrade。Youhaveherepurelyanessayofmynaturalparts，andnotofthoseacquired:

andwhoevershallcatchmetrippinginignorance，willnotinanysortgetthebetterofme;forIshouldbeveryunwillingtobecomeresponsibletoanotherformywritings，whoamnotsotomyself，norsatisfiedwiththem。Whoevergoesinquestofknowledge，lethimfishforitwhereitistobefound;thereisnothingIsolittleprofess。

Thesearefanciesofmyown，bywhichIdonotpretendtodiscoverthingsbuttolayopenmyself;theymay，peradventure，onedaybeknowntome，orhaveformerlybeen，accordingasfortunehasbeenabletobringmeinplacewheretheyhavebeenexplained;butIhaveutterlyforgottenit;

andifIamamanofsomereading，Iamamanofnoretention;sothatI

canpromisenocertainty，morethantomakeknowntowhatpointtheknowledgeInowhavehasrisen。Therefore，letnonelaystressuponthematterIwrite，butuponmymethodinwritingit。Letthemobserve，inwhatIborrow，ifIhaveknownhowtochoosewhatispropertoraiseorhelptheinvention，whichisalwaysmyown。ForImakeotherssayforme，notbeforebutafterme，what，eitherforwantoflanguageorwantofsense，Icannotmyselfsowellexpress。Idonotnumbermyborrowings，Iweighthem;andhadIdesignedtoraisetheirvaluebynumber，Ihadmadethemtwiceasmany;theyareall，orwithinaveryfew，sofamedandancientauthors，thattheyseem，methinks，themselvessufficientlytotellwhotheyare，withoutgivingmethetrouble。Inreasons，comparisons，andarguments，ifItransplantanyintomyownsoil，andconfoundthemamongstmyown，Ipurposelyconcealtheauthor，toawethetemerityofthoseprecipitatecensorswhofalluponallsortsofwritings，particularlythelateones，ofmenyetliving;andinthevulgartonguewhichputseveryoneintoacapacityofcriticisingandwhichseemtoconvicttheconceptionanddesignasvulgaralso。IwillhavethemgivePlutarchafilliponmynose，andrailagainstSenecawhentheythinktheyrailatme。Imustsheltermyownweaknessunderthesegreatreputations。Ishallloveanyonethatcanunplumeme，thatis，byclearnessofunderstandingandjudgment，andbythesoledistinctionoftheforceandbeautyofthediscourse。ForIwho，forwantofmemory，amateveryturnatalossto，pickthemoutoftheirnationallivery，amyetwiseenoughtoknow，bythemeasureofmyownabilities，thatmysoilisincapableofproducinganyofthoserichflowersthatItherefindgrowing;andthatallthefruitsofmyowngrowtharenotworthanyoneofthem。Forthis，indeed，Iholdmyselfresponsible;ifIgetinmyownway;iftherebeanyvanityanddefectinmywritingswhichIdonotofmyselfperceivenorcandiscern，whenpointedouttomebyanother;formanyfaultsescapeoureye，buttheinfirmityofjudgmentconsistsinnotbeingabletodiscernthem，whenbyanotherlaidopentous。Knowledgeandtruthmaybeinuswithoutjudgment，andjudgmentalsowithoutthem;

buttheconfessionofignoranceisoneofthefinestandsuresttestimoniesofjudgmentthatIknow。Ihavenootherofficertoputmywritingsinrankandfile，butonlyfortune。Asthingscomeintomyhead，Iheapthemoneuponanother;sometimestheyadvanceinwholebodies，sometimesinsinglefile。Iwouldthateveryoneshouldseemynaturalandordinarypace，irregularasitis;Isuffermyselftojogonatmyownrate。Neitherarethesesubjectswhichamanisnotpermittedtobeignorantin，orcasuallyandataventure，todiscourseof。I

couldwishtohaveamoreperfectknowledgeofthings，butIwillnotbuyitsodearasitcosts。Mydesignistopassovereasily，andnotlaboriously，theremainderofmylife;thereisnothingthatIwillcudgelmybrainsabout;no，notevenknowledge，ofwhatvaluesoever。

Iseek，inthereadingofbooks，onlytopleasemyselfbyanhonestdiversion;or，ifIstudy，’tisfornoothersciencethanwhattreatsoftheknowledgeofmyself，andinstructsmehowtodieandhowtolivewell。

"Hasmeusadmetassudetoportetequus。"

["Myhorsemustworkaccordingtomystep。"

——Propertius，iv。]

IdonotbitemynailsaboutthedifficultiesImeetwithinmyreading;

afterachargeortwo，Igivethemover。ShouldIinsistuponthem，I

shouldbothlosemyselfandtime;forIhaveanimpatientunderstanding，thatmustbesatisfiedatfirst:whatIdonotdiscernatonceisbypersistencerenderedmoreobscure。Idonothingwithoutgaiety;

continuationandatooobstinateendeavour，darkens，stupefies，andtiresmyjudgment。Mysightisconfoundedanddissipatedwithporing;Imustwithdrawit，andrefermydiscoverytonewattempts;justas，tojudgerightlyofthelustreofscarlet，wearetaughttopasstheeyelightlyoverit，andagaintorunitoveratseveralsuddenandreiteratedglances。Ifonebookdonotpleaseme，Itakeanother;andInevermeddlewithany，butatsuchtimesasIamwearyofdoingnothing。

Icarenotmuchfornewones，becausetheoldseemfullerandstronger;

neitherdoIconversemuchwithGreekauthors，becausemyjudgmentcannotdoitsworkwithimperfectintelligenceofthematerial。

Amongstbooksthataresimplypleasant，ofthemoderns，Boccaccio’sDecameron，Rabelais，andtheBasiaofJohannesSecundus（ifthosemayberangedunderthetitle）areworthreadingforamusement。AstotheAm