第33章

NorshallIbeafraidtoconfessthetendernessofmynaturesochildish，thatIcannotwellrefusetoplaywithmydog，whenhethemostunseasonablyimportunesmetodoso。TheTurkshavealmsandhospitalsforbeasts。TheRomanshadpubliccaretothenourishmentofgeese，bywhosevigilancetheirCapitolhadbeenpreserved。TheAtheniansmadeadecreethatthemulesandmoylswhichhadservedatthebuildingofthetemplecalledHecatompedonshouldbefreeandsufferedtopastureattheirownchoice，withouthindrance。TheAgrigentineshadacommonusesolemnlytointerthebeaststheyhadakindnessfor，ashorsesofsomerarequality，dogs，andusefulbirds，andeventhosethathadonlybeenkepttodiverttheirchildren;andthemagnificencethatwasordinarywiththeminallotherthings，alsoparticularlyappearedinthesumptuosityandnumbersofmonumentserectedtothisend，andwhichremainedintheirbeautyseveralagesafter。TheEgyptiansburiedwolves，bears，crocodiles，dogs，andcatsinsacredplaces，embalmedtheirbodies，andputonmourningattheirdeath。CimongaveanhonourablesepulturetothemareswithwhichhehadthreetimesgainedtheprizeofthecourseattheOlympicGames。TheancientXantippuscausedhisdogtobeinterredonaneminencenearthesea，whichhaseversinceretainedthename，andPlutarchsays，thathehadascrupleaboutsellingforasmallprofittotheslaughtereranoxthathadbeenlonginhisservice。

EndTheEssaysofMontaigne，V11

byMicheldeMontaigneTranslatedbyCharlesCottonEditedbyWilliamCarewHazilitt1877

CONTENTSOFVOLUME11。

XIII。Ofjudgingofthedeathofanother。

XIV。Thatthemindhindersitself。

XV。Thatourdesiresareaugmentedbydifficulty。

XVI。Ofglory。

XVII。Ofpresumption。

CHAPTERXIII

OFJUDGINGOFTHEDEATHOFANOTHER

Whenwejudgeofanother’sassuranceindeath，which，withoutdoubt，isthemostremarkableactionofhumanlife，wearetotakeheedofonething，whichisthatmenveryhardlybelievethemselvestohavearrivedtothatperiod。Fewmencometodieintheopinionthatitistheirlatesthour;andthereisnothingwhereintheflatteryofhopemoredeludesus;Itneverceasestowhisperinourears，"Othershavebeenmuchsickerwithoutdying;yourconditionisnotsodesperateas’tisthought;and，attheworst，Godhasdoneothermiracles。"Whichhappensbyreasonthatwesettoomuchvalueuponourselves;itseemsasiftheuniversalityofthingswereinsomemeasuretosufferbyourdissolution，andthatitcommiseratesourcondition，forasmuchasourdisturbedsightrepresentsthingstoitselferroneously，andthatweareofopiniontheystandinasmuchneedofusaswedoofthem，likepeopleatsea，towhommountains，fields，cities，heavenandeartharetossedatthesamerateastheyare:

"Provehimurportu，terraequeurbesquerecedunt:"

["Wesailoutofport，andcitiesandlandsrecede。"

——AEneid，iii。72。]

Whoeversawoldagethatdidnotapplaudthepastandcondemnthepresenttime，layingthefaultofhismiseryanddiscontentupontheworldandthemannersofmen？

Jamquecaputquassans，grandissuspiratarator。

EtcumtemporatemporibuspraesentiaconfertPraeteritis，laudatfortunassaepeparentis，Etcrepatantiquumgenusutpietaterepletum。"

["Nowtheoldploughman，shakinghishead，sighs，andcomparespresenttimeswithpast，oftenpraiseshisparents’happiness，andtalksoftheoldraceasfullofpiety。"——Lucretius，ii。1165。]

Wewillmakeallthingsgoalongwithus;whenceitfollowsthatweconsiderourdeathasaverygreatthing，andthatdoesnotsoeasilypass，norwithoutthesolemnconsultationofthestars:

"Totcircaunumcaputtumultuantesdens，"

["Allthegodstoagitationaboutoneman。"

——Seneca，Suasor，i。4。]

andsomuchthemorethinkitaswemorevalueourselves。"What，shallsomuchknowledgebelost，withsomuchdamagetotheworld，withoutaparticularconcernofthedestinies？Doessorareandexemplaryasoulcostnomorethekillingthanonethatiscommonandofnousetothepublic？Thislife，thatprotectssomanyothers，uponwhichsomanyotherlivesdepend，thatemployssovastanumberofmeninhisservice，thatfillssomanyplaces，shallitdropofflikeonethathangsbutbyitsownsimplethread？Noneofuslaysitenoughtoheartthatheisbutone:thenceproceededthosewordsofCaesartohispilot，moretumidthantheseathatthreatenedhim:

"Italiamsicoeloauctorerecusas，Mepete:solatibicausaesthaecjustatimoris，Vectoremnonnoscetuum;perrumpeprocellas，Tutelasecuremea。"

[IfyoudeclinetosailtoItalyundertheGod’sprotection，trusttomine;theonlyjustcauseyouhavetofearis，thatyoudonotknowyourpassenger;sailon，secureinmyguardianship。"

——Lucan，V。579。]

Andthese:

"CreditjamdignapericulaCaesarFatisessesuis;tantusneevertere，dixit，Mesuperislaborest，parvaquernpuppesedentem，Tammagnopetieremari;"

["Caesarnowdeemedthesedangersworthyofhisdestiny:’What！’

saidhe，’isitforthegodssogreatatasktooverthrowme，thattheymustbefaintoassailmewithgreatseasinapoorlittlebark。’"——Lucan，v。653。]

andthatidlefancyofthepublic，thatthesunboreonhisfacemourningforhisdeathawholeyear:

"IlleetiamextinctomiseratusCaesareRomam，Cumcaputobscuranitidumferruginetexit:"

["Caesarbeingdead，thesuninmourningclouds，pityingRome，clothedhimself。"——Virgil，Georg。，i。466。]

andathousandofthelike，wherewiththeworldsuffersitselftobesoeasilyimposedupon，believingthatourinterestsaffecttheheavens，andthattheirinfinityisconcernedatourordinaryactions:

"Nontantacaelosocietasnobiscumest，utnostrofatomortalissitillequoquesiderumfulgor。"

["Thereisnosuchalliancebetwixtusandheaven，thatthebrightnessofthestarsshouldbemadealsomortalbyourdeath。"

——Pliny，Nat。Hist。，ii。8。]

Now，tojudgeofconstancyandresolutioninamanwhodoesnotyetbelievehimselftobecertainlyindanger，thoughhereallyis，isnotreason;and’tisnotenoughthathedieinthisposture，unlesshepurposelyputhimselfintoitforthiseffect。Itcommonlyfallsoutinmostmenthattheysetagoodfaceuponthematterandspeakwithgreatindifference，toacquirereputation，whichtheyhopeafterwards，living，toenjoy。OfallwhomIhaveseendie，fortunehasdisposedtheircountenancesandnodesignoftheirs;andevenofthosewhoinancienttimeshavemadeawaywiththemselves，thereismuchtobeconsideredwhetheritwereasuddenoralingeringdeath。ThatcruelRomanEmperorwouldsayofhisprisoners，thathewouldmakethemfeeldeath，andifanyonekilledhimselfinprison，"Thatfellowhasmadeanescapefromme";hewouldprolongdeathandmakeitfeltbytorments:

"VidimusettotoquamvisincorporecaesoNilanimalethaledatum，moremquenefandae，Durumsaevitix，pereuntisparceremorti。"

["Wehaveseenintorturedbodies，amongstthewounds，nonethathavebeenmortal，inhumanmodeofdirecruelty，thatmeanstokill，butwillnotletmendie。"——Lucan，iv。i。78。]

Inplaintruth，itisnosuchgreatmatterforamaninhealthandinatemperatestateofmindtoresolvetokillhimself;itisveryeasytoplaythevillainbeforeonecomestothepoint，insomuchthatHeliogabalus，themosteffeminatemanintheworld，amongsthislowestsensualities，couldforecasttomakehimselfdiedelicately，whenheshouldbeforcedthereto;andthathisdeathmightnotgivethelietotherestofhislife，hadpurposelybuiltasumptuoustower，thefrontandbaseofwhichwerecoveredwithplanksenrichedwithgoldandpreciousstones，thencetoprecipitatehimself;andalsocausedcordstwistedwithgoldandcrimsonsilktobemade，wherewithtostranglehimself;andaswordwiththebladeofgoldtobehammeredouttofallupon;andkeptpoisoninvesselsofemeraldandtopazwherewithtopoisonhimselfaccordingasheshouldliketochooseoneofthesewaysofdying:

"Impiger……adletumetfortisvirtutecoacta。"

["Resoluteandbraveinthefaceofdeathbyaforcedcourage。

——"Lucan，iv。798。]

Yetinrespectofthisperson，theeffeminacyofhispreparationsmakesitmorelikelythathewouldhavethoughtbetteron’t，hadhebeenputtothetest。Butinthosewhowithgreaterresolutionhavedeterminedtodespatchthemselves，wemustexaminewhetheritwerewithoneblowwhichtookawaytheleisureoffeelingtheeffectforitistobequestionedwhether，perceivinglife，bylittleandlittle，tostealawaythesentimentofthebodymixingitselfwiththatofthesoul，andthemeansofrepentingbeingoffered，whether，Isay，constancyandobstinacyinsodangerousanintentionwouldhavebeenfound。

InthecivilwarsofCaesar，LuciusDomitius，beingtakenintheAbruzzi，andthereuponpoisoninghimself，afterwardsrepented。Ithashappenedinourtimethatacertainperson，beingresolvedtodieandnothavinggonedeepenoughatthefirstthrust，thesensibilityofthefleshopposinghisarm，gavehimselftwoorthreewoundsmore，butcouldneverprevailuponhimselftothrusthome。WhilstPlautiusSilvanuswasuponhistrial，Urgulania，hisgrandmother，senthimaponiardwithwhich，notbeingabletokillhimself，hemadehisservantscuthisveins。AlbucillainTiberiustimehaving，tokillhimself，struckwithtoomuchtenderness，gavehisadversariesopportunitytoimprisonandputhimtodeaththeirownway。’Andthatgreatleader，Demosthenes，afterhisroutinSicily，didthesame;andC。Fimbria，havingstruckhimselftooweakly，entreatedhisservanttodespatchhim。Onthecontrary，Ostorius，whocouldnotmakeuseofhisownarm，disdainedtoemploythatofhisservanttoanyotherusebutonlytoholdtheponiardstraightandfirm;andbringinghisthroattoit，thrusthimselfthrough。’Tis，intruth，amorselthatistobeswallowedwithoutchewing，unlessamanbethoroughlyresolved;andyetAdriantheemperormadehisphysicianmarkandencircleonhispapthemortalplacewhereinhewastostabtowhomhehadgivenorderstokillhim。ForthisreasonitwasthatCaesar，beingaskedwhatdeathhethoughttobethemostdesired，madeanswer，"Theleastpremeditatedandtheshortest。"——[Tacitus，Annals，xvi。15]——

IfCaesardaredtosayit，itisnocowardiceinmetobelieveit。"A

shortdeath，"saysPliny，’"isthesovereigngoodhapofhumanlife。"Peopledonotmuchcaretorecogniseit。Noonecansaythatheisresolutefordeathwhofearstodealwithitandcannotundergoitwithhiseyesopen:theywhomweseeincriminalpunishmentsruntotheirdeathandhastenandpresstheirexecution，doitnotoutofresolution，butbecausetheywillnotgivethemselvesleisuretoconsiderit;itdoesnottroublethemtobedead，buttodie:

"Emodinolo，sedmeessemortemnihilastigmia:"

["Ihavenomindtodie，butIhavenoobjectiontobedead。"

——Epicharmus，apudCicero，Tusc。Quaes。，i。8。]

’tisadegreeofconstancytowhichIhaveexperimented，thatIcanarrive，likethosewhoplungeintodangers，asintothesea，withtheireyesshut。

Thereisnothing，inmyopinion，moreillustriousinthelifeofSocrates，thanthathehadthirtywholedayswhereintoruminateuponthesentenceofhisdeath，tohavedigesteditallthattimewithamostassuredhope，withoutcare，andwithoutalteration，andwithaser