第35章

BesidesthatIamveryignorantinmyownaffairs，Iamstruckbytheassurancethateveryonehasofhimself:whereasthereisscarcelyanythingthatIamsureIknow，orthatIdareberesponsibletomyselfthatIcando:Ihavenotmymeansofdoinganythinginconditionandready，andamonlyinstructedthereinaftertheeffect;asdoubtfulofmyownforceasIamofanother’s。WhenceitcomestopassthatifIhappentodoanythingcommendable，Iattributeitmoretomyfortunethanindustry，forasmuchasIdesigneverythingbychanceandinfear。Ihavethis，also，ingeneral，thatofalltheopinionsantiquityhasheldofmeningross，Imostwillinglyembraceandadheretothosethatmostcontemnandundervalueus，andmostpushustonaught;methinks，philosophyhasneversofairagametoplayaswhenitfallsuponourvanityandpresumption;whenitmostlaysopenourirresolution，weakness，andignorance。Ilookuponthetoogoodopinionthatmanhasofhimselftobethenursingmotherofallthemostfalseopinions，bothpublicandprivate。ThosepeoplewhorideastrideupontheepicycleofMercury，whoseesofarintotheheavens，areworsetomethanatooth—

drawerthatcomestodrawmyteeth;forinmystudy，thesubjectofwhichisman，findingsogreatavarietyofjudgments，soprofoundalabyrinthofdifficulties，oneuponanother，sogreatdiversityanduncertainty，evenintheschoolofwisdomitself，youmayjudge，seeingthesepeoplecouldnotresolveupontheknowledgeofthemselvesandtheirowncondition，whichiscontinuallybeforetheireyes，andwithinthem，seeingtheydonotknowhowthatmoveswhichtheythemselvesmove，norhowtogiveusadescriptionofthespringstheythemselvesgovernandmakeuseof，howcanIbelievethemabouttheebbingandflowingoftheNile？Thecuriosityofknowingthingshasbeengiventomanforascourge，saystheHolyScripture。

Buttoreturntowhatconcernsmyself;Ithinkitwouldbeverydifficultforanyothermantohaveameaneropinionofhimself;nay，foranyothertohaveameaneropinionofmethanofmyself:Ilookuponmyselfasoneofthecommonsort，savinginthis，thatIhavenobetteranopinionofmyself;guiltyofthemeanestandmostpopulardefects，butnotdisowningorexcusingthem;andIdonotvaluemyselfuponanyotheraccountthanbecauseIknowmyownvalue。Iftherebeanyvanityinthecase，’tissuperficiallyinfusedintomebythetreacheryofmycomplexion，andhasnobodythatmyjudgmentcandiscern:Iamsprinkled，butnotdyed。Forintruth，astotheeffectsofthemind，thereisnopartofme，beitwhatitwill，withwhichIamsatisfied;andtheapprobationofothersmakesmenotthinkthebetterofmyself。Myjudgmentistenderandnice，especiallyinthingsthatconcernmyself。

Ieverrepudiatemyself，andfeelmyselffloatandwaverbyreasonofmyweakness。Ihavenothingofmyownthatsatisfiesmyjudgment。Mysightisclearandregularenough，but，atworking，itisapttodazzle;asI

mostmanifestlyfindinpoetry:Iloveitinfinitely，andamabletogiveatolerablejudgmentofothermen’sworks;but，ingoodearnest，whenI

applymyselftoit，Iplaythechild，andamnotabletoenduremyself。

Amanmayplaythefoolineverythingelse，butnotinpoetry;

"MediocribusessepoetisNondii，nonhomines，nonconcesserecolumnae。"

["Neithermen，norgods，northepillars（onwhichthepoetsofferedtheirwritings）permitmediocrityinpoets。"

——Horace，DeArtePoet。，372。]

IwouldtoGodthissentencewaswrittenoverthedoorsofallourprinters，toforbidtheentranceofsomanyrhymesters！

"VerumNihilsecuriusestmalopoetae。"

["Thetruthis，thatnothingismoreconfidentthanabadpoet。"

——Martial，xii。63，13。]

Whyhavenotwesuchpeople？——[Asthoseabouttobementioned。]——

Dionysiusthefathervaluedhimselfuponnothingsomuchashispoetry;

attheOlympicgames，withchariotssurpassingalltheothersinmagnificence，hesentalsopoetsandmusicianstopresenthisverses，withtentandpavilionsroyallygiltandhungwithtapestry。Whenhisversescametoberecited，theexcellenceofthedeliveryatfirstattractedtheattentionofthepeople;butwhentheyafterwardscametopoisethemeannessofthecomposition，theyfirstenteredintodisdain，andcontinuingtonettletheirjudgments，presentlyproceededtofury，andrantopulldownandteartopiecesallhispavilions:and，thathischariotsneitherperformedanythingtopurposeintherace，andthattheshipwhichbroughtbackhispeoplefailedofmakingSicily，andwasbythetempestdrivenandwreckeduponthecoastofTarentum，theycertainlybelievedwasthroughtheangerofthegods，incensed，astheythemselveswere，againstthepaltryPoem;andeventhemarinerswhoescapedfromthewrecksecondedthisopinionofthepeople:towhichalsotheoraclethatforetoldhisdeathseemedtosubscribe;whichwas，"thatDionysiusshouldbenearhisend，whenheshouldhaveovercomethosewhowerebetterthanhimself，"whichheinterpretedoftheCarthaginians，whosurpassedhiminpower;andhavingwarwiththem，oftendeclinedthevictory，nottoincurthesenseofthisprediction;butheunderstooditill;forthegodindicatedthetimeoftheadvantage，thatbyfavourandinjusticeheobtainedatAthensoverthetragicpoets，betterthanhimself，havingcausedhisownplaycalledtheLeneianstobeactedinemulation;

presentlyafterwhichvictoryhedied，andpartlyoftheexcessivejoyheconceivedatthesuccess。

[DiodorusSiculus，xv。7。——Theplay，however，wascalledthe"RansomofHector。"ItwasthegamesatwhichitwasactedthatwerecalledLeneian;theywereoneofthefourDionysiacfestivals。]

WhatIfindtolerableofmine，isnotsoreallyandinitself，butincomparisonofotherworsethings，thatIseewellenoughreceived。I

envythehappinessofthosewhocanpleaseandhugthemselvesinwhattheydo;for’tisaneasythingtobesopleased，becauseamanextractsthatpleasurefromhimself，especiallyifhebeconstantinhisself—

conceit。Iknowapoet，againstwhomtheintelligentandtheignorant，abroadandathome，bothheavenandearthexclaimthathehasbutverylittlenotionofit;andyet，forallthat，hehasneverawhittheworseopinionofhimself;butisalwaysfallinguponsomenewpiece，alwayscontrivingsomenewinvention，andstillpersistsinhisopinion，bysomuchthemoreobstinately，asitonlyconcernshimtomaintainit。

Myworksaresofarfrompleasingme，thatasoftenasIreviewthem，theydisgustme:

"Cumrelego，scripsissepudet;quiaplurimacerno，Mequoque，quifeci，judice，dignalini。"

["WhenIreperuse，IblushatwhatIhavewritten;IeverseeonepassageafteranotherthatI，theauthor，beingthejudge，considershouldbeerased。"——Ovid，DePonto，i。5，15。]

Ihavealwaysanideainmysoul，andasortofdisturbedimagewhichpresentsmeasinadreamwithabetterformthanthatIhavemadeuseof;butIcannotcatchitnorfitittomypurpose;andeventhatideaisbutofthemeanersort。HenceIconcludethattheproductionsofthosegreatandrichsoulsofformertimesareverymuchbeyondtheutmoststretchofmyimaginationormywish;theirwritingsdonotonlysatisfyandfillme，buttheyastoundme，andravishmewithadmiration;Ijudgeoftheirbeauty;Iseeit，ifnottotheutmost，yetsofaratleastas’tispossibleformetoaspire。WhateverIundertake，IoweasacrificetotheGraces，asPlutarchsaysofsomeone，toconciliatetheirfavour:

"Siquidenimplacet，Siquiddulcehorninumsensibusinfluit，DebenturlepidisomniaGratiis。"

["IfanythingpleasethatIwrite，ifitinfusedelightintomen’sminds，allisduetothecharmingGraces。"Theversesareprobablybysomemodernpoet。]

Theyabandonmethroughout;allIwriteisrude;polishandbeautyarewanting:Icannotsetthingsofftoanyadvantage;myhandlingaddsnothingtothematter;forwhichreasonImusthaveitforcible，veryfull，andthathaslustreofitsown。IfIpitchuponsubjectsthatarepopularandgay，’tistofollowmyowninclination，whodonotaffectagraveandceremoniouswisdom，astheworlddoes;andtomakemyselfmoresprightly，butnotmystylemorewanton，whichwouldratherhavethemgraveandsevere;atleastifImaycallthatastylewhichisaninformandirregularwayofspeaking，apopularjargon，aproceedingwithoutdefinition，division，conclusion，perplexedlikethatAmafaniusandRabirius。——[Cicero，Acad。，i。2。]——Icanneitherpleasenordelight，noreventicklemyreaders:thebeststoryintheworldisspoiledbymyhandling，andbecomesflat;Icannotspeakbutinroughearnest，andamtotallyunprovidedofthatfacilitywhichIobserveinmanyofmyacquaintance，ofentertainingthefirstcomersandkeepingawholecompanyinbreath，ortakinguptheearofaprincewithallsortsofdiscoursewithoutwearyingthemselves:theyneverwantmatterbyreasonofthefacultyandgracetheyhaveintakingholdofthefirstthingthatstartsup，andaccommodatingittothehumourandcapacityofthosewithwhomtheyhavetodo。Princesdonotmuchaffectsoliddiscourses，norI

totellstories。Thefirstandeasiestreasons，whicharecommonlythebesttaken，Iknownothowtoemploy:Iamanilloratortothecommonsort。IamaptofeverythingtosaytheextremestthatIknow。Ciceroisofopinionthatintreatisesofphilosophytheexordiumisthehardestpart;ifthisbetrue，Iamwiseinstickingtotheconclusion。Andyetwearetoknowhowtowindthestringtoallnotes，andthesharpestisthatwhichisthemostseldomtouched。Thereisatleastasmuchperfectioninelevatinganemptyasinsupportingaweightything。Amanmustsometimessuperficiallyhandlethings，andsometimespushthemhome。

Iknowverywellthatmostmenkeepthemselvesinthislowerformfromnotconceivingthingsotherwisethanbythisoutwardbark;butIlikewiseknowthatthegreatestmasters，andXenophonandPlatoareoftenseentostooptothislowandpopularmannerofspeakingandtreatingofthings，butsupportingitwithgraceswhichneverfailthem。

Farther，mylanguagehasnothinginitthatisfacileandpolished;’tisrough，free，andirregular，andassuchpleases，ifnotmyjudgment，atalleventsmyinclination，butIverywellperceivethatIsometimesgivemyselftoomuchrein，andthatbyendeavouringtoavoidartandaffectationIfallintotheotherinconvenience:

"Brevisesselaboro，Obscurusfio。"

[Endeavouringtobebrief，Ibecomeobscure。"

——Hor。，Art。Poet。，25。]

Platosays，thatthelongortheshortarenotproperties，thateithertakeawayorgivevaluetolanguage。ShouldIattempttofollowtheothermoremoderate，united，andregularstyle，Ishouldneverattaintoit;andthoughtheshortroundperiodsofSallustbestsuitwithmyhumour，yetIfindCaesarmuchgranderandhardertoimitate;andthoughmyinclinationwouldratherpromptmetoimitateSeneca’swayofwriting，yetIdoneverthelessmoreesteemthatofPlutarch。BothindoingandspeakingIsimplyfollowmyownnaturalway;whence，peradventure，itfallsoutthatIambetteratspeakingthanwriting。Motionandactionanimatewords，especiallyinthosewholayaboutthembriskly，asIdo，andgrowhot。Thecomportment，thecountenance;thevoice，therobe，theplace，willsetoffsomethingsthatofthemselveswouldappearnobetterthanprating。MessallacomplainsinTacitusofthestraitnessofsomegarmentsinhistime，andofthefashionofthebencheswheretheoratorsweretodeclaim，thatwereadisadvantagetotheireloquence。

MyFrenchtongueiscorrupted，bothinthepronunciationandotherwise，bythebarbarismofmycountry。Ineversawamanwhowasanativeofanyoftheprovincesonthissideofthekingdomwhohadnotatwangofhisplaceofbirth，andthatwasnotoffensivetoearsthatwerepurelyFrench。AndyetitisnotthatIamsoperfectinmyPerigordin:forI

cannomorespeakitthanHi