第37章

Ihavenomoremademybookthanmybookhasmademe:’tisabookconsubstantialwiththeauthor，ofapeculiardesign，aparcelofmylife，andwhosebusinessisnotdesignedforothers，asthatofallotherbooksis。Ingivingmyselfsocontinualandsoexactanaccountofmyself，haveIlostmytime？Fortheywhosometimescursorilysurveythemselvesonly，donotsostrictlyexaminethemselves，norpenetratesodeep，ashewhomakesithisbusiness，hisstudy，andhisemployment，whointendsalastingrecord，withallhisfidelity，andwithallhisforce:

Themostdeliciouspleasuresdigestedwithin，avoidleavinganytraceofthemselves，andavoidthesightnotonlyofthepeople，butofanyotherperson。Howoftenhasthisworkdivertedmefromtroublesomethoughts？

andallthatarefrivolousshouldbereputedso。Naturehaspresenteduswithalargefacultyofentertainingourselvesalone;andoftencallsustoit，toteachusthatweoweourselvesinparttosociety，butchieflyandmostlytoourselves。ThatImayhabituatemyfancyeventomeditateinsomemethodandtosomeend，andtokeepitfromlosingitselfandrovingatrandom，’tisbuttogivetobodyandtorecordallthelittlethoughtsthatpresentthemselvestoit。Igiveeartomywhimsies，becauseIamtorecordthem。Itoftenfallsout，thatbeingdispleasedatsomeactionthatcivilityandreasonwillnotpermitmeopenlytoreprove，Iheredisgorgemyself，notwithoutdesignofpublicinstruction:andalsothesepoeticallashes，"Zonzurl’oeil，ionsurlegroin，ZonzurledosduSagoin，"

["Aslaponhiseye，aslaponhissnout，aslaponSagoin’sback。"——Marot。Fripelippes，ValetdeMarotaSagoin。]

imprintthemselvesbetteruponpaperthanupontheflesh。WhatifI

listentobooksalittlemoreattentivelythanordinary，sinceIwatchifIcanpurloinanythingthatmayadornorsupportmyown？Ihavenotatallstudiedtomakeabook;butIhaveinsomesortstudiedbecauseIhadmadeit;ifitbestudyingtoscratchandpinchnowoneauthor，andthenanother，eitherbytheheadorfoot，notwithanydesigntoformopinionsfromthem，buttoassist，second，andfortifythoseIalreadyhaveembraced。Butwhomshallwebelieveinthereporthemakesofhimselfinsocorruptanage？consideringtherearesofew，if，anyatall，whomwecanbelievewhenspeakingofothers，wherethereislessinteresttolie。

Thefirstthingdoneinthecorruptionofmannersisbanishingtruth;

for，asPindarsays，tobetrueisthebeginningofagreatvirtue，andthefirstarticlethatPlatorequiresinthegovernorofhisRepublic。

Thetruthofthesedaysisnotthatwhichreallyis，butwhateverymanpersuadesanothermantobelieve;aswegenerallygivethenameofmoneynotonlytopiecesofthedustalloy，buteventothefalsealso，iftheywillpass。Ournationhaslongbeenreproachedwiththisvice;forSalvianusofMarseilles，wholivedinthetimeoftheEmperorValentinian，saysthatlyingandforswearingthemselvesiswiththeFrenchnotavice，butawayofspeaking。Hewhowouldenhancethistestimony，mightsaythatitisnowavirtueinthem;menformandfashionthemselvestoitastoanexerciseofhonour;fordissimulationisoneofthemostnotablequalitiesofthisage。

Ihaveoftenconsideredwhencethiscustomthatwesoreligiouslyobserveshouldspring，ofbeingmorehighlyoffendedwiththereproachofavicesofamiliartousthanwithanyother，andthatitshouldbethehighestinsultthatcaninwordsbedoneustoreproachuswithalie。Uponexamination，Ifindthatitisnaturalmosttodefendthedefectswithwhichwearemosttainted。Itseemsasifbyresentingandbeingmovedattheaccusation，weinsomesortacquitourselvesofthefault;thoughwehaveitineffect，wecondemnitinoutwardappearance。Mayitnotalsobethatthisreproachseemstoimplycowardiceandfeeblenessofheart？ofwhichcantherebeamoremanifestsignthantoeataman’sownwords——nay，tolieagainstaman’sownknowledge？Lyingisabasevice;

avicethatoneoftheancientsportraysinthemostodiouscolourswhenhesays，"thatitistomanifestacontemptofGod，andwithalafearofmen。"Itisnotpossiblemorefullytorepresentthehorror，baseness，andirregularityofit;forwhatcanamanimaginemorehatefulandcontemptiblethantobeacowardtowardsmen，andvaliantagainsthisMaker？Ourintelligencebeingbynootherwaycommunicabletooneanotherbutbyaparticularword，hewhofalsifiesthatbetrayspublicsociety。’Tistheonlywaybywhichwecommunicateourthoughtsandwills;’tistheinterpreterofthesoul，andifitdeceiveus，wenolongerknownorhavefurthertieupononeanother;ifthatdeceiveus，itbreaksallourcorrespondence，anddissolvesallthetiesofgovernment。

CertainnationsofthenewlydiscoveredIndies（Ineednotgivethemnames，seeingtheyarenomore;for，bywonderfulandunheardofexample，thedesolationofthatconquesthasextendedtotheutterabolitionofnamesandtheancientknowledgeofplaces）offeredtotheirgodshumanblood，butonlysuchaswasdrawnfromthetongueandears，toexpiateforthesinoflying，aswellheardaspronounced。ThatgoodfellowofGreece——[Plutarch，LifeofLysander，c。4。]——saidthatchildrenareamusedwithtoysandmenwithwords。

Astoourdiverseusagesofgivingthelie，andthelawsofhonourinthatcase，andthealterationtheyhavereceived，IdefersayingwhatI

knowofthemtoanothertime，andshalllearn，ifIcan，inthemeanwhile，atwhattimethecustomtookbeginningofsoexactlyweighingandmeasuringwords，andofmakingourhonourinterestedinthem;foritiseasytojudgethatitwasnotancientlyamongsttheRomansandGreeks。

Andithasoftenseemedtomestrangetoseethemrailatandgiveoneanothertheliewithoutanyquarrel。Theirlawsofdutysteeredsomeothercoursethanours。Caesarissometimescalledthief，andsometimesdrunkard，tohisteeth。Weseethelibertyofinvectivetheypractisedupononeanother，Imeanthegreatestchiefsofwarofbothnations，wherewordsareonlyrevengedwithwords，anddonotproceedanyfarther。

CHAPTERXIX

OFLIBERTYOFCONSCIENCE

’Tisusualtoseegoodintentions，ifcarriedonwithoutmoderation，pushmenontoveryviciouseffects。InthisdisputewhichhasatthistimeengagedFranceinacivilwar，thebetterandthesoundestcausenodoubtisthatwhichmaintainstheancientreligionandgovernmentofthekingdom。Nevertheless，amongstthegoodmenofthatparty（forIdonotspeakofthosewhoonlymakeapretenceofit，eithertoexecutetheirownparticularrevengesortogratifytheiravarice，ortoconciliatethefavourofprinces，butofthosewhoengageinthequarreloutoftruezealtoreligionandaholydesiretomaintainthepeaceandgovernmentoftheircountry），ofthese，Isay，weseemanywhompassiontransportsbeyondtheboundsofreason，andsometimesinspireswithcounselsthatareunjustandviolent，and，moreover，rash。

Itiscertainthatinthosefirsttimes，whenourreligionbegantogainauthoritywiththelaws，zealarmedmanyagainstallsortsofpaganbooks，bywhichthelearnedsufferedanexceedinggreatloss，adisorderthatIconceivetohavedonemoreprejudicetolettersthanalltheflamesofthebarbarians。OfthisCorneliusTacitusisaverygoodtestimony;forthoughtheEmperorTacitus，hiskinsman，had，byexpressorder，furnishedallthelibrariesintheworldwithit，neverthelessoneentirecopycouldnotescapethecuriousexaminationofthosewhodesiredtoabolishitforonlyfiveorsixidleclausesthatwerecontrarytoourbelief。

Theyhadalsothetrickeasilytolendunduepraisestoalltheemperorswhomadeforus，anduniversallytocondemnalltheactionsofthosewhowereadversaries，asisevidentlymanifestintheEmperorJulian，surnamedtheApostate，[ThecharacteroftheEmperorJulianwascensured，whenMontaignewasatRomein1581，bytheMasteroftheSacredPalace，who，however，asMontaignetellsusinhisjournal（ii。35），referredittohisconsciencetoalterwhatheshouldthinkinbadtaste。ThisMontaignedidnotdo，andthischaptersuppliedVoltairewiththegreaterpartofthepraiseshebestowedupontheEmperor。——Leclerc。]

whowas，intruth，averygreatandrareman，amaninwhosesoulphilosophywasimprintedinthebestcharacters，bywhichheprofessedtogovernallhisactions;and，intruth，thereisnosortofvirtueofwhichhehasnotleftbehindhimverynotableexamples:inchastity（ofwhichthewholeofhislifegavemanifestproof）wereadthesameofhimthatwassaidofAlexanderandScipio，thatbeingintheflowerofhisage，forhewasslainbytheParthiansatone—and—thirty，ofagreatmanyverybeautifulcaptives，hewouldnotsomuchaslookuponone。Astohisjustice，hetookhimselfthepainstoheartheparties，andalthoughhewouldoutofcuriosityinquirewhatreligiontheywereof，nevertheless，theantipathyhehadtooursnevergaveanycounterpoisetothebalance。Hemadehimselfseveralgoodlaws，andrepealedagreatpartofthesubsidiesandtaxesleviedbyhispredecessors。

Wehavetwogoodhistorianswhowereeyewitnessesofhisactions:oneofwhom，Marcellinus，inseveralplacesofhishistorysharplyreprovesanedictofhiswherebyheinterdictedallChristianrhetoriciansandgrammarianstokeepschoolortoteach，andsayshecouldwishthatactofhishadbeenburiedinsilence:itisprobablethathadhedoneanymoreseverethingagainstus，he，soaffectionateashewastoourparty，wouldnothavepasseditoverinsilence。Hewasindeedsharpagainstus，butyetnocruelenemy;forourownpeopletellthisstoryofhim，thatoneday，walkingaboutthecityofChalcedon，Maris，bishopoftheplace;wassoboldastotellhimthathewasimpious，andanenemytoChrist，atwhich，theysay，hewasnofurthermovedthantoreply，"Go，poorwretch，andlamentthelossofthyeyes，"towhichthebishoprepliedagain，"IthankJesusChristfortakingawaymysight，thatImaynotseethyimpudentvisage，"affectinginthat，theysay，aphilosophicalpatience。Butthisactionofhisbearsnocomparisontothecrueltythatheissaidtohaveexercisedagainstus。"Hewas，"saysEutropius，myotherwitness，"anenemytoChristianity，butwithoutputtinghishandtoblood。"And，toreturntohisjustice，thereisnothinginthatwhereofhecanbeaccused，theseverityexceptedhepractisedinthebeginningofhisreignagainstthosewhohadfollowedthepartyofConstantius，hispredecessor。Astohissobriety，helivedalwaysasoldier—likelife;andobservedadietandroutine，likeonethatpreparedandinuredhimselftotheausteritiesofwar。Hisvigilancewassuch，thathedividedthenightintothreeorfourparts，ofwhichtheleastwasdedicatedtosleep;therestwasspenteitherinvisitingthestateofhisarmyandguardsinperson，orinstudy;foramongstotherrarequalities，hewasveryexcellentinallsortsoflearning。’TissaidofAlexandertheGreat，thatbeinginbed，forfearlestsleepshoulddiverthimfromhisthoughtsandstudies，hehadalwaysabasinsetbyhisbedside，andheldoneofhishandsoutwithaballofcopperinit，totheend，that，beginningtofallasleep，andhisfingersleavingtheirhold，theballbyfallingintothebasin，mightawakehim。

Buttheotherhadhissoulsobentuponwhathehadamindtodo，andsolittledisturbedwithfumesbyreasonofhissingularabstinence，thathehadnoneedofanysuchinvention。Astohismilitaryexperience，hewasexcellentinallthequalitiesofagreatcaptain，asitwaslikelyheshould，beingalmostallhislifeinacontinualexerciseofwar，andmostofthattimewithusinFrance，againsttheGermansandFranks:wehardlyreadofanymanwhoeversawmoredangers，orwhomademorefrequentproofsofhispersonalvalour。

HisdeathhassomethinginitparallelwiththatofEpaminondas，forhewaswoundedwithanarrow，andtriedtopullitout，andhaddoneso，butthat，beingedged，itcutanddisabledhishand。Heincessantlycalledoutthattheyshouldcarryhimagainintotheheatofthebattle，toencouragehissoldiers，whoverybravelydisputedthefightwithouthim，tillnightpartedthearmies。Hestoodobligedtohisphilosophyforthesingularcontempthehadforhislifeandallhumanthings。Hehadafirmbeliefoftheimmortalityofsouls。

Inmatterofreligionhewaswrongthroughout，andwassurnamedtheApostateforhavingrelinquishedours:nevertheless，theopinionseemstomemoreprobable，thathehadneverthoroughlyembracedit，buthaddissembledoutofobediencetothelaws，tillhecametotheempire。

Hewasinhisownsosuperstitious，tha