第40章

Suchashavehadtodowithtestyandobstinatewomen，mayhaveexperimentedintowhatarageitputsthemtoopposesilenceandcoldnesstotheirfury，andthatamandisdainstonourishtheiranger。TheoratorCeliuswaswonderfullycholericbynature;andtoonewhosuppedinhiscompany，amanofagentleandsweetconversation，andwho，thathemightnotmovehim，approvedandconsentedtoallhesaid;he，impatientthathisill—humourshouldthusspenditselfwithoutaliment:

"Fortheloveofthegodsdenymesomething，"saidhe，"thatwemaybetwo。"Women，inlikemanner，areonlyangrythatothersmaybeangryagain，inimitationofthelawsoflove。Phocion，toonewhointerruptedhisspeakingbyinjuriousandveryopprobriouswords，madenootherreturnthansilence，andtogivehimfulllibertyandleisuretoventhisspleen;whichhehavingaccordinglydone，andthestormblownover，withoutanymentionofthisdisturbance，heproceededinhisdiscoursewherehehadleftoffbefore。Noanswercannettleamanlikesuchacontempt。

OfthemostcholericmaninFrance（angerisalwaysanimperfection，butmoreexcusablein，asoldier，forinthattradeitcannotsometimesbeavoided）Ioftensay，thatheisthemostpatientmanthatIknow，andthemostdiscreetinbridlinghispassions;whichriseinhimwithsogreatviolenceandfury，"MagnoveluticumflammasonoreVirgeasuggeriturcostisundantisahem，Exsultantqueaatulatices，furitintusaquaevis。

Fumidusatquealtespumisexuberatamnis，Necjamsecapitunda;volatvaporateradauras;"

["Whenwithloudcracklingnoise，afireofsticksisappliedtotheboilingcaldron’sside，bytheheatinfriskybellstheliquordances;withinthewaterrages，andhighthesmokyfluidinfoamoverflows。Norcanthewavenowcontainitself;theblacksteamfliesallabroad。"——AEneid，vii。462。]

thathemustofnecessitycruellyconstrainhimselftomoderateit。Andformypart，IknownopassionwhichIcouldwithsomuchviolencetomyselfattempttocoverandconceal;Iwouldnotsetwisdomatsohighaprice;anddonotsomuchconsiderwhatamandoes，ashowmuchitcostshimtodonoworse。

Anotherboastedhimselftomeoftheregularityandgentlenessofhismanners，whicharetotruthverysingular;towhomIreplied，thatitwasindeedsomething，especiallympersonsofsoeminentaqualityashimself，uponwhomeveryonehadtheireyes，topresenthimselfalwayswell—temperedtotheworld;butthattheprincipalthingwastomakeprovisionforwithinandforhimself;andthatitwasnotinmyopinionverywelltoorderhisbusinessoutwardlywell，andtogratehimselfwithin，whichIwasafraidhedid，inputtingonandmaintainingthismaskandexternalappearance。

Amanincorporatesangerbyconcealingit，asDiogenestoldDemosthenes，who，forfearofbeingseeninatavern，withdrewhimselfthemoreretiredlyintoit:"Themoreyouretirebackward，thefartheryouenterin。"Iwouldratheradvisethatamanshouldgivehisservantaboxoftheearalittleunseasonably，thanrackhisfancytopresentthisgraveandcomposedcountenance;andhadratherdiscovermypassionsthanbroodoverthematmyownexpense;theygrowlessinventingandmanifestingthemselves;and’tismuchbettertheirpointshouldwoundotherswithout，thanbeturnedtowardsourselveswithin:

"Omniavitiainapertoleviorasunt:ettuncperniciosissima，quumsimulatasanitatesubsident。"

["Allvicesarelessdangerouswhenopentobeseen，andthenmostperniciouswhentheylurkunderadissembledgoodnature。"

——Seneca，Ep。56]

Iadmonishallthosewhohaveauthoritytobeangryinmyfamily，inthefirstplacetomanagetheirangerandnottolavishituponeveryoccasion，forthatbothlessensthevalueandhinderstheeffect:rashandincessantscoldingrunsintocustom，andrendersitselfdespised;andwhatyoulayoutuponaservantforatheftisnotfelt，becauseitisthesamehehasseenyouahundredtimesemployagainsthimforhavingillwashedaglass，orsetastooloutofplace。Secondly，thattheybenotangrytonopurpose，butmakesurethattheirreprehensionreachhimwithwhomtheyareoffended;for，ordinarily，theyrailandbawlbeforehecomesintotheirpresence，andcontinuescoldinganageafterheisgone:

"Etsecumpetulansamentiacertat:"

["Andpetulantmadnesscontendswithitself。"

——ClaudianinEutrop。，i。237。]

theyattackhisshadow，anddrivethestorminaplacewherenooneiseitherchastisedorconcerned，butintheclamouroftheirvoice。

Ilikewiseinquarrelscondemnthosewhohuffandvapourwithoutanenemy:thoserhodomontadesshouldbereservedtodischargeupontheoffendingparty:

"MugitusveluticumprimainpraeliataurusTerrificosciet，atqueirasciincornuatentat，Arborisobnixustrunco，ventospuelacessitIctibus，etsparsaadpugnumproluditarena。"

["Aswhenabulltousherinthefight，makesdreadfulbellowings，andwhetshishornsagainstthetrunkofatree;withblowshebeatstheair，andrehearsesthefightbyscatteringthesand。"

——AEneid，xii。103。]

WhenIamangry，myangerisverysharpbutwithalveryshort，andasprivateasIcan;Ilosemyselfindeedinpromptnessandviolence，butnotintrouble;sothatIthrowoutallsortsofinjuriouswordsatrandom，andwithoutchoice，andneverconsiderpertinentlytodartmylanguagewhereIthinkitwilldeepestwound，forIcommonlymakeuseofnootherweaponthanmytongue。

Myservantshaveabetterbargainofmeingreatoccasionsthaninlittle;thelittleonessurpriseme;andthemisfortuneis，thatwhenyouareonceupontheprecipice，’tisnomatterwhogaveyouthepush，youalwaysgotothebottom;thefallurges，moves，andmakeshasteofitself。Ingreatoccasionsthissatisfiesme，thattheyaresojusteveryoneexpectsareasonableindignation，andthenIglorifymyselfindeceivingtheirexpectation;againstthese，Ifortifyandpreparemyself;

theydisturbmyhead，andthreatentotransportmeveryfar，shouldI

followthem。Icaneasilycontainmyselffromenteringintooneofthesepassions，andamstrongenough，whenIexpectthem，torepeltheirviolence，bethecauseneversogreat;butifapassiononceprepossessandseizeme，itcarriesmeaway，bethecauseneversosmall。Ibargainthuswiththosewhomaycontendwithmewhenyouseememovedfirst，letmealone，rightorwrong;I’lldothesameforyou。Thestormisonlybegotbyaconcurrenceofangers，whicheasilyspringfromoneanother，andarenotborntogether。Leteveryonehavehisownway，andweshallbealwaysatpeace。Aprofitableadvice，buthardtoexecute。SometimesalsoitfallsoutthatIputonaseeminganger，forthebettergoverningofmyhouse，withoutanyrealemotion。Asagerendersmyhumoursmoresharp，Istudytoopposethem，andwill，ifIcan，orderitso，thatforthefutureImaybesomuchthelesspeevishandhardtoplease，asI

havemoreexcuseandinclinationtobeso，althoughIhaveheretoforebeenreckonedamongstthosewhohavethegreatestpatience。

Awordmoretoconcludethisargument。Aristotlesays，thatangersometimesservesforarmstovirtueandvalour。Thatisprobable;

nevertheless，theywhocontradicthimpleasantlyanswer，that’tisaweaponofnoveluse，forwemoveallotherarms，thismovesus;ourhandguidesitnot，’tisitthatguidesourhand;itholdsus，weholdnotit。

EndTheEssaysofMontaigne，V13

byMicheldeMontaigneTranslatedbyCharlesCottonEditedbyWilliamCarewHazilitt1877

CONTENTSOFVOLUME13。

XXXII。DefenceofSenecaandPlutarch。

XXXIII。ThestoryofSpurina。

XXXIV。MeanstocarryonawaraccordingtoJuliusCaesar。

XXXV。Ofthreegoodwomen。

XXXVI。Ofthemostexcellentmen。

XXXVII。Oftheresemblanceofchildrentotheirfathers。

CHAPTERXXXII

DEFENCEOFSENECAANDPLUTARCH

ThefamiliarityIhavewiththesetwoauthors，andtheassistancetheyhavelenttomyageandtomybook，whollycompiledofwhatIhaveborrowedfromthem，obligemetostandupfortheirhonour。

AstoSeneca，amongstamillionoflittlepamphletsthatthoseoftheso—

calledreformedreligiondisperseabroadforthedefenceoftheircause（andwhichsometimesproceedfromsogoodahand，that’tispityhispenisnotemployedinabettersubject），Ihaveformerlyseenone，thattomakeuptheparallelhewouldfainfindoutbetwixtthegovernmentofourlatepoorKingCharlesIX。andthatofNero，comparesthelateCardinalofLorrainewithSeneca;theirfortunes，inhavingbothofthembeentheprimeministersinthegovernmentoftheirprinces，andintheirmanners，conditions，anddeportmentstohavebeenverynearalike。Wherein，inmyopinion，hedoesthesaidcardinalaverygreathonour;forthoughIamoneofthosewhohaveaveryhighesteemforhiswit，eloquence，andzealtoreligionandtheserviceofhisking，andhisgoodfortunetohavelivedinanagewhereinitwassonovel，sorare，andalsosonecessaryforthepublicgoodtohaveanecclesiasticalpersonofsuchhighbirthanddignity，andsosufficientandcapableofhisplace;yet，toconfessthetruth，Idonotthinkhiscapacitybymanydegreesneartotheother，norhisvirtueeithersoclean，entire，orsteadyasthatofSeneca。

NowthebookwhereofIspeak，tobringaboutitsdesign，givesaveryinjuriousdescriptionofSeneca，havingborroweditsapproachesfromDionthehistorian，whosetestimonyIdonotatallbelieveforbesidesthatheisinconsistent，thatafterhavingcalledSenecaonewhileverywise，andagainamortalenemytoNero’svices，makeshimelsewhereavaricious，anusurer，ambitious，effeminate，voluptuous，andafalsepretendertophilosophy，hisvirtueappearssovividandvigorousinhiswritings，andhisvindicationissoclearfromanyoftheseimputations，asofhisrichesandextraordinarilyexpensivewayofliving，thatIcannotbelieveanytestimonytothecontrary。Andbesides，itismuchmorereasonabletobelievetheRomanhistoriansinsuchthingsthanGreeksandforeigners。NowTacitusandtherestspeakveryhonourablybothofhislifeanddeath;andrepresenthimtousaveryexcellentandvirtuouspersoninallthings;andIwillallegenootherreproachagainstDion’sreportbutthis，whichIcannotavoid，namely，thathehassoweakajudgmentintheRomanaffairs，thathedarestomaintainJuliusCaesar’scauseagainstPompey[Andsodoesthiseditor。D。W。]，andthatofAntonyagainstCicero。

LetusnowcometoPlutarch:JeanBodinisagoodauthorofourtimes，andawriterofmuchgreaterjudgmentthantheroutofscribblersofhisage，andwhodeservestobereadandconsidered。Ifindhim，though，alittleboldinthispassageofhisMethodofhistory，whereheaccusesPlutarchnotonlyofignorance（whereinIwouldhavelethimalone:forthatisbeyondmycriticism），butthathe"oftenwritesthingsincredible，andabsolutelyfabulous":thesearehisownwords。Ifhehadsimplysaid，thathehaddeliveredthingsotherwisethantheyreallyare，ithadbeennogreatreproach;forwhatwehavenotseen，weareforcedtoreceivefromotherhands，andtakeupontrust，andIseethathepurposelysometimesvariouslyrelatesthesamestory;asthejudgmentofthethreebestcaptainsthateverwere，givenbyHannibal;’tisonewayintheLifeofFlammius，andanotherinthatofPyrrhus。Buttochargehimwithhavingtakenincredibleandimpossiblethingsforcurrentpay，istoaccusethemostjudiciousauthorintheworldofwantofjudgment。Andthisishisexample;"as，"sayshe，"whenherelatesthataLacedaemonianboysufferedhisbowelstobetornoutbyafox—cubhehadstolen，andkeptitstillconcealedunderhiscoattillhefelldowndead，ratherthanhewoulddiscoverhistheft。"Ifind，inthefirstplace，thisexampleillchosen，forasmuchasitisveryhardtolimitthepowerofthefacultiesof——thesoul，whereaswehavebetterauthoritytolimitandknowtheforceofthebodilylimbs;andtherefore，ifIhadbeenhe，Ishouldratherhavechosenanexampleofthissecondsort;andtherearesomeoftheselesscredible:andamongstothers，thatwhichherefatesofPyrrhus，that"allwoundedashewas，hestruckoneofhisenemies，whowasarmedfromheadtofoot，sogreatablowwithhissword，thatheclavehimdownfromhiscrowntohisseat，sothatthebodywasdividedintotwoparts。"InthisexampleIfindnogreatmiracle，nordoIadmittheexcusewithwhichhedefendsPlutarch，inhavingaddedthesewords，"as’tissaid，"tosuspendourbelief;forunlessitbeinthingsreceivedbyauthority，andthereverencetoantiquityorreligion，hewouldneverhavehimselfadmitted，orenjoinedustobelievethingsincredibleinthemselves;andthatthesewords，"as’tissaid，"arenotputinthisplacetothateffect，iseasytobeseen，becauseheelsewhererelatestous，uponthissubject，ofthepatienceoftheLacedaemonianchildren，exampleshappeninginhistime，moreunlikelytoprevailuponourfaith;aswhatCicerohasalsotestifiedbeforehim，ashaving，ashesays，beenuponthespot:thateventotheirtimestherewerechildrenfoundwho，inthetrialofpatiencetheywereputtobeforethealtarofDiana，sufferedthemselvestobetherewhippedtillthebloodrandownallovertheirbodies，notonlywithoutcryingout，butwithoutsomuchasagroan，andsometilltheytherevoluntarilylostth