the essays of montaigne, v3-第8部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　　　　there　has　not　been　heard　sobs　and　sorrowing　cries；　the　companions　of
　　　　　death　and　funerals。〃Lucretius；　v。　　579。＇

〃To　what　end　should　you　endeavour　to　draw　back；　if　there　be　no
possibility　to　evade　it？　you　have　seen　examples　enough　of　those　who　have
been　well　pleased　to　die；　as　thereby　delivered　from　heavy　miseries；　but
have　you　ever　found　any　who　have　been　dissatisfied　with　dying？　　It　must；
therefore；　needs　be　very　foolish　to　condemn　a　thing　you　have　neither
experimented　in　your　own　person；　nor　by　that　of　any　other。　　Why　dost　thou
complain　of　me　and　of　destiny？　　Do　we　do　thee　any　wrong？　　Is　it　for　thee
to　govern　us；　or　for　us　to　govern　thee？　　Though；　peradventure；　thy　age
may　not　be　accomplished；　yet　thy　life　is：　a　man　of　low　stature　is　as　much
a　man　as　a　giant；　neither　men　nor　their　lives　are　measured　by　the　ell。
Chiron　refused　to　be　immortal；　when　he　was　acquainted　with　the　conditions
under　which　he　was　to　enjoy　it；　by　the　god　of　time　itself　and　its
duration；　his　father　Saturn。　　Do　but　seriously　consider　how　much　more
insupportable　and　painful　an　immortal　life　would　be　to　man　than　what　I
have　already　given　him。　　If　you　had　not　death；　you　would　eternally　curse
me　for　having　deprived　you　of　it；　I　have　mixed　a　little　bitterness　with
it；　to　the　end；　that　seeing　of　what　convenience　it　is；　you　might　not　too
greedily　and　indiscreetly　seek　and　embrace　it：　and　that　you　might　be　so
established　in　this　moderation；　as　neither　to　nauseate　life；　nor　have　any
antipathy　for　dying；　which　I　have　decreed　you　shall　once　do；　I　have
tempered　the　one　and　the　other　betwixt　pleasure　and　pain。　　It　was　I　that
taught　Thales；　the　most　eminent　of　your　sages；　that　to　live　and　to　die
were　indifferent；　which　made　him；　very　wisely；　answer　him；　'Why　then　he
did　not　die？'　　'Because；'　said　he；　'it　is　indifferent。'＇Diogenes
Laertius；　i。　　35。＇　Water；　earth；　air；　and　fire；　and　the　other　parts　of
this　creation　of　mine；　are　no　more　instruments　of　thy　life　than　they　are
of　thy　death。　　Why　dost　thou　fear　thy　last　day？　it　contributes　no　more　to
thy　dissolution；　than　every　one　of　the　rest：　the　last　step　is　not　the
cause　of　lassitude：　it　does　not　confess　it。　　Every　day　travels　towards
death；　the　last　only　arrives　at　it。〃　　These　are　the　good　lessons　our
mother　Nature　teaches。

I　have　often　considered　with　myself　whence　it　should　proceed；　that　in　war
the　image　of　death；　whether　we　look　upon　it　in　ourselves　or　in　others；
should；　without　comparison；　appear　less　dreadful　than　at　home　in　our　own
houses　（for　if　it　were　not　so；　it　would　be　an　army　of　doctors　and　whining
milksops）；　and　that　being　still　in　all　places　the　same；　there　should　be；
notwithstanding；　much　more　assurance　in　peasants　and　the　meaner　sort　of
people；　than　in　others　of　better　quality。　　I　believe；　in　truth；　that　it
is　those　terrible　ceremonies　and　preparations　wherewith　we　set　it　out；
that　more　terrify　us　than　the　thing　itself；　a　new；　quite　contrary　way　of
living；　the　cries　of　mothers；　wives；　and　children；　the　visits　of
astounded　and　afflicted　friends；　the　attendance　of　pale　and　blubbering
servants；　a　dark　room；　set　round　with　burning　tapers；　our　beds　environed
with　physicians　and　divines；　in　sum；　nothing　but　ghostliness　and　horror
round　about　us；　we　seem　dead　and　buried　already。　　Children　are　afraid
even　of　those　they　are　best　acquainted　with；　when　disguised　in　a　visor；
and　so　'tis　with　us；　the　visor　must　be　removed　as　well　from　things　as
from　persons；　that　being　taken　away；　we　shall　find　nothing　underneath　but
the　very　same　death　that　a　mean　servant　or　a　poor　chambermaid　died　a　day
or　two　ago；　without　any　manner　of　apprehension。　　Happy　is　the　death　that
deprives　us　of　leisure　for　preparing　such　ceremonials。




CHAPTER　XX

OF　THE　FORCE　OF　IMAGINATION

　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Fortis　imaginatio　generat　casum；〃　say　the　schoolmen。

　　　　　＇〃A　strong　imagination　begets　the　event　itself。〃Axiom。　Scholast。＇

I　am　one　of　those　who　are　most　sensible　of　the　power　of　imagination：
every　one　is　jostled　by　it；　but　some　are　overthrown　by　it。　　It　has　a　very
piercing　impression　upon　me；　and　I　make　it　my　business　to　avoid；　wanting
force　to　resist　it。　　I　could　live　by　the　sole　help　of　healthful　and　jolly
company：　the　very　sight　of　another's　pain　materially　pains　me；　and　I
often　usurp　the　sensations　of　another　person。　　A　perpetual　cough　in
another　tickles　my　lungs　and　throat。　　I　more　unwillingly　visit　the　sick
in　whom　by　love　and　duty　I　am　interested；　than　those　I　care　not　for；　to
whom　I　less　look。　　I　take　possession　of　the　disease　I　am　concerned　at；
and　take　it　to　myself。　　I　do　not　at　all　wonder　that　fancy　should　give
fevers　and　sometimes　kill　such　as　allow　it　too　much　scope；　and　are　too
willing　to　entertain　it。　　Simon　Thomas　was　a　great　physician　of　his　time：
I　remember；　that　happening　one　day　at　Toulouse　to　meet　him　at　a　rich　old
fellow's　house；　who　was　troubled　with　weak　lungs；　and　discoursing　with
the　patient　about　the　method　of　his　cure；　he　told　him；　that　one　thing
which　would　be　very　conducive　to　it；　was　to　give　me　such　occasion　to　be
pleased　with　his　company；　that　I　might　come　often　to　see　him；　by　which
means；　and　by　fixing　his　eyes　upon　the　freshness　of　my　complexion；　and
his　imagination　upon　the　sprightliness　and　vigour　that　glowed　in　my
youth；　and　possessing　all　his　senses　with　the　flourishing　age　wherein　I
then　was；　his　habit　of　body　might；　peradventure；　be　amended；　but　he
forgot　to　say　that　mine；　at　the　same　time；　might　be　made　worse。　　Gallus
Vibius　so　much　bent　his　mind　to　find　out　the　essence　and　motions　of
madness；　that；　in　the　end；　he　himself　went　out　of　his　wits；　and　to　such　a
degree；　that　he　could　never　after　recover　his　judgment；　and　might　brag
that　he　was　become　a　fool　by　too　much　wisdom。　　Some　there　are　who　through
fear　anticipate　the　hangman；　and　there　was　the　man；　whose　eyes　being
unbound　to　have　his　pardon　read　to　him；　was　found　stark　dead　upon　the
scaffold；　by　the　stroke　of　imagination。　　We　start；　tremble；　turn　pale；
and　blush；　as　we　are　variously　moved　by　imagination；　and；　being　a…bed；
feel　our　bodies　agitated　with　its　power　to　that　degree；　as　even　sometimes
to　expiring。　　And　boiling　youth；　when　fast　asleep；　grows　so　warm　with
fancy；　as　in　a　dream　to　satisfy　amorous　desires：

　　　　　　　　　〃Ut；　quasi　transactis　saepe　omnibu　rebu；　profundant
　　　　　　　　　　Fluminis　ingentes；　fluctus；　vestemque　cruentent。〃

Although　it　be　no　new　thing　to　see　horns　grown　in　a　night　on　the　forehead
of　one　that　had　none　when　he　went　to　bed；　notwithstanding；　what　befell
Cippus；　King　of　Italy；　　is　memorable；　who　having　one　day　been　a　very
delighted　spectator　of　a　bullfight；　and　having　all　the　night　dreamed　that
he　had　horns　on　his　head；　did；　by　the　force　of　imagination；　really　cause
them　to　grow　there。　　Passion　gave　to　the　son　of　Croesus　the　voice　which
nature　had　denied　him。　　And　Antiochus　fell　into　a　fever；　inflamed　with
the　beauty　of　Stratonice；　too　deeply　imprinted　in　his　soul。　　Pliny
pretends　to　have　seen　Lucius　Cossitius；　who　from　a　woman　was　turned　into
a　man　upon　her　very　wedding…day。　　Pontanus　and　others　report　the　like
metamorphosis　to　have　happened　in　these　latter　days　in　Italy。　　And；
through　the　vehement　desire　of　him　and　his　mother：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Volta　puer　solvit；　quae　foemina　voverat；　Iphis。〃

Myself　passing　by　Vitry　le　Francois；　　saw　a　man　the　Bishop　of　Soissons
had；　in　confirmation；　called　Germain；　whom　all　the　inhabitants　of　the
place　had　known　to　be　a　girl　till　two…and…twenty　years　of　age；　called
Mary。　　He　was；　at　the　time　of　my　being　there；　very　full　of　beard；　old；
and　not　married。　　He　told　us；　that　by　straining　himself　in　a　leap　his
male　organs　came　out；　and　the　girls　of　that　place　have；　to　this　day；　a
song；　wherein　they　advise　one　another　not　to　take　too　great　strides；　for
fear　of　being　turned　into　men；　as　Mary　Germain　was。　　It　is　no　wonder　if
this　sort　of　accident　frequently　happen；　for　if　imagination　have　any
power　in　such　things；　it　is　so　continually　and　vigorously　bent　upon　this
subject；　that　to　the　end　it　may　not　so　often　relapse　into　the　same
thought　and　violence　of　desire；　it　were　better；　once　for　all；　to　give
these　young　wenches　the　things　they　long　for。

Some　attribute　the　scars　of　King　Dagobert　and　of　St。　Francis　to　the　force
of　imagination。　　It　is　said；　that　by　it　bodies　will　sometimes　be　removed
from　their　places；　and　Celsus　tells　us　of　a　priest　whose　soul　would　be
ravished　into　such　an　ecstasy　that　the　body　would；　for　a　long　time；
remain　without　sense　or　respiration。　　St。　Augustine　makes　mention　of
another；　who；　upon　the　hearing　of　any　lamentable　or　doleful　cries；　would
presently　fall　into　a　swoon；　and　be　so　far　out　of　himself；　that　it　was　in
vain　to　call；　bawl　in　his　ears；　pinch　or　burn　him；　till　he　voluntarily
came　to　himself；　and　then　he　would　say；　that　he　had　heard　voices　as　it
were　afar　off；　and　did　feel　when　they　pinched　and　burned　him；　and；　to
prove　that　this　was　no　obstinate　dissimulation　in　defiance　of　his　sense
of　feeling；　it　was　manifest；　that　all　the　while　he　had　neither　pulse　nor
breathing。

'Tis　very　probable；　that　visions；　enchantments；　and　all　extraordinary
effects　of　that　nature；　derive　their　credit　principally　from　the　power　of
imagination；　working　and　making　its　chiefest　impression　upon　vulgar　and
more　easy　souls；　whose　belief　is　so　strangely　imposed　upon；　as　to　think
they　see　what　they　do　not　see。

I　am　not　satisfied　whether　those　pleasant　ligatures　＇Les　nouements
d'aiguillettes；　as　they　were　called；　knots　tied　by　some　one；　at　a
wedding；　on　a　strip　of　leather；　cotton；　or　silk；　and　which；　especially
when　passed　through　the　wedding…ring；　were　supposed　to　have　the　magical
effect　of　preventing　a　consummation　of　the　marriage　until　they　were
untied。　　See　Louandre；　La　Sorcellerie；　1853；　p。　73。　　The　same
superstition　and　appliance　existed　in　England。＇　with　which　this　age　of
ours　is　so　occupied；　that　there　is　almost　no　other　talk；　are　not　mere
voluntary　impressions　of　apprehension　and　fear；　for　I　know；　by
experience；　in　the　case　of　a　particular　friend　of　mine；　one　for　whom　I
can　be　as　responsible　as　for　myself；　and　a　man　that　cannot　possibly　fall
under　any　manner　of　suspicion　of　insufficiency；　and　as　little　of　being
enchanted；　who　having　heard　a　compan