the essays of montaigne, v4-第10节

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of　Seneca；　another　with　a　verse　of　Homer；　and　so　forth；　every　one
according　to　his　talent；　and　he　fancied　this　knowledge　to　be　his　own；
because　it　was　in　the　heads　of　those　who　lived　upon　his　bounty；　as　they
also　do；　whose　learning　consists　in　having　noble　libraries。　　I　know　one；
who；　when　I　question　him　what　he　knows；　he　presently　calls　for　a　book　to
shew　me；　and　dares　not　venture　to　tell　me　so　much；　as　that　he　has　piles
in　his　posteriors；　till　first　he　has　consulted　his　dictionary；　what　piles
and　what　posteriors　are。

We　take　other　men's　knowledge　and　opinions　upon　trust；　which　is　an　idle
and　superficial　learning。　We　must　make　it　our　own。　　We　are　in　this　very
like　him；　who　having　need　of　fire；　went　to　a　neighbour's　house　to　fetch
it；　and　finding　a　very　good　one　there；　sat　down　to　warm　himself　without
remembering　to　carry　any　with　him　home。＇Plutarch；　How　a　Man　should
Listen。＇　What　good　does　it　do　us　to　have　the　stomach　full　of　meat；　if
it　do　not　digest；　if　it　be　not　incorporated　with　us；　if　it　does　not
nourish　and　support　us？　　Can　we　imagine　that　Lucullus；　whom　letters；
without　any　manner　of　experience；　made　so　great　a　captain；　learned　to　be
so　after　this　perfunctory　manner？　＇Cicero；　Acad。；　ii。　I。＇　We　suffer
ourselves　to　lean　and　rely　so　strongly　upon　the　arm　of　another；　that　we
destroy　our　own　strength　and　vigour。　　Would　I　fortify　myself　against　the
fear　of　death；　it　must　be　at　the　expense　of　Seneca：　would　I　extract
consolation　for　myself　or　my　friend；　I　borrow　it　from　Cicero。　　I　might
have　found　it　in　myself；　had　I　been　trained　to　make　use　of　my　own　reason。
I　do　not　like　this　relative　and　mendicant　understanding；　for　though　we
could　become　learned　by　other　men's　learning；　a　man　can　never　be　wise　but
by　his　own　wisdom：

　　　　　＇〃I　hate　the　wise　man；　who　in　his　own　concern　is　not　wise。〃
　　　　　　Euripides；　ap。　Cicero；　Ep。　Fam。；　xiii。　15。＇

Whence　Ennius：

　　　　　〃Nequidquam　sapere　sapientem；　qui　ipse　sibi　prodesse　non　quiret。〃

　　　　　＇〃That　wise　man　knows　nothing；　who　cannot　profit　himself　by　his
　　　　　wisdom。〃Cicero；　De　Offic。；　iii。　15。＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Si　cupidus；　si
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Vanus；　et　Euganea　quantumvis　mollior　agna。〃

　　　　　＇〃If　he　be　grasping；　or　a　boaster；　and　something　softer　than　an
　　　　　Euganean　lamb。〃Juvenal；　Sat。；　viii。　14。＇

　　　　　〃Non　enim　paranda　nobis　solum；　sed　fruenda　sapientia　est。〃

　　　　　＇〃　For　wisdom　is　not　only　to　be　acquired；　but　to　be　utilised。〃
　　　　　Cicero；　De　Finib。；　i。　I。＇

Dionysius　＇It　was　not　Dionysius；　but　Diogenes　the　cynic。　　Diogenes
Laertius；　vi。　27。＇　laughed　at　the　grammarians；　who　set　themselves　to
inquire　into　the　miseries　of　Ulysses；　and　were　ignorant　of　their　own；
at　musicians；　who　were　so　exact　in　tuning　their　instruments；　and　never
tuned　their　manners；　at　orators；　who　made　it　a　study　to　declare　what　is
justice；　but　never　took　care　to　do　it。　　If　the　mind　be　not　better
disposed；　if　the　judgment　be　no　better　settled；　I　had　much　rather　my
scholar　had　spent　his　time　at　tennis；　for；　at　least；　his　body　would　by
that　means　be　in　better　exercise　and　breath。　　Do　but　observe　him　when　he
comes　back　from　school；　after　fifteen　or　sixteen　years　that　he　has　been
there；　there　is　nothing　so　unfit　for　employment；　all　you　shall　find　he
has　got；　is；　that　his　Latin　and　Greek　have　only　made　him　a　greater
coxcomb　than　when　he　went　from　home。　　He　should　bring　back　his　soul
replete　with　good　literature；　and　he　brings　it　only　swelled　and　puffed　up
with　vain　and　empty　shreds　and　patches　of　learning；　and　has　really
nothing　more　in　him　than　he　had　before。＇Plato's　Dialogues：　Protagoras。＇

These　pedants　of　ours；　as　Plato　says　of　the　Sophists；　their　cousin…
germans；　are；　of　all　men；　they　who　most　pretend　to　be　useful　to　mankind；
and　who　alone；　of　all　men；　not　only　do　not　better　and　improve　that　which
is　committed　to　them；　as　a　carpenter　or　a　mason　would　do；　but　make　them
much　worse；　and　make　us　pay　them　for　making　them　worse；　to　boot。　　If　the
rule　which　Protagoras　proposed　to　his　pupils　were　followedeither　that
they　should　give　him　his　own　demand；　or　make　affidavit　upon　oath　in　the
temple　how　much　they　valued　the　profit　they　had　received　under　his
tuition；　and　satisfy　him　accordinglymy　pedagogues　would　find　themselves
sorely　gravelled；　if　they　were　to　be　judged　by　the　affidavits　of　my
experience。　　My　Perigordin　patois　very　pleasantly　calls　these　pretenders
to　learning；　'lettre…ferits'；　as　a　man　should　say；　letter…markedmen　on
whom　letters　have　been　stamped　by　the　blow　of　a　mallet。　　And；　in　truth；
for　the　most　part；　they　appear　to　be　deprived　even　of　common　sense；　for
you　see　the　husbandman　and　the　cobbler　go　simply　and　fairly　about　their
business；　speaking　only　of　what　they　know　and　understand；　whereas　these
fellows；　to　make　parade　and　to　get　opinion；　mustering　this　ridiculous
knowledge　of　theirs；　that　floats　on　the　superficies　of　the　brain；　are
perpetually　perplexing；　and　entangling　themselves　in　their　own　nonsense。
They　speak　fine　words　sometimes；　'tis　true；　but　let　somebody　that　is
wiser　apply　them。　　They　are　wonderfully　well　acquainted　with　Galen；　but
not　at　all　with　the　disease　of　the　patient；　they　have　already　deafened
you　with　a　long　ribble…row　of　laws；　but　understand　nothing　of　the　case　in
hand；　they　have　the　theory　of　all　things；　let　who　will　put　it　in
practice。

I　have　sat　by；　when　a　friend　of　mine；　in　my　own　house；　for　sport…sake；
has　with　one　of　these　fellows　counterfeited　a　jargon　of　Galimatias；
patched　up　of　phrases　without　head　or　tail；　saving　that　he　interlarded
here　and　there　some　terms　that　had　relation　to　their　dispute；　and　held
the　coxcomb　in　play　a　whole　afternoon　together；　who　all　the　while　thought
he　had　answered　pertinently　and　learnedly　to　all　his　objections；　and　yet
this　was　a　man　of　letters；　and　reputation；　and　a　fine　gentleman　of　the
long　robe：

　　　　　　　　　〃Vos；　O　patricius　sanguis；　quos　vivere　par　est
　　　　　　　　　　Occipiti　caeco；　posticae　occurrite　sannae。〃

　　　　　＇〃O　you；　of　patrician　blood；　to　whom　it　is　permitted　to　live
　　　　　with（out）　eyes　in　the　back　of　your　head；　beware　of　grimaces　at　you
　　　　　from　behind。〃Persius；　Sat。；　i。　61。＇

Whosoever　shall　narrowly　pry　into　and　thoroughly　sift　this　sort　of
people；　wherewith　the　world　is　so　pestered；　will；　as　I　have　done；　find；
that　for　the　most　part；　they　neither　understand　others；　nor　themselves；
and　that　their　memories　are　full　enough；　but　the　judgment　totally　void
and　empty；　some　excepted；　whose　own　nature　has　of　itself　formed　them　into
better　fashion。　　As　I　have　observed；　for　example；　in　Adrian　Turnebus；　who
having　never　made　other　profession　than　that　of　mere　learning　only；　and
in　that；　in　my　opinion；　he　was　the　greatest　man　that　has　been　these
thousand　years；　had　nothing　at　all　in　him　of　the　pedant；　but　the　wearing
of　his　gown；　and　a　little　exterior　fashion；　that　could　not　be　civilised
to　courtier　ways；　which　in　themselves　are　nothing。　　I　hate　our　people；
who　can　worse　endure　an　ill…contrived　robe　than　an　ill…contrived　mind；
and　take　their　measure　by　the　leg　a　man　makes；　by　his　behaviour；　and　so
much　as　the　very　fashion　of　his　boots；　what　kind　of　man　he　is。　　For
within　there　was　not　a　more　polished　soul　upon　earth。　　I　have　often
purposely　put　him　upon　arguments　quite　wide　of　his　profession；　wherein　I
found　he　had　so　clear　an　insight；　so　quick　an　apprehension；　so　solid　a
judgment；　that　a　man　would　have　thought　he　had　never　practised　any　other
thing　but　arms；　and　been　all　his　life　employed　in　affairs　of　State。
These　are　great　and　vigorous　natures；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Queis　arte　benigna
　　　　　　　　　　Et　meliore　luto　finxit　praecordia　Titan。〃

　　　　　＇〃Whom　benign　Titan　（Prometheus）　has　framed　of　better　clay。〃
　　　　　Juvenal；　xiv。　34。＇

that　can　keep　themselves　upright　in　despite　of　a　pedantic　education。　　But
it　is　not　enough　that　our　education　does　not　spoil　us；　it　must；　moreover；
alter　us　for　the　better。

Some　of　our　Parliaments；　when　they　are　to　admit　officers；　examine　only
their　learning；　to　which　some　of　the　others　also　add　the　trial　of
understanding；　by　asking　their　judgment　of　some　case　in　law；　of　these　the
latter；　methinks；　proceed　with　the　better　method；　for　although　both　are
necessary；　and　that　it　is　very　requisite　they　should　be　defective　in
neither；　yet；　in　truth；　knowledge　is　not　so　absolutely　necessary　as
judgment；　the　last　may　make　shift　without　the　other；　but　the　other　never
without　this。　　For　as　the　Greek　verse　says

　　　　　＇〃To　what　use　serves　learning；　if　understanding　be　away。〃
　　　　　Apud　Stobaeus；　tit。　iii。；　p。　37　（1609）。＇

Would　to　God　that；　for　the　good　of　our　judicature；　these　societies　were
as　well　furnished　with　understanding　and　conscience　as　they　are　with
knowledge。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Non　vita；　sed　scolae　discimus。〃

　　　　　＇〃We　do　not　study　for　life；　but　only　for　the　school。〃
　　　　　Seneca；　Ep。；　106。＇

We　are　not　to　tie　learning　to　the　soul；　but　to　work　and　incorporate　them
together：　not　to　tincture　it　only；　but　to　give　it　a　thorough　and　perfect
dye；　which；　if　it　will　not　take　colour；　and　meliorate　its　imperfect
state；　it　were　without　question　better　to　let　it　alone。　　'Tis　a　dangerous
weapon；　that　will　hinder　and　wound　its　master；　if　put　into　an　awkward　and
unskilful　ha