the essays of montaigne, v4-第2节

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！


　　　　　　　　ab　animis　consuetudine　imbutis　petere　testimonium　veritatis？〃

　　　　　＇〃Is　it　not　a　shame　for　a　natural　philosopher；　that　is；　for　an
　　　　　observer　and　hunter　of　nature；　to　seek　testimony　of　the　truth　from
　　　　　minds　prepossessed　by　custom？〃Cicero；　De　Natura　Deor。；　i。　30。＇

I　do　believe；　that　no　so　absurd　or　ridiculous　fancy　can　enter　into　human
imagination；　that　does　not　meet　with　some　example　of　public　practice；　and
that；　consequently；　our　reason　does　not　ground　and　back　up。　　There　are
people；　amongst　whom　it　is　the　fashion　to　turn　their　backs　upon　him　they
salute；　and　never　look　upon　the　man　they　intend　to　honour。　　There　is　a
place；　where；　whenever　the　king　spits；　the　greatest　ladies　of　his　court
put　out　their　hands　to　receive　it；　and　another　nation；　where　the　most
eminent　persons　about　him　stoop　to　take　up　his　ordure　in　a　linen　cloth。
Let　us　here　steal　room　to　insert　a　story。

A　French　gentleman　was　always　wont　to　blow　his　nose　with　his　fingers　（a
thing　very　much　against　our　fashion）；　and　he　justifying　himself　for　so
doing；　and　he　was　a　man　famous　for　pleasant　repartees；　he　asked　me；　what
privilege　this　filthy　excrement　had；　that　we　must　carry　about　us　a　fine
handkerchief　to　receive　it；　and；　which　was　more；　afterwards　to　lap　it
carefully　up；　and　carry　it　all　day　about　in　our　pockets；　which；　he　said；
could　not　but　be　much　more　nauseous　and　offensive；　than　to　see　it　thrown
away；　as　we　did　all　other　evacuations。　　I　found　that　what　he　said　was　not
altogether　without　reason；　and　by　being　frequently　in　his　company；　that
slovenly　action　of　his　was　at　last　grown　familiar　to　me；　which
nevertheless　we　make　a　face　at；　when　we　hear　it　reported　of　another
country。　　Miracles　appear　to　be　so；　according　to　our　ignorance　of　nature；
and　not　according　to　the　essence　of　nature　the　continually　being
accustomed　to　anything；　blinds　the　eye　of　our　judgment。　　Barbarians　are
no　more　a　wonder　to　us；　than　we　are　to　them；　nor　with　any　more　reason；　as
every　one　would　confess；　if　after　having　travelled　over　those　remote
examples；　men　could　settle　themselves　to　reflect　upon；　and　rightly　to
confer　them；　with　their　own。　　Human　reason　is　a　tincture　almost　equally
infused　into　all　our　opinions　and　manners；　of　what　form　soever　they　are；
infinite　in　matter；　infinite　in　diversity。　　But　I　return　to　my　subject。

There　are　peoples；　where；　his　wife　and　children　excepted；　no　one　speaks
to　the　king　but　through　a　tube。　　In　one　and　the　same　nation；　the　virgins
discover　those　parts　that　modesty　should　persuade　them　to　hide；　and　the
married　women　carefully　cover　and　conceal　them。　　To　which；　this　custom；
in　another　place；　has　some　relation；　where　chastity；　but　in　marriage；　is
of　no　esteem；　for　unmarried　women　may　prostitute　themselves　to　as　many　as
they　please；　and　being　got　with　child；　may　lawfully　take　physic；　in　the
sight　of　every　one；　to　destroy　their　fruit。　　And；　in　another　place；　if　a
tradesman　marry；　all　of　the　same　condition；　who　are　invited　to　the
wedding；　lie　with　the　bride　before　him；　and　the　greater　number　of　them
there　is；　the　greater　is　her　honour；　and　the　opinion　of　her　ability　and
strength：　if　an　officer　marry；　'tis　the　same；　the　same　with　a　labourer；
or　one　of　mean　condition；　but　then　it　belongs　to　the　lord　of　the　place　to
perform　that　office；　and　yet　a　severe　loyalty　during　marriage　is
afterward　strictly　enjoined。　　There　are　places　where　brothels　of　young
men　are　kept　for　the　pleasure　of　women；　where　the　wives　go　to　war　as　well
as　the　husbands；　and　not　only　share　in　the　dangers　of　battle；　but；
moreover；　in　the　honours　of　command。　　Others；　where　they　wear　rings　not
only　through　their　noses；　lips；　cheeks；　and　on　their　toes；　but　also
weighty　gimmals　of　gold　thrust　through　their　paps　and　buttocks；　where；　in
eating；　they　wipe　their　fingers　upon　their　thighs；　genitories；　and　the
soles　of　their　feet：　where　children　are　excluded；　and　brothers　and
nephews　only　inherit；　and　elsewhere；　nephews　only；　saving　in　the
succession　of　the　prince：　where；　for　the　regulation　of　community　in　goods
and　estates；　observed　in　the　country；　certain　sovereign　magistrates　have
committed　to　them　the　universal　charge　and　overseeing　of　the　agriculture；
and　distribution　of　the　fruits；　according　to　the　necessity　of　every　one
where　they　lament　the　death　of　children；　and　feast　at　the　decease　of　old
men：　where　they　lie　ten　or　twelve　in　a　bed；　men　and　their　wives　together：
where　women；　whose　husbands　come　to　violent　ends；　may　marry　again；　and
others　not：　where　the　condition　of　women　is　looked　upon　with　such
contempt；　that　they　kill　all　the　native　females；　and　buy　wives　of　their
neighbours　to　supply　their　use；　where　husbands　may　repudiate　their　wives；
without　showing　any　cause；　but　wives　cannot　part　from　their　husbands；　for
what　cause　soever；　where　husbands　may　sell　their　wives　in　case　of
sterility；　where　they　boil　the　bodies　of　their　dead；　and　afterward　pound
them　to　a　pulp；　which　they　mix　with　their　wine；　and　drink　it；　where　the
most　coveted　sepulture　is　to　be　eaten　by　dogs；　and　elsewhere　by　birds；
where　they　believe　the　souls　of　the　blessed　live　in　all　manner　of
liberty；　in　delightful　fields；　furnished　with　all　sorts　of　delicacies；
and　that　it　is　these　souls；　repeating　the　words　we　utter；　which　we　call
Echo；　where　they　fight　in　the　water；　and　shoot　their　arrows　with　the　most
mortal　aim；　swimming；　where；　for　a　sign　of　subjection；　they　lift　up　their
shoulders；　and　hang　down　their　heads；　where　they　put　off　their　shoes　when
they　enter　the　king's　palace；　where　the　eunuchs；　who　take　charge　of　the
sacred　women；　have；　moreover；　their　lips　and　noses　cut　off；　that　they　may
not　be　loved；　where　the　priests　put　out　their　own　eyes；　to　be　better
acquainted　with　their　demons；　and　the　better　to　receive　their　oracles；
where　every　one　makes　to　himself　a　deity　of　what　he　likes　best；　the
hunter　of　a　lion　or　a　fox；　the　fisher　of　some　fish；　idols　of　every　human
action　or　passion；　in　which　place；　the　sun；　the　moon；　and　the　earth　are
the　'principal　deities；　and　the　form　of　taking　an　oath　is；　to　touch　the
earth；　looking　up　to　heaven；　where　both　flesh　and　fish　is　eaten　raw；
where　the　greatest　oath　they　take　is；　to　swear　by　the　name　of　some　dead
person　of　reputation；　laying　their　hand　upon　his　tomb；　where　the
newyear's　gift　the　king　sends　every　year　to　the　princes；　his　vassals；　is
fire；　which　being　brought；　all　the　old　fire　is　put　out；　and　the
neighbouring　people　are　bound　to　fetch　of　the　new；　every　one　for
themselves；　upon　pain　of　high　treason；　where；　when　the　king；　to　betake
himself　wholly　to　devotion；　retires　from　his　administration　（which　often
falls　out）；　his　next　successor　is　obliged　to　do　the　same；　and　the　right
of　the　kingdom　devolves　to　the　third　in　succession：　where　they　vary　the
form　of　government；　according　to　the　seeming　necessity　of　affairs：　depose
the　king　when　they　think　good；　substituting　certain　elders　to　govern　in
his　stead；　and　sometimes　transferring　it　into　the　hands　of　the
commonality：　where　men　and　women　are　both　circumcised　and　also　baptized：
where　the　soldier；　who　in　one　or　several　engagements；　has　been　so
fortunate　as　to　present　seven　of　the　enemies'　heads　to　the　king；　is　made
noble：　where　they　live　in　that　rare　and　unsociable　opinion　of　the
mortality　of　the　soul：　where　the　women　are　delivered　without　pain　or
fear：　where　the　women　wear　copper　leggings　upon　both　legs；　and　if　a　louse
bite　them；　are　bound　in　magnanimity　to　bite　them　again；　and　dare　not
marry；　till　first　they　have　made　their　king　a　tender　of　their　virginity；
if　he　please　to　accept　it：　where　the　ordinary　way　of　salutation　is　by
putting　a　finger　down　to　the　earth；　and　then　pointing　it　up　toward
heaven：　where　men　carry　burdens　upon　their　heads；　and　women　on　their
shoulders；　where　the　women　make　water　standing；　and　the　men　squatting：
where　they　send　their　blood　in　token　of　friendship；　and　offer　incense　to
the　men　they　would　honour；　like　gods：　where；　not　only　to　the　fourth；　but
in　any　other　remote　degree；　kindred　are　not　permitted　to　marry：　where　the
children　are　four　years　at　nurse；　and　often　twelve；　in　which　place；　also；
it　is　accounted　mortal　to　give　the　child　suck　the　first　day　after　it　is
born：　where　the　correction　of　the　male　children　is　peculiarly　designed　to
the　fathers；　and　to　the　mothers　of　the　girls；　the　punishment　being　to
hang　them　by　the　heels　in　the　smoke：　where　they　circumcise　the　women：
where　they　eat　all　sorts　of　herbs；　without　other　scruple　than　of　the
badness　of　the　smell：　where　all　things　are　open　the　finest　houses；
furnished　in　the　richest　manner；　without　doors；　windows；　trunks；　or
chests　to　lock；　a　thief　being　there　punished　double　what　they　are　in
other　places：　where　they　crack　lice　with　their　teeth　like　monkeys；　and
abhor　to　see　them　killed　with　one's　nails：　where　in　all　their　lives　they
neither　cut　their　hair　nor　pare　their　nails；　and；　in　another　place；　pare
those　of　the　right　hand　only；　letting　the　left　grow　for　ornament　and
bravery：　where　they　suffer　the　hair　on　the　right　side　to　grow　as　long　as
it　will；　and　shave　the　other；　and　in　the　neighbouring　provinces；　some　let
their　hair　grow　long　before；　and　some　behind；　shaving　close　the　rest：
where　parents　let　out　their　children；　and　husban