the essays of montaigne, v15- 第8部分

As　to　the　confusion　of　children；　besides　that　the　gravest　legislators
ordain　and　affect　it　in　their　republics；　it　touches　not　the　women；　where
this　passion　is；　I　know　not　how；　much　better　seated：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Saepe　etiam　Juno；　maxima　coelicolam；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Conjugis　in　culpa　flagravit　quotidiana。〃

　　　　　＇〃Often　was　Juno；　greatest　of　the　heaven…dwellers；　enraged　by　her
　　　　　husband's　daily　infidelities。〃Idem；　ibid。＇

When　jealousy　seizes　these　poor　souls；　weak　and　incapable　of　resistance；
'tis　pity　to　see　how　miserably　it　torments　and　tyrannises　over　them；　it
insinuates　itself　into　them　under　the　title　of　friendship；　but　after　it
has　once　possessed　them；　the　same　causes　that　served　for　a　foundation　of
good…will　serve　them　for　a　foundation　of　mortal　hatred。　　'Tis；　of　all　the
diseases　of　the　mind；　that　which　the　most　things　serve　for　aliment　and
the　fewest　for　remedy：　the　virtue；　health；　merit；　reputation　of　the
husband　are　incendiaries　of　their　fury　and　ill…will：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Nullae　sunt　inimicitiae；　nisi　amoris；　acerbae。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃No　enmities　are　bitter；　save　that　of　love。〃
　　　　　　　　　　（Or：）　〃No　hate　is　implacable　except　the　hatred　of　love〃
　　　　　　　　　　Propertius；　ii。　8；　3。＇

This　fever　defaces　and　corrupts　all　they　have　of　beautiful　and　good
besides；　and　there　is　no　action　of　a　jealous　woman；　let　her　be　how　chaste
and　how　good　a　housewife　soever；　that　does　not　relish　of　anger　and
wrangling；　'tis　a　furious　agitation；　that　rebounds　them　to　an　extremity
quite　contrary　to　its　cause。　　This　held　good　with　one　Octavius　at　Rome。
Having　lain　with　Pontia　Posthumia；　he　augmented　love　with　fruition；　and
solicited　with　all　importunity　to　marry　her：　unable　to　persuade　her；　this
excessive　affection　precipitated　him　to　the　effects　of　the　most　cruel　and
mortal　hatred：　he　killed　her。　　In　like　manner；　the　ordinary　symptoms　of
this　other　amorous　disease　are　intestine　hatreds；　private　conspiracies；
and　cabals：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Notumque　furens　quid　faemina　possit；〃

　　　　　＇〃And　it　is　known　what　an　angry　woman　is　capable　of　doing。〃
　　　　　AEneid；　V。　21。＇

and　a　rage　which　so　much　the　more　frets　itself；　as　it　is　compelled　to
excuse　itself　by　a　pretence　of　good…will。

Now；　the　duty　of　chastity　is　of　a　vast　extent；　is　it　the　will　that　we
would　have　them　restrain？　　This　is　a　very　supple　and　active　thing；　a
thing　very　nimble；　to　be　stayed。　　How？　if　dreams　sometimes　engage　them　so
far　that　they　cannot　deny　them：　it　is　not　in　them；　nor；　peradventure；　in
chastity　itself；　seeing　that　is　a　female；　to　defend　itself　from　lust　and
desire。　　If　we　are　only　to　trust　to　their　will；　what　a　case　are　we　in；
then？　　Do　but　imagine　what　crowding　there　would　be　amongst　men　in
pursuance　of　the　privilege　to　run　full　speed；　without　tongue　or　eyes；
into　every　woman's　arms　who　would　accept　them。　　The　Scythian　women　put
out　the　eyes　of　all　their　slaves　and　prisoners　of　war；　that　they　might
have　their　pleasure　of　them；　and　they　never　the　wiser。　　O；　the　furious
advantage　of　opportunity！　　Should　any　one　ask　me；　what　was　the　first
thing　to　be　considered　in　love　matters；　I　should　answer　that　it　was　how
to　take　a　fitting　time；　and　so　the　second；　and　so　the　third'tis　a　point
that　can　do　everything。　　I　have　sometimes　wanted　fortune；　but　I　have　also
sometimes　been　wanting　to　myself　in　matters　of　attempt。　　God　help　him；
who　yet　makes　light　of　this！　　There　is　greater　temerity　required　in　this
age　of　ours；　which　our　young　men　excuse　under　the　name　of　heat；　but
should　women　examine　it　more　strictly；　they　would　find　that　it　rather
proceeds　from　contempt。　　I　was　always　superstitiously　afraid　of　giving
offence；　and　have　ever　had　a　great　respect　for　her　I　loved：　besides；　he
who　in　this　traffic　takes　away　the　reverence；　defaces　at　the　same　time
the　lustre。　　I　would　in　this　affair　have　a　man　a　little　play　the　child；
the　timorous；　and　the　servant。　　If　not　this；　I　have　in　other　bashfulness
whereof　altogether　in　things　some　air　of　the　foolish　Plutarch　makes
mention；　and　the　course　of　my　life　has　been　divers　ways　hurt　and
blemished　with　it；　a　quality　very　ill　suiting　my　universal　form：　and；
indeed；　what　are　we　but　sedition　and　discrepancy？　　I　am　as　much　out　of
countenance　to　be　denied　as　I　am　to　deny；　and　it　so　much　troubles　me　to
be　troublesome　to　others　that　on　occasion　when　duty　compels　me　to　try　the
good…will　of　any　one　in　a　thing　that　is　doubtful　and　that　will　be
chargeable　to　him；　I　do　it　very　faintly；　and　very　much　against　my　will：
but　if　it　be　for　my　own　particular　（whatever　Homer　truly　says；　that
modesty　is　a　foolish　virtue　in　an　indigent　person）；　I　commonly　commit　it
to　a　third　person　to　blush　for　me；　and　deny　those　who　employ　me　with　the
same　difficulty：　so　that　it　has　sometimes　befallen　me　to　have　had　a　mind
to　deny；　when　I　had　not　the　power　to　do　it。

'Tis　folly；　then；　to　attempt　to　bridle　in　women　a　desire　that　is　so
powerful　in　them；　and　so　natural　to　them。　　And　when　I　hear　them　brag　of
having　so　maidenly　and　so　temperate　a　will；　I　laugh　at　them：　they　retire
too　far　back。　　If　it　be　an　old　toothless　trot；　or　a　young　dry　consumptive
thing；　though　it　be　not　altogether　to　be　believed；　at　least　they　say　it
with　more　similitude　of　truth。　　But　they　who　still　move　and　breathe；　talk
at　that　ridiculous　rate　to　their　own　prejudice；　by　reason　that
inconsiderate　excuses　are　a　kind　of　self…accusation；　like　a　gentleman；　a
neighbour　of　mine；　suspected　to　be　insufficient：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Languidior　tenera　cui　pendens　sicula　beta；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Numquam　se　mediam　sustulit　ad　tunicam；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇Catullus；　lxvii。　2；　i。　The　sense　is　in　the　context。＇

who　three　or　four　days　after　he　was　married；　to　justify　himself；　went
about　boldly　swearing　that　he　had　ridden　twenty　stages　the　night　before：
an　oath　that　was　afterwards　made　use　of　to　convict　him　of　his　ignorance
in　that　affair；　and　to　divorce　him　from　his　wife。　　Besides；　it　signifies
nothing；　for　there　is　neither　continency　nor　virtue　where　there　are　no
opposing　desires。　　It　is　true；　they　may　say；　but　we　will　not　yield；
saints　themselves　speak　after　that　manner。　　I　mean　those　who　boast　in
good　gravity　of　their　coldness　and　insensibility；　and　who　expect　to　be
believed　with　a　serious　countenance；　for　when　'tis　spoken　with　an
affected　look；　when　their　eyes　give　the　lie　to　their　tongue；　and　when
they　talk　in　the　cant　of　their　profession；　which　always　goes　against　the
hair；　'tis　good　sport。　　I　am　a　great　servant　of　liberty　and　plainness；
but　there　is　no　remedy；　if　it　be　not　wholly　simple　or　childish；　'tis
silly；　and　unbecoming　ladies　in　this　commerce；　and　presently　runs　into
impudence。　　Their　disguises　and　figures　only　serve　to　cosen　fools；　lying
is　there　in　its　seat　of　honour；　'tis　a　by…way；　that　by　a　back…door　leads
us　to　truth。　　If　we　cannot　curb　their　imagination；　what　would　we　have
from　them。　　Effects？　　There　are　enough　of　them　that　evade　all　foreign
communication；　by　which　chastity　may　be　corrupted：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Illud　saepe　facit；　quod　sine　teste　facit；〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃He　often　does　that　which　he　does　without　a　witness。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Martial；　vii。　62；　6。＇

and　those　which　we　fear　the　least　are；　peradventure；　most　to　be　feared；
their　sins　that　make　the　least　noise　are　the　worst：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Offendor　maecha　simpliciore　minus。〃

　　　　　　　　　　＇〃I　am　less　offended　with　a　more　professed　strumpet。〃
　　　　　　　　　　Idem；　vi。　7；6。＇

There　are　ways　by　which　they　may　lose　their　virginity　without
prostitution；　and；　which　is　more；　without　their　knowledge：

　　　　　〃Obsterix；　virginis　cujusdam　integritatem　manu　velut　explorans；　sive
　　　　　malevolentia；　sive　inscitia；　sive　casu；　dum　inspicit；　perdidit。〃

　　　　　＇〃By　malevolence；　or　unskilfulness；　or　accident；　the　midwife；
　　　　　seeking　with　the　hand　to　test　some　maiden's　virginity；　has　sometimes
　　　　　destroyed　it。〃St。　Augustine；　De　Civit。　Dei；　i。　18。＇

Such　a　one；　by　seeking　her　maidenhead；　has　lost　it；　another　by　playing
with　it　has　destroyed　it。　　We　cannot　precisely　circumscribe　the　actions；
we　interdict　them；　they　must　guess　at　our　meaning　under　general　and
doubtful　terms；　the　very　idea　we　invent　for　their　chastity　is　ridiculous：
for；　amongst　the　greatest　patterns　that　I　have　is　Fatua；　the　wife　of
Faunus：　who　never；　after　her　marriage；　suffered　herself　to　be　seen　by　any
man　whatever；　and　the　wife　of　Hiero；　who　never　perceived　her　husband's
stinking　breath；　imagining　that　it　was　common　to　all　men。　　They　must
become　insensible　and　invisible　to　satisfy　us。

Now　let　us　confess　that　the　knot　of　this　judgment　of　duty　principally
lies　in　the　will；　there　have　been　husbands　who　have　suffered　cuckoldom；
not　only　without　reproach　or　taking　offence　at　their　wives；　but　with
singular　obligation　to　them　and　great　commendation　of　their　virtue。
Such　a　woman　has　been；　who　prized　her　honour　above　her　life；　and　yet　has
prostituted　it　to　the　furious　lust　of　a　mortal　enemy；　to　save　her
husband's　life；　and　who；　in　so　doing；　did　that　for　him　she　would　not　have
done　for　herself！　　This　is　not　the　place　wherein　we　are　to　multiply　these
examples；　they　are　too　high　and　rich　to　be　set　off　with　so　poor　a　foil　as
I　can　give　them　here；　let　us　reserve　them　for　a　nobler　place；　but　for
examples　of　ordinary　lustre