LA loy de la resolution et de la constance ne porte pas que nous ne nous deuions couurir, autant qu’il est en nostre puissance, des maux et inconueniens qui nous menassent, ny par consequent d’auoir peur qu’ils nous surpreignent. Au rebours, tous moyens honnestes de se garentir des maux, sont non seulement permis, mais louables. Et le ieu de la constance se iouë principalement à porter de pied ferme, les inconueniens où il n’y a point de remede. De maniere qu’il n’y a soupplesse de corps, ny mouuement aux armes de main, que nous trouuions mauuais, s’il sert à nous garantir du coup qu’on nous rue.
The law of resolution and constancy does not require that we should not shield ourselves, as far as is in our power, from the evils and misfortunes that threaten us, nor, consequently, that we should not fear their taking us by surprise. On the contrary, all honorable means of guarding against evils are not only permitted but praiseworthy. And the game of constancy is played chiefly in bearing steadfastly the misfortunes for which there is no remedy. So there is no suppleness of body, no movement of the weapons in our hands, that we think wrong if it serves to protect us from the blow aimed at us.
Plusieurs nations tresbelliqueuses se seruoyent en leurs faits d’armes, de la fuite, pour aduantage principal, et montroyent le dos à l’ennemy plus dangereusement que leur visage. Les Turcs en retiennent quelque chose. Et Socrates en Platon se mocque de Laches, qui auoit definy la fortitude, se tenir ferme en son reng contre les ennemis. Quoy, feit-il, seroit ce donc lascheté de les battre en leur faisant place? Et luy allegue Homere, qui louë en Æneas la science de fuir.
Several very warlike nations used flight as their principal advantage in their feats of arms, and showed their backs to the enemy more dangerously than their faces. The Turks keep something of this. And Socrates, in Plato, mocks Laches, who had defined courage as standing firm in one’s rank against the enemy. “What,” he said, “would it then be cowardice to beat them by giving ground?” And he cites Homer to him, who praises in Aeneas the skill of fleeing.
Et par ce que Laches se r’aduisant, aduouë cet vsage aux Scythes, et en fin generallement à tous gens de cheual: il luy allegue encore l’exemple des gens de pied Lacedemoniens (nation sur toutes duitte à combatre de pied ferme) qui en la iournee de Platees, ne pouuant ouurir la phalange Persienne, s’aduiserent de s’escarter et sier arriere: pour, par l’opinion de leur fuitte, faire rompre et dissoudre cette masse, en les poursuiuant. Par où ils se donnerent la victoire.
And because Laches, on second thought, grants this practice to the Scythians, and finally to all horsemen in general, he cites to him further the example of the Spartan foot soldiers (a nation trained above all others to fight standing firm), who at the battle of Plataea, unable to break the Persian phalanx, hit on the idea of scattering and falling back, so that the Persians, believing they were fleeing, would break up and dissolve that mass in pursuing them. By this they won the victory.
Touchant les Scythes, on dit d’eux, quand Darius alla pour les subiuger, qu’il manda à leur Roy force reproches, pour le voir tousiours reculant deuant luy, et gauchissant la meslee. A quoy Indathyrsez, car ainsi se nommoit-il, fit responce, que ce n’estoit pour auoir peur de luy, ny d’homme viuant: mais que c’estoit la façon de marcher de sa nation: n’ayant ny terre cultiuee, ny ville, ny maison à deffendre, et à craindre que l’ennemy en peust faire profit. Mais s’il auoit si grand faim d’en manger, qu’il approchast pour voir le lieu de leurs anciennes sepultures, et que là il trouueroit à qui parler tout son saoul.
As for the Scythians, it is said of them that when Darius went to subjugate them, he sent their king many reproaches for always retreating before him and dodging battle. To which Indathyrsus—for that was his name—replied that it was not out of fear of him or of any man alive, but that this was the way his nation marched, having neither cultivated land, nor town, nor house to defend, nor any to fear the enemy might profit by. But if Darius was so hungry to get a bite of them, let him come close and see the place of their ancient tombs, and there he would find people to talk to as much as he liked.
Toutes-fois aux canonnades, depuis qu’on leur est planté en butte, comme les occasions de la guerre portent souuent, il est messeant de s’esbranler pour la menace du coup: d’autant que par sa violence et vitesse nous le tenons ineuitable: et en y a meint vn qui pour auoir ou haussé la main, ou baissé la teste, en a pour le moins appresté à rire à ses compagnons.
Yet with cannon fire, once we are set up as their target, as the circumstances of war often require, it is unbecoming to flinch at the threat of the shot, since we consider it unavoidable because of its violence and speed; and there is many a man who, for having raised his hand or ducked his head, has at the very least given his companions something to laugh at.
Si est-ce qu’au voyage que l’Empereur Charles cinquiesme fit contre nous en Prouence, le Marquis de Guast estant allé recognoistre la ville d’Arle, et s’estant ietté hors du couuert d’vn moulin à vent, à la faueur duquel il s’estoit approché, fut apperceu par les Seigneurs de Bonneual et Seneschal d’Agenois, qui se promenoyent sus le theatre aux arenes: lesquels l’ayant montré au Seigneur de Villiers Commissaire de l’artillerie, il braqua si à propos vne couleurine, que sans ce que ledict Marquis voyant mettre le feu se lança à quartier, il fut tenu qu’il en auoit dans le corps.
And yet, during the expedition that the Emperor Charles V made against us in Provence, the Marquis del Vasto went to reconnoiter the town of Arles, and came out from the cover of a windmill under which he had approached. He was spotted by the Lord of Bonneval and the Seneschal of Agenais, who were walking on the theater in the arena; they pointed him out to the Lord of Villiers, commissary of the artillery, who aimed a culverin so accurately that, had the said Marquis not leapt aside when he saw the fuse lit, it was held that he would have taken the shot in his body.
Et de mesmes quelques annees auparavant, Laurent de Medicis, Duc d’Vrbin, pere de la Royne, mere du Roy, assiegeant Mondolphe, place d’Italie, aux terres qu’on nomme du Vicariat, voyant mettre le feu à vne piece qui le regardoit, bien luy seruit de faire la cane: car autrement le coup, qui ne luy rasa que le dessus de la teste, luy donnoit sans doute dans l’estomach. Pour en dire le vray, ie ne croy pas que ces mouuements se fissent auecques discours: car quel iugement pouuez-vous faire de la mire haute ou basse en chose si soudaine?
And likewise, some years before, Lorenzo de’ Medici, Duke of Urbino, father of the Queen who is the King’s mother, was besieging Mondolfo, a stronghold in Italy in the lands called the Vicariate, when he saw the fuse put to a gun pointed at him; it served him well to duck, for otherwise the shot, which only grazed the top of his head, would doubtless have hit him in the stomach. To tell the truth, I do not believe these movements were made with any reasoning: for what judgment can you make about a high or low aim in something so sudden?
et est bien plus aisé à croire, que la fortune fauorisa leur frayeur: et que ce seroit moyen vne autre fois aussi bien pour se ietter dans le coup, que pour l’euiter. Ie ne me puis deffendre si le bruit esclatant d’vne harquebusade vient à me fraper les oreilles à l’improuueu, en lieu où ie ne le deusse pas attendre, que ie n’en tressaille: ce que i’ay veu encores aduenir à d’autres qui valent mieux que moy.
and it is much easier to believe that fortune favored their fright, and that another time it would be as likely a way to throw oneself into the shot as to avoid it. I cannot help starting if the crack of a harquebus shot suddenly strikes my ears in a place where I would not expect it; and I have seen this happen to others who are worth more than I am.
Ny n’entendent les Stoiciens, que l’ame de leur sage puisse resister aux premieres visions et fantaisies qui luy suruiennent: ains comme à vne subiection naturelle consentent qu’il cede au grand bruit du ciel, ou d’vne ruine, pour exemple, iusques à la palleur et contraction: ainsin aux autres passions, pourueu que son opinion demeure sauue et entiere, et que l’assiette de son discours n’en souffre atteinte ny alteration quelconque, et qu’il ne preste nul consentement à son effroy et souffrance. De celuy, qui n’est pas sage, il en va de mesmes en la premiere partie, mais tout autrement en la seconde. Car l’impression des passions ne demeure pas en luy superficielle: ains va penetrant iusques au siege de sa raison, l’infectant et la corrompant.
Nor do the Stoics mean that the soul of their sage can resist the first visions and fancies that come upon it. Rather, as to a natural subjection, they grant that he yields to a great clap of thunder, say, or a building collapsing, to the point of turning pale and shrinking; and so with the other passions, provided that his opinion remains safe and whole, that the seat of his reasoning suffers no harm or alteration whatsoever, and that he gives no consent to his fright and suffering. With one who is not a sage, it goes the same way in the first part, but quite otherwise in the second. For the impression of the passions does not remain on his surface, but penetrates to the very seat of his reason, infecting and corrupting it.
Il iuge selon icelles, et s’y conforme. Voyez bien disertement et plainement l’estat du sage Stoique: Mens immota manet, lacrymæ voluuntur inanes. Le sage Peripateticien ne s’exempte pas des perturbations, mais il les modere.
He judges according to them and conforms to them. See the state of the Stoic sage very eloquently and plainly expressed: The mind remains unmoved; the tears roll down in vain. The Peripatetic sage does not exempt himself from disturbances, but he moderates them.