I’EXCVSEROIS volontiers en nostre peuple de n’auoir autre patron et regle de perfection, que ses propres meurs et vsances: car c’est vn commun vice, non du vulgaire seulement, mais quasi de tous hommes, d’auoir leur visée et leur arrest, sur le train auquel ils sont nais. Ie suis content, quand il verra Fabritius ou Lælius, qu’il leur trouue la contenance et le port barbare, puis qu’ils ne sont ni vestus ny façonnez à nostre mode. Mais ie me plains de sa particuliere indiscretion, de se laisser si fort piper et aueugler à l’authorité de l’vsage present, qu’il soit capable de changer d’opinion et d’aduis tous les mois, s’il plaist à la coustume: et qu’il iuge si diuersement de soy-mesme.
I would willingly excuse our people for having no other pattern and rule of perfection than their own manners and usages; for it is a common vice, not only of the common people but of almost all men, to fix their aim and their limit on the ways they were born into. I am content that when they see Fabricius or Laelius they should find their looks and bearing barbarous, since they are neither dressed nor fashioned in our style. But I do complain of their particular lack of discernment in letting themselves be so thoroughly fooled and blinded by the authority of present usage that they are capable of changing opinion and judgment every month, if custom so pleases, and of judging so variously of themselves.
Quand il portoit le busc de son pourpoint entre les mammelles, il maintenoit par viues raisons qu’il estoit en son vray lieu: quelques années apres le voyla aualé iusques entre les cuisses, il se moque de son autre vsage, le trouue inepte et insupportable. La façon de se vestir presente, luy fait incontinent condamner l’ancienne, d’vne resolution si grande, et d’vn consentement si vniuersel, que vous diriez que c’est quelque espece de manie, qui luy tourneboule ainsi l’entendement.
When they wore the busk of their doublets between their breasts, they maintained with lively arguments that it was in its proper place; a few years later, there it is, slipped down between the thighs, and they mock their former practice and find it absurd and unbearable. The present way of dressing makes them at once condemn the old one, with such great conviction and such universal agreement that you would say it was some kind of mania that turns their understanding upside down like this.
Par ce que nostre changement est si subit et si prompt en cela, que l’inuention de tous les tailleurs du monde ne sçauroit fournir assez de nouuelletez, il est force que bien souuent les formes mesprisées reuiennent en credit, et celles là mesmes tombent en mespris tantost apres; et qu’vn mesme iugement prenne en l’espace de quinze ou vingt ans, deux ou trois, non diuerses seulement, mais contraires opinions, d’vne inconstance et legereté incroyable. Il n’y a si fin entre nous, qui ne se laisse embabouiner de cette contradiction, et esbloüyr tant les yeux internes, que les externes insensiblement.
Because our changes in this are so sudden and so quick that the inventiveness of all the tailors in the world could not supply enough novelties, it necessarily follows that the despised fashions very often come back into favor, and those very ones fall into contempt shortly after; and that one and the same judgment adopts, in the space of fifteen or twenty years, two or three opinions that are not just different but contrary, with incredible inconstancy and fickleness. There is no one among us so shrewd that he does not let himself be bamboozled by this contradiction, and imperceptibly dazzled in his inner eyes as well as his outer ones.
Ie veux icy entasser aucunes façons anciennes, que i’ay en memoire: les vnes de mesme les nostres, les autres differentes: à fin qu’ayant en l’imagination cette continuelle variation des choses humaines, nous en ayons le iugement plus esclaircy et plus ferme.
I want to pile up here some ancient fashions that I remember—some the same as ours, others different—so that, by keeping this continual variation of human things in our imagination, we may have our judgment clearer and firmer.
Ce que nous disons de combatre à l’espée et la cape, il s’vsoit encores entre les Romains, ce dit Cæsar, sinistras sagis inuoluunt, gladiósque distringunt. Et remarque dés lors en nostre nation ce vice, qui y est encore d’arrester les passans que nous rencontrons en chemin, et de les forcer de nous dire qui ils sont, et de receuoir à iniure et occasion de querelle, s’ils refusent de nous respondre.
What we call fighting with sword and cloak was already practiced among the Romans, so Caesar says: they wrap their left arms in their cloaks and draw their swords. And he notes even then in our nation the vice that is still there, of stopping passers-by we meet on the road, forcing them to tell us who they are, and taking it as an insult and grounds for a quarrel if they refuse to answer us.
Aux bains que les anciens prenoyent tous les iours auant le repas; et les prenoyent aussi ordinairement que nous faisons de l’eau à lauer les mains, ils ne se lauoyent du commencement que les bras et les iambes, mais depuis, et d’vne coustume qui a duré plusieurs siecles et en la plus part des nations du monde, ils se lauoyent tous nudz, d’eau mixtionnée et perfumée: de maniere, qu’ils tenoient pour tesmoignage de grande simplicité de se lauer d’eau simple. Les plus affetez et delicatz se perfumoyent tout le corps bien trois ou quatre fois par iour.
At the baths the ancients took every day before their meal—and they took them as routinely as we take water to wash our hands—at first they washed only their arms and legs. But later, by a custom that lasted several centuries and in most of the nations of the world, they washed all naked in water mixed with perfumes, so that they regarded washing in plain water as a mark of great simplicity. The most refined and dainty perfumed their whole body a good three or four times a day.
Ils se faisoyent souuent pinceter tout le poil, comme les femmes Françoises ont pris en vsage depuis quelque temps, de faire leur front, Quod pectus, quod crura tibi, quod brachia vellis, quoy qu’ils eussent des oignemens propres à cela. Psilothro nitet, aut acida latet abdita creta. Ils aymoient à se coucher mollement, et alleguent pour preuue de patience, de coucher sur le matelats. Ils mangeoyent couchez sur des lits, à peu pres en mesme assiette que les Turcs de nostre temps. Inde toro pater Æneas sic orsus ab alto. Et dit on du ieune Caton que depuis la bataille de Pharsale, estant entré en dueil du mauuais estat des affaires publiques, il mangea tousiours assis, prenant vn train de vie austere.
They often had all their hair plucked out, as French women have lately taken to doing to their foreheads—That you pluck your chest, your legs, your arms—although they had ointments suited to the purpose: She gleams with depilatory paste, or hides away under sour chalk. They liked to lie softly, and cite sleeping on a mattress as a proof of endurance. They ate lying on couches, in much the same position as the Turks of our time: Then from his high couch father Aeneas thus began. And it is said of the younger Cato that after the battle of Pharsalus, having gone into mourning over the bad state of public affairs, he always ate sitting, adopting an austere way of life.
Ils baisoyent les mains aux grands pour les honnorer et caresser. Et entre les amis, ils s’entrebaisoyent en se saluant, comme font les Venitiens. Gratatúsque darem cum dulcibus oscula verbis. Et touchoyent aux genoux, pour requerir et saluer vn grand. Pasiclez le Philosophe, frere de Crates, au lieu de porter la main au genouil, la porta aux genitoires. Celuy à qui il s’addressoit, l’ayant rudement repoussé, Comment, dit-il, cette partie n’est elle pas vostre, aussi bien que l’autre? Ils mangeoyent comme nous, le fruict à l’yssue de la table.
They kissed the hands of the great to honor them and show them affection. And among friends they kissed each other in greeting, as the Venetians do: And with my congratulations I would give you kisses and sweet words. And they touched the knees to petition or greet a great man. Pasicles the philosopher, brother of Crates, instead of putting his hand to the knee, put it to the genitals. When the man he was addressing roughly pushed him away, “What,” he said, “is this part not yours as well as the other?” They ate fruit at the end of the meal, as we do.
Ils se torchoyent le cul (il faut laisser aux femmes cette vaine superstition des parolles) auec vne esponge: voyla pourquoy spongia est vn mot obscœne en Latin: et estoit cette esponge attachée au bout d’vn baston: comme tesmoigne l’histoire de celuy qu’on menoit pour estre presenté aux bestes, deuant le peuple, qui demanda congé d’aller à ses affaires, et n’ayant autre moyen de se tuer, il se fourra ce baston et esponge dans le gosier, et s’en estouffa.
They wiped their backsides (we must leave to women this empty superstition about words) with a sponge: that is why spongia is an obscene word in Latin. This sponge was fastened to the end of a stick, as is shown by the story of the man who was being led out to be thrown to the beasts before the people. He asked leave to go and relieve himself, and having no other means of killing himself, he thrust this stick and sponge down his throat and choked himself with it.
Ils s’essuyoient le catze de laine perfumée, quand ils en auoyent faict, At tibi nil faciam, sed lota mentula lana. Il y auoit aux carrefours à Rome, des vaisseaux et demy-cuues, pour y apprester à pisser aux passans: Pusi sæpe lacum propter se ac dolia curta, / Somno deuincti, credunt extollere vestem.
They wiped their member with perfumed wool when they had done with it: I’ll do nothing to you; wool will wash my member. At the crossroads in Rome there were vessels and half-tubs set out for passers-by to piss in: Little boys, bound fast in sleep, often believe they are lifting their clothes / Beside the basin and the cut-down jars.
Ils faisoyent collation entre les repas. Et y auoit en esté, des vendeurs de nege pour refréchir le vin: et en y auoit qui se seruoyent de nege en hyuer, ne trouuans pas le vin encore lors assez froid. Les grands auoyent leurs eschançons et trenchans; et leurs fols, pour leur donner du plaisir. On leur seruoit en hyuer la viande sur les fouyers qui se portoyent sur la table: et auoyent des cuysines portatiues, comme i’en ay veu, dans lesquelles tout leur seruice se trainoit apres eux. Has vobis epulas habete lauti, / Nos offendimur ambulante cœna.
They had snacks between meals. In summer there were sellers of snow for chilling wine; and some people used snow in winter, not finding the wine cold enough even then. The great had their cupbearers and carvers, and their fools to amuse them. In winter their food was served to them on braziers carried to the table; and they had portable kitchens, such as I have seen, in which their whole service was trundled along behind them. Keep these feasts for yourselves, you fine folk; / We are put off by a dinner that walks about.
Et en esté ils faisoyent souuent en leurs sales basses, couler de l’eau fresche et claire, dans des canaux au dessous d’eux, où il y auoit force poisson en vie, que les assistans choisissoyent et prenoyent en la main, pour le faire aprester, chacun à sa poste. Le poisson a tousiours eu ce priuilege, comme il a encores, que les grans se meslent de le sçauoir apprester: aussi en est le goust beaucoup plus exquis, que de la chair, aumoins pour moy.
And in summer they often had cool, clear water run through channels beneath them in their ground-floor rooms, with plenty of live fish in it, which those present would choose and catch by hand, to have it cooked each to his own taste. Fish has always had this privilege, as it still has, that the great like to try their hand at cooking it; and indeed its taste is much more exquisite than that of meat, at least to me.
Mais en toute sorte de magnificence, desbauche, et d’inuentions voluptueuses, de mollesse et de sumptuosité, nous faisons à la verité ce que nous pouuons pour les égaler: car nostre volonté est bien aussi gastée que la leur, mais nostre suffisance n’y peut arriuer: nos forces ne sont non plus capables de les ioindre, en ces parties là vitieuses, qu’aux vertueuses: car les vnes et les autres partent d’vne vigueur d’esprit, qui estoit sans comparaison plus grande en eux qu’en nous. Et les ames à mesure qu’elles sont moins fortes, elles ont d’autant moins de moyen de faire ny fort bien, ny fort mal.
But in every sort of magnificence, debauchery and voluptuous invention, of softness and sumptuousness, we truly do what we can to equal them: for our will is quite as corrupt as theirs, but our ability cannot reach so far. Our powers are no more able to match them in these vicious qualities than in the virtuous ones, for both spring from a vigor of mind that was incomparably greater in them than in us. And the less strong souls are, the less means they have of doing either very well or very badly.
Le haut bout d’entre eux, c’estoit le milieu. Le deuant et derriere n’auoient en escriuant et parlant aucune signification de grandeur, comme il se voit euidemment par leurs escris: ils diront Oppius et Cæsar, aussi volontiers que Cæsar et Oppius: et diront moy et toy indifferemment, comme toy et moy. Voyla pourquoy i’ay autrefois remarqué en la vie de Flaminius de Plutarque François, vn endroit, où il semble que l’autheur parlant de la ialousie de gloire, qui estoit entre les Ætoliens et les Romains, pour le gain d’vne bataille qu’ils auoyent obtenu en commun, face quelque poix de ce qu’aux chansons Grecques, on nommoit les Ætoliens auant les Romains, s’il n’y a de l’amphibologie aux mots François.
Among them the place of honor was the middle. Front and back had no significance of rank in writing or speaking, as can plainly be seen in their writings: they will say “Oppius and Caesar” as readily as “Caesar and Oppius,” and will say “me and you” as indifferently as “you and me.” That is why I once noticed a passage in the life of Flamininus in the French Plutarch where the author, speaking of the jealousy over glory between the Aetolians and the Romans after a battle they had won together, seems to attach some weight to the fact that in Greek songs the Aetolians were named before the Romans—unless there is some ambiguity in the French words.
Les Dames estans aux estuues, y receuoyent quant et quant des hommes, et se seruoyent là mesme de leurs valets à les frotter et oindre. Inguina succinctus nigra tibi seruus aluta / Stat, quoties calidis nuda fouêris aquis. Elles se saupoudroyent de quelque poudre, pour reprimer les sueurs.
Ladies at the bathhouses received men there along with them, and there they used their manservants to rub and anoint them. A slave, his groin girded with a black leather apron, / Stands by you whenever you lie naked in the warm water. They dusted themselves with some powder to check sweating.
Les anciens Gaulois, dit Sidonius Apollinaris, portoyent le poil long par le deuant, et le derriere de la teste tondu, qui est cette façon qui vient à estre renouuellée par l’vsage effeminé et lasche de ce siecle.
The ancient Gauls, says Sidonius Apollinaris, wore their hair long in front and the back of the head shaved, which is the very fashion now being revived by the soft and spineless usage of this age.
Les Romains payoient ce qui estoit deu aux bateliers, pour leur naulage dez l’entrée du bateau, ce que nous faisons apres estre rendus à port. Dum as exigitur, dum mula ligatur, / Tota abit hora.
The Romans paid the boatmen what was owed for their fare upon entering the boat, which we do after reaching port. While the fare is collected and the mule harnessed, / A whole hour goes by.
Les femmes couchoyent au lict du costé de la ruelle: voyla pourquoy on appelloit Cæsar, spondam Regis Nicomedis.
Women lay on the side of the bed next to the wall: that is why Caesar was called King Nicomedes’ bedside.
Ils prenoyent aleine en beuuant. Ils baptisoient le vin, Quis puer ocius / Restinguet ardentis falerni / Pocula prætereunte lympha? Et ces champisses contenances de nos laquais y estoyent aussi. O Iane! à tergo quem nulla ciconia pinsit, / Nec manus auriculas imitata est mobilis albas, / Nec linguæ quantum sitiet canis Apula tantum.
They took breath while drinking. They watered their wine: What boy will quickly quench / The cups of fiery Falernian / In the water flowing by? And the impudent gestures of our lackeys were in use too: O Janus, whom no stork pecks from behind, / Whom no nimble hand mimics with white ears, / Nor tongue stuck out as far as an Apulian dog’s when it is thirsty!
Les Dames Argiennes et Romaines portoyent le deuil blanc, comme les nostres auoient accoustumé, et deuroient continuer de faire, si i’en estois creu.
The ladies of Argos and Rome wore white for mourning, as ours used to do, and should go on doing, if I had my way.
Mais il y a des liures entiers faits sur cet argument.
But there are whole books written on this subject.