IE trouue par experience, qu’il y a bien à dire entre les boutées et saillies de l’ame, ou vne resolue et constante habitude: et voy bien qu’il n’est rien que nous ne puissions, voire iusques à surpasser la diuinité mesme, dit quelqu’vn, d’autant que c’est plus, de se rendre impassible de soy, que d’estre tel, de sa condition originelle: et iusques à pouuoir ioindre à l’imbecillité de l’homme, vne resolution et asseurance de Dieu. Mais c’est par secousse.
I find by experience that there is a great difference between the sallies and bursts of the soul and a settled and constant habit. And I see well that there is nothing we cannot do—even to the point of surpassing divinity itself, as someone says, since it is more to make oneself impassive by one’s own effort than to be so by one’s original condition—and even to the point of joining to man’s weakness a resolution and assurance worthy of God. But it comes in fits and starts.
Et és vies de ces heros du temps passé, il y a quelque fois des traits miraculeux, et qui semblent de bien loing surpasser noz forces naturelles: mais ce sont traits à la verité: et est dur à croire, que de ces conditions ainsin esleuées, on en puisse teindre et abbreuuer l’ame, en maniere, qu’elles luy deuiennent ordinaires, et comme naturelles. Il nous eschoit à nous mesmes, qui ne sommes qu’auortons d’hommes, d’eslancer par fois nostre ame, esueillée par les discours, ou exemples d’autruy, bien loing au delà de son ordinaire.
And in the lives of those heroes of times past there are sometimes miraculous strokes that seem to surpass our natural strength by far. But they are only strokes, to tell the truth; and it is hard to believe that the soul can be so dyed and steeped in these lofty qualities that they become ordinary to it, and as if natural. It happens even to us, who are only stunted specimens of men, to launch our soul at times far beyond its ordinary range, when it is roused by the reasonings or examples of others.
Mais c’est vne espece de passion, qui la pousse et agite, et qui la rauit aucunement hors de soy: car ce tourbillon franchi, nous voyons, que sans y penser elle se desbande et relasche d’elle mesme, sinon iusques à la derniere touche; au moins iusques à n’estre plus celles-là: de façon que lors, à toute occasion, pour vn oyseau perdu, ou vn verre cassé, nous nous laissons esmouuoir à peu pres comme l’vn du vulgaire. Sauf l’ordre, la moderation, et la constance, i’estime que toutes choses soient faisables par vn homme bien manque et deffaillant en gros.
But it is a kind of passion that drives and stirs it, and carries it somewhat out of itself. For once that whirlwind is past, we see that it unbends and slackens of its own accord, without our thinking about it—if not down to the lowest note, at least to the point of no longer being up there; so that then, on every occasion, for a lost bird or a broken glass, we let ourselves be upset almost like one of the common people. Except for order, moderation and constancy, I think that all things are within reach of a man who is quite lacking and deficient on the whole.
A cette cause disent les sages, il faut pour iuger bien à poinct d’vn homme, principalement contreroller ses actions communes, et le surprendre en son à tous les iours.
That is why, say the wise, to judge a man properly we must chiefly examine his common actions and catch him in his everyday life.
Pyrrho’s consistency
Pyrrho tried to live his skepticism, yet admitted that it is hard to strip off the man entirely.
Pyrrho, celuy qui bastit de l’ignorance vne si plaisante science, essaya, comme tous les autres vrayement philosophes, de faire respondre sa vie à sa doctrine. Et par ce qu’il maintenoit la foiblesse du iugement humain, estre si extreme, que de ne pouuoir prendre party ou inclination: et le vouloit suspendre perpetuellement balancé, regardant et accueillant toutes choses, comme indifferentes, on conte qu’il se maintenoit tousiours de mesme façon, et visage: s’il auoit commencé vn propos, il ne laissoit pas de l’acheuer, quand celuy à qui il parloit s’en fust allé: s’il alloit, il ne rompoit son chemin pour empeschement qui se presentast, conserué des precipices, du heurt des charrettes, et autres accidens par ses amis.
Pyrrho, who built so amusing a science out of ignorance, tried, like all other true philosophers, to make his life match his doctrine. He maintained that the weakness of human judgment was so extreme that it could not take sides or lean either way, and he wanted it held perpetually suspended in balance, regarding and receiving all things as indifferent. And so it is said that he always kept the same manner and the same countenance. If he had begun saying something, he did not fail to finish it even if the person he was speaking to had gone away. If he was walking, he would not turn from his path for any obstacle that came up, and had to be kept from precipices, from collisions with carts and other accidents by his friends.
Car de craindre ou euiter quelque chose, c’eust esté choquer ses propositions, qui ostoient au sens mesmes, toute eslection et certitude. Quelquefois il souffrit d’estre incisé et cauterisé, d’vne telle constance, qu’on ne luy en veit pas seulement siller les yeux. C’est quelque chose de ramener l’ame à ces imaginations, c’est plus d’y ioindre les effects, toutesfois il n’est pas impossible: mais de les ioindre auec telle perseuerance et constance, que d’en establir son train ordinaire, certes en ces entreprinses si esloignées de l’vsage commun, il est quasi incroyable qu’on le puisse. Voyla pourquoy comme il fust quelquefois rencontré en sa maison, tançant bien asprement auecques sa sœur, et luy estant reproché de faillir en cela à son indifferance: Quoy?
For to fear or avoid anything would have clashed with his propositions, which took away all choice and certainty even from the senses. Sometimes he endured being cut and cauterized with such constancy that he was not even seen to blink. It is something to bring the soul to these notions; it is more to join deeds to them; and yet it is not impossible. But to join them with such perseverance and constancy as to make them one’s ordinary way of life—truly, in undertakings so remote from common practice, it is almost unbelievable that anyone could do it. That is why, when he was once caught at home scolding his sister very sharply, and was reproached for failing in his indifference in this: “What?”
dit-il, faut-il qu’encore cette femmelette serue de tesmoignage à mes regles? Vn’autre fois, qu’on le veit se deffendre d’vn chien: Il est, dit-il, tres-difficile de despouiller entierement l’homme: et se faut mettre en deuoir, et efforcer de combattre les choses, premierement par les effects; mais au pis aller par la raison et par les discours.
he said. “Must this little woman too serve as a test of my rules?” Another time, when he was seen defending himself against a dog: “It is very difficult,” he said, “to strip off the man entirely; and one must make it one’s duty and strive to fight against things, first by deeds, but at worst by reason and argument.”
Il y a enuiron sept ou huict ans, qu’à deux lieuës d’icy, vn homme de village, qui est encore viuant, ayant la teste de long temps rompue par la ialousie de sa femme, reuenant vn iour de la besongne, et elle le bien-veignant de ses crialleries accoustumées, entra en telle furie, que sur le champ à tout la serpe qu’il tenoit encore en ses mains, s’estant moissonné tout net les pieces qui la mettoyent en fieure, les luy ietta au nez.
About seven or eight years ago, two leagues from here, a villager who is still alive, whose head had long been pounded by his wife’s jealousy, came home from work one day and was greeted by her usual shrieking. He flew into such a fury that on the spot, with the billhook he still had in his hands, he cleanly harvested from himself the parts that put her in such a fever, and threw them in her face.
Et il se dit, qu’vn ieune Gentil-homme des nostres, amoureux et gaillard, ayant par sa perseuerance amolli en fin le cœur d’vne belle maistresse, desesperé, de ce que sur le point de la charge, il s’estoit trouué mol luy mesmes et deffailly, et que, Non viriliter / Iners senile penis extulerat caput, il s’en priua soudain reuenu au logis, et l’enuoya, cruelle et sanglante victime pour la purgation de son offence. Si c’eust esté par discours et religion, comme les prestres de Cibele, que ne dirions nous d’vne si hautaine entreprise?
And it is said that a young gentleman of our parts, amorous and lusty, having by his perseverance at last softened the heart of a beautiful mistress, was in despair because at the very moment of the charge he had found himself soft and failing, and because not manfully / had his sluggish penis raised its aged head. As soon as he got home he deprived himself of it, and sent it to her, a cruel and bloody victim in atonement for his offense. If he had done it out of reasoning and religion, like the priests of Cybele, what would we not say of so lofty an undertaking?
Depuis peu de iours à Bragerac à cinq lieuës de ma maison, contremont la riuiere de Dordoigne, vne femme, ayant esté tourmentée et battue le soir auant, de son mary chagrin et fascheux de sa complexion, delibera d’eschapper à sa rudesse au prix de sa vie, et s’estant à son leuer accointée de ses voisines comme de coustume, leur laissa couler quelque mot de recommendation de ses affaires, prit vne sienne sœur par la main, la mena auec elle sur le pont, et apres auoir pris congé d’elle, comme par maniere de ieu, sans montrer autre changement ou alteration, se precipita du hault en bas, en la riuiere, où elle se perdit.
A few days ago at Bergerac, five leagues from my house, up the river Dordogne, a woman who had been tormented and beaten the evening before by her husband, a morose man, ill-tempered by nature, resolved to escape his harshness at the cost of her life. On getting up she chatted with her neighbors as usual, let slip a few words commending her affairs to them, took one of her sisters by the hand and led her onto the bridge. And after taking leave of her, as if in jest, without showing any other change or disturbance, she threw herself headlong from the top into the river, where she was lost.
Ce qu’il y a de plus en cecy, c’est que ce conseil meurit vne nuict entiere dans sa teste.
What is more remarkable in this is that the resolve ripened for a whole night in her head.
The widows of India
Indian widows and Gymnosophists burn themselves, a lifelong resolve that Montaigne finds miraculous.
C’est bien autre chose, des femmes Indiennes; car estant leur coustume aux maris d’auoir plusieurs femmes, et à la plus chere d’elles, de se tuer apres son mary, chacune par le dessein de toute sa vie, vise à gaigner ce poinct, et cet aduantage sur ses compagnes: et les bons offices qu’elles rendent à leur mary, ne regardent autre recompence que d’estre preferées à la compagnie de sa mort. Vbi mortifero iacta est fax vltima lecto, / Vxorum fusis stat pia turba comis: / Et certamen habent lethi, quæ viua sequatur / Coniugium: pudor est non licuisse mori. / Ardent victrices, et flammæ pectora præbent, / Imponúntque suis ora perusta viris.
It is quite another thing with the women of India. For since it is their custom for husbands to have several wives, and for the dearest of them to kill herself after her husband, each one aims, by the design of her whole life, to win this point and this advantage over her companions. And the good services they render their husband look for no other reward than to be chosen to keep him company in death. When the last torch has been thrown on the funeral bed, / the dutiful throng of wives stands with streaming hair, / and they contend in death, which of them shall follow her husband / alive: it is a disgrace not to be allowed to die. / The winners burn, and offer their breasts to the flames, / and lay their scorched lips upon their husbands.
Vn homme escrit encore en noz iours, auoir veu en ces nations Orientales, cette coustume en credit, que non seulement les femmes s’enterrent apres leurs maris, mais aussi les esclaues, desquelles il a eu iouïssance. Ce qui se faict en cette maniere. Le mary estant trespassé, la vefue peut, si elle veut, mais peu le veulent, demander deux ou trois mois d’espace à disposer de ses affaires. Le iour venu elle monte à cheual, parée comme à nopces: et d’vne contenance gaye, va, dit elle, dormir auec son espoux, tenant en sa main gauche vn miroüer, vne flesche en l’autre.
A man writes, in our own day too, that he saw in those Eastern nations this custom held in honor: that not only do wives bury themselves after their husbands, but also the slave women he has enjoyed. It is done in this manner. When the husband has died, the widow may, if she wishes—but few wish it—ask for two or three months’ time to settle her affairs. When the day comes, she mounts a horse, dressed as for a wedding, and with a cheerful face goes, as she says, to sleep with her husband, holding a mirror in her left hand and an arrow in the other.
S’estant ainsi promenée en pompe, accompagnée de ses amis et parents, et de grand peuple, en feste, elle est tantost rendue au lieu public, destiné à tels spectacles. C’est vne grande place, au milieu de laquelle il y a vne fosse pleine de bois: et ioignant icelle, vn lieu releué de quatre ou cinq marches: sur lequel elle est conduitte, et seruie d’vn magnifique repas. Apres lequel, elle se met à baller et à chanter: et ordonne, quand bon luy semble, qu’on allume le feu.
Having paraded thus in pomp, accompanied by her friends and relatives and a great crowd in festive mood, she is soon brought to the public place set aside for such spectacles. It is a large square, in the middle of which there is a pit full of wood, and next to it a platform raised four or five steps, onto which she is led and served a magnificent meal. After it she begins to dance and sing, and orders the fire to be lit when she sees fit.
Cela faict, elle descent, et prenant par la main le plus proche des parents de son mary, ils vont ensemble à la riuiere voisine, où elle se despouille toute nue, et distribue ses ioyaux et vestements à ses amis, et se va plongeant en l’eau, comme pour y lauer ses pechez. Sortant de là, elle s’enveloppe d’vn linge iaune de quatorze brasses de long, et donnant de rechef la main à ce parent de son mary, s’en reuont sur la motte, où elle parle au peuple, et recommande ses enfans, si elle en a. Entre la fosse et la motte, on tire volontiers vn rideau, pour leur oster la veuë de cette fournaise ardente: ce qu’aucunes deffendent, pour tesmoigner plus de courage.
That done, she comes down and, taking by the hand her husband’s nearest relative, goes with him to the river nearby, where she strips quite naked, distributes her jewels and clothes to her friends, and plunges into the water as if to wash away her sins. Coming out of it, she wraps herself in a yellow cloth fourteen fathoms long and, again giving her hand to this relative of her husband, goes back with him to the mound, where she speaks to the people and commends her children to them, if she has any. Between the pit and the mound a curtain is usually drawn, to keep them from seeing that blazing furnace; some of the women forbid it, to show greater courage.
Finy qu’elle a de dire, vne femme luy presente vn vase plein d’huile à s’oindre la teste et tout le corps, lequel elle iette dedans le feu, quand elle en a faict: et en l’instant s’y lance elle mesme. Sur l’heure, le peuple renuerse sur elle quantité de busches, pour l’empescher de languir: et se change toute leur ioye en deuil et tristesse.
When she has finished speaking, a woman presents her with a vessel full of oil to anoint her head and her whole body, and she throws it into the fire when she has done; and in that instant she throws herself in. At once the people heap a quantity of logs on her, to keep her from lingering; and all their joy turns to mourning and sadness.
Si ce sont personnes de moindre estoffe, le corps du mort est porté au lieu où on le veut enterrer, et là mis en son seant, la vefue à genoux deuant luy, l’embrassant estroittement: et se tient en ce poinct, pendant qu’on bastit au tour d’eux, vn mur, qui venant à se hausser iusques à l’endroit des espaules de la femme, quelqu’vn des siens par le derriere prenant sa teste, luy tort le col: et rendu qu’elle a l’esprit, le mur est soudain monté et clos, où ils demeurent enseuelis.
If they are persons of lesser standing, the dead man’s body is carried to the place where they wish to bury him and there set upright in a sitting position, with the widow on her knees before him, embracing him tightly. She stays in that position while a wall is built around them. When it has risen to the height of the woman’s shoulders, one of her people takes her head from behind and wrings her neck; and once she has given up the ghost, the wall is quickly raised and closed over, and there they remain buried.
En ce mesme païs, il y auoit quelque chose de pareil en leurs Gymnosophistes: car non par la contrainte d’autruy, non par l’impetuosité d’vn’ humeur soudaine: mais par expresse profession de leur regle, leur façon estoit, à mesure qu’ils auoyent attaint certain aage, ou qu’ils se voyoient menassez par quelque maladie, de se faire dresser vn bucher, et au dessus, vn lict bien paré, et apres auoir festoyé joyeusement leurs amis et cognoissans, s’aller planter dans ce lict, en telle resolution, que le feu y estant mis, on ne les vist mouuoir, ny pieds ny mains: et ainsi mourut l’vn d’eux, Calanus, en presence de toute l’armée d’Alexandre le Grand.
In that same country there was something similar among their Gymnosophists. Not under constraint from others, nor from the impulse of a sudden mood, but by express profession of their rule, their custom was this: once they had reached a certain age, or saw themselves threatened by some illness, they had a pyre built, and on top of it a richly adorned bed. After joyfully feasting their friends and acquaintances, they went and settled themselves on that bed with such resolution that, when the fire was lit, they were not seen to move either foot or hand. That is how one of them, Calanus, died in the presence of the whole army of Alexander the Great.
Et n’estoit estimé entre eux, ny sainct ny bien heureux, qui ne s’estoit ainsi tué: enuoyant son ame purgée et purifiée par le feu, apres auoir consommé tout ce qu’il y auoit de mortel et terrestre. Cette constante premeditation de toute la vie, c’est ce qui fait le miracle.
Among them no one was thought either holy or blessed who had not killed himself in this way, sending forth his soul purged and purified by the fire once it had consumed all that was mortal and earthly in him. What makes the miracle is this constant premeditation throughout a whole life.
Fate and foreknowledge
God’s foreknowledge does not force events; belief in fixed destiny steadies Turks, Bedouins and assassins.
Parmy noz autres disputes, celle du Fatum, s’y est meslée: et pour attacher les choses aduenir et nostre volonté mesme, à certaine et ineuitable necessité, on est encore sur cet argument, du temps passé: Puis que Dieu preuoit toutes choses deuoir ainsin aduenir, comme il fait, sans doubte: il faut donc qu’elles aduiennent ainsin. A quoy noz maistres respondent, que le voir que quelque chose aduienne, comme nous faisons, et Dieu de mesmes (car tout luy estant present, il voit plustost qu’il ne preuoit) ce n’est pas la forcer d’aduenir: voire nous voyons, à cause que les choses aduiennent, et les choses n’aduiennent pas, à cause que nous voyons. L’aduenement fait la science, non la science l’aduenement.
Among our other disputes, the dispute over Fatum has got mixed in. To tie future things, and even our will, to a certain and inevitable necessity, people still rely on this argument from times past: since God foresees that all things are to happen thus, as he undoubtedly does, they must therefore happen thus. To which our masters reply that to see something happen, as we do, and as God does likewise (for since everything is present to him, he sees rather than foresees), is not to force it to happen. Indeed, we see because things happen, and things do not happen because we see. The happening makes the knowledge, not the knowledge the happening.
Ce que nous voyons aduenir, aduient: mais il pouuoit autrement aduenir: et Dieu, au registre des causes des aduenements qu’il a en sa prescience, y a aussi celles qu’on appelle fortuites, et les volontaires, qui despendent de la liberté qu’il a donné à nostre arbitrage, et sçait que nous faudrons, par ce que nous auons voulu faillir.
What we see happen, happens; but it could have happened otherwise. In the register of the causes of events that God holds in his foreknowledge, he also has the causes called fortuitous, and the voluntary ones, which depend on the freedom he has given to our free will; and he knows that we shall go wrong, because we will have willed to go wrong.
Or i’ay veu assez de gens encourager leurs troupes de cette necessité fatale: car si nostre heure est attachée à certain point, ny les harquebusades ennemies, ny nostre hardiesse, ny nostre fuite et couardise, ne la peuuent auancer ou reculer. Cela est beau à dire, mais cherchez qui l’effectuera: et s’il est ainsi, qu’vne forte et viue creance, tire apres soy les actions de mesme, certes cette foy, dequoy nous remplissons tant la bouche, est merueilleusement legere en noz siecles: sinon que le mespris qu’elle a des œuures, luy face desdaigner leur compagnie.
Now I have seen plenty of people encourage their troops with this fatal necessity: if our hour is fixed at a certain point, neither the enemy’s arquebus shots, nor our boldness, nor our flight and cowardice can bring it forward or put it back. That is fine to say, but look for someone who will act on it. And if it is true that a strong and lively belief draws actions of the same kind after it, then certainly this faith we are forever mouthing is wonderfully light in our times—unless its contempt for works makes it disdain their company.
Tant y a, qu’à ce mesme propos, le sire de Ioinuille tesmoing croyable autant que tout autre, nous racomte des Bedoins, nation meslée aux Sarrasins, ausquels le Roy sainct Louys eut affaire en la terre saincte, qu’ils croyoient si fermement en leur religion les iours d’vn chacun estre de toute eternité prefix et contez, d’vne preordonnance ineuitable, qu’ils alloyent à la guerre nudz, sauf vn glaiue à la turquesque, et le corps seulement couuert d’vn linge blanc: et pour leur plus extreme maudisson, quand ils se courroussoient aux leurs, ils auoyent tousiours en la bouche: Maudit sois tu, comme celuy, qui s’arme de peur de la mort. Voyla bien autre preuue de creance, et de foy, que la nostre.
Be that as it may, on this very subject the Sire de Joinville, as credible a witness as any, tells us something about the Bedouins, a nation mixed with the Saracens, with whom King Saint Louis had dealings in the Holy Land. They believed so firmly, in their religion, that each man’s days were fixed and numbered from all eternity by an inevitable preordination, that they went to war naked except for a Turkish-style sword, their bodies covered only with a white linen cloth. And for their most extreme curse, when they were angry with their own people, they always had on their lips: “Cursed be you, like the man who arms himself for fear of death.” That is a very different proof of belief and faith from ours.
Et de ce rang est aussi celle que donnerent ces deux religieux de Florence, du temps de nos peres. Estans en quelque controuerse de science, ils s’accorderent, d’entrer tous deux dans le feu, en presence de tout le peuple, et en la place publique, pour la verification chacun de son party: et en estoyent des-ia les apprests tous faicts, et la chose iustement sur le poinct de l’execution, quand elle fut interrompue par vn accident improuueu.
Of the same rank, too, is the proof given by those two friars of Florence in our fathers’ time. Being in some dispute over a point of learning, they agreed that both would walk into the fire, in the presence of all the people and in the public square, each to verify his own side. The preparations were already all made, and the thing was just on the point of being carried out, when it was interrupted by an unforeseen accident.
Vn ieune Seigneur Turc, ayant faict vn signalé fait d’armes de sa personne, à la veuë des deux battailles, d’Amurath et de l’Huniade, prestes à se donner: enquis par Amurath, qui l’auoit en si grande ieunesse et inexperience (car c’estoit la premiere guerre qu’il eust veu) remply d’vne si genereuse vigueur de courage: respondit, qu’il auoit eu pour souuerain percepteur de vaillance, vn lieure. Quelque iour estant à la chasse, dit-il, ie descouury vn lieure en forme: et encore que i’eusse deux excellents leuriers à mon costé: si me sembla-il, pour ne le faillir point, qu’il valloit mieux y employer encore mon arc: car il me faisoit fort beau ieu.
A young Turkish lord had performed a remarkable feat of arms in person, in sight of the two armies of Amurath and Hunyadi, which were ready to engage. Amurath asked him what had filled him, so young and inexperienced as he was (for it was the first war he had seen), with such noble vigor of courage. He replied that his supreme teacher of valor had been a hare. One day when I was out hunting, he said, I came upon a hare in its form; and although I had two excellent greyhounds at my side, it still seemed better to me, so as not to miss it, to use my bow as well, for it offered me a very fine shot.
Ie commençay à descocher mes flesches: et iusques à quarante, qu’il y en auoit en ma trousse: non sans l’assener seulement, mais sans l’esueiller. Apres tout, ie descoupplay mes leuriers apres, qui n’y peurent non plus. I’apprins par là, qu’il auoit esté couuert par sa destinée: et que, ny les traits, ny les glaiues ne portent, que par le congé de nostre fatalité, laquelle il n’est en nous de reculer ny d’auancer. Ce compte doit seruir, à nous faire veoir en passant, combien nostre raison est flexible à toute sorte d’images.
I began to loose my arrows, all forty that were in my quiver, not only without hitting it but without even waking it. After all that, I unleashed my greyhounds on it, and they could do no better. I learned from this that it had been protected by its destiny, and that neither arrows nor swords strike home except by leave of our fate, which it is not in our power to put back or bring forward. This story should serve to show us, in passing, how pliable our reason is to every sort of image.
Vn personnage grand d’ans, de nom, de dignité, et de doctrine, se vantoit à moy d’auoir esté porté à certaine mutation tres-importante de sa foy, par vne incitation estrangere, aussi bizarre: et au reste si mal concluante, que ie la trouuoy plus forte au reuers. Luy l’appelloit miracle: et moy aussi, à diuers sens. Leurs historiens disent, que la persuasion, estant populairement semée entre les Turcs de la fatale et imployable prescription de leurs iours, ayde apparemment à les asseurer aux dangers. Et ie cognois vn grand Prince, qui en fait heureusement son proffit: soit qu’il la croye, soit qu’il la prenne pour excuse, à se hazarder extraordinairement: pourueu que Fortune ne se lasse trop tost, de luy faire espaule.
A man great in years, in name, in rank and in learning boasted to me that he had been led to a certain very important change in his faith by an outside prompting just as bizarre, and moreover so unconvincing that I found it stronger the other way round. He called it a miracle, and so did I, in a different sense. Their historians say that the conviction, widely spread among the common people of the Turks, that the span of their days is fatally and inflexibly prescribed, evidently helps to make them steady in danger. And I know a great prince who profits from it nicely, whether he believes it or takes it as an excuse, to run extraordinary risks—provided Fortune does not tire too soon of backing him.
Il n’est point aduenu de nostre memoire, vn plus admirable effect de resolution, que de ces deux qui conspirerent la mort du Prince d’Orenge. C’est merueille, comment on peut eschauffer le second, qui l’executa, à vne entreprinse, en laquelle il estoit si mal aduenu à son compagnon, y ayant apporté tout ce qu’il pouuoit. Et sur cette trace, et de mesmes armes, aller entreprendre vn Seigneur, armé d’vne si fraiche instruction de deffiance, puissant de suitte d’amis, et de force corporelle, en sa sale, parmy ses gardes, en vne ville toute à sa deuotion. Certes il y employa vne main bien determinée, et vn courage esmeu d’vne vigoreuse passion.
Within our memory there has been no more admirable instance of resolution than that of the two men who plotted the death of the Prince of Orange. It is a marvel how anyone could fire up the second, who carried it out, for an undertaking in which his companion had fared so badly after putting into it all he could. And how he could, on the same track and with the same weapons, go and attack a lord armed with so fresh a lesson in distrust, powerful in his following of friends and in bodily strength, in his own hall, among his guards, in a town wholly devoted to him. Certainly he brought to it a very determined hand and a courage stirred by a vigorous passion.
Vn poignard est plus seur, pour assener, mais d’autant qu’il a besoing de plus de mouuement, et de vigueur de bras, que n’a vn pistolet, son coup est plus subject à estre gauchy, ou troublé. Que celuy là, ne courust à vne mort certaine, ie n’y fay pas grand doubte: car les esperances, dequoy on eust sçeu l’amuser, ne pouuoient loger en entendement rassis: et la conduite de son exploit, montre qu’il n’en auoit pas faute, non plus que de courage. Les motifs d’vne si puissante persuasion, peuuent estre diuers, car nostre fantasie fait de soy et de nous, ce qu’il luy plaist.
A dagger is surer for striking home, but since it needs more movement and strength of arm than a pistol, its blow is more liable to be deflected or disturbed. I have little doubt that this man was running to certain death; for the hopes with which he might have been beguiled could not lodge in a settled mind, and the conduct of his exploit shows that he lacked a settled mind no more than he lacked courage. The motives for so powerful a conviction may be various, for our fancy makes of itself and of us whatever it pleases.
L’execution qui fut faicte pres d’Orleans, n’eut rien de pareil, il y eut plus de hazard que de vigueur: le coup n’estoit pas à la mort, si la Fortune ne l’eust rendu tel: et l’entreprise de tirer estant à cheual, et de loing, et à vn qui se mouuoit au bransle de son cheual, fut l’entreprise d’vn homme, qui aymoit mieux faillir son effect, que faillir à se sauuer. Ce qui suyuit apres le montra. Car il se transit et s’enyura de la pensée de si haute execution, si qu’il perdit entierement son sens, et à conduire sa fuite, et à conduire sa langue, en ses responces. Que luy falloit-il, que recourir à ses amis au trauers d’vne riuiere?
The deed done near Orléans had nothing like it; there was more luck than vigor in it. The wound was not mortal, had Fortune not made it so. And the plan of shooting on horseback, from a distance, at a man moving with the motion of his horse, was the plan of a man who would rather miss his aim than fail to save himself. What followed showed it. For he was so transfixed and intoxicated by the thought of so lofty a deed that he entirely lost his wits, both in managing his flight and in managing his tongue in his answers. What did he need to do but reach his friends across a river?
C’est vn moyen, où ie me suis ietté à moindres dangers, et que i’estime de peu de hazard, quelque largeur qu’ait le passage, pourueu que vostre cheual trouue l’entrée facile, et que vous preuoyez au delà, vn bord aysé selon le cours de l’eau. L’autre, quand on luy prononça son horrible sentence: I’y estois preparé, dit-il, ie vous estonneray de ma patience.
It is a means I have resorted to in lesser dangers, and I consider it of little risk, whatever the width of the crossing, provided your horse finds the way in easy and you foresee on the far side an easy bank, given the current. The other man, when his horrible sentence was pronounced, said: “I was prepared for it; I shall stun you with my endurance.”
Les Assassins, nation dependant de la Phœnicie, sont estimes entre les Mahumetans, d’vne souueraine deuotion et pureté de mœurs. Ils tiennent, que le plus court chemin à gaigner Paradis, c’est de tuer quelqu’vn de religion contraire. Parquoy, on l’a veu souuent entreprendre, à vn ou deux, en pourpoinct, contre des ennemis puissans, au prix d’vne mort certaine, et sans aucun soing de leur propre danger. Ainsi fut assassiné (ce mot est emprunté de leur nom) nostre Comte Raimond de Tripoli, au milieu de sa ville: pendant noz entreprinses de la guerre saincte. Et pareillement Conrad Marquis de Mont-ferrat, les meurtriers conduits au supplice, tous enflez et fiers d’vn si beau chef d’œuure.
The Assassins, a nation dependent on Phoenicia, are reputed among the Muslims to be of supreme devotion and purity of morals. They hold that the shortest road to winning Paradise is to kill someone of the opposite religion. That is why they have often been seen to attack powerful enemies, one or two at a time, without armor, at the price of certain death and without any concern for their own danger. In this way our Count Raymond of Tripoli was assassinated (the word is borrowed from their name) in the middle of his city, during our enterprises in the holy war; and likewise Conrad, Marquis of Montferrat, his murderers going to their execution all swollen and proud of so fine a masterpiece.