LA philosophie ne pense pas auoir mal employé ses moyens, quand elle a rendu à la raison, la souueraine maistrise de nostre ame, et l’authorité de tenir en bride nos appetits. Entre lesquels ceux qui iugent qu’il n’en y a point de plus violens, que ceux que l’amour engendre, ont cela pour leur opinion, qu’ils tiennent au corps et à l’ame, et que tout l’homme en est possedé: en maniere que la santé mesmes en depend, et est la medecine par fois contrainte de leur seruir de maquerellage. Mais au contraire, on pourroit aussi dire, que le meslange du corps y apporte du rabais, et de l’affoiblissement: car tels desirs sont subiects à satieté, et capables de remedes materiels.
Philosophy does not think it has used its means badly when it has given reason sovereign mastery over our soul and the authority to hold our appetites in check. Among these appetites, those who judge that none are more violent than the ones love engenders base their opinion on the fact that they belong to both body and soul, and that the whole man is possessed by them, so much so that even health depends on them and medicine is sometimes forced to act as their procurer. But on the contrary, one could also say that the admixture of the body brings them some abatement and weakening: for such desires are subject to satiety and can be cured by material remedies.
Plusieurs ayans voulu deliurer leurs ames des alarmes continuelles que leur donnoit cet appetit, se sont seruis d’incision et destranchement des parties esmeuës et alterées. D’autres en ont du tout abatu la force, et l’ardeur, par frequente application de choses froides, comme de neige, et de vinaigre. Les haires de nos aieulx estoient de cet vsage: c’est vne matiere tissue de poil de cheual, dequoy les vns d’entr’eux faisoient des chemises, et d’autres des ceintures à gehenner leurs reins.
Many who wanted to free their souls from the continual alarms this appetite gave them have resorted to cutting and amputating the aroused and disordered parts. Others have entirely beaten down its force and ardor by frequent application of cold things, such as snow and vinegar. The hair shirts of our forefathers served this purpose: it is a fabric woven of horsehair, of which some of them made shirts, and others belts to torment their loins.
Vn Prince me disoit, il n’y a pas long temps, que pendant sa ieunesse, vn iour de feste solemne, en la cour du Roy François premier, où tout le monde estoit paré, il luy print enuie de se vestir de la haire, qui est encore chez luy, de monsieur son pere: mais quelque deuotion qu’il eust, qu’il ne sceut auoir la patience d’attendre la nuict pour se despouïller, et en fut long temps malade: adioustant qu’il ne pensoit pas qu’il y eust chaleur de ieunesse si aspre, que l’vsage de cette recepte ne peust amortir: toutesfois à l’aduanture ne les a-il pas essayées les plus cuisantes.
A prince told me not long ago that in his youth, on a solemn feast day at the court of King Francis I, when everyone was dressed in finery, he took a fancy to put on his father’s hair shirt, which is still in his house. But whatever devotion he had, he could not find the patience to wait until night to take it off, and he was ill from it for a long time. He added that he did not think there was any heat of youth so fierce that this remedy could not quench it. Still, perhaps he has never felt the most burning ones.
Car l’experience nous faict voir, qu’vne telle esmotion, se maintient bien souuent soubs des habits rudes et marmiteux: et que les haires ne rendent pas tousiours heres ceux qui les portent.
For experience shows us that such a stirring very often persists under rough and shabby clothes, and that hair shirts do not always make sorry wretches of those who wear them.
Xenocrates y proceda plus rigoureusement: car ses disciples pour essayer sa continence, luy ayants fourré dans son lict, Laïs, cette belle et fameuse courtisane toute nuë, sauf les armes de sa beauté et folasres apasts, ses phyltres: sentant qu’en despit de ses discours, et de ses regles, le corps reuesche commençoit à se mutiner, il se fit brusler les membres, qui auoient presté l’oreille à cette rebellion. Là où les passions qui sont toutes en l’ame, comme l’ambition, l’avarice, et autres, donnent bien plus à faire à la raison: car elle n’y peut estre secourue, que de ses propres moyens: ny ne sont ces appetits là, capables de satieté: voire ils s’esguisent et augmentent par la iouyssance.
Xenocrates went about it more rigorously. His disciples, to test his continence, had slipped into his bed Lais, that beautiful and famous courtesan, quite naked except for the weapons of her beauty and her wanton lures, her love potions. Feeling that in spite of his reasonings and his rules his unruly body was beginning to mutiny, he had the members that had lent an ear to this rebellion burned. Whereas the passions that are wholly in the soul, such as ambition, avarice and the rest, give reason much more trouble: for there it can be helped only by its own means; nor are those appetites capable of satiety; indeed they are sharpened and increased by enjoyment.
Caesar’s two passions
Caesar loved women passionately, but ambition always mastered his pleasures and finally ruined him.
Le seul exemple de Iulius Cæsar, peut suffire à nous montrer la disparité de ces appetits: car iamais homme ne fut plus addonné aux plaisirs amoureux. Le soin curieux qu’il auoit de sa personne, en est vn tesmoignage, iusques à se seruir à cela, des moyens les plus lascifs qui fussent lors en vsage: comme de se faire pinceter tout le corps, et farder de parfums d’vne extreme curiosité: et de soy il estoit beau personnage, blanc, de belle et allegre taille, le visage plein, les yeux bruns et vifs, s’il en faut croire Suetone: car les statues, qui se voyent de luy à Rome ne rapportent pas bien par tout, à cette peinture.
The single example of Julius Caesar may suffice to show us the disparity between these appetites: for never was a man more given to amorous pleasures. The meticulous care he took of his person is evidence of it, to the point of using for that purpose the most lascivious means then in fashion, such as having his whole body plucked and anointing himself with perfumes of extreme refinement. And by nature he was a handsome figure, fair-skinned, tall and nimble, with a full face and dark, keen eyes, if we are to believe Suetonius: for the statues of him to be seen in Rome do not everywhere match this portrait.
Outre ses femmes, qu’il changea quatre fois, sans conter les amours de son enfance, auec le Roy de Bithynie Nicomedes, il eut le pucelage de cette tant renommée Royne d’Ægypte, Cleopatra: tesmoin le petit Cæsarion, qui en nasquit. Il fit aussi l’amour à Eunoé Royne de Mauritanie: et à Rome, à Posthumia, femme de Seruius Sulpitius: à Lollia, de Gabinius: à Tertulla, de Crassus, et à Mutia mesme, femme du grand Pompeius. Qui fut la cause, disent les historiens Romains, pourquoy son mary la repudia, ce que Plutarque confesse auoir ignoré. Et les Curions pere et fils reprocherent depuis à Pompeius, quand il espousa la fille de Cæsar, qu’il se faisoit gendre d’vn homme qui l’auoit fait coqu, et que luy-mesme auoit accoustumé d’appeller Ægysthus.
Besides his wives, whom he changed four times, and not counting the loves of his boyhood with the King of Bithynia, Nicomedes, he had the maidenhead of that so famous Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra: witness little Caesarion, who was born of it. He also had affairs with Eunoe, Queen of Mauritania, and in Rome with Postumia, wife of Servius Sulpicius; with Lollia, wife of Gabinius; with Tertulla, wife of Crassus; and even with Mucia, wife of the great Pompey. That was the reason, say the Roman historians, why her husband divorced her, though Plutarch admits he did not know it. And the Curios, father and son, later reproached Pompey, when he married Caesar’s daughter, with making himself son-in-law to a man who had made him a cuckold, and whom he himself used to call Aegisthus.
Il entretint outre tout ce nombre, Seruilia sœur de Caton, et mere de Marcus Brutus, dont chacun tient que proceda cette grande affection qu’il portoit à Brutus: par ce qu’il estoit nay en temps, auquel il y auoit apparence qu’il fust issu de luy. Ainsi i’ai raison, ce me semble, de le prendre pour homme extremement addonné à cette desbauche, et de complexion tres-amoureuse. Mais l’autre passion de l’ambition, dequoy il estoit aussi infiniment blessé, venant à combattre celle là, elle luy fit incontinent perdre place.
Besides all these, he kept Servilia, Cato’s sister and the mother of Marcus Brutus, and everyone holds that this was the source of the great affection he bore Brutus, since Brutus was born at a time when it seemed likely that he was his son. So I am right, it seems to me, to take him for a man extremely given to this kind of debauchery and of a very amorous constitution. But the other passion, ambition, by which he was also infinitely wounded, coming to fight against that one, at once made it give ground.
Me ressouuenant sur ce propos de Mehemed, celuy qui subiugua Constantinople, et apporta la finale extermination du nom Grec: ie ne sçache point où ces deux passions se trouuent plus egalement balancées: pareillement indefatigable ruffien, et soldat. Mais quand en sa vie, elles se presentent en concurrence l’vne de l’autre, l’ardeur querelleuse gourmande tousiours l’amoureuse ardeur. Et ceste-cy, encore que ce fust hors sa naturelle saison, ne regaigna pleinement l’authorité souueraine, que quand il se trouua en grande vieillesse, incapable de plus soutenir le faix des guerres.
Recalling on this subject Mehmed, the one who subjugated Constantinople and brought about the final extermination of the Greek name, I know of no one in whom these two passions are more evenly balanced: he was as tireless a rake as he was a soldier. But when in his life they compete with each other, the quarrelsome ardor always masters the amorous ardor. And the latter, though it was out of its natural season, regained full sovereign authority only when he was in great old age and no longer able to bear the burden of war.
Ce qu’on recite pour vn exemple contraire de Ladislaus Roy de Naples, est remarquable: Que bon capitaine, courageux, et ambitieux, il se proposoit pour fin principale de son ambition, l’execution de sa volupté, et iouïssance de quelque rare beauté. Sa mort fut de mesme. Ayant rengé par vn siege bien poursuiuy, la ville de Florence si à destroit, que les habitants estoient apres à composer de sa victoire: il la leur quitta pourueu qu’ils luy liurassent vne fille de leur ville dequoy il auoit ouy parler, de beauté excellente. Force fut de la luy accorder, et garantir la publique ruine par vne iniure priuée.
What is told as a contrary example about Ladislaus, King of Naples, is remarkable: that, though a good commander, courageous and ambitious, he set as the chief end of his ambition the satisfaction of his pleasure and the enjoyment of some rare beauty. His death was of a piece with this. Having by a well-pressed siege reduced the city of Florence to such straits that its inhabitants were about to negotiate the terms of his victory, he let them off on condition that they hand over to him a girl of their city, of excellent beauty, of whom he had heard. They had no choice but to grant her to him, and to avert the public ruin by a private wrong.
Elle estoit fille d’vn medecin fameux de son temps; lequel se trouuant engagé en si villaine necessité, se resolut à vne haute entreprinse. Comme chacun paroit sa fille et l’attournoit d’ornements et ioyaux, qui la peussent rendre aggreable à ce nouuel amant, luy aussi luy donna vn mouchoir exquis en senteur et en ouurage, duquel elle eust à se seruir en leurs premieres approches: meuble, qu’elles n’y oublient guere en ces quartiers là. Ce mouchoir empoisonné selon la capacité de son art, venant à se frotter à ces chairs esmeuës et pores ouuerts, inspira son venin si promptement, qu’ayant soudain changé leur sueur chaude en froide, ils expirerent entre les bras l’vn de l’autre.
She was the daughter of a physician famous in his time, who, finding himself caught in so vile a necessity, resolved on a bold undertaking. While everyone was adorning his daughter and decking her out with ornaments and jewels that might make her pleasing to this new lover, he too gave her a handkerchief, exquisite in scent and workmanship, which she was to use in their first embraces, an article women in those parts hardly ever forget. This handkerchief, poisoned with all the skill of his art, rubbing against those heated bodies and open pores, breathed its venom into them so swiftly that their warm sweat suddenly turned cold, and they expired in each other’s arms.
Ie m’en reuay à Cæsar. Ses plaisirs ne luy firent iamais desrober vne seule minute d’heure, ny destourner vn pas des occasions qui se presentoient pour son agrandissement. Cette passion regenta en luy si souuerainement toutes les autres, et posseda son ame d’vne authorité si pleine, qu’elle l’emporta où elle voulut. Certes i’en suis despit: quand ie considere au demeurant, la grandeur de ce personnage, et les merueilleuses parties qui estoient en luy: tant de suffisance en toute sorte de sçauoir, qu’il n’y a quasi science en quoy il n’ait escrit: il estoit tel orateur, que plusieurs ont preferé son eloquence à celle de Cicero: et luy-mesmes, à mon aduis, n’estimoit luy deuoir guere en cette partie.
I come back to Caesar. His pleasures never made him steal a single minute of an hour, or turn a single step aside from the opportunities that offered for his advancement. This passion, ambition, ruled all the others in him so sovereignly, and possessed his soul with such complete authority, that it carried him wherever it wished. Indeed it vexes me, when I consider otherwise the greatness of the man and the marvelous gifts he had: such ability in every kind of learning that there is hardly a science on which he did not write. He was such an orator that many have preferred his eloquence to Cicero’s; and he himself, in my opinion, thought he owed him little in this respect.
Et ses deux Anticatons, furent principalement escrits pour contre-balancer le bien dire, que Cicero auoit employé en son Caton. Au demeurant, fut-il iamais ame si vigilante, si actiue, et si patiente de labeur que la sienne? Et sans doubte, encore estoit elle embellie de plusieurs rares semences de vertu, ie dy viues, naturelles, et non contrefaictes. Il estoit singulierement sobre, et si peu delicat en son manger, qu’Oppius recite, qu’vn iour luy ayant esté presenté à table, en quelque sauce de l’huyle medecinée, au lieu d’huyle simple, il en mangea largement, pour ne faire honte à son hoste. Vne autrefois, il fit fouëtter son boulenger, pour luy auoir seruy d’autre pain que celuy du commun.
His two Anti-Catos were written chiefly to counterbalance the fine speaking that Cicero had used in his Cato. For the rest, was there ever a soul so vigilant, so active and so enduring of toil as his? And it was certainly adorned as well with many rare seeds of virtue, living, natural ones, I mean, not counterfeit. He was singularly sober, and so little fastidious in his eating that Oppius relates that one day, when he was served at table some sauce made with medicinal oil instead of plain oil, he ate a good deal of it so as not to shame his host. Another time he had his baker whipped for serving him different bread from what was served to everyone else.
Caton mesme auoit accoustumé de dire de luy, que c’estoit le premier homme sobre, qui se fust acheminé à la ruyne de son pays. Et quant à ce que ce mesme Caton l’appella vn iour yurongne, cela aduint en cette façon. Estans tous deux au Senat, où il se parloit du fait de la coniuration de Catilina, de laquelle Cæsar estoit soupçonné, on luy vint apporter de dehors, vn breuet à cachetes: Caton estimant que ce fust quelque chose, dequoy les coniurez l’aduertissent, le somma de le luy donner: ce que Cæsar fut contrainct de faire, pour euiter vn plus grand soupçon.
Cato himself used to say of him that he was the first sober man to set out to ruin his country. As for this same Cato calling him a drunkard one day, it happened in this way. They were both in the Senate, where Catiline’s conspiracy, of which Caesar was suspected, was being discussed, when someone brought him a sealed note from outside. Cato, thinking it was something the conspirators were informing him of, demanded that he hand it over, which Caesar was forced to do to avoid greater suspicion.
C’estoit de fortune vne lettre amoureuse, que Seruilia sœur de Caton luy escriuoit: Caton l’ayant leuë, la luy reietta, en luy disant: Tien yurongne. Cela, dis-ie, fut plustost vn mot de desdain et de colere, qu’vn expres reproche de ce vice: comme souuent nous iniurions ceux qui nous faschent, des premieres iniures qui nous viennent à la bouche, quoy qu’elles ne soyent nullement deuës à ceux à qui nous les attachons. Ioinct que ce vice que Caton luy reproche, est merueilleusement voisin de celuy, auquel il auoit surpris Cæsar: car Venus et Bacchus se conuiennent volontiers, à ce que dit le prouerbe: mais chez moy Venus est bien plus allegre, accompaignée de la sobrieté.
It happened to be a love letter that Servilia, Cato’s sister, had written him. Cato, having read it, threw it back at him, saying, “Take it, drunkard.” That, I say, was rather a word of disdain and anger than a deliberate reproach for that vice: just as we often insult those who annoy us with the first insults that come to our lips, though they are in no way deserved by the people we pin them on. Besides, the vice Cato reproaches him with is wonderfully close to the one in which he had caught Caesar: for Venus and Bacchus readily get along, as the proverb says. But with me Venus is much livelier in the company of sobriety.
Les exemples de sa douceur, et de sa clemence, enuers ceux qui l’auoient offencé sont infinis: ie dis outre ceux qu’il donna, pendant le temps que la guerre ciuile estoit encore en son progrés, desquels il fait luy-mesmes assez sentir par ses escrits, qu’il se seruoit pour amadouër ses ennemis, et leur faire moins craindre sa future domination et sa victoire. Mais si faut il dire que ces exemples là s’ils ne sont suffisans à nous tesmoigner sa naïue douceur, ils nous montrent au moins vne merueilleuse confiance et grandeur de courage, en ce personnage.
The examples of his gentleness and clemency toward those who had offended him are countless. I mean besides those he gave while the civil war was still in progress, which, as he himself makes clear enough in his writings, he used to win over his enemies and make them less afraid of his future rule and victory. But it must still be said that if those examples are not enough to prove his natural gentleness, they at least show us a marvelous confidence and greatness of heart in the man.
Il luy est aduenu souuent, de renuoyer des armées toutes entieres à son ennemy, apres les auoir vaincuës, sans daigner seulement les obliger par serment, sinon de le fauoriser, aumoins de se contenir sans luy faire la guerre: il a prins trois et quatre fois tels capitaines de Pompeius, et autant de fois remis en liberté. Pompeius declaroit ses ennemis, tous ceux qui ne l’accompaignoient à la guerre: et luy fit proclamer qu’il tenoit pour amis tous ceux qui ne bougeoient, et qui ne s’armoyent effectuellement contre luy. A ceux de ses capitaines, qui se desroboient de luy pour aller prendre autre condition, il r’enuoioit encore les armes, cheuaux, et equipages.
He often sent whole armies back to his enemy after defeating them, without even deigning to bind them by oath, if not to support him, at least to refrain from making war on him. He captured certain of Pompey’s commanders three and four times, and as many times set them free. Pompey declared as his enemies all those who did not follow him to the war; Caesar had it proclaimed that he held as friends all those who stayed put and did not actually take up arms against him. To those of his officers who slipped away from him to take service elsewhere, he even sent back their arms, horses and baggage.
Les villes qu’il auoit prinses par force, il les laissoit en liberté de suyure tel party qu’il leur plairoit, ne leur donnant autre garnison, que la memoire de sa douceur et clemence. Il deffendit le iour de sa grande bataille de Pharsale, qu’on ne mist qu’à toute extremité, la main sur les citoyens Romains. Voyla des traits bien hazardeux selon mon iugement: et n’est pas merueilles si aux guerres ciuiles, que nous sentons, ceux qui combattent, comme luy, l’estat ancien de leur pays, n’en imitent l’exemple. Ce sont moyens extraordinaires, et qu’il n’appartient qu’à la fortune de Cæsar, et à son admirable pouruoyance, d’heureusement conduire.
The towns he had taken by force he left free to follow whatever side they pleased, giving them no other garrison than the memory of his gentleness and clemency. On the day of his great battle of Pharsalus he forbade anyone to lay hands on Roman citizens except in the last extremity. These are very risky strokes, in my judgment; and it is no wonder if, in the civil wars we are suffering, those who, like him, are fighting against the ancient state of their country do not follow his example. These are extraordinary means, and only Caesar’s fortune and his admirable foresight could carry them off successfully.
Quand ie considere la grandeur incomparable de cette ame, i’excuse la victoire, de ne s’estre peu depestrer de luy, voire en cette tres-iniuste et tres-inique cause.
When I consider the incomparable greatness of that soul, I excuse victory for being unable to break free of him, even in that most unjust and iniquitous cause.
Pour reuenir à sa clemence, nous en auons plusieurs naifs exemples, au temps de sa domination, lors que toutes choses estants reduites en sa main, il n’auoit plus à se feindre. Caius Memmius auoit escrit contre luy des oraisons tres-poignantes, ausquelles il auoit bien aigrement respondu: si ne laissa-il bien tost apres d’ayder à le faire Consul. Caius Caluus qui auoit faict plusieurs epigrammes iniurieux contre luy, ayant employé de ses amis pour le reconcilier, Cæsar se conuia luy-mesme à luy escrire le premier. Et nostre bon Catulle, qui l’auoit testonné si rudement sous le nom de Mamurra, s’en estant venu excuser à luy, il le fit ce iour mesme soupper à sa table.
To return to his clemency, we have many unfeigned examples of it from the time of his rule, when everything was in his hands and he no longer had to pretend. Gaius Memmius had written very stinging speeches against him, to which he had replied very sharply; yet soon afterward he did not fail to help make him consul. Gaius Calvus, who had written several abusive epigrams against him, had used some of his friends to bring about a reconciliation, and Caesar took it upon himself to write to him first. And our good Catullus, who had roughed him up so harshly under the name of Mamurra, came to apologize to him, and Caesar had him to supper at his table that very day.
Ayant esté aduerty d’aucuns qui parloient mal de luy, il n’en fit autre chose, que declarer en vne sienne harangue publique, qu’il en estoit aduerty. Il craignoit encore moins ses ennemis, qu’il ne les haissoit. Aucunes coniurations et assemblees, qu’on faisoit contre sa vie, luy ayants esté descouuertes, il se contenta de publier par edit qu’elles luy estoient cognuës, sans autrement en poursuyure les autheurs. Quant au respect qu’il auoit à ses amis: Caius Oppius voyageant auec luy, et se trouuant mal, il luy quitta vn seul logis qu’il y auoit, et coucha toute la nuict sur la dure et au descouuert.
When he was told of some people who were speaking ill of him, all he did was declare in one of his public speeches that he had been told of it. He feared his enemies even less than he hated them. When certain conspiracies and meetings formed against his life were revealed to him, he was content to publish an edict saying that he knew of them, without otherwise prosecuting those responsible. As for the regard he had for his friends: when Gaius Oppius, traveling with him, fell ill, he gave up to him the only lodging there was and slept all night on the hard ground in the open.
Quant à sa iustice, il fit mourir vn sien seruiteur, qu’il aimoit singulierement, pour auoir couché auecques la femme d’vn cheualier Romain, quoy que personne ne s’en plaignist. Iamais homme n’apporta, ny plus de moderation en sa victoire, ny plus de resolution en sa fortune contraire.
As for his justice, he had a servant of his whom he was exceptionally fond of put to death for having slept with the wife of a Roman knight, though no one had complained. Never did a man show either more moderation in victory or more resolution in adverse fortune.
Mais toutes ces belles inclinations furent alterées et estouffées, par cette furieuse passion ambitieuse: à laquelle il se laissa si fort emporter, qu’on peut aisément maintenir, qu’elle tenoit le timon et le gouuernail de toutes ses actions.
But all these fine inclinations were spoiled and stifled by that furious passion of ambition, by which he let himself be carried away so far that one may easily maintain it held the tiller and the rudder of all his actions.
D’vn homme liberal, elle en rendit vn voleur publique, pour fournir à cette profusion et largesse, et luy fit dire ce vilain et tres-iniuste mot, que si les plus meschans et perdus hommes du monde, luy auoyent esté fidelles, au seruice de son agrandissement, il les cheriroit et auanceroit de son pouuoir, aussi bien que les plus gens de bien: l’enyura d’vne vanité si extreme, qu’il osoit se vanter en presence de ses concitoyens, d’auoir rendu cette grande Republique Romaine, vn nom sans forme et sans corps: et dire que ses responces deuoyent meshuy seruir de loix: et receuoir assis, le corps du Senat venant vers luy: et souffrir qu’on l’adorast, et qu’on luy fist en sa presence des honneurs diuins.
Out of a liberal man it made a public robber, to supply all that profusion and largesse. It made him utter that base and most unjust remark, that if the most wicked and abandoned men in the world had been faithful to him in the service of his advancement, he would cherish them and promote them as far as his power allowed, just as much as the best of men. It intoxicated him with so extreme a vanity that he dared to boast in the presence of his fellow citizens that he had made that great Roman Republic a name without form or body; to say that his answers should henceforth serve as laws; to receive the body of the Senate seated when it came to him; and to allow himself to be worshiped and divine honors to be paid him in his presence.
Somme, ce seul vice, à mon aduis, perdit en luy le plus beau, et le plus riche naturel qui fut onques: et a rendu sa memoire abominable à tous les gens de bien, pour auoir voulu chercher sa gloire de la ruyne de son païs, et subuersion de la plus puissante, et fleurissante chose publique que le monde verra iamais. Il se pourroit bien au contraire, trouuer plusieurs exemples de grands personnages, ausquels la volupté a faict oublier la conduicte de leurs affaires, comme Marcus Antonius, et autres: mais où l’amour et l’ambition seroient en esgale balance, et viendroient à se choquer de forces pareilles, ie ne fay aucun doubte, que ceste-cy ne gaignast le prix de la maistrise.
In sum, this one vice, in my opinion, ruined in him the finest and richest nature there ever was, and has made his memory abominable to all good men, for having sought his glory in the ruin of his country and the overthrow of the most powerful and flourishing republic the world will ever see. One could, on the other hand, find many examples of great men whom pleasure made forget the conduct of their affairs, such as Mark Antony and others. But where love and ambition were evenly balanced and came to clash with equal force, I have no doubt that ambition would carry off the prize of mastery.
Spurina’s face
A beautiful young Tuscan scars his own face; Montaigne admires the act more than he honors it.
Or pour me remettre sur mes brisées, c’est beaucoup de pouuoir brider nos appetits, par le discours de la raison, ou de forcer nos membres, par violence, à se tenir en leur deuoir. Mais de nous fouëtter pour l’interest de nos voisins, de non seulement nous deffaire de cette douce passion, qui nous chatouïlle, du plaisir que nous sentons de nous voir aggreables à autruy, et aymez et recherchez d’vn chascun: mais encore de prendre en haine, et à contre-cœur nos graces, qui en sont cause, et condamner nostre beauté, par ce que quelque autre s’en eschauffe, ie n’en ay veu guere d’exemples: cestuy-cy en est.
Now, to get back on my track: it is a great deal to be able to curb our appetites by the reasoning of reason, or to force our members by violence to keep to their duty. But to scourge ourselves for the sake of our neighbors; not only to rid ourselves of that sweet passion that tickles us, the pleasure we feel in seeing ourselves pleasing to others, loved and sought after by everyone, but even to take a hatred and aversion to the graces that cause it, and to condemn our own beauty because someone else is inflamed by it—of that I have seen few examples. Here is one.
Spurina ieune homme de la Toscane, Qualis gemma micat, fuluum quæ diuidit aurum, / Aut collo decus aut capiti, vel quale per artem / Inclusum buxo aut Oricia terebintho / Lucet ebur, estant doüé d’vne singuliere beauté, et si excessiue, que les yeux plus continents, ne pouuoient en souffrir l’esclat continemment, ne se contentant point de laisser sans secours tant de fiéure et de feu, qu’il alloit attisant par tout, entra en furieux despit contre soy-mesmes, et contre ces riches presens, que Nature luy auoit faits: comme si on se deuoit prendre à eux, de la faute d’autruy: et détailla, et troubla à force de playes, qu’il se fit à escient, et de cicatrices, la parfaicte proportion et ordonnance que Nature auoit si curieusement obseruée en son visage.
Spurina, a young man of Tuscany, As a gem sparkles that parts the tawny gold, / an ornament for neck or head, or as, by art / inlaid in boxwood or Orician terebinth, / ivory gleams, was endowed with a singular beauty, so excessive that the most continent eyes could not continently bear its brilliance. Not content to leave without relief all the fever and fire he went kindling everywhere, he fell into a furious rage against himself and against those rich gifts Nature had given him, as if they were to blame for the faults of others. And with wounds he deliberately inflicted on himself, and with scars, he slashed and spoiled the perfect proportion and order that Nature had so carefully observed in his face.
Pour en dire mon aduis: i’admire telles actions, plus que ie ne les honnore. Ces excez sont ennemis de mes regles. Le dessein en fut beau, et conscientieux: mais, à mon aduis, vn peu manque de prudence. Quoy? si sa laideur seruit depuis à en ietter d’autres au peché de mespris et de haine, ou d’enuie, pour la gloire d’vne si rare recommandation: ou de calomnie, interpretant cette humeur, à vne forcenée ambition. Y a-il quelque forme, de laquelle le vice ne tire, s’il veult, occasion à s’exercer en quelque maniere? Il estoit plus iuste, et aussi plus glorieux, qu’il fist de ces dons de Dieu, vn subiect de vertu exemplaire, et de reglement.
To give my own opinion: I admire such actions more than I honor them. These excesses are enemies of my rules. The intention was fine and conscientious, but, in my view, somewhat lacking in prudence. What if his ugliness afterward served to cast others into the sin of contempt and hatred, or of envy at the glory of so rare a distinction, or of slander, interpreting his temperament as a frenzied ambition? Is there any form from which vice cannot, if it wishes, draw an occasion to exercise itself in some way? It would have been more just, and also more glorious, for him to make of these gifts of God a subject of exemplary virtue and self-control.
Ceux, qui se desrobent aux offices communs, et à ce nombre infini de regles espineuses, à tant de visages, qui lient vn homme d’exacte preud’hommie, en la vie ciuile: font, à mon gré, vne belle espargne: quelque pointe d’aspreté peculiere qu’ils s’enioignent. C’est aucunement mourir, pour fuir la peine de bien viure. Ils peuuent auoir autre prix, mais le prix de la difficulté, il ne m’a iamais semblé qu’ils l’eussent. Ny qu’en malaisance, il y ait rien audelà, de se tenir droit emmy les flots de la presse du monde, respondant et satisfaisant loyalement à touts les membres de sa charge.
Those who slip away from the common duties, and from that infinite number of thorny, many-faced rules that bind a man of strict integrity in civil life, make, to my mind, a nice saving, whatever sharp point of peculiar austerity they impose on themselves. It is in a way dying to escape the trouble of living well. They may have some other merit; but the merit of difficulty I have never thought they had. Nor have I thought that anything is harder than to keep upright amid the waves of the world’s throng, loyally answering and meeting all the parts of one’s charge.
Il est à l’aduenture plus facile, de se passer nettement de tout le sexe, que de se maintenir deuëment de tout poinct, en la compagnie de sa femme. Et a l’on dequoy couler plus incurieusement, en la pauureté, qu’en l’abondance, iustement dispensée. L’vsage, conduit selon raison, a plus d’aspreté, que n’a l’abstinence. La moderation est vertu bien plus affaireuse, que n’est la souffrance. Le bien viure du ieune Scipion, a mille façons. Le bien viure de Diogenes, n’en a qu’vne. Ceste-cy surpasse d’autant en innocence les vies ordinaires, comme les exquises et accomplies la surpassent en vtilité et en force.
It is perhaps easier to do without the whole sex altogether than to conduct oneself properly in every respect in the company of one’s wife. And one can slip along more carelessly in poverty than in abundance justly dispensed. Use guided by reason is harder than abstinence. Moderation is a far more demanding virtue than endurance. The good life of the younger Scipio has a thousand forms; the good life of Diogenes has only one. Diogenes’ life surpasses ordinary lives in innocence by as much as the most exquisite and accomplished lives surpass it in usefulness and strength.