IE donne auec raison, ce me semble, la palme à Iacques Amiot, sur tous noz escriuains François; non seulement pour la naïfueté et pureté du langage, en quoy il surpasse tous autres, ny pour la constance d’vn si long trauail, ny pour la profondeur de son sçauoir, ayant peu deuelopper si heureusement vn autheur si espineux et ferré: car on m’en dira ce qu’on voudra, ie n’entens rien au Grec, mais ie voy vn sens si bien ioint et entretenu, par tout en sa traduction, que ou il a certainement entendu l’imagination vraye de l’autheur, ou ayant par longue conuersation, planté viuement dans son ame, vne generale idée de celle de Plutarque, il ne luy a aumoins rien presté qui le desmente, ou qui le desdie: mais sur tout, ie luy sçay bon gré, d’auoir sçeu trier et choisir vn liure si digne et si à propos, pour en faire present à son païs.
I give the palm, rightly I think, to Jacques Amyot over all our French writers. This is not only for the natural ease and purity of his language, in which he surpasses all others, nor for his perseverance in so long a labor, nor for the depth of his learning, which allowed him to unfold so happily an author so thorny and knotty. For people may tell me what they like: I understand nothing of Greek, but I see a meaning so well connected and sustained throughout his translation that either he has certainly grasped the author’s true thought, or else, having by long acquaintance planted vividly in his soul a general idea of Plutarch’s soul, he has at least lent him nothing that belies or contradicts him. But above all I am grateful to him for having known how to pick and choose a book so worthy and so fitting to make a present of it to his country.
Nous autres ignorans estions perdus, si ce liure ne nous eust releué du bourbier: sa mercy nous osons à cett’heure et parler et escrire: les dames en regentent les maistres d’escole: c’est nostre breuiaire. Si ce bon homme vit, ie luy resigne Xenophon pour en faire autant. C’est vn’ occupation plus aisée, et d’autant plus propre à sa vieillesse. Et puis, ie ne sçay comment il me semble, quoy qu’il se desmesle bien brusquement et nettement d’vn mauuais pas, que toutefois son stile est plus chez soy, quand il n’est pas pressé, et qu’il roulle à son aise.
We ignorant folk would have been lost if this book had not pulled us out of the mire. Thanks to him we now dare to speak and to write; ladies use it to school the schoolmasters; it is our breviary. If this good man is still alive, I hand Xenophon over to him to do the same. It is an easier task, and all the more suited to his old age. And besides, I don’t know how, it seems to me that although he gets out of a tight spot very briskly and neatly, his style is nonetheless more at home when it is not hurried and rolls along at its ease.
I’estois à cett’heure sur ce passage, où Plutarque dit de soy-mesmes, que Rusticus assistant à vne sienne declamation à Rome, y receut vn pacquet de la part de l’Empereur, et temporisa de l’ouurir, iusques à ce que tout fust faict: En quoy, dit-il, toute l’assistance loua singulierement la grauité de ce personnage.
I was just now at the passage where Plutarch says of himself that Rusticus, attending one of his lectures in Rome, received a packet from the Emperor and put off opening it until everything was over; for which, he says, the whole audience singularly praised this man’s gravity.
De vray, estant sur le propos de la curiosité, et de cette passion auide et gourmande de nouuelles, qui nous fait auec tant d’indiscretion et d’impatience abandonner toutes choses, pour entretenir vn nouueau venu, et perdre tout respect et contenance, pour crocheter soudain, où que nous soyons, les lettres qu’on nous apporte: il a eu raison de louër la grauité de Rusticus: et pouuoit encor y ioindre la louange de sa ciuilité et courtoisie, de n’auoir voulu interrompre le cours de sa declamation. Mais ie fay doubte qu’on le peust louër de prudence: car receuant à l’improueu lettres, et notamment d’vn Empereur, il pouuoit bien aduenir que le differer à les lire, eust esté d’vn grand preiudice.
Indeed, since Plutarch was on the subject of curiosity, and of that avid and greedy passion for news which makes us so tactlessly and impatiently drop everything to talk to a newcomer, and lose all respect and composure in tearing open on the spot, wherever we are, the letters brought to us, he was right to praise Rusticus’s gravity. He could have added praise for his civility and courtesy in not wanting to interrupt the course of the lecture. But I doubt whether he could be praised for prudence. For when one receives letters unexpectedly, and especially from an emperor, it could well happen that putting off reading them would do great harm.
Le vice contraire à la curiosité, c’est la nonchalance: vers laquelle ie panche euidemment de ma complexion; et en laquelle i’ay veu plusieurs hommes si extremes, que trois ou quatre iours apres, on retrouuoit encores en leur pochette les lettres toutes closes, qu’on leur auoit enuoyées. Ie n’en ouuris iamais, non seulement de celles, qu’on m’eust commises: mais de celles mesmes que la Fortune m’eust faict passer par les mains. Et fais conscience si mes yeux desrobent par mesgarde, quelque cognoissance des lettres d’importance qu’il lit, quand ie suis à costé d’vn grand. Iamais homme ne s’enquit moins, et ne fureta moins és affaires d’autruy.
The vice opposite to curiosity is heedlessness, toward which I plainly lean by temperament. I have seen many men so extreme in it that three or four days later the letters sent to them were still found unopened in their pockets. I have never opened any letters—not only those entrusted to me, but not even those that Fortune happened to pass through my hands. And I feel a scruple if my eyes inadvertently steal some knowledge of the important letters a great man is reading when I am beside him. Never did a man inquire less, or pry less, into other people’s affairs.
Du temps de noz peres Monsieur de Boutieres cuida perdre Turin, pour, estant en bonne compagnie à soupper, auoir remis à lire vn aduertissement qu’on luy donnoit des trahisons qui se dressoient contre cette ville, où il commandoit. Et ce mesme Plutarque m’a appris que Iulius Cæsar se fust sauué, si allant au Senat, le iour qu’il y fut tué par les coniurez, il eust leu vn memoire qu’on luy presenta.
In our fathers’ time Monsieur de Boutières nearly lost Turin because, being in good company at supper, he put off reading a warning sent him about treacheries being plotted against that city, where he was in command. And this same Plutarch has taught me that Julius Caesar would have saved himself if, on his way to the Senate on the day the conspirators killed him there, he had read a note that was handed to him.
Et fait aussi le compte d’Archias Tyran de Thebes, que le soir auant l’execution de l’entreprise que Pelopidas auoit faicte de le tuer, pour remettre son païs en liberté, il luy fut escrit par vn autre Archias Athenien de poinct en poinct, ce qu’on luy preparoit: et que ce pacquet luy ayant esté rendu pendant son soupper, il remit à l’ouurir, disant ce mot, qui depuis passa en prouerbe en Grece: A demain les affaires.
Plutarch also tells the story of Archias, tyrant of Thebes. On the evening before Pelopidas was to carry out his plot to kill him and restore his country’s liberty, another Archias, an Athenian, wrote to him, point by point, what was being prepared against him. This packet was delivered to him during supper, and he put off opening it, saying the words that afterward became a proverb in Greece: “Business tomorrow.”
Vn sage homme peut à mon opinion pour l’interest d’autruy, comme pour ne rompre indecemment compagnie ainsi que Rusticus, ou pour ne discontinuer vn autre affaire d’importance, remettre à entendre ce qu’on luy apporte de nouueau: mais pour son interest ou plaisir particulier, mesmes s’il est homme ayant charge publique; pour ne rompre son disner, voyre ny son sommeil, il est inexcusable de le faire. Et anciennement estoit à Rome la place Consulaire, qu’ils appelloyent, la plus honorable à table, pour estre plus à deliure, et plus accessible à ceux qui suruiendroyent, pour entretenir celuy qui y seroit assis. Tesmoignage, que pour estre à table, ils ne se departoyent pas de l’entremise d’autres affaires et suruenances.
In my opinion a wise man may, for the sake of others—so as not to break up company unbecomingly, like Rusticus, or not to interrupt some other important business—put off hearing news brought to him. But for his own interest or private pleasure, especially if he holds public office, so as not to interrupt his dinner, or even his sleep, it is inexcusable to do so. In ancient Rome, the place at table they called the consular place was the most honorable, because it was freer and more accessible to anyone who might arrive to speak with the person sitting in it. This shows that being at table did not make them withdraw from dealing with other business and unexpected events.
Mais quand tout est dict, il est malaisé és actions humaines, de donner regle si iuste par discours de raison, que la Fortune n’y maintienne son droict.
But when all is said, it is hard, in human actions, to lay down by rational argument a rule so exact that Fortune does not keep her rights over it.