A Madame d’Estissac.
To Madame d’Estissac.
MADAME, si l’estrangeté ne me sauue, et la nouuelleté, qui ont accoustumé de donner prix aux choses, ie ne sors iamais à mon honneur de cette sotte entreprinse: mais elle est si fantastique, et a vn visage si esloigné de l’vsage commun, que cela luy pourra donner passage. C’est vne humeur melancolique, et vne humeur par consequent tres-ennemie de ma complexion naturelle, produite par le chagrin de la solitude, en laquelle il y a quelques années que ie m’estoy ietté, qui m’a mis premierement en teste cette resuerie de me mesler d’escrire. Et puis me trouuant entierement despourueu et vuide de toute autre matiere, ie me suis presenté moy-mesmes à moy pour argument et pour subiect.
Madam, if strangeness and novelty, which usually give value to things, do not save me, I shall never come out of this foolish undertaking with honor; but it is so fantastic, and has a face so remote from common practice, that this may let it pass. It was a melancholy humor—and therefore a humor very hostile to my natural temperament—produced by the gloom of the solitude into which I had thrown myself some years ago, that first put into my head this daydream of meddling with writing. And then, finding myself entirely unprovided and empty of any other matter, I offered myself to myself as argument and subject.
C’est le seul liure au monde de son espece, et d’vn dessein farousche et extrauaguant. Il n’y a rien aussi en cette besoigne digne d’estre remerqué que cette bizarrerie: car à vn subiect si vain et si vil, le meilleur ouurier du monde n’eust sçeu donner façon qui merite qu’on en face conte. Or Madame, ayant à m’y pourtraire au vif, i’en eusse oublié vn traict d’importance, si ie n’y eusse representé l’honneur, que i’ay tousiours rendu à vos merites. Et I’ay voulu dire signamment à la teste de ce chapitre, d’autant que parmy vos autres bonnes qualitez, celle de l’amitié que vous auez montrée à vos enfans, tient l’vn des premiers rengs.
It is the only book in the world of its kind, and of a wild and extravagant design. Nor is there anything in this work worth remarking except this oddity; for on so vain and base a subject the best craftsman in the world could not have put a form that deserves to be taken into account. Now, Madam, since I have to portray myself to the life, I would have left out an important feature if I had not represented the honor I have always paid to your merits. And I wanted to say it particularly at the head of this chapter, since among your other good qualities, the love you have shown your children holds one of the first places.
Qui sçaura l’aage auquel Monsieur d’Estissac vostre mari vous laissa veufue, les grands et honorables partis, qui vous ont esté offerts, autant qu’à Dame de France de vostre condition, la constance et fermeté dequoy vous auez soustenu tant d’années et au trauers de tant d’espineuses difficultez, la charge et conduite de leurs affaires, qui vous ont agitée par tous les coins de France, et vous tiennent encores assiegée, l’heureux acheminement que vous y auez donné, par vostre seule prudence ou bonne Fortune: il dira aisément auec moy, que nous n’auons point d’exemple d’affection maternelle en nostre temps plus exprez que le vostre.
Whoever knows at what age Monsieur d’Estissac, your husband, left you a widow; the great and honorable matches that have been offered you, as many as to any lady in France of your station; the constancy and firmness with which, for so many years and through so many thorny difficulties, you have sustained the charge and management of their affairs, which have driven you about to every corner of France and still keep you besieged; and the happy progress you have brought them to by your own prudence or good Fortune—will readily say with me that we have no example of maternal affection in our time more striking than yours.
Ie louë Dieu, Madame, qu’elle aye esté si bien employée: car les bonnes esperances que donne de soy Monsieur d’Estissac vostre fils, asseurent assez que quand il sera en aage, vous en tirerez l’obeïssance et reconnoissance d’vn tres-bon enfant.
I praise God, Madam, that it has been so well employed; for the good hopes that Monsieur d’Estissac, your son, gives of himself are sufficient assurance that when he comes of age you will receive from him the obedience and gratitude of a very good son.
Mais d’autant qu’à cause de sa puerilité, il n’a peu remerquer les extremes offices qu’il a receu de vous en si grand nombre, ie veux, si ces escrits viennent vn iour à luy tomber, en main, lors que ie n’auray plus ny bouche ny parole qui le puisse dire, qu’il reçoiue de moy ce tesmoignage en toute verité: qui luy sera encore plus vifuement tesmoigné par les bons effects, dequoy si Dieu plaist il se ressentira, qu’il n’est Gentilhomme en France, qui doiue plus à sa mere qu’il fait, et qu’il ne peut donner à l’aduenir plus certaine preuue de sa bonté, et de sa vertu, qu’en vous reconnoissant pour telle.
But since, because of his childhood, he has not been able to notice the extreme services he has received from you in such great number, I want him—if these writings should one day fall into his hands, when I no longer have mouth or speech to say it—to receive this testimony from me in all truth (and it will be borne out still more vividly to him by the good effects he will feel, if it please God): that there is no gentleman in France who owes more to his mother than he does, and that he can give no surer proof in the future of his goodness and his virtue than by acknowledging you as such.
Why love flows downward
Parents love their children more than children love parents, since the giver loves more than the receiver.
S’il y a quelque loy vrayement naturelle, c’est à dire quelque instinct, qui se voye vniuersellement et perpetuellement empreinct aux bestes et en nous, ce qui n’est pas sans controuerse, ie puis dire à mon aduis, qu’apres le soin que chasque animal a de sa conseruation, et de fuir ce qui nuit, l’affection que l’engendrant porte à son engeance, tient le second lieu en ce rang. Et parce que Nature semble nous l’auoir recommandée, regardant à estendre et faire aller auant, les pieces successiues de cette sienne machine: ce n’est pas merueille, si à reculons des enfans aux peres, elle n’est pas si grande. Ioint cette autre consideration Aristotelique: que celuy qui bien faict à quelcun, l’aime mieux, qu’il n’en est aimé.
If there is any truly natural law, that is to say any instinct seen to be universally and perpetually imprinted in animals and in us (which is not without controversy), I can say, in my opinion, that after the care every animal has for its own preservation and for avoiding what harms it, the affection that the begetter bears its offspring holds second place in this ranking. And because Nature seems to have commended it to us, looking to extend and carry forward the successive pieces of this machine of hers, it is no wonder if, going backward from children to fathers, it is not so great. Add to this another, Aristotelian consideration: that he who does good to someone loves him more than he is loved by him.
Et celuy à qui il est deu, aime mieux, que celuy qui doibt: et tout ouurier aime mieux son ouurage, qu’il n’en seroit aimé, si l’ouurage auoit du sentiment: d’autant que nous auons cher, estre, et estre consiste en mouuement et action. Parquoy chascun est aucunement en son ouurage. Qui bien fait, exerce vne action belle et honneste: qui reçoit, l’exerce vtile seulement. Or l’vtile est de beaucoup moins aimable que l’honneste. L’honneste est stable et permanent, fournissant à celuy qui l’a faict, vne gratification constante. L’vtile se perd et eschappe facilement, et n’en est la memoire ny si fresche ny si douce. Les choses nous sont plus cheres, qui nous ont plus cousté. Et donner, est de plus de coust que le prendre.
And he to whom something is owed loves more than he who owes it; and every craftsman loves his work more than he would be loved by it if the work had feeling, since we hold being dear, and being consists in movement and action. Therefore each man is in some way in his work. He who does good performs a fine and honorable action; he who receives performs only a useful one. Now the useful is much less lovable than the honorable. The honorable is stable and permanent, furnishing the one who did it with a constant gratification. The useful is easily lost and slips away, and its memory is neither so fresh nor so sweet. Things are dearer to us the more they have cost us. And giving costs more than taking.
Puis qu’il a pleu à Dieu nous doüer de quelque capacité de discours, affin que comme les bestes nous ne fussions pas seruilement assubiectis aux loix communes, ains que nous nous y appliquassions par iugement et liberté volontaire: nous deuons bien prester vn peu à la simple authorité de Nature: mais non pas nous laisser tyranniquement emporter à elle: la seule raison doit auoir la conduite de nos inclinations. I’ay de ma part le goust estrangement mousse à ces propensions, qui sont produites en nous sans l’ordonnance et entremise de nostre iugement.
Since it has pleased God to endow us with some capacity for reasoning, so that we should not, like the animals, be slavishly subjected to the common laws, but should apply ourselves to them by judgment and voluntary freedom, we must indeed yield a little to the simple authority of Nature, but not let ourselves be tyrannically carried away by her: reason alone must have the guidance of our inclinations. For my part, my taste is strangely dull toward those propensities that are produced in us without the command and mediation of our judgment.
Comme sur ce subiect, duquel ie parle, ie ne puis receuoir cette passion, dequoy on embrasse les enfans à peine encore naiz, n’ayants ny mouuement en l’ame, ny forme recognoissable au corps, par où ils se puissent rendre aimables: et ne les ay pas souffert volontiers nourrir pres de moy. Vne vraye affection et bien reglée, deuroit naistre, et s’augmenter auec la cognoissance qu’ils nous donnent d’eux; et lors, s’ils le valent, la propension naturelle marchant quant et quant la raison, les cherir d’vne amitié vrayement paternelle; et en iuger de mesme s’ils sont autres, nous rendans tousiours à la raison, nonobstant la force naturelle.
So, on the subject I am speaking of, I cannot accept that passion with which people embrace children barely born, who have neither movement in their soul nor recognizable form in their body by which they could make themselves lovable; and I have not willingly allowed them to be nursed near me. A true and well-regulated affection ought to be born and to grow with the knowledge they give us of themselves; and then, if they are worth it, natural propensity marching along with reason, we should cherish them with a truly paternal love; and we should judge likewise if they are otherwise, always submitting to reason in spite of natural force.
Il en va fort souuent au rebours, et le plus communement nous nous sentons plus esmeuz des trepignemens, ieux et niaiseries pueriles de noz enfans, que nous ne faisons apres, de leurs actions toutes formées: comme si nous les auions aymez pour nostre passe-temps, comme des guenons, non comme des hommes. Et tel fournit bien liberalement de iouëts à leur enfance, qui se trouue resserré à la moindre despence qu’il leur faut estans en aage. Voire il semble que la ialousie que nous auons de les voir paroistre et iouyr du monde, quand nous sommes à mesme de le quitter, nous rende plus espargnans et restrains enuers eux. Il nous fasche qu’ils nous marchent sur les talons, comme pour nous solliciter de sortir.
It very often goes the other way, and most commonly we feel more moved by the stamping, games and childish silliness of our children than we are later by their fully formed actions—as if we had loved them for our amusement, like monkeys, and not as human beings. And a man who supplies toys very liberally for their childhood turns tight-fisted at the slightest expense they need once they are grown. Indeed it seems that the jealousy we feel at seeing them make their appearance and enjoy the world, just when we are about to leave it, makes us more sparing and close-fisted with them. It annoys us that they tread on our heels, as if urging us to leave.
Et si nous auions à craindre cela, puis que l’ordre des choses porte qu’ils ne peuuent, à dire verité, estre, ny viure, qu’aux despens de nostre estre et de nostre vie, nous ne deuions pas nous mesler d’estre peres.
And if we had to fear that, since the order of things provides that they cannot, to tell the truth, exist or live except at the expense of our existence and our life, we should not have meddled with being fathers.
Sharing with grown children
Old fathers who hoard their goods drive their sons to despair and even to theft.
Quant à moy, ie treuue que c’est cruauté et iniustice de ne les receuoir au partage et societé de noz biens, et compagnons en l’intelligence de noz affaires domestiques, quand ils en sont capables, et de ne retrancher et resserrer noz commoditez pour pouruoir aux leurs, puis que nous les auons engendrez à cet effect. C’est iniustice de voir qu’vn pere vieil, cassé, et demy-mort, iouysse seul à vn coing du foyer, des biens qui suffiroient à l’auancement et entretien de plusieurs enfans, et qu’il les laisse cependant par faute de moyen, perdre leurs meilleures années, sans se pousser au seruice public, et cognoissance des hommes. On les iecte au desespoir de chercher par quelque voye, pour iniuste qu’elle soit, à prouuoir à leur besoing.
As for me, I find it cruel and unjust not to admit them to a share and partnership in our goods, and as companions in the understanding of our domestic affairs when they are capable of it, and not to cut back and restrict our own comforts to provide for theirs, since we begot them for that purpose. It is unjust that an old father, broken and half dead, should enjoy alone, in a corner by the fire, goods that would suffice for the advancement and maintenance of several children, and meanwhile let them, for lack of means, lose their best years without making their way into public service and the knowledge of men. They are driven to the despair of seeking some means, however unjust, to provide for their needs.
Comme i’ay veu de mon temps, plusieurs ieunes hommes de bonne maison, si addonnez au larcin, que nulle correction les en pouuoit destourner. I’en cognois vn bien apparenté, à qui par la priere d’vn sien frere, tres-honneste et braue Gentil-homme, ie parlay vne fois pour cet effect. Il me respondit et confessa tout rondement, qu’il auoit esté acheminé à cett’ordure, par la rigueur et auarice de son pere; mais qu’à present il y estoit si accoustumé, qu’il ne s’en pouuoit garder. Et lors il venoit d’estre surpris en larrecin des bagues d’vne dame, au leuer de laquelle il s’estoit trouué auec beaucoup d’autres.
So I have seen in my time several young men of good family so given to theft that no correction could turn them from it. I know one, well connected, to whom I once spoke for this purpose at the request of his brother, a very honorable and gallant gentleman. He answered and confessed to me quite frankly that he had been led into this filthy practice by the harshness and avarice of his father, but that now he was so used to it that he could not keep from it. And at that very time he had just been caught stealing the rings of a lady, at whose morning rising he had been present along with many others.
Il me fit souuenir du compte que i’auois ouy faire d’vn autre Gentil-homme, si faict et façonné à ce beau mestier, du temps de sa ieunesse, que venant apres à estre maistre de ses biens, deliberé d’abandonner cette trafique, il ne se pouuoit garder pourtant s’il passoit pres d’vne boutique, où il y eust chose, dequoy il eust besoin, de la desrobber, en peine de l’enuoyer payer apres. Et en ay veu plusieurs si dressez et duitz à cela, que parmy leurs compagnons mesmes, ils desrobboient ordinairement des choses qu’ils vouloient rendre. Ie suis Gascon, et si n’est vice auquel ie m’entende moins.
He reminded me of a story I had heard told about another gentleman, so practiced and trained in this fine trade in his youth that when he later came into his property and resolved to give up this traffic, he still could not keep himself, if he passed near a shop where there was something he needed, from stealing it, even though he then took the trouble to send payment for it. And I have seen several so trained and broken to it that even among their own companions they habitually stole things they meant to give back. I am a Gascon, and yet there is no vice I understand less.
Ie le hay vn peu plus par complexion, que ie ne l’accuse par discours: seulement par desir, ie ne soustrais rien à personne. Ce quartier en est à la verité vn peu plus descrié que les autres de la Françoise nation. Si est-ce que nous auons veu de nostre temps à diuerses fois, entre les mains de la Iustice, des hommes de maison, d’autres contrées, conuaincus de plusieurs horribles voleries. Ie crains que de cette desbauche il s’en faille aucunement prendre à ce vice des peres.
I hate it a little more by temperament than I condemn it by reasoning; not even in desire do I take anything from anyone. This region is, truth to tell, a little more decried for it than the other parts of the French nation. And yet in our time we have seen, on various occasions, men of good family from other regions in the hands of justice, convicted of several horrible robberies. I fear that for this depravity we must to some extent blame this vice of the fathers.
Et si on me respond ce que fit vn iour vn Seigneur de bon entendement, qu’il faisoit espargne des richesses, non pour en tirer autre fruict et vsage, que pour se faire honorer et rechercher aux siens; et que l’aage luy ayant osté toutes autres forces, c’estoit le seul remede qui luy restoit pour se maintenir en authorité en sa famille, et pour euiter qu’il ne vinst à mespris et desdain à tout le monde (de vray non la vieillesse seulement, mais toute imbecillité, selon Aristote, est promotrice d’auarice) cela est quelque chose: mais c’est la medecine à vn mal, duquel on deuoit euiter la naissance.
And if I am answered as a lord of good understanding once answered me—that he saved up his riches not to get any other fruit or use from them than to make himself honored and sought after by his family; and that, since age had taken away all his other strengths, this was the only remedy left to him to maintain his authority in his household and to avoid falling into contempt and disdain with everyone (indeed, according to Aristotle, not only old age but every weakness promotes avarice)—that is something; but it is the medicine for an ailment whose birth one ought to have prevented.
Vn pere est bien miserable, qui ne tient l’affection de ses enfans, que par le besoin qu’ils ont de son secours, si cela se doit nommer affection: il faut se rendre respectable par sa vertu, et par sa suffisance, et aymable par sa bonté et douceur de ses mœurs. Les cendres mesmes d’vne riche matiere, elles ont leur prix: et les os et reliques des personnes d’honneur, nous auons accoustumé de les tenir en respect et reuerence.
A father is very wretched who holds his children’s affection only through their need of his help—if that can be called affection. One must make oneself respected by one’s virtue and ability, and loved by one’s kindness and gentleness of manner. Even the ashes of a rich substance have their value; and the bones and relics of honorable persons we are accustomed to hold in respect and reverence.
Nulle vieillesse peut estre si caducque et si rance, à vn personnage qui a passé en honneur son aage, qu’elle ne soit venerable; et notamment à ses enfans, desquels il faut auoir reglé l’ame à leur deuoir par raison, non par necessité et par le besoin, ny par rudesse et par force. Et errat longè, mea quidem sententia, / Qui imperium credat esse grauius aut stabilius, / Vi quod fit, quàm illud quod amicitia adiungitur.
No old age can be so decrepit and stale, in a man who has spent his life in honor, that it is not venerable; and especially to his children, whose souls he must have trained to their duty by reason, not by necessity and need, nor by harshness and force. And he is far mistaken, in my opinion at least, / who believes that authority is weightier or more stable / when founded on force than when it is joined by friendship.
Against the rod
Montaigne condemns violence in education and recalls how gently he and his daughter were raised.
I’accuse toute violence en l’education d’vne ame tendre, qu’on dresse pour l’honneur, et la liberté. Il y a ie ne sçay quoi de seruile en la rigueur, et en la contraincte: et tiens que ce qui ne se peut faire par la raison, et par prudence, et addresse, ne se fait iamais par la force. On m’a ainsin esleué: ils disent qu’en tout mon premier aage, ie n’ay tasté des verges qu’à deux coups, et bien mollement. I’ay deu la pareille aux enfans que i’ay eu.
I condemn all violence in the education of a tender soul that is being trained for honor and freedom. There is something servile about rigor and constraint; and I hold that what cannot be done by reason, prudence and skill is never done by force. That is how I was brought up: they say that in all my early years I tasted the rod only twice, and very softly. I owed the same to the children I have had.
Ils me meurent tous en nourrisse: mais Leonor, vne seule fille qui est eschappée à cette infortune, a attaint six ans et plus, sans qu’on ayt employé à sa conduicte, et pour le chastiement de ses fautes pueriles, l’indulgence de sa mere s’y appliquant aysément, autre chose que parolles, et bien douces. Et quand mon desir y seroit frustré, il est assez d’autres causes ausquelles nous prendre, sans entrer en reproche auec ma discipline, que ie sçay estre iuste et naturelle. I’eusse esté beaucoup plus religieux encores en cela vers des masles, moins nais à seruir, et de condition plus libre: i’eusse aymé à leur grossir le cœur d’ingenuité et de franchise.
They all died on me while at nurse; but Léonor, an only daughter who escaped that misfortune, has reached the age of six and more without anything being used to guide her or to punish her childish faults—her mother’s indulgence readily lending itself to this—other than words, and very gentle ones. And even if my hopes were disappointed in this, there are plenty of other causes to blame without finding fault with my method, which I know to be just and natural. I would have been still more scrupulous about this with boys, who are less born to serve and of a freer condition: I would have liked to swell their hearts with candor and frankness.
Ie n’ay veu autre effect aux verges, sinon de rendre les ames plus lasches, ou plus malitieusement opiniastres.
I have seen no other effect of the rod than to make souls more cowardly, or more maliciously stubborn.
Voulons nous estre aymez de noz enfans? leur voulons nous oster l’occasion de souhaiter nostre mort? (combien que nulle occasion d’vn si horrible souhait, ne peut estre ny iuste ny excusable, nullum scelus rationem habet) accommodons leur vie raisonnablement, de ce qui est en nostre puissance. Pour cela, il ne nous faudroit pas marier si ieunes que nostre aage vienne quasi à se confondre auec le leur. Car cet inconuenient nous iette à plusieurs grandes difficultez.
Do we want to be loved by our children? Do we want to take away their reason for wishing us dead? (Although no reason for so horrible a wish can be either just or excusable: no crime has a reason.) Let us furnish their lives reasonably with what is in our power. For that, we ought not to marry so young that our age comes almost to merge with theirs. For this drawback throws us into many great difficulties.
Ie dy specialement à la Noblesse, qui est d’vne condition oysifue, et qui ne vit, comme on dit, que de ses rentes: car ailleurs, où la vie est questuaire, la pluralité et compagnie des enfans, c’est vn agencement de mesnage, ce sont autant de nouueaux vtils et instrumens à s’enrichir.
I say this especially to the nobility, who are of an idle condition and live, as they say, only on their rents; for elsewhere, where life depends on earning, having many children around is a convenience for the household: they are so many new tools and instruments for growing rich.
Ie me mariay à trente trois ans, et louë l’opinion de trente cinq, qu’on dit estre d’Aristote. Platon ne veut pas qu’on se marie auant les trente: mais il a raison de se mocquer de ceux qui font les œuures de mariage apres cinquante cinq: et condamne leur engeance indigne d’aliment et de vie. Thales y donna les plus vrayes bornes: qui ieune, respondit à sa mere le pressant de se marier, qu’il n’estoit pas temps: et, deuenu sur l’aage, qu’il n’estoit plus temps. Il faut refuser l’opportunité à toute action importune.
I married at thirty-three, and I approve of thirty-five, the age said to be Aristotle’s opinion. Plato does not want people to marry before thirty; but he is right to mock those who perform the works of marriage after fifty-five, and he condemns their offspring as unworthy of food and life. Thales set the truest limits: when he was young, he answered his mother, who was pressing him to marry, that it was not yet time; and when he was getting on in years, that it was no longer time. One must deny opportunity to every inopportune action.
Les anciens Gaulois estimoient à extreme reproche d’auoir eu accointance de femme, auant l’aage de vingt ans: et recommandoient singulierement aux hommes, qui se vouloient dresser pour la guerre, de conseruer bien auant en l’aage leur pucellage; d’autant que les courages s’amollissent et diuertissent par l’accouplage des femmes. Ma hor congiunto à giouinetta sposa, / Lieto homai de’ figli, era inuilito / Ne gli affetti di padre et di marito. Muleasses Roy de Thunes, celuy que l’Empereur Charles cinquiesme remit en ses Estats, reprochoit la memoire de Mahomet son pere, de sa hantise auec les femmes, l’appellant brode, effeminé, engendreur d’enfants.
The ancient Gauls considered it an extreme disgrace to have had intercourse with a woman before the age of twenty, and they particularly recommended to men who wanted to train for war that they keep their virginity until well on in years, since courage is softened and diverted by coupling with women. But now, joined to a young bride, / happy at last in his children, he had grown soft / in the affections of father and husband. Muleasses, King of Tunis, the one whom the Emperor Charles V restored to his states, reproached the memory of his father Mahomet for his frequenting of women, calling him a sluggard, spineless, a begetter of children.
L’histoire Grecque remarque de Iecus Tarentin, de Chryso, d’Astylus, de Diopompus, et d’autres, que pour maintenir leurs corps fermes au seruice de la course des ieux Olympiques, de la Palæstrine, et tels exercices, ils se priuerent autant que leur dura ce soing, de toute sorte d’acte Venerien. En certaine contrée des Indes Espagnolles, on ne permettoit aux hommes de se marier, qu’apres quarante ans, et si le permettoit-on aux filles à dix ans.
Greek history notes of Iccus of Tarentum, of Chryso, of Astylus, of Diopompus and others that, to keep their bodies firm for running in the Olympic Games, for wrestling and such exercises, they deprived themselves of every kind of act of Venus for as long as that concern lasted. In a certain region of the Spanish Indies, men were not allowed to marry until after forty, and yet girls were allowed to at ten.
Vn Gentilhomme qui a trente cinq ans, il n’est pas temps qu’il face place à son fils qui en a vingt: il est luy-mesme au train de paroistre et aux voyages des guerres, et en la cour de son Prince: il a besoin de ses pieces; et en doit certainement faire part, mais telle part, qu’il ne s’oublie pas pour autruy. Et à celuy-là peut seruir iustement cette response que les peres ont ordinairement en la bouche: Ie ne me veux pas despouiller deuant que de m’aller coucher.
A gentleman of thirty-five: it is not yet time for him to make way for his son of twenty. He himself is in the midst of making his appearance, on military expeditions and at his Prince’s court; he needs his resources. He should certainly share them, but share them in such a way that he does not forget himself for others. And to such a man the reply that fathers commonly have on their lips may justly apply: “I don’t want to undress before I go to bed.”
Mais vn pere atterré d’années et de maux, priué par sa foiblesse et faute de santé, de la commune societé des hommes, il se faict tort, et aux siens, de couuer inutilement vn grand tas de richesses. Il est assez en estat, s’il est sage, pour auoir desir de se despouiller pour se coucher, non pas iusques à la chemise, mais iusques à vne robbe de nuict bien chaude: le reste des pompes, dequoy il n’a plus que faire, il doit en estrener volontiers ceux, à qui par ordonnance naturelle cela doit appartenir. C’est raison qu’il leur en laisse l’vsage, puis que Nature l’en priue: autrement sans doute il y a de la malice et de l’enuie.
But a father crushed by years and ailments, deprived by his weakness and poor health of the common company of men, wrongs himself and his family by uselessly brooding over a great heap of riches. He is in a fit state, if he is wise, to want to undress for bed—not down to his shirt, but down to a good warm nightgown. The rest of the finery, for which he has no further use, he should willingly bestow on those to whom by natural order it ought to belong. It is reasonable that he should leave them the use of it, since Nature deprives him of it; otherwise there is no doubt malice and envy in it.
La plus belle des actions de l’Empereur Charles cinquiesme fut celle-là, à l’imitation d’aucuns anciens de son qualibre, d’auoir sçeu recognoistre que la raison nous commande assez de nous despouiller, quand noz robbes nous chargent et empeschent, et de nous coucher quand les iambes nous faillent. Il resigna ses moyens, grandeur et puissance à son fils, lors qu’il sentit defaillir en soy la fermeté et la force pour conduire les affaires, auec la gloire qu’il y auoit acquise. Solue senescentem maturè sanus equum, ne / Peccet ad extremùm ridendus, et ilia ducat.
The finest of the Emperor Charles V’s actions was this, in imitation of some ancients of his caliber: that he was able to recognize that reason commands us to undress when our robes weigh on us and hamper us, and to go to bed when our legs fail us. He resigned his wealth, greatness and power to his son when he felt failing in himself the firmness and strength to conduct affairs with the glory he had won in them. Be sensible and unharness the aging horse in good time, lest / at the end he stumble, a laughingstock, and heave his flanks.
Knowing when to step aside
Old men should hand over their affairs in time, as Charles V did.
Cette faute, de ne se sçauoir recognoistre de bonne heure, et ne sentir l’impuissance et extreme alteration que l’aage apporte naturellement et au corps et à l’ame, qui à mon opinion est esgale, si l’ame n’en a plus de la moitié, a perdu la reputation de la plus part des grands hommes du monde. I’ay veu de mon temps et cognu familierement, des personnages de grande authorité, qu’il estoit bien aisé à voir, estre merueilleusement descheuz de cette ancienne suffisance, que ie cognoissois par la reputation qu’ils en auoient acquise en leurs meilleurs ans. Ie les eusse pour leur honneur volontiers souhaitez retirez en leur maison à leur aise, et deschargez des occupations publiques et guerrieres, qui n’estoient plus pour leurs espaules.
This failing has ruined the reputation of most of the great men of the world: not knowing how to recognize ourselves in good time, and not feeling the impotence and extreme alteration that age naturally brings to both body and soul. In my opinion it affects both equally, unless the soul gets more than half. In my time I have seen, and known intimately, persons of great authority who had plainly fallen a marvelous distance from that former ability which I knew from the reputation they had won in their best years. For their honor’s sake I would gladly have wished them retired to their homes at their ease, relieved of public and military duties that were no longer for their shoulders.
I’ay autrefois esté priué en la maison d’vn Gentilhomme veuf et fort vieil, d’vne vieillesse toutefois assez verte. Cettuy-cy auoit plusieurs filles à marier, et vn fils desia en aage de paroistre; cela chargeoit sa maison de plusieurs despences et visites estrangeres, à quoy il prenoit peu de plaisir, non seulement pour le soin de l’espargne, mais encore plus, pour auoir, à cause de l’aage, pris vne forme de vie fort esloignée de la nostre.
I was once on intimate terms in the household of a gentleman who was a widower and very old, though his old age was still quite green. He had several daughters to marry off and a son already old enough to make his appearance in the world. This burdened his house with many expenses and with visits from outsiders, which gave him little pleasure. This was not only out of concern for economy, but still more because, on account of his age, he had adopted a way of life very far removed from ours.
Ie luy dy vn iour vn peu hardiment, comme i’ay accoustumé, qu’il luy sieroit mieux de nous faire place, et de laisser à son fils sa maison principale, car il n’auoit que celle-là de bien logée et accommodée, et se retirer en vne sienne terre voisine, où personne n’apporteroit incommodité à son repos, puis qu’il ne pouuoit autrement euiter nostre importunité, veu la condition de ses enfans. Il m’en creut depuis, et s’en trouua bien.
One day, a little boldly, as is my habit, I told him it would become him better to make way for us. He should leave his main house to his son, for it was the only one he had that was well built and well furnished, and retire to an estate of his nearby, where no one would disturb his repose. Given his children’s situation, he could not otherwise escape our importunity. He took my advice afterward, and was the better for it.
Ce n’est pas à dire qu’on leur donne, par telle voye d’obligation, de laquelle on ne se puisse plus desdire: ie leur lairrois, moy qui suis à mesme de iouer ce rolle, la iouyssance de ma maison et de mes biens, mais auec liberté de m’en repentir, s’ils m’en donnoyent occasion: ie leur en lairrois l’vsage, par ce qu’il ne me seroit plus commode. Et de l’authorité des affaires en gros, ie m’en reseruerois autant qu’il me plairoit.
This is not to say that we should give to them by a binding deed that we could never go back on. I am in a position to play this part myself. I would leave them the enjoyment of my house and my property, but with the freedom to repent of it if they gave me cause. I would leave them the use of it because it was no longer convenient for me. And of authority over affairs in general, I would keep as much for myself as I pleased.
Ayant tousiours iugé que ce doit estre vn grand contentement à vn pere vieil, de mettre luy-mesme ses enfans en train du gouuernement de ses affaires, et de pouuoir pendant sa vie contreroller leurs deportemens: leur fournissant d’instruction et d’aduis suyuant l’experience qu’il en a, et d’acheminer luy mesme l’ancien honneur et ordre de sa maison en la main de ses successeurs, et se respondre par là, des esperances qu’il peut prendre de leur conduicte à venir. Et pour cet effect, ie ne voudrois pas fuir leur compagnie, ie voudrois les esclairer de pres, et iouyr selon la condition de mon aage, de leur allegresse, et de leurs festes.
For I have always judged that it must be a great satisfaction for an old father to set his children on the way to managing his affairs himself, and to be able to oversee their conduct during his lifetime. He can furnish them with instruction and advice from his own experience. He can hand on the ancient honor and order of his house into the hands of his successors himself, and so assure himself of the hopes he may place in their future conduct. And to that end I would not shun their company. I would want to watch over them from close by, and to enjoy their gaiety and their festivities, as far as my age allowed.
Si ie ne viuoy parmy eux (comme ie ne pourroy sans offencer leur assemblée par le chagrin de mon aage, et l’obligation de mes maladies, et sans contraindre aussi et forcer les regles et façons de viure que i’auroy lors) ie voudroy au moins viure pres d’eux en vn quartier de ma maison, non pas le plus en parade, mais le plus en commodité. Non comme ie vy il y a quelques années, vn Doyen de S.
Perhaps I could not live among them without spoiling their gatherings with the moroseness of my age and the constraints of my illnesses, and without also forcing and bending the rules and ways of living I would then have. If so, I would at least want to live near them, in a part of my house—not the showiest, but the most comfortable. Not as I saw, some years ago, a Dean of Saint
Hilaire de Poictiers, rendu à telle solitude par l’incommodité de sa melancholie, que lors que i’entray en sa chambre, il y auoit vingt deux ans, qu’il n’en estoit sorty vn seul pas; et si auoit toutes ses actions libres et aysées, sauf vn reume qui luy tomboit sur l’estomac. A peine vne fois la sepmaine, vouloit-il permettre qu’aucun entrast pour le voir. Il se tenoit tousiours enfermé par le dedans de sa chambre seul, sauf qu’vn valet luy portoit vne fois le iour à manger, qui ne faisoit qu’entrer et sortir. Son occupation estoit se promener, et lire quelque liure, car il cognoissoit aucunement les lettres, obstiné au demeurant de mourir en cette desmarche, comme il fit bien tost apres.
Hilary’s at Poitiers, reduced to such solitude by the burden of his melancholy that when I entered his room, he had not taken a single step out of it for twenty-two years. And yet all his movements were free and easy, except for a catarrh that settled on his stomach. Barely once a week would he allow anyone to come in to see him. He always kept himself shut up alone in his room, locked from the inside, except that once a day a valet brought him his food, and the valet did nothing but come in and go out. His occupation was walking up and down and reading some book, for he had some acquaintance with letters. For the rest, he was determined to die in this way of life, as he did soon after.
I’essayeroy par vne douce conuersation, de nourrir en mes enfans vne viue amitié et bien-vueillance non feinte en mon endroict. Ce qu’on gaigne aisément enuers des natures bien nées: car si ce sont bestes furieuses, comme nostre siecle en produit à miliers, il les faut hayr et fuyr pour telles.
I would try, by gentle conversation, to foster in my children a lively affection and an unfeigned goodwill toward me. That is easily won with well-born natures. For if they are raging beasts, such as our age produces by the thousands, they must be hated and shunned as such.
Ie veux mal à cette coustume, d’interdire aux enfants l’appellation paternelle, et leur en enioindre vn’ estrangere, comme plus reuerentiale: Nature n’aiant volontiers pas suffisamment pourueu à nostre authorité. Nous appellons Dieu tout-puissant, pere, et desdaignons que noz enfants nous en appellent. I’ay reformé cett’ erreur en ma famille. C’est aussi folie et iniustice de priuer les enfans qui sont en aage, de la familiarité des peres, et vouloir maintenir en leur endroit vne morgue austere et desdaigneuse, esperant par là, les tenir en crainte et obeissance. Car c’est vne farce tres-inutile, qui rend les peres ennuieux aux enfans, et qui pis est, ridicules.
I dislike the custom of forbidding children to call their fathers “father” and requiring them to use some other title, as being more respectful—as if Nature had not sufficiently provided for our authority. We call Almighty God father, and we disdain to have our children call us so. I have reformed this error in my family. It is also folly and injustice to deprive grown children of familiarity with their fathers, and to try to keep up a stern and disdainful haughtiness toward them, hoping thereby to keep them in fear and obedience. For it is a quite useless farce, which makes fathers irksome to their children and, what is worse, ridiculous.
Ils ont la ieunesse et les forces en la main, et par consequent le vent et la faueur du monde; et reçoiuent auecques mocquerie, ces mines fieres et tyranniques, d’vn homme qui n’a plus de sang, ny au cœur, ny aux veines: vrais espouuantails de cheneuiere. Quand ie pourroy me faire craindre, i’aimeroy encore mieux me faire aymer. Il y a tant de sortes de deffauts en la vieillesse, tant d’impuissance, elle est si propre au mespris, que le meilleur acquest qu’elle puisse faire, c’est l’affection et amour des siens: le commandement et la crainte, ce ne sont plus ses armes.
They have youth and strength in their hands, and consequently the wind and favor of the world. And they greet with mockery these proud and tyrannical airs of a man who has no blood left either in his heart or in his veins—real scarecrows in a hemp field. Even if I could make myself feared, I would still rather make myself loved. There are so many kinds of defects in old age, so much impotence, and it is so liable to contempt, that the best acquisition it can make is the affection and love of its own people. Command and fear are no longer its weapons.
The deceived old master
An imperious old man believes he rules his house while everyone cheats him.
I’en ay veu quelqu’vn, duquel la ieunesse auoit esté tres-imperieuse, quand c’est venu sur l’aage, quoy qu’il le passe sainement ce qu’il se peut, il frappe, il mord, il iure, le plus tempestatif maistre de France, il se ronge de soing et de vigilance, tout cela n’est qu’vn bastelage, auquel la famille mesme complotte: du grenier, du celier, voire et de sa bource, d’autres ont la meilleure part de l’vsage, cependant qu’il en a les clefs en sa gibbessiere, plus cherement que ses yeux. Cependant qu’il se contente de l’espargne et chicheté de sa table, tout est en desbauche en diuers reduits de sa maison, en ieu, et en despence, et en l’entretien des comptes de sa vaine cholere et prouuoyance.
I have seen one man whose youth had been very imperious. Now that he has come to old age, though he is getting through it as healthily as anyone can, he strikes, he bites, he swears—the most tempestuous master in France. He eats himself up with worry and vigilance. All of it is mere play-acting, and his own household is in on the plot. Others have the best part of the use of the granary, the cellar, and even his purse, while he keeps the keys in his pouch, dearer to him than his eyes. While he contents himself with a thrifty and stingy table, there is debauchery going on in various corners of his house—gambling, spending, and swapping tales of his futile anger and precautions.
Chacun est en sentinelle contre luy. Si par fortune quelque chetif seruiteur s’y addonne, soudain il luy est mis en soupçon: qualité à laquelle la vieillesse mord si volontiers de soy-mesme. Quantes fois s’est-il vanté à moy, de la bride qu’il donnoit aux siens, et exacte obeïssance et reuerence qu’il en receuoit; combien il voyoit clair en ses affaires! Ille solus nescit omnia. Ie ne sçache homme qui peust apporter plus de parties et naturelles et acquises, propres à conseruer la maistrise, qu’il faict, et si en est descheu comme vn enfant. Partant l’ay-ie choisi parmy plusieurs telles conditions que ie cognois, comme plus exemplaire. Ce seroit matiere à vne question scholastique, s’il est ainsi mieux, ou autrement. En presence, toutes choses luy cedent.
Everyone keeps watch against him. If by chance some wretched servant becomes devoted to him, that servant is at once made suspect in his eyes—and suspicion is a trait old age is all too ready to bite at of its own accord. How many times has he boasted to me of the tight rein he kept on his people, the exact obedience and reverence he received from them, and how clearly he saw into his affairs! He alone knows nothing of it all. I know of no man who could bring more qualities, natural and acquired, suited to keeping mastery than he does, and yet he has lost it like a child. That is why I have chosen him, among several such situations that I know, as the most instructive example. Whether he is better off this way or otherwise would make a matter for a scholastic debate. In his presence, everything gives way to him.
Et laisse-on ce vain cours à son authorité, qu’on ne luy resiste iamais. On le croit, on le craint, on le respecte tout son saoul. Donne-il congé à vn valet? il plie son pacquet, le voila party: mais hors de deuant luy seulement. Les pas de la vieillesse sont si lents, les sens si troubles, qu’il viura et fera son office en mesme maison, vn an, sans estre apperceu. Et quand la saison en est, on faict venir des lettres lointaines, piteuses, suppliantes, pleines de promesse de mieux faire, par où on le remet en grace. Monsieur fait-il quelque marché ou quelque depesche, qui desplaise? on la supprime: forgeant tantost apres, assez de causes, pour excuser la faute d’execution ou de response.
They let his authority run its empty course so far that no one ever resists him. He is believed, he is feared, he is respected to his heart’s content. Does he dismiss a valet? The man packs his bundle, and off he goes—but only out of his sight. The steps of old age are so slow and its senses so dim that the man will live in the same house and do his job for a year without being noticed. And when the time is ripe, letters are made to arrive from far away, pitiful and pleading, full of promises to do better, and by this means he is restored to favor. Does Monsieur make some bargain or send some dispatch that others dislike? It is suppressed, and soon afterward enough reasons are forged to excuse the failure to carry it out or to reply.
Nulles lettres estrangeres ne luy estants premierement apportées, il ne void que celles qui semblent commodes à sa science. Si par cas d’aduanture il les saisit, ayant en coustume de se reposer sur certaine personne, de les luy lire, on y trouue sur le champ ce qu’on veut: et faict-on à tous coups que tel luy demande pardon, qui l’iniurie par sa lettre. Il ne void en fin affaires, que par vne image disposée et desseignée et satisfactoire le plus qu’on peut, pour n’esueiller son chagrin et son courroux. I’ay veu souz des figures differentes, assez d’œconomies longues, constantes, de tout pareil effect.
Since no letters from outside are brought to him first, he sees only those that seem convenient for him to know about. If by some chance he gets hold of them, he is in the habit of relying on a certain person to read them to him, and that person finds in them on the spot whatever is wanted. Time and again they make a man beg his pardon who is insulting him in his letter. In short, he sees his affairs only through an image that has been arranged, designed, and made as satisfying as possible, so as not to stir up his ill humor and his wrath. Under different guises, I have seen plenty of households, long-lasting and steady, run with exactly the same result.
Il est tousiours procliue aux femmes de disconuenir à leurs maris. Elles saisissent à deux mains toutes couuertures de leur contraster: la premiere excuse leur sert de pleniere iustification. I’en ay veu, qui desrobboit gros à son mary, pour, disoit-elle à son confesseur, faire ses aulmosnes plus grasses. Fiez vous à cette religieuse dispensation. Nul maniement leur semble auoir assez de dignité, s’il vient de la concession du mary. Il faut qu’elles l’vsurpent ou finement ou fierement, et tousiours iniurieusement, pour luy donner de la grace et de l’authorité.
Women are always inclined to be at odds with their husbands. They seize with both hands every pretext for opposing them, and the first excuse serves them as full justification. I knew one who robbed her husband heavily so that, as she told her confessor, she could make her alms more generous. Trust that pious dispensation! No management seems to them to have enough dignity if it comes as a grant from the husband. They must usurp it, either craftily or boldly, and always wrongfully, to give it grace and authority.
Comme en mon propos, quand c’est contre vn pauure vieillard, et pour des enfants, lors empoignent elles ce tiltre, et en seruent leur passion, auec gloire: et comme en vn commun seruage, monopolent facilement contre sa domination et gouuernement. Si ce sont masles, grands et fleurissans, ils subornent aussi incontinent ou par force, ou par faueur, et maistre d’hostel et receueur, et tout le reste. Ceux qui n’ont ny femme ny fils, tombent en ce malheur plus difficilement, mais plus cruellement aussi et indignement. Le vieil Caton disoit en son temps, qu’autant de valets, autant d’ennemis. Voyez si selon la distance de la pureté de son siecle au nostre, il ne nous a pas voulu aduertir, que femme, fils, et valet, autant d’ennemis à nous.
This is what happens in the case I am speaking of. When it is against a poor old man and on behalf of the children, they seize on that title and serve their passion with it, and pride themselves on it. As if in a common servitude, they readily conspire against his rule and government. If the children are sons, grown and flourishing, they too promptly suborn the steward, the receiver, and all the rest, by force or by favor. Those who have neither wife nor son fall into this misfortune less easily, but also more cruelly and shamefully. Old Cato said in his day: so many servants, so many enemies. Consider the distance between the purity of his age and ours, and see whether he did not mean to warn us that wife, son, and servant are so many enemies to us.
Bien sert à la decrepitude de nous fournir le doux benefice d’inapperceuance et d’ignorance, et facilité à nous laisser tromper. Si nous y mordions, que seroit-ce de nous; mesme en ce temps, où les Iuges qui ont à decider noz controuerses, sont communément partisans de l’enfance et interessez?
Decrepitude does us a service by supplying the sweet benefit of not noticing and not knowing, and the ease with which we let ourselves be deceived. If we took it to heart, what would become of us? Especially in these times, when the judges who have to settle our disputes are commonly partisans of the young, and interested ones.
Au cas que cette pipperie m’eschappe à voir, aumoins ne m’eschappe-il pas, à voir que ie suis tres-pippable. Et aura-on iamais assez dit, de quel prix est vn amy, à comparaison de ces liaisons ciuiles? L’image mesme, que i’en voy aux bestes, si pure, auec quelle religion ie la respecte! Si les autres me pippent, au moins ne me pippe-ie pas moy-mesme à m’estimer capable de m’en garder: ny à me ronger la ceruelle pour m’en rendre. Ie me sauue de telles trahisons en mon propre giron, non par vne inquiete et tumultuaire curiosité, mais par diuersion plustost, et resolution. Quand i’oy reciter l’estat de quelqu’vn, ie ne m’amuse pas à luy: ie tourne incontinent les yeux à moy, voir comment i’en suis.
If I fail to see this cheating, at least I do not fail to see that I am very easy to cheat. And can anyone ever say enough about the value of a friend, compared with these civil ties? Even the image of friendship that I see in animals, so pure—with what reverence I respect it! If others cheat me, at least I do not cheat myself into thinking I can guard against it, nor rack my brains to make myself able to. I save myself from such betrayals in my own bosom, not by an anxious and turbulent curiosity, but rather by diversion and resolution. When I hear someone’s situation described, I do not dwell on him; I immediately turn my eyes on myself, to see how I stand.
Tout ce qui le touche me regarde. Son accident m’aduertit et m’esueille de ce costé-là. Tous les iours et à toutes heures, nous disons d’vn autre ce que nous dirions plus proprement de nous, si nous sçauions replier aussi bien qu’estendre nostre consideration. Et plusieurs autheurs blessent en cette maniere la protection de leur cause, courant en auant temerairement à l’encontre de celle qu’ils attaquent, et lanceant à leurs ennemis des traits, propres à leur estre relancez plus auantageusement.
Everything that touches him concerns me. His misfortune warns me and puts me on my guard on that side. Every day and at every hour we say of another what we could more properly say of ourselves, if we knew how to turn our attention back on ourselves as well as to extend it outward. And many authors harm the defense of their own cause in this way. They charge rashly forward against the cause they attack, and hurl at their enemies darts that could be hurled back at them to better effect.
Feu M. le Mareschal de Monluc, ayant perdu son filz, qui mourut en l’Isle de Maderes, braue Gentil-homme à la verité et de grande esperance, me faisoit fort valoir entre ses autres regrets, le desplaisir et creue-cœur qu’il sentoit de ne s’estre iamais communiqué à luy: et sur cette humeur d’vne grauité et grimace paternelle, auoir perdu la commodité de gouster et bien cognoistre son filz; et aussi de luy declarer l’extreme amitié qu’il luy portoit, et le digne iugement qu’il faisoit de sa vertu. Et ce pauure garçon, disoit-il, n’a rien veu de moy qu’vne contenance refroignée et pleine de mespris, et a emporté cette creance, que ie n’ay sçeu ny l’aimer ny l’estimer selon son merite.
The late Marshal de Monluc had lost his son, who died on the island of Madeira, truly a brave gentleman and of great promise. Among his other regrets, he stressed to me the sorrow and heartbreak he felt at never having opened himself to him. Through that humor of paternal gravity and grimace, he had lost the chance of enjoying and truly knowing his son, and also of telling him of the extreme affection he bore him and the high opinion he had of his virtue. “And that poor boy,” he said, “saw nothing of me but a scowling face full of contempt, and has carried away the belief that I could neither love him nor esteem him as he deserved.”
A qui gardoy-ie à descouurir cette singuliere affection que ie luy portoy dans mon ame? estoit-ce pas luy qui en deuoit auoir tout le plaisir et toute l’obligation? Ie me suis contraint et gehenné pour maintenir ce vain masque: et y ay perdu le plaisir de sa conuersation, et sa volonté quant et quant, qu’il ne me peut auoir portée autre que bien froide, n’ayant iamais receu de moy que rudesse, ny senti qu’vne façon tyrannique. Ie trouue que cette plainte estoit bien prise et raisonnable.
“Whom was I saving it for, the revealing of that singular affection I bore him in my soul? Was it not he who should have had all the pleasure of it and all the obligation? I constrained and tormented myself to keep up this empty mask. In doing so I lost the pleasure of his company, and with it his goodwill, which can only have been very cold toward me, since he never received anything from me but harshness, nor felt anything but a tyrannical manner.” I find that this complaint was well taken and reasonable.
Car comme ie sçay par vne trop certaine experience, il n’est aucune si douce consolation en la perte de noz amis, que celle que nous apporte la science de n’auoir rien oublié à leur dire, et d’auoir eu auec eux vne parfaite et entiere communication. O mon amy! En vaux-ie mieux d’en auoir le goust, ou si i’en vaux moins? i’en vaux certes bien mieux. Son regret me console et m’honnore. Est-ce pas vn pieux et plaisant office de ma vie, d’en faire à tout iamais les obseques? Est-il iouyssance qui vaille cette priuation?
For, as I know by an all too certain experience, there is no consolation so sweet in the loss of our friends as the knowledge that we left nothing unsaid to them, and that we had a perfect and complete communication with them. O my friend! Am I the better for having had the taste of it, or am I the worse? I am certainly much the better. My grief for him consoles me and honors me. Is it not a pious and pleasant duty of my life to keep up his funeral rites forever? Is there any enjoyment worth this loss?
Ie m’ouure aux miens tant que ie puis, et leur signifie tres-volontiers l’estat de ma volonté, et de mon iugement enuers eux, comme enuers vn chacun: ie me haste de me produire, et de me presenter: car ie ne veux pas qu’on s’y mesconte, à quelque part que ce soit. Entre autres coustumes particulieres qu’auoient noz anciens Gaulois, à ce que dit Cæsar, cette-cy en estoit l’vne, que les enfans ne se presentoyent aux peres, ny s’osoyent trouuer en public en leur compagnie, que lors qu’ils commençoyent à porter les armes; comme s’ils vouloyent dire que lors il estoit aussi saison, que les peres les receussent en leur familiarité et accointance.
I open myself to my family as much as I can, and very willingly let them know the state of my will and of my judgment toward them, as toward everyone. I hasten to bring myself forward and present myself, for I do not want anyone to be mistaken about me in any respect. Caesar tells us that our ancient Gauls had several customs of their own, and this was one of them: children did not present themselves to their fathers, nor dare appear in public in their company, until they began to bear arms. It was as if they meant that this was also the time for fathers to admit them into their familiarity and acquaintance.
Wills and widows
Fathers should not leave everything to their wives, and estates should follow the custom of the country.
I’ay veu encore vne autre sorte d’indiscretion en aucuns peres de mon temps, qui ne se contentent pas d’auoir priué pendant leur longue vie, leurs enfans de la part qu’ils deuoient auoir naturellement en leurs fortunes, mais laissent encore apres eux, à leurs femmes cette mesme authorité sur tous leurs biens, et loy d’en disposer à leur fantasie. Et ay cognu tel Seigneur des premiers officiers de nostre Couronne, ayant par esperance de droit à venir, plus de cinquante mille escus de rente, qui est mort necessiteux et accablé de debtes, aagé de plus de cinquante ans, sa mere en son extreme decrepitude, iouyssant encore de tous ses biens par l’ordonnance du pere, qui auoit de sa part vescu pres de quatre vingts ans.
I have seen yet another kind of indiscretion in some fathers of my time. They are not content to have deprived their children, throughout their own long lives, of the share they should naturally have had in their fortunes. They also leave this same authority over all their property to their wives after them, with the right to dispose of it as they fancy. I knew a certain lord, one of the first officers of our Crown, who had expectations of inheriting more than fifty thousand crowns a year in income. Yet he died needy and buried in debt at more than fifty years of age. His mother, in her extreme decrepitude, still enjoyed all the property by the father’s will—and the father had himself lived nearly eighty years.
Cela ne me semble aucunement raisonnable. Pourtant trouue-ie peu d’aduancement à vn homme de qui les affaires se portent bien, d’aller chercher vne femme qui le charge d’vn grand dot; il n’est point de debte estrangere qui apporte plus de ruyne aux maisons: mes predecesseurs ont communement suyui ce conseil bien à propos, et moy aussi. Mais ceux qui nous desconseillent les femmes riches, de peur qu’elles soyent moins traictables et recognoissantes, se trompent, de faire perdre quelque reelle commodité, pour vne si friuole coniecture. A vne femme desraisonnable, il ne couste non plus de passer par dessus vne raison, que par dessus vne autre. Elles s’ayment le mieux où elles ont plus de tort.
That does not seem reasonable to me in any way. So I see little advantage for a man whose affairs are going well in seeking a wife who burdens him with a large dowry; no outside debt brings more ruin to families. My forebears commonly followed this advice, very wisely, and so have I. But those who advise us against rich wives, for fear that they may be less tractable and grateful, are mistaken. They make us lose a real advantage for the sake of so frivolous a conjecture. For an unreasonable woman, it costs no more to override one reason than another. Such women like themselves best where they are most in the wrong.
L’iniustice les alleche: comme les bonnes, l’honneur de leurs actions vertueuses: et en sont debonnaires d’autant plus, qu’elles sont plus riches: comme plus volontiers et glorieusement chastes, de ce qu’elles sont belles.
Injustice entices them, as the honor of their virtuous actions entices good women. And good women are the more gracious the richer they are, just as they are chaste more willingly and proudly for being beautiful.
C’est raison de laisser l’administration des affaires aux meres pendant que les enfans ne sont pas en l’aage selon les loix pour en manier la charge: mais le pere les a bien mal nourris, s’il ne peut esperer qu’en leur maturité, ils auront plus de sagesse et de suffisance que sa femme, veu l’ordinaire foiblesse du sexe. Bien seroit-il toutesfois à la verité plus contre Nature, de faire despendre les meres de la discretion de leurs enfans. On leur doit donner largement, dequoy maintenir leur estat selon la condition de leur maison et de leur aage, d’autant que la necessité et l’indigence est beaucoup plus mal seante et mal-aisée à supporter à elles qu’aux masles: il faut plustost en charger les enfans que la mere.
It is reasonable to leave the administration of affairs to mothers while the children are not of legal age to take on the charge. But the father has brought them up very badly if he cannot hope that in their maturity they will have more wisdom and ability than his wife, given the ordinary weakness of the sex. Yet it would truly be more against Nature to make mothers depend on the discretion of their children. They should be given generously the means to keep up their station according to the rank of their house and their age. Need and want are much more unbecoming to them, and much harder for them to bear, than for men. The burden should rather be put on the children than on the mother.
En general, la plus saine distribution de noz biens en mourant, me semble estre, les laisser distribuer à l’vsage du païs. Les loix y ont mieux pensé que nous: et vaut mieux les laisser faillir en leur eslection, que de nous hazarder de faillir temerairement en la nostre. Ils ne sont pas proprement nostres, puis que d’vne prescription ciuile et sans nous, ils sont destinez à certains successeurs. Et encore que nous ayons quelque liberté audelà, ie tien qu’il faut vne grande cause et bien apparente pour nous faire oster à vn, ce que sa Fortune luy auoit acquis, et à quoy la iustice commune l’appelloit: et que c’est abuser contre raison de cette liberté, d’en seruir noz fantasies friuoles et priuées.
In general, the soundest way of distributing our goods at death seems to me to be to let them be distributed according to the custom of the country. The laws have thought about it better than we have, and it is better to let them err in their choice than to risk erring rashly in ours. These goods are not properly ours, since by civil prescription, and without us, they are destined for certain heirs. And although we have some freedom beyond that, I hold that it takes a great and very evident cause to make us take away from someone what his fortune had won for him and what common justice called him to. It is an unreasonable abuse of that freedom to make it serve our frivolous and private fancies.
Mon sort m’a faict grace, de ne m’auoir presenté des occasions qui me peussent tenter, et diuertir mon affection de la commune et legitime ordonnance. I’en voy, enuers qui c’est temps perdu d’employer vn long soin de bons offices. Vn mot receu de mauuais biais efface le merite de dix ans. Heureux, qui se trouue à point, pour leur oindre la volonté sur ce dernier passage. La voisine action l’emporte, non pas les meilleurs et plus frequents offices, mais les plus recents et presents font l’operation. Ce sont gents qui se iouent de leurs testaments, comme de pommes ou de verges, à gratifier ou chastier chaque action de ceux qui y pretendent interest.
My lot has done me the favor of not presenting me with occasions that might tempt me and divert my affection from the common and lawful order. I see some people with whom it is a waste of time to spend long care on good offices. One word taken the wrong way wipes out the merit of ten years. Happy the man who is on hand at the right moment to anoint their will at that last passage! The latest act carries the day. Not the best and most frequent services, but the most recent and present ones do the trick. These are people who play with their wills as with apples or rods, to reward or punish every action of those who claim an interest in them.
C’est chose de trop longue suitte, et de trop de poids, pour estre ainsi promenée à chasque instant: et en laquelle les sages se plantent vne fois pour toutes, regardans sur tout à la raison et obseruance publique.
It is a matter of too long consequence and too much weight to be carried about like this at every moment. Wise men take their stand on it once and for all, looking above all to reason and public custom.
Nous prenons vn peu trop à cœur ces substitutions masculines: et proposons vne eternité ridicule à noz noms. Nous poisons aussi trop les vaines coniectures de l’aduenir, que nous donnent les esprits puerils. A l’aduenture eust on faict iniustice, de me deplacer de mon rang, pour auoir esté le plus lourd et plombé, le plus long et desgousté en ma leçon, non seulement que tous mes freres, mais que tous les enfans de ma prouince: soit leçon d’exercice d’esprit, soit leçon d’exercice de corps. C’est follie de faire des triages extraordinaires, sur la foy de ces diuinations, ausquelles nous sommes si souuent trompez.
We take these entails in the male line a little too much to heart, and propose a ridiculous eternity for our names. We also give too much weight to the vain conjectures about the future that children’s minds give us. It might have been an injustice to displace me from my rank for having been the dullest and most leaden, the slowest and most unwilling at my lessons. I was worse not only than all my brothers but than all the children in my province, whether the lessons were exercises of the mind or exercises of the body. It is folly to make extraordinary selections on the strength of such divinations, in which we are so often deceived.
Si on peut blesser cette regle, et corriger les destinées aux chois qu’elles ont faict de noz heritiers, on le peut auec plus d’apparence, en consideration de quelque remarquable et enorme difformité corporelle: vice constant inamandable: et selon nous, grands estimateurs de la beauté, d’important preiudice.
If this rule may be broken, and the destinies corrected in their choice of our heirs, there is more reason for doing so on account of some remarkable and enormous bodily deformity. That is a constant, incurable defect, and, in the eyes of people like us who prize beauty so highly, a seriously damaging one.
Le plaisant dialogue du legislateur de Platon, auec ses citoyens, fera honneur à ce passage. Comment donc, disent ils sentans leur fin prochaine, ne pourrons nous point disposer de ce qui est à nous, à qui il nous plaira? O Dieux, quelle cruauté! Qu’il ne nous soit loisible, selon que les nostres nous auront seruy en noz maladies, en nostre vieillesse, en noz affaires, de leur donner plus et moins selon noz fantasies! A quoy le legislateur respond en cette maniere: Mes amis, qui auez sans doubte bien tost à mourir, il est mal-aisé, et que vous vous cognoissiez, et que vous cognoissiez ce qui est à vous, suiuant l’inscription Delphique.
The pleasant dialogue between Plato’s lawgiver and his citizens will do honor to this passage. “What then,” they say, feeling their end approaching, “may we not dispose of what is ours to whom we please? O gods, what cruelty! That we should not be allowed to give more or less to our people, as we fancy, according to how they have served us in our illnesses, in our old age, in our affairs!” To which the lawgiver replies as follows: “My friends, who no doubt are soon to die, it is hard for you to know yourselves, and to know what is yours, as the Delphic inscription bids.
Moy, qui fay les loix, tien, que ny vous n’estes à vous, ny n’est à vous ce que vous iouyssez. Et voz biens et vous, estes à vostre famille tant passée que future: mais encore plus sont au public, et vostre famille et voz biens. Parquoy de peur que quelque flatteur en vostre vieillesse ou en vostre maladie, ou quelque passion vous sollicite mal à propos, de faire testament iniuste, ie vous en garderay. Mais ayant respect et à l’interest vniuersel de la cité, et à celuy de vostre maison, i’establiray des loix, et feray sentir, comme de raison, que la commodité particuliere doit ceder à la commune. Allez vous en ioyeusement où la necessité humaine vous appelle.
“I, who make the laws, hold that neither are you your own, nor is what you enjoy your own. Both you and your goods belong to your family, past as well as future. But still more do your family and your goods belong to the public. Some flatterer in your old age or your illness, or some passion, might wrongly urge you to make an unjust will, and I will guard you against that. I will have regard both to the universal interest of the city and to that of your house. So I will establish laws, and make it felt, as is right, that private advantage must give way to the common good. Go your way cheerfully where human necessity calls you.
C’est à moy, qui ne regarde pas l’vne chose plus que l’autre, qui autant que ie puis, me soingne du general, d’auoir soucy de ce que vous laissez.
“It is for me, who regard no one thing more than another and who take care of the general good as far as I can, to concern myself with what you leave behind.”
Reuenant à mon propos, il me semble en toutes façons, qu’il naist rarement des femmes à qui la maistrise soit deuë sur des hommes, sauf la maternelle et naturelle: si ce n’est pour le chastiment de ceux, qui par quelque humeur fiebureuse, se sont volontairement soubsmis à elles: mais cela ne touche aucunement les vieilles, dequoy nous parlons icy. C’est l’apparence de cette consideration, qui nous a faict forger et donner pied si volontiers, à cette loy, que nul ne veit onques, qui priue les femmes de la succession de cette couronne: et n’est guere Seigneurie au monde, où elle ne s’allegue, comme icy, par vne vray-semblance de raison qui l’authorise: mais la Fortune luy a donné plus de credit en certains lieux qu’aux autres.
To return to my subject, it seems to me in every way that women are rarely born to whom mastery over men is due, except the maternal and natural kind. The exception is for the punishment of men who, from some feverish humor, have voluntarily submitted to them. But that does not apply at all to old women, whom we are speaking of here. It is the plausibility of this consideration that has made us so ready to invent this law and give it footing, though no one ever saw it: the law that excludes women from succession to this crown. There is hardly a lordship in the world where it is not alleged, as it is here, on the strength of a plausible reason that authorizes it. But Fortune has given it more credit in some places than in others.
Il est dangereux de laisser à leur iugement la dispensation de nostre succession, selon le choix qu’elles feront des enfans, qui est à tous les coups inique et fantastique. Car cet appetit desreglé et goust malade, qu’elles ont au temps de leurs groisses, elles l’ont en l’ame, en tout temps. Communement on les void s’addonner aux plus foibles et malotrus, ou à ceux, si elles en ont, qui leur pendent encores au col. Car n’ayans point assez de force de discours, pour choisir et embrasser ce qui le vault, elles se laissent plus volontiers aller, où les impressions de Nature sont plus seules: comme les animaux qui n’ont cognoissance de leurs petits, que pendant qu’ils tiennent à leurs mammelles.
It is dangerous to leave the dispensing of our estate to their judgment, according to the choice they will make among the children, which is unfair and capricious every time. For that disordered appetite and sick taste they have in their pregnancies, they have in their souls at all times. Commonly you see them devote themselves to the weakest and most ill-favored, or to those, if they have any, who still hang about their necks. They do not have enough power of reasoning to choose and embrace what deserves it. So they more readily let themselves go where Nature’s impulses act alone—like animals, which know their young only while they hang at their teats.
Au demeurant il est aisé à voir par experience, que cette affection naturelle, à qui nous donnons tant d’authorité, a les racines bien foibles. Pour vn fort leger profit, nous arrachons tous les iours leurs propres enfans d’entre les bras des meres, et leur faisons prendre les nostres en charge: nous leur faisons abandonner les leurs à quelque chetiue nourrisse, à qui nous ne voulons pas commettre les nostres, ou à quelque cheure; leur deffendant non seulement de les allaiter, quelque danger qu’ils en puissent encourir: mais encore d’en auoir aucun soin, pour s’employer du tout au seruice des nostres.
Moreover, it is easy to see by experience that this natural affection to which we give so much authority has very weak roots. For a very slight profit we tear their own children from mothers’ arms every day and make them take charge of ours. We make them abandon theirs to some wretched nurse to whom we would not want to entrust ours, or to some goat. We forbid them not only to suckle their own children, whatever danger the children may run as a result, but even to take any care of them, so that they may devote themselves wholly to the service of ours.
Et voit-on en la plus part d’entre elles, s’engendrer bien tost par accoustumance vn’affection bastarde, plus vehemente que la naturelle, et plus grande sollicitude de la conseruation des enfans empruntez, que des leurs propres. Et ce que i’ay parlé des cheures, c’est d’autant qu’il est ordinaire autour de chez moy, de voir les femmes de village, lors qu’elles ne peuuent nourrir les enfans de leurs mammelles, appeller des cheures à leurs secours. Et i’ay à cette heure deux lacquais, qui ne tetterent iamais que huict iours laict de femmes.
And in most of these women we see a spurious affection soon arise through habit, more vehement than the natural one, and a greater solicitude for the preservation of the borrowed children than of their own. The reason I spoke of goats is that around my home it is common to see village women call goats to their aid when they cannot feed children at their breasts. And at this moment I have two lackeys who never sucked woman’s milk for more than a week.
Ces cheures sont incontinent duites à venir allaicter ces petits enfans, recognoissent leur voix quand ils crient, et y accourent: si on leur en presente vn autre que leur nourrisson, elles le refusent, et l’enfant en fait de mesme d’vne autre cheure. I’en vis vn l’autre iour, à qui on osta la sienne, par ce que son pere ne l’auoit qu’empruntée d’vn sien voisin, il ne peut iamais s’adonner à l’autre qu’on luy presenta, et mourut sans doute, de faim. Les bestes alterent et abbastardissent aussi aisément que nous, l’affection naturelle.
These goats are quickly trained to come and suckle these little children. They recognize their voices when they cry, and come running. If they are offered a child other than their nursling, they refuse it, and the child does the same with another goat. The other day I saw a child whose goat was taken away from him because his father had only borrowed it from a neighbor. He could never take to the other goat he was offered, and died, no doubt of hunger. Animals alter and corrupt natural affection as easily as we do.
Ie croy qu’en ce que recite Herodote de certain destroit de la Lybie, il y a souuent du mesconte: il dit qu’on s’y mesle aux femmes indifferemment: mais que l’enfant ayant force de marcher, trouue son pere celuy, vers lequel, en la presse, la naturelle inclination porte ses premiers pas.
I believe that in what Herodotus relates of a certain district of Libya there is often a mistake. He says that there men mate with women indiscriminately, but that when the child has the strength to walk, it takes as its father the man toward whom, in the crowd, its natural inclination carries its first steps.
Children of the mind
Books are offspring dearer than bodily children, as Labienus, Lucan and Epicurus show.
Or à considerer cette simple occasion d’aymer noz enfans, pour les auoir engendrez, pour laquelle nous les appellons autres nous mesmes: il semble qu’il y ait bien vne autre production venant de nous, qui ne soit pas de moindre recommendation. Car ce que nous engendrons par l’ame, les enfantements de nostre esprit, de nostre courage et suffisance, sont produits par vne plus noble partie que la corporelle, et sont plus nostres. Nous sommes pere et mere ensemble en cette generation: ceux-cy nous coustent bien plus cher, et nous apportent plus d’honneur, s’ils ont quelque chose de bon.
Now consider this simple reason for loving our children: that we begot them, which is why we call them our other selves. It seems that there is indeed another production coming from us that deserves no less esteem. For what we beget by the soul—the offspring of our mind, of our courage and ability—is produced by a nobler part than the body, and is more our own. We are father and mother together in this generation. These children cost us much more dearly, and bring us more honor, if there is anything good in them.
Car la valeur de nos autres enfans, est beaucoup plus leur, que nostre: la part que nous y auons est bien legere: mais de ceux-cy, toute la beauté, toute la grace et prix est nostre. Par ainsin ils nous representent et nous rapportent bien plus viuement que les autres. Platon adiouste, que ce sont icy des enfants immortels, qui immortalisent leurs peres, voire et les deïfient, comme Lycurgus, Solon, Minos. Or les Histoires estants pleines d’exemples de cette amitié commune des peres enuers les enfans, il ne m’a pas semblé hors de propos d’en trier aussi quelqu’vn de cette-cy.
For the worth of our other children is much more theirs than ours; the share we have in it is very slight. But in these, all the beauty, all the grace and value is ours. So they represent us and reflect us much more vividly than the others. Plato adds that these are immortal children, who immortalize their fathers and even deify them, like Lycurgus, Solon, and Minos. Now since histories are full of examples of the common love of fathers for their children, it did not seem out of place to me to pick out a few examples of this other kind too.
Heliodorus ce bon Euesque de Tricea, ayma mieux perdre la dignité, le profit, la deuotion d’vne prelature si venerable, que de perdre sa fille: fille qui dure encore bien gentille: mais à l’aduenture pourtant vn peu trop curieusement et mollement goderonnée pour fille ecclesiastique et sacerdotale, et de trop amoureuse façon. Il y eut vn Labienus à Rome, personnage de grande valeur et authorité, et entre autres qualitez, excellent en toute sorte de literature, qui estoit, ce croy-ie, fils de ce grand Labienus, le premier des capitaines qui furent soubs Cæsar en la guerre des Gaules, et qui depuis s’estant ietté au party du grand Pompeius, s’y maintint si valeureusement iusques à ce que Cæsar le deffit en Espaigne.
Heliodorus, that good bishop of Tricca, preferred to lose the dignity, the revenue, and the devotion of so venerable a prelacy rather than lose his daughter. She is a daughter who still survives, very charming, but perhaps a little too elaborately and softly frilled for the daughter of a churchman and priest, and of too amorous a fashion. There was a Labienus at Rome, a person of great worth and authority, who among other qualities excelled in every kind of literature. He was, I believe, the son of the great Labienus, the foremost of the captains who served under Caesar in the Gallic War. That Labienus later threw in his lot with Pompey the Great and held out valiantly until Caesar defeated him in Spain.
Ce Labienus dequoy ie parle, eut plusieurs enuieux de sa vertu, et comme il est vray-semblable, les courtisans et fauoris des Empereurs de son temps, pour ennemis de sa franchise, et des humeurs paternelles, qu’il retenoit encore contre la tyrannie, desquelles il est croiable qu’il auoit teint ses escrits et ses liures. Ses aduersaires poursuiuirent deuant le magistrat à Rome, et obtindrent de faire condamner plusieurs siens ouurages qu’il auoit mis en lumiere, à estre bruslés. Ce fut par luy que commença ce nouuel exemple de peine, qui depuis fut continué à Rome à plusieurs autres, de punir de mort les escrits mesmes, et les estudes.
Many people envied the virtue of the Labienus I am speaking of. As is likely, the courtiers and favorites of the emperors of his time were his enemies, hostile to his frankness and to the temper inherited from his father, which he still kept up against tyranny. It may be believed that he had tinged his writings and books with it. His adversaries prosecuted him before the magistrate at Rome and obtained a sentence condemning several of his published works to be burned. It was with him that this new kind of punishment began, which was later continued at Rome against several others: punishing with death the writings themselves, and the studies.
Il n’y auoit point assez de moyen et matiere de cruauté, si nous n’y meslions des choses que Nature a exemptées de tout sentiment et de toute souffrance, comme la reputation et les inuentions de nostre esprit: et si nous n’allions communiquer les maux corporels aux disciplines et monumens des Muses. Or Labienus ne peut souffrir cette perte, ny de suruiure à cette sienne si chere geniture; il se fit porter et enfermer tout vif dans le monument de ses ancestres, là où il pourueut tout d’vn train à se tuer et à s’enterrer ensemble. Il est malaisé de montrer aucune autre plus vehemente affection paternelle que celle-là.
Apparently there were not enough means and matter for cruelty unless we mixed in things that Nature has exempted from all feeling and all suffering, like reputation and the inventions of our mind. We had to go on and extend bodily ills to the disciplines and monuments of the Muses. Now Labienus could not bear this loss, nor survive his own beloved offspring. He had himself carried and shut up alive in the tomb of his ancestors, where at one stroke he saw to killing himself and burying himself together. It is hard to show any other paternal affection more vehement than that.
Cassius Seuerus, homme tres-eloquent et son familier, voyant brusler ses liures, crioit que par mesme sentence on le deuoit quant et quant condamner à estre bruslé tout vif, car il portoit et conseruoit en sa memoire ce qu’ils contenoient. Pareil accident aduint à Greuntius Cordus accusé d’auoir en ses liures loué Brutus et Cassius. Ce Senat vilain, seruile, et corrompu, et digne d’vn pire maistre que Tibere, condamna ses escrits au feu. Il fut content de faire compagnie à leur mort, et se tua par abstinence de manger.
Cassius Severus, a very eloquent man and his friend, seeing his books burned, cried out that by the same sentence they ought to condemn him to be burned alive along with them, for he carried and preserved in his memory what they contained. A similar misfortune befell Cremutius Cordus, accused of having praised Brutus and Cassius in his books. That base, servile, and corrupt Senate, worthy of a worse master than Tiberius, condemned his writings to the fire. He was content to keep them company in their death, and killed himself by refusing food.
Le bon Lucanus estant iugé par ce coquin Neron; sur les derniers traits de sa vie, comme la pluspart du sang fut desia escoulé par les veines des bras, qu’il s’estoit faictes tailler à son medecin pour mourir, et que la froideur eut saisi les extremitez de ses membres, et commençast à s’approcher des parties vitales; la derniere chose qu’il eut en sa memoire, ce furent aucuns des vers de son liure de la guerre de Pharsale, qu’il recitoit, et mourut ayant cette derniere voix en la bouche.
Good Lucan was condemned by that scoundrel Nero. In the last moments of his life, most of his blood had already drained out through the veins of his arms, which he had had his doctor cut so that he might die, and the cold had seized the extremities of his limbs and was beginning to approach the vital parts. The last thing he had in his memory was some lines from his book on the war of Pharsalia. He recited them, and died with those last words on his lips.
Cela qu’estoit-ce, qu’vn tendre et paternel congé qu’il prenoit de ses enfans; representant les a-dieux et les estroits embrassemens que nous donnons aux nostres en mourant; et vn effet de cette naturelle inclination, qui r’appelle en nostre souuenance en cette extremité, les choses, que nous auons eu les plus cheres pendant nostre vie?
What was that but a tender, fatherly leave-taking of his children, like the farewells and close embraces we give our own when we die? And what was it but an effect of that natural inclination which, in that extremity, brings back to our memory the things we have held dearest during our life?
Pensons nous qu’Epicurus qui en mourant tourmenté, comme il dit, des extremes douleurs de la cholique, auoit toute sa consolation en la beauté de la doctrine qu’il laissoit au monde, eust receu autant de contentement d’vn nombre d’enfans bien nais et bien esleuez, s’il en eust eu, comme il faisoit de la production de ses riches escrits? et que s’il eust esté au chois de laisser apres luy vn enfant contrefaict et mal nay, ou vn liure sot et inepte, il ne choisist plustost, et non luy seulement, mais tout homme de pareille suffisance, d’encourir le premier mal’heur que l’autre?
Epicurus, dying tormented, as he says, by the extreme pains of colic, found all his consolation in the beauty of the doctrine he was leaving to the world. Do we think he would have received as much satisfaction from a number of well-born and well-brought-up children, if he had had any, as he did from producing his rich writings? And if he had had the choice of leaving behind him a deformed and ill-born child or a foolish and inept book, do we think he would not have chosen to incur the first misfortune rather than the other? And not he alone, but any man of like ability?
Ce seroit à l’aduenture impieté en Sainct Augustin, pour exemple, si d’vn costé on luy proposoit d’enterrer ses escrits, dequoy nostre religion reçoit vn si grand fruict, ou d’enterrer ses enfans au cas qu’il en eust, s’il n’aymoit mieux enterrer ses enfans. Et ie ne sçay si ie n’aymerois pas mieux beaucoup en auoir produict vn parfaictement bien formé, de l’accointance des Muses, que de l’accointance de ma femme. A cettuy-cy tel qu’il est, ce que ie donne, ie le donne purement et irreuocablement, comme on donne aux enfans corporels. Ce peu de bien, que ie luy ay faict, il n’est plus en ma disposition.
Suppose Saint Augustine, for example, were offered the choice between burying his writings, from which our religion reaps such great fruit, and burying his children, if he had had any. It would perhaps be impiety in him not to prefer burying his children. And I am not sure that I would not much rather have produced one perfectly formed child from my union with the Muses than from my union with my wife. To this one, such as it is, what I give, I give purely and irrevocably, as one gives to the children of the body. The little good I have done it is no longer mine to dispose of.
Il peut sçauoir assez de choses que ie ne sçay plus, et tenir de moy ce que ie n’ay point retenu: et qu’il faudroit que tout ainsi qu’vn estranger, i’empruntasse de luy, si besoin m’en venoit. Si ie suis plus sage que luy, il est plus riche que moy. Il est peu d’hommes addonnez à la poësie, qui ne se gratifiassent plus d’estre peres de l’Eneide que du plus beau garçon de Rome: et qui ne souffrissent plus aisément l’vne perte que l’autre. Car selon Aristote, de tous ouuriers le poëte est nommément le plus amoureux de son ouurage.
It may know plenty of things that I no longer know, and hold from me what I have not retained myself, which I would have to borrow from it, just like a stranger, if I needed it. If I am wiser than it, it is richer than I. There are few men devoted to poetry who would not be more gratified to be the father of the Aeneid than of the handsomest boy in Rome, and who would not bear the loss of the boy more easily than the loss of the poem. For according to Aristotle, of all craftsmen the poet is the one most especially in love with his work.
Il est malaisé à croire, qu’Epaminondas qui se vantoit de laisser pour toute posterité des filles qui feroyent vn iour honneur à leur pere (c’estoyent les deux nobles victoires qu’il auoit gaigné sur les Lacedemoniens) eust volontiers consenty d’eschanger celles-là, aux plus gorgiases de toute la Grece: ou qu’Alexandre et Cæsar ayent iamais souhaité d’estre priuez de la grandeur de leurs glorieux faicts de guerre, pour la commodité d’auoir des enfans et heritiers, quelques parfaicts et accompliz qu’ils peussent estre. Voire ie fay grand doubte que Phidias ou autre excellent statuaire, aymast autant la conseruation et la durée de ses enfans naturels, comme il feroit d’vne image excellente, qu’auec long trauail et estude il auroit parfaite selon l’art.
Epaminondas boasted that he left as his only posterity daughters who would one day bring honor to their father; these were the two noble victories he had won over the Lacedaemonians. It is hard to believe that he would willingly have agreed to exchange them for the most gorgeous girls in all Greece. It is equally hard to believe that Alexander and Caesar ever wished to be deprived of the greatness of their glorious feats of war for the convenience of having children and heirs, however perfect and accomplished they might be. Indeed, I very much doubt that Phidias, or any other excellent sculptor, cared as much for the preservation and survival of his natural children as he would for an excellent statue that he had perfected by long labor and study, according to his art.
Et quant à ces passions vitieuses et furieuses, qui ont eschauffé quelque fois les peres à l’amour de leurs filles, ou les meres enuers leurs fils, encore s’en trouue-il de pareilles en cette autre sorte de parenté. Tesmoing ce que lon recite de Pygmalion, qu’ayant basty vne statue de femme de beauté singuliere, il deuint si esperduement espris de l’amour forcené de ce sien ouurage, qu’il falut, qu’en faueur de sa rage les Dieux la luy viuifiassent: Tentatum mollescit ebur, positóque rigore / Subsidit digitis.
And as for those vicious and frenzied passions that have sometimes inflamed fathers with love for their daughters, or mothers for their sons, similar ones are found in this other kind of parenthood too. Witness what is told of Pygmalion. Having made the statue of a woman of singular beauty, he fell so desperately and madly in love with this work of his that the gods, in favor of his frenzy, had to bring her to life for him: Touched, the ivory softens, and, its hardness gone, / Yields to his fingers.