IL y a deux ou trois ans, qu’on accoursit l’an de dix iours en France. Combien de changemens doiuent suyure cette reformation! Ce fut proprement remuer le ciel et la terre à la fois. Ce neantmoins, il n’est rien qui bouge de sa place. Mes voisins trouuent l’heure de leurs semences, de leur recolte, l’opportunité de leurs negoces, les iours nuisibles et propices, au mesme poinct iustement, où ils les auoyent assignez de tout temps. Ny l’erreur ne se sentoit en nostre vsage, ny l’amendement ne s’y sent. Tant il y a d’incertitude par tout: tant nostre apperceuance est grossiere, obscure et obtuse.
Two or three years ago the year was shortened by ten days in France. How many changes ought to follow from this reform! It was literally moving heaven and earth at once. And yet nothing has budged from its place. My neighbors find the time for their sowing and their harvest, the right moment for their business, the unlucky and lucky days, at exactly the same point where they had always placed them. Neither was the error felt in our practice, nor is the correction felt now. So much uncertainty is there everywhere; so coarse, dim and dull is our perception.
On dit, que ce reglement se pouuoit conduire d’vne façon moins incommode: soustraiant à l’exemple d’Auguste, pour quelques années, le iour du bissexte: qui ainsi comme ainsin, est vn iour d’empeschement et de trouble: iusques à ce qu’on fust arriué à satisfaire exactement ce debte. Ce que mesme on n’a pas faict, par cette correction: et demeurons encores en arrerages de quelques iours. Et si par mesme moyen, on pouuoit prouuoir à l’aduenir, ordonnant qu’apres la reuolution de tel ou tel nombre d’années, ce iour extraordinaire seroit tousiours eclipsé: si que nostre mesconte ne pourroit d’ores-enauant exceder vingt et quatre heures. Nous n’auons autre comte du temps, que les ans.
They say this adjustment could have been carried out less inconveniently, by omitting the leap day for a few years, following the example of Augustus—a day that, one way or another, is a day of hindrance and confusion—until the debt had been exactly paid off. Which in fact has not even been done by this correction: we are still a few days in arrears. And by the same means provision could have been made for the future, by ordering that after the cycle of such-and-such a number of years this extra day would always be dropped, so that our miscount could never thereafter exceed twenty-four hours. We have no other reckoning of time than years.
Il y a tant de siecles que le monde s’en sert: et si c’est vne mesure que nous n’auons encore acheué d’arrester. Et telle, que nous doubtons tous les iours, quelle forme les autres nations luy ont diuersement donné: et quel en estoit l’vsage. Quoy ce que disent aucuns, que les cieux se compriment vers nous en vieillissant, et nous iettent en incertitude des heures mesme et des iours? Et des moys, ce que dit Plutarque: qu’encore de son temps l’astrologie n’auoit sçeu borner le mouuement de la lune? Nous voyla bien accommodez, pour tenir registre des choses passées.
The world has used them for so many centuries, and yet it is a measure we have not yet finished fixing—so much so that every day we wonder what different forms other nations have given it and how they used it. And what of the claim some make, that the heavens are contracting toward us as they grow old, and throwing us into uncertainty even about hours and days? And about months, what Plutarch says: that even in his time astronomy had not managed to determine the motion of the moon? A fine position we are in for keeping records of things past!
Ie resuassois presentement, comme ie fais souuent, sur ce, combien l’humaine raison est vn instrument libre et vague. Ie vois ordinairement, que les hommes, aux faicts qu’on leur propose, s’amusent plus volontiers à en chercher la raison, qu’à en chercher la verité. Ils passent par dessus les presuppositions, mais ils examinent curieusement les consequences. Ils laissent les choses, et courent aux causes. Plaisans causeurs. La cognoissance des causes touche seulement celuy, qui a la conduitte des choses: non à nous, qui n’en auons que la souffrance. Et qui en auons l’vsage parfaictement plein et accompli, selon nostre besoing, sans en penetrer l’origine et l’essence. Ny le vin n’en est plus plaisant à celuy qui en sçait les facultez premieres.
I was musing just now, as I often do, on what a free and vague instrument human reason is. I commonly see that men, when facts are put before them, would rather amuse themselves by looking for the reason for them than by looking for the truth of them. They pass over the premises, but examine the consequences with great care. They leave the things and run to the causes. Fine talkers about causes they are! Knowledge of causes concerns only the one who has the direction of things, not us, who only undergo them, and who have the full and complete use of them, according to our need, without penetrating their origin and essence. Nor is wine any more pleasant to the man who knows its primary properties.
Au contraire: et le corps et l’ame, interrompent et alterent le droit qu’ils ont de l’vsage du monde, et de soy-mesmes, y meslant l’opinion de science. Les effectz nous touchent, mais les moyens, nullement. Le determiner et le distribuer, appartient à la maistrise, et à la regence: comme à la subiection et apprentissage, l’accepter. Reprenons nostre coustume. Ils commencent ordinairement ainsi: Comment est-ce que cela se fait? mais, se fait-il? faudroit il dire. Nostre discours est capable d’estoffer cent autres mondes, et d’en trouuer les principes et la contexture. Il ne luy faut ny matiere ny baze.
On the contrary: both body and soul disturb and impair the right they have to the use of the world and of themselves by mixing into it the conceit of knowledge. Effects concern us, but the means not at all. Determining and distributing belong to mastery and rule, just as accepting belongs to subjection and apprenticeship. To return to our habit: they usually begin like this: “How does this happen?” What they should say is: “But does it happen?” Our reasoning is capable of furnishing a hundred other worlds and finding their principles and structure. It needs neither matter nor foundation.
Laissez le courre: il bastit aussi bien sur le vuide que sur le plain, et de l’inanité que de matiere, Dare pondus idonea fumo. Ie trouue quasi par tout, qu’il faudroit dire: Il n’en est rien. Et employerois souuent cette responce: mais ie n’ose: car ils crient, que c’est vne deffaicte produicte de foiblesse d’esprit et d’ignorance. Et me faut ordinairement basteler par compaignie, à traicter des subiects, et contes friuoles, que ie mescrois entierement. Ioinct qu’à la verité, il est vn peu rude et quereleux, de nier tout sec, vne proposition de faict. Et peu de gens faillent: notamment aux choses malaysées à persuader, d’affermer qu’ils l’ont veu: ou d’alleguer des tesmoins, desquels l’authorité arreste notre contradiction.
Let it run: it builds as well on the empty as on the full, and out of nothingness as out of matter, fit to give weight to smoke. I find almost everywhere that we ought to say: “There is nothing to it.” And I would often use this answer, but I dare not, for they cry that it is an evasion born of weakness of mind and ignorance. So I usually have to play the clown for company’s sake, discussing subjects and frivolous tales that I entirely disbelieve. Besides, to tell the truth, it is a bit rude and quarrelsome to flatly deny a statement of fact. And few people fail—especially in things hard to make others believe—to assert that they have seen it, or to cite witnesses whose authority stops our contradiction.
Suyuant cet vsage, nous sçauons les fondemens, et les moyens, de mille choses qui ne furent onques. Et s’escarmouche le monde, en mille questions, desquelles, et le pour et le contre, est faux. Ita finitima sunt falsa veris, vt in præcipitem locum non debeat se sapiens committere. La verité et le mensonge ont leurs visages conformes, le port, le goust, et les alleures pareilles: nous les regardons de mesme œil. Ie trouue que nous ne sommes pas seulement lasches à nous defendre de la piperie: mais que nous cherchons, et conuions à nous y enferrer. Nous aymons à nous embrouïller en la vanité, comme conforme à nostre estre.
Following this practice, we know the foundations and the means of a thousand things that never existed. And the world skirmishes over a thousand questions in which both the pro and the con are false. The false is so close to the true that the wise man should not venture onto such a precipitous slope. Truth and falsehood have matching faces; their bearing, taste and gait are alike; we look at them with the same eye. I find that we are not only slack in defending ourselves against deception, but that we seek it out and invite it to run us through. We love to entangle ourselves in vanity, as something in keeping with our being.
How miracles are born
Rumor grows from small beginnings as each teller adds something of his own.
I’ay veu la naissance de plusieurs miracles de mon temps. Encore qu’ils s’estouffent en naissant, nous ne laissons pas de preuoir le train qu’ils eussent pris, s’ils eussent vescu leur aage. Car il n’est que de trouuer le bout du fil, on en desuide tant qu’on veut. Et y a plus loing, de rien, à la plus petite chose du monde, qu’il n’y a de celle là, iusques à la plus grande. Or les premiers qui sont abbreuuez de ce commencement d’estrangeté, venans à semer leur histoire, sentent par les oppositions qu’on leur fait, où loge la difficulté de la persuasion, et vont calfeutrant cet endroict de quelque piece fauce.
I have seen the birth of several miracles in my time. Even though they are smothered at birth, we can still foresee the course they would have taken if they had lived out their span. For you need only find the end of the thread, and you can unwind as much as you like. And there is a greater distance from nothing to the smallest thing in the world than from that to the greatest. Now the first people who have drunk in this beginning of strangeness, when they come to spread their story, sense from the objections raised against them where the difficulty of persuading lies, and go about caulking that spot with some false patch.
Outre ce que, insita hominibus libidine alendi de industria rumores, nous faisons naturellement conscience, de rendre ce qu’on nous a presté, sans quelque vsure, et accession de nostre creu. L’erreur particuliere, fait premierement l’erreur publique: et à son tour apres, l’erreur publique fait l’erreur particuliere. Ainsi va tout ce bastiment, s’estoffant et formant, de main en main: de maniere que le plus eslongné tesmoin, en est mieux instruict que le plus voisin: et le dernier informé, mieux persuadé que le premier. C’est vn progrez naturel. Car quiconque croit quelque chose, estime que c’est ouurage de charité, de la persuader à vn autre.
Besides which, through men’s innate desire to feed rumors deliberately, we naturally feel it a matter of conscience not to return what has been lent us without some interest and some addition of our own growing. Private error first creates public error; and afterward, in its turn, public error creates private error. So this whole edifice goes on filling out and taking shape from hand to hand, so that the remotest witness is better informed about it than the nearest, and the last to be told more convinced than the first. It is a natural progression. For whoever believes something thinks it a work of charity to persuade another of it.
Et pour ce faire, ne craint point d’adiouster de son inuention, autant qu’il voit estre necessaire en son compte, pour suppleer à la resistance et au deffaut qu’il pense estre en la conception d’autruy. Moy-mesme, qui fais singuliere conscience de mentir: et qui ne me soucie guere de donner creance et authorité à ce que ie dis, m’apperçoy toutesfois, aux propos que i’ay en main, qu’estant eschauffé ou par la resistance d’vn autre, ou par la propre chaleur de ma narration, ie grossis et enfle mon subiect, par voix, mouuemens, vigueur et force de parolles: et encore par extention et amplification: non sans interest de la verité nayfue.
And to do so he is not afraid to add of his own invention as much as he sees is needed in his account to make up for the resistance and the deficiency he thinks he finds in the other person’s understanding. I myself, who make a particular point of conscience about lying, and who hardly care about giving credence and authority to what I say, nevertheless notice, in the matters I have in hand, that when I am heated either by someone else’s resistance or by the very warmth of my telling, I swell and inflate my subject by voice, gestures, vigor and force of words, and also by extension and amplification—not without harm to the plain truth.
Mais ie le fais en condition pourtant, qu’au premier qui me rameine, et qui me demande la verité nuë et cruë: ie quitte soudain mon effort, et la luy donne, sans exaggeration, sans emphase, et remplissage. La parole viue et bruyante, comme est la mienne ordinaire, s’emporte volontiers à l’hyperbole. Il n’est rien à quoy communement les hommes soyent plus tendus, qu’à donner voye à leurs opinions. Où le moyen ordinaire nous faut, nous y adioustons, le commandement, la force, le fer, et le feu. Il y a du mal’heur, d’en estre là, que la meilleure touche de la verité, ce soit la multitude des croyans, en vne presse où les fols surpassent de tant, les sages, en nombre.
But I do it on this condition, however: that for the first person who brings me back and asks me for the naked, raw truth, I immediately drop my effort and give it to him, without exaggeration, without emphasis or padding. Lively, loud speech, such as mine usually is, readily runs away into hyperbole. There is nothing men are commonly more bent on than making way for their opinions. Where the ordinary means fail us, we add command, force, steel and fire. It is a misfortune to have come to this: that the best touchstone of truth should be the number of believers, in a crowd where fools so far outnumber the wise.
Quasi verò quidquam sit tam valdè, quàm nil sapere vulgare. Sanitatis patrocinium est, insanientium turba. C’est chose difficile de resouldre son iugement contre les opinions communes. La premiere persuasion prinse du subiect mesme, saisit les simples: de là elle s’espand aux habiles, soubs l’authorité du nombre et ancienneté des tesmoignages. Pour moy, de ce que ie n’en croirois pas vn, ie n’en croirois pas cent vns. Et ne iuge pas les opinions, par les ans.
As if anything were as common as lack of wisdom! A crowd of madmen is the advocate of sanity. It is a hard thing to settle one’s judgment against common opinions. The first persuasion, drawn from the subject itself, seizes the simple; from there it spreads to the clever, under the authority of the number and age of the testimonies. For my part, what I would not believe from one, I would not believe from a hundred and one. And I do not judge opinions by their years.
Il y a peu de temps, que l’vn de nos Princes, en qui la goute auoit perdu vn beau naturel, et vne allegre composition: se laissa si fort persuader, au rapport qu’on faisoit des merueilleuses operations d’vn prestre, qui par la voye des parolles et des gestes, guerissoit toutes maladies: qu’il fit vn long voyage pour l’aller trouuer: et par la force de son apprehension, persuada, et endormit ses iambes pour quelques heures, si qu’il en tira du seruice, qu’elles auoyent desapris luy faire, il y auoit long temps. Si la Fortune eust laissé emmonceler cinq ou six telles aduantures, elles estoient capables de mettre ce miracle en nature.
Not long ago one of our princes, in whom gout had spoiled a fine nature and a cheerful disposition, let himself be so thoroughly persuaded by the reports of the marvelous cures of a priest who healed every disease by means of words and gestures that he made a long journey to find him. And by the force of his imagination he persuaded his legs and numbed them for a few hours, so that he got out of them a service they had long since forgotten how to give him. If Fortune had let five or six such incidents pile up, they could have made this miracle part of nature.
On trouua depuis, tant de simplesse, et si peu d’art, en l’architecte de tels ouurages, qu’on le iugea indigne d’aucun chastiement. Comme si feroit on, de la plus part de telles choses, qui les recognoistroit en leur giste. Miramur ex interuallo fallentia. Nostre veuë represente ainsi souuent de loing, des images estranges, qui s’esuanouyssent en s’approchant. Nunquam ad liquidum fama perducitur.
Afterward so much simplicity and so little skill were found in the architect of these works that he was judged unworthy of any punishment. As would be done with most such things, if one tracked them down in their lair. We marvel at things that deceive us from a distance. In the same way our sight often presents strange images from afar that vanish as we draw near. Rumor is never brought to clarity.
C’est merueille, de combien vains commencemens, et friuoles causes, naissent ordinairement si fameuses impressions. Cela mesmes en empesche l’information. Car pendant qu’on cherche des causes, et des fins fortes, et poisantes, et dignes d’vn si grand nom, on pert les vrayes. Elles eschapent de nostre veuë par leur petitesse. Et à la verité, il est requis vn bien prudent, attentif, et subtil inquisiteur, en telles recherches: indifferent, et non preoccupé. Iusques à cette heure, tous ces miracles, et euenemens estranges, se cachent deuant moy. Ie n’ay veu monstre et miracle au monde, plus expres, que moy-mesme. On s’appriuoise à toute estrangeté par l’vsage et le temps: mais plus ie me hante et me cognois, plus ma difformité m’estonne: moins ie m’entens en moy.
It is a marvel from what empty beginnings and frivolous causes such famous impressions usually arise. That very fact hinders the investigation of them; for while we look for strong, weighty causes and ends, worthy of so great a name, we lose the true ones. They escape our sight by their smallness. And truly, such inquiries require a very prudent, attentive and subtle investigator, impartial and unprejudiced. Up to now all these miracles and strange events hide from me. I have seen no more manifest monster or miracle in the world than myself. We grow used to any strangeness through habit and time; but the more I frequent myself and know myself, the more my deformity stuns me, and the less I understand myself.
Le principal droict d’auancer et produire tels accidens, est reserué à la Fortune. Passant auant hier dans vn village, à deux lieuës de ma maison, ie trouuay la place encore toute chaude, d’vn miracle qui venoit d’y faillir: par lequel le voisinage auoit esté amusé plusieurs mois, et commençoient les prouinces voisines, de s’en esmouuoir, et y accourir à grosses troupes, de toutes qualitez.
The chief right to bring forward and produce such incidents is reserved to Fortune. Passing through a village two leagues from my house the day before yesterday, I found the place still quite warm from a miracle that had just come to nothing there. It had kept the neighborhood busy for several months, and the neighboring provinces were beginning to be stirred by it and to flock there in large bands of every rank.
Vn ieune homme du lieu, s’estoit ioüé à contrefaire vne nuict en sa maison, la voix d’vn esprit, sans penser à autre finesse, qu’à ioüir d’vn badinage present: cela luy ayant vn peu mieux succedé qu’il n’esperoit, pour estendre sa farce à plus de ressorts, il y associa vne fille de village, du tout stupide, et niaise: et furent trois en fin, de mesme aage et pareille suffisance: et de presches domestiques en firent des presches publics, se cachans soubs l’autel de l’Église, ne parlans que de nuict, et deffendans d’y apporter aucune lumiere.
A young man of the place had amused himself one night by imitating the voice of a spirit in his house, with no further trick in mind than enjoying a joke on the spot. This having worked a little better than he hoped, he took on as partner, to give his farce more machinery, a village girl, utterly dull and simple; and in the end there were three of them, of the same age and similar wits. And from sermons at home they went on to public sermons, hiding under the altar of the church, speaking only at night, and forbidding anyone to bring any light there.
De paroles, qui tendoient à la conuersion du monde, et menace du iour du iugement (car ce sont subiects soubs l’authorité et reuerence desquels, l’imposture se tapit plus aisément) ils vindrent à quelques visions et mouuements, si niais, et si ridicules: qu’à peine y a-il rien si grossier au ieu des petits enfans. Si toutesfois la Fortune y eust voulu prester vn peu de faueur, qui sçait, iusques où se fust accreu ce battelage? Ces pauures diables sont à cette heure en prison; et porteront volontiers la peine de la sottise commune: et ne sçay si quelque iuge se vengera sur eux, de la sienne.
From words aimed at the conversion of the world and threats of the Day of Judgment (for these are subjects under whose authority and reverence imposture most easily lurks), they went on to certain visions and movements so silly and ridiculous that there is hardly anything so crude in little children’s games. Yet if Fortune had been willing to lend them a little favor, who knows how far this juggling act might have grown? These poor devils are now in prison, and will probably pay the penalty for the common folly; and I do not know whether some judge will take revenge on them for his own.
On voit clair en cette-cy, qui est descouuerte: mais en plusieurs choses de pareille qualité, surpassant nostre cognoissance: ie suis d’aduis, que nous soustenions nostre iugement, aussi bien à reieter, qu’à receuoir.
We see clearly in this case, which has been exposed; but in many things of the same kind that are beyond our knowledge, I am of the opinion that we should hold back our judgment, as much from rejecting as from accepting.
Professing ignorance
Words like “perhaps” and “it seems” are wiser than confident assertions.
Il s’engendre beaucoup d’abus au monde: ou pour dire plus hardiment, tous les abus du monde s’engendrent, de ce, qu’on nous apprend à craindre de faire profession de nostre ignorance; et sommes tenus d’accepter, tout ce que nous ne pouuons refuter. Nous parlons de toutes choses par preceptes et resolution. Le stile à Rome portoit, que cela mesme, qu’vn tesmoin deposoit, pour l’auoir veu de ses yeux, et ce qu’vn iuge ordonnoit de sa plus certaine science, estoit conceu en cette forme de parler: Il me semble. On me faict haïr les choses vray-semblables, quand on me les plante pour infaillibles. I’aime ces mots, qui amollissent et moderent la temerité de nos propositions: à l’auanture, aucunement, quelque, on dit, ie pense, et semblables.
Many abuses are bred in the world—or, to put it more boldly, all the abuses in the world are bred—from our being taught to be afraid of professing our ignorance, and being obliged to accept whatever we cannot refute. We speak about everything by precept and decision. The usage at Rome required that even what a witness deposed as having seen with his own eyes, and what a judge decreed from his most certain knowledge, be couched in this form of words: “It seems to me.” People make me hate probable things when they plant them on me as infallible. I love those words that soften and moderate the rashness of our propositions: “perhaps,” “to some extent,” “some,” “they say,” “I think,” and the like.
Et si i’eusse eu à dresser des enfans, ie leur eusse tant mis en la bouche, cette façon de respondre: enquestente, non resolutiue: Qu’est-ce à dire? ie ne l’entens pas; il pourroit estre: est-il vray? qu’ils eussent plustost gardé la forme d’apprentis à soixante ans, que de representer les docteurs à dix ans: comme ils font. Qui veut guerir de l’ignorance, il faut la confesser.
And if I had had children to bring up, I would have put this way of answering into their mouths so often—inquiring, not decisive: “What does that mean? I do not understand it. It might be so. Is it true?”—that they would sooner have kept the manner of apprentices at sixty than play the learned doctors at ten, as they do. Whoever would be cured of ignorance must confess it.
Iris est fille de Thaumantis. L’admiration est fondement de toute philosophie: l’inquisition, le progrez: l’ignorance, le bout. Voire dea, il y a quelque ignorance forte et genereuse, qui ne doit rien en honneur et en courage à la science, ignorance pour laquelle conceuoir, il n’y a pas moins de science, qu’à conceuoir la science.
Iris is the daughter of Thaumas. Wonder is the foundation of all philosophy, inquiry its progress, ignorance its end. Yes indeed, there is a strong and noble ignorance that owes nothing in honor and courage to knowledge—an ignorance that takes no less knowledge to conceive than it takes to conceive knowledge.
Ie vy en mon enfance, vn procez que Corras conseiller de Thoulouze fit imprimer, d’vn accident estrange; de deux hommes, qui se presentoient l’vn pour l’autre: il me souuient, et ne me souuient aussi d’autre chose, qu’il me sembla auoir rendu l’imposture de celuy qu’il iugea coulpable, si merueilleuse et excedant de si loing nostre cognoissance, et la sienne, qui estoit iuge, que ie trouuay beaucoup de hardiesse en l’arrest qui l’auoit condamné à estre pendu. Receuons quelque forme d’arrest qui die: La Cour n’y entend rien; plus librement et ingenuëment, que ne firent les Areopagites: lesquels se trouuans pressez d’vne cause, qu’ils ne pouuoient desuelopper, ordonnerent que les parties en viendroient à cent ans.
In my childhood I saw the account of a trial that Coras, a councilor of Toulouse, had printed, about a strange case of two men who each passed himself off as the other. I remember (and I remember nothing else) that he seemed to me to have made the imposture of the man he judged guilty so marvelous, and so far beyond our knowledge and his own, who was the judge, that I found great boldness in the sentence that had condemned the man to be hanged. Let us adopt some form of sentence that says: “The court does not understand the matter at all”—more freely and candidly than the Areopagites did, who, finding themselves pressed by a case they could not unravel, ordered the parties to come back in a hundred years.
Witches
Montaigne refuses to see people burned on charges that lie beyond human proof.
Les sorcieres de mon voisinage, courent hazard de leur vie, sur l’aduis de chasque nouuel autheur, qui vient donner corps à leurs songes. Pour accommoder les exemples que la diuine parolle nous offre de telles choses; tres-certains et irrefragables exemples; et les attacher à nos euenemens modernes: puisque nous n’en voyons, ny les causes, ny les moyens: il y faut autre engin que le nostre. Il appartient à l’auanture, à ce seul tres-puissant tesmoignage, de nous dire: Cettuy-cy en est, et celle-là: et non cet autre. Dieu en doit estre creu: c’est vrayement bien raison.
The witches in my neighborhood risk their lives on the opinion of each new author who comes along to give body to their dreams. To adapt the examples that the divine Word offers us of such things—most certain and irrefutable examples—and to attach them to our modern events, since we see neither their causes nor their means, requires another kind of wit than ours. It belongs perhaps to that sole and most powerful testimony to tell us: “This man is one of them, and that woman, but not this other.” God must be believed in this; that is indeed entirely right.
Mais non pourtant vn d’entre nous, qui s’estonne de sa propre narration (et necessairement il s’en estonne, s’il n’est hors du sens) soit qu’il l’employe au faict d’autruy: soit qu’il l’employe contre soy-mesme.
But not, for all that, one of us, who is astonished at his own story (and he must necessarily be astonished at it, if he is not out of his mind), whether he applies it to someone else’s doings or against himself.
Ie suis lourd, et me tiens vn peu au massif, et au vray-semblable: euitant les reproches anciens. Maiorem fidem homines adhibent ijs quæ non intelligunt. Cupidine humani ingenij libentius obscura creduntur. Ie vois bien qu’on se courrouce: et me deffend-on d’en doubter, sur peine d’iniures execrables. Nouuelle façon de persuader. Pour Dieu mercy. Ma creance ne se manie pas à coups de poing. Qu’ils gourmandent ceux qui accusent de fauceté leur opinion: ie ne l’accuse que de difficulté et de hardiesse. Et condamne l’affirmation opposite, egallement auec eux: sinon si imperieusement. Qui establit son discours par brauerie et commandement, montre que la raison y est foible. Pour vne altercation verbale et scholastique, qu’ils ayent autant d’apparence que leurs contradicteurs.
I am heavy-minded, and keep somewhat to the solid and the probable, avoiding the ancient reproaches: Men put more faith in what they do not understand. Through a craving of the human mind, obscure things are more readily believed. I see plainly that people get angry, and forbid me to doubt it on pain of execrable insults. A new way of persuading! Thank God, my belief is not handled with fists. Let them berate those who accuse their opinion of falsehood; I accuse it only of being difficult and bold. And I condemn the opposite assertion just as they do, though not so imperiously. Whoever establishes his reasoning by bravado and command shows that reason is weak in it. In a verbal, scholastic dispute, let them have as much plausibility as their opponents.
Videantur sanè, non affirmentur modo. Mais en la consequence effectuelle qu’ils en tirent, ceux-cy ont bien de l’auantage.
By all means let them be put forward as seeming true, but not affirmed. But in the practical consequence they draw from it, these people have much the advantage.
A tuer les gens: il faut vne clairté lumineuse et nette. Et est nostre vie trop réelle et essentielle, pour garantir ces accidens, supernaturels et fantastiques. Quant aux drogues et poisons, ie les mets hors de mon conte: ce sont homicides, et de la pire espece. Toutesfois en cela mesme, on dit qu’il ne faut pas tousiours s’arrester à la propre confession de ces gens icy. Car on leur a veu par fois s’accuser d’auoir tué des personnes, qu’on trouuoit saines et viuantes. En ces autres accusations extrauagantes, ie dirois volontiers; que c’est bien assez; qu’vn homme, quelque recommendation qu’il aye, soit creu de ce qui est humain.
To kill people, there must be a bright, clear light. And our life is too real and substantial to stand surety for these supernatural and fantastic incidents. As for drugs and poisons, I leave them out of my account: those are homicides, and of the worst kind. Yet even there, they say, one must not always rely on these people’s own confession; for they have sometimes been seen to accuse themselves of having killed people who were found healthy and alive. As for these other extravagant accusations, I would readily say that it is quite enough for a man, whatever recommendation he may have, to be believed about what is human.
De ce qui est hors de sa conception, et d’vn effect supernaturel: il en doit estre creu, lors seulement, qu’vne approbation supernaturelle l’a authorisé. Ce priuilege qu’il a pleu à Dieu, donner à aucuns de nos tesmoignages, ne doit pas estre auily, et communiqué legerement. I’ay les oreilles battuës de mille tels contes. Trois le virent vn tel iour, en leuant: trois le virent lendemain, en occident: à telle heure, tel lieu, ainsi vestu: certes ie ne m’en croirois pas moy-mesme. Combien trouué-ie plus naturel, et plus vray-semblable, que deux hommes mentent: que ie ne fay qu’vn homme en douze heures, passe, quant et les vents, d’orient en occident?
As for what is beyond his comprehension and has a supernatural effect, he should be believed only when a supernatural approval has authorized him. This privilege that it has pleased God to give to some of our testimonies must not be cheapened and passed around lightly. My ears are battered with a thousand such tales: “Three people saw him on such a day in the east; three saw him the next day in the west, at such an hour, in such a place, dressed thus.” Truly, I would not believe it of myself. How much more natural and likely I find it that two men are lying than that one man should pass with the winds from east to west in twelve hours!
Combien plus naturel que nostre entendement soit emporté de sa place, par la volubilité de notre esprit detraqué; que cela, qu’vn de nous soit enuolé sur vn balay, au long du tuiau de sa cheminée, en chair et en os, par vn esprit estranger? Ne cherchons pas des illusions du dehors, et incogneuës: nous qui sommes perpetuellement agitez d’illusions domestiques et nostres. Il me semble qu’on est pardonnable, de mescroire vne merueille, autant au moins qu’on peut en destourner et elider la verification, par voye non merueilleuse. Et suis l’aduis de S. Augustin: qu’il vaut mieux pancher vers le doute, que vers l’asseurance, és choses de difficile preuue, et dangereuse creance.
How much more natural that our understanding should be carried off its base by the whirling of our unhinged minds than that one of us should be flown up his chimney flue on a broomstick, in flesh and blood, by some alien spirit! Let us not look for illusions from outside and unknown, we who are perpetually shaken by illusions that are domestic and our own. It seems to me pardonable to disbelieve a marvel, at least as far as one can divert and evade its verification by non-marvelous means. And I follow the opinion of Saint Augustine, that it is better to lean toward doubt than toward certainty in things difficult to prove and dangerous to believe.
Il y a quelques années, que ie passay par les terres d’vn Prince souuerain: lequel en ma faueur, et pour rabattre mon incredulité, me fit cette grace, de me faire voir en sa presence, en lieu particulier, dix ou douze prisonniers de ce genre; et vne vieille entre autres, vrayment bien sorciere en laideur et deformité, tres-fameuse de longue main en cette profession. Ie vis et preuues, et libres confessions, et ie ne sçay quelle marque insensible sur cette miserable vieille: et m’enquis, et parlay tout mon saoul, y apportant la plus saine attention que ie peusse: et ne suis pas homme qui me laisse guere garroter le iugement par preoccupation.
Some years ago I passed through the lands of a sovereign prince, who, as a favor to me and to beat down my incredulity, did me the kindness of showing me, in his presence and in a private place, ten or twelve prisoners of this kind. Among them was an old woman, truly a witch in ugliness and deformity, long very famous in that profession. I saw proofs and free confessions, and some mark or other on that wretched old woman that could feel nothing; and I questioned and talked to my heart’s content, bringing to it the soundest attention I could. And I am not a man who lets his judgment be much tied up by prejudice.
En fin et en conscience, ie leur eusse plustost ordonné de l’ellebore que de la ciguë. Captisque res magis mentibus, quàm consceleratis similis visa. La iustice a ses propres corrections pour telles maladies. Quant aux oppositions et arguments, que des honnestes hommes m’ont faict, et là, et souuent ailleurs: ie n’en ay point senty, qui m’attachent: et qui ne souffrent solution tousiours plus vray-semblable, que leurs conclusions. Bien est vray que les preuues et raisons qui se fondent sur l’experience et sur le faict: celles-là, ie ne les desnouë point; aussi n’ont elles point de bout: ie les tranche souuent, comme Alexandre son nœud. Apres tout c’est mettre ses coniectures à bien haut prix, que d’en faire cuire vn homme tout vif.
In the end, and in all conscience, I would rather have prescribed them hellebore than hemlock. Their case seemed more like madness than crime. Justice has its own remedies for such illnesses. As for the objections and arguments that decent men have put to me, both there and often elsewhere, I have felt none that held me fast, or that did not admit a solution always more plausible than their conclusions. It is true that the proofs and reasons founded on experience and fact—those I do not untie; besides, they have no end to them. I often cut them, as Alexander did his knot. After all, it is putting a very high price on one’s conjectures to have a man roasted alive for them.
On recite par diuers exemples (et Prestantius de son pere) qu’assoupy et endormy bien plus lourdement, que d’vn parfaict sommeil: il fantasia estre iument, et seruir de sommier à des soldats: et, ce qu’il fantasioit, il l’estoit. Si les sorciers songent ainsi materiellement: si les songes par fois se peuuent ainsin incorporer en effects: encore ne croy-ie pas, que nostre volonté en fust tenuë à la iustice. Ce que ie dis, comme celuy qui n’est pas iuge ny conseiller des Roys; ny s’en estime de bien loing digne: ains homme du commun: nay et voüé à l’obeïssance de la raison publique, et en ses faicts, et en ses dicts.
It is told in various examples (and Praestantius tells it of his father) that, drowsy and asleep much more heavily than in a proper sleep, he imagined he was a mare and was serving as a packhorse for soldiers; and what he imagined, he was. If sorcerers dream so materially, if dreams can sometimes take bodily form in deeds like this, still I do not believe our will should be held accountable for it to justice. I say this as one who is neither a judge nor a counselor of kings, nor thinks himself remotely worthy of being one, but a man of the common sort, born and vowed to obedience to public reason, in both his deeds and his words.
Qui mettroit mes resueries en conte, au preiudice de la plus chetiue loy de son village, ou opinion, ou coustume, il se feroit grand tort, et encores autant à moy. Car en ce que ie dy, ie ne pleuuis autre certitude, sinon que c’est ce, que lors i’en auoy en la pensée. Pensée tumultuaire et vacillante. C’est par maniere de deuis, que ie parle de tout, et de rien par maniere d’aduis. Nec me pudet, vt istos, fateri nescire quod nesciam. Ie ne serois pas si hardy à parler, s’il m’appartenoit d’en estre creu. Et fut, ce que ie respondis à vn grand, qui se plaignoit de l’aspreté et contention de mes enhortemens.
Anyone who took my musings into account to the prejudice of the paltriest law, opinion or custom of his village would do himself a great wrong, and me just as much. For in what I say I guarantee no other certainty than that it is what I had in mind at the time—a tumultuous, wavering mind. I speak of everything by way of conversation, and of nothing by way of advice. Nor am I ashamed, as they are, to confess that I do not know what I do not know. I would not be so bold in speaking if I had any right to be believed. And that is what I answered a great man who complained of the harshness and vehemence of my exhortations:
Vous sentant bandé et preparé d’vne part, ie vous propose l’autre, de tout le soing que ie puis: pour esclarcir vostre iugement, non pour l’obliger. Dieu tient vos courages, et vous fournira de choix. Ie ne suis pas si presomptueux, de desirer seulement, que mes opinions donnassent pente, à chose de telle importance. Ma fortune, ne les a pas dressées à si puissantes et si esleuées conclusions. Certes, i’ay non seulement des complexions en grand nombre: mais aussi des opinions assez, desquelles ie dégouterois volontiers mon fils, si i’en auois. Quoy? si les plus vrayes ne sont pas tousiours les plus commodes à l’homme; tant il est de sauuage composition.
“Feeling you braced and prepared on one side, I set the other before you with all the care I can, to clarify your judgment, not to bind it. God holds your hearts and will provide you with a choice. I am not so presumptuous as even to wish that my opinions should tip the balance in a matter of such importance; my fortune has not trained them for such powerful and lofty conclusions.” Indeed, I have not only a great many traits of temperament but also a fair number of opinions that I would gladly put my son off, if I had one. What if the truest are not always the most suitable for man, so wild is his makeup?
The lame
An Italian proverb about lame women shows how readily reason invents causes for anything.
A propos, ou hors de propos, il n’importe. On dit en Italie en commun prouerbe, que celuy-là ne cognoist pas Venus en sa parfaicte douceur, qui n’a couché auec la boiteuse. La fortune, ou quelque particulier accident, ont mis il y a long temps ce mot en la bouche du peuple; et se dict des masles comme des femelles. Car la Royne des Amazones, respondit au Scythe qui la conuioit à l’amour, αριστα χωλος οιφει, le boiteux le faict le mieux. En cette republique feminine, pour fuir la domination des masles, elles les stropioient dés l’enfance, bras, iambes, et autres membres qui leur donnoient auantage sur elles, et se seruoient d’eux, à ce seulement, à quoy nous nous seruons d’elles par deçà.
Apropos or not, it does not matter. They say in Italy, as a common proverb, that he does not know Venus in her perfect sweetness who has not lain with a lame woman. Fortune, or some particular incident, put this saying into the people’s mouths long ago; and it is said of males as well as females. For the queen of the Amazons answered the Scythian who invited her to love: The lame man does it best. In that female republic, to escape the domination of males, they maimed them from childhood—arms, legs and other limbs that gave them an advantage over the women—and used them only for what we use women for over here.
I’eusse dit, que le mouuement detraqué de la boiteuse, apportast quelque nouueau plaisir à la besoigne, et quelque poincte de douceur, à ceux qui l’essayent: mais ie viens d’apprendre, que mesme la philosophie ancienne en a decidé. Elle dict, que les iambes et cuisses des boiteuses, ne receuans à cause de leur imperfection, l’aliment qui leur est deu, il en aduient que les parties genitales, qui sont au dessus, sont plus plaines, plus nourries, et vigoureuses. Ou bien que ce defaut empeschant l’exercice, ceux qui en sont entachez, dissipent moins leurs forces, et en viennent plus entiers aux ieux de Venus.
I would have said that the irregular movement of a lame woman brought some new pleasure to the business, and some spice of sweetness to those who try it; but I have just learned that even ancient philosophy has settled the question. It says that since the legs and thighs of lame women do not receive, because of their imperfection, the nourishment due to them, the result is that the genital parts, which are just above, are fuller, better nourished and more vigorous. Or else that, since this defect hinders exercise, those who have it dissipate their strength less and come more whole to the games of Venus.
Qui est aussi la raison, pourquoy les Grecs descrioient les tisserandes, d’estre plus chaudes, que les autres femmes: à cause du mestier sedentaire qu’elles font, sans grand exercice du corps. Dequoy ne pouuons nous raisonner à ce prix-là? De celles icy, ie pourrois aussi dire; que ce tremoussement que leur ouurage leur donne ainsin assises, les esueille et sollicite: comme faict les dames, le croulement et tremblement de leurs coches.
Which is also the reason why the Greeks decried women weavers as being hotter than other women: because of the sedentary trade they practice, without much bodily exercise. What can we not reason about at that rate? Of these women I could also say that the jiggling their work gives them, sitting like that, arouses and stirs them, as the jolting and shaking of their coaches does the ladies.
Ces exemples, seruent-ils pas à ce que ie disois au commencement: Que nos raisons anticipent souuent l’effect, et ont l’estenduë de leur iurisdiction si infinie, qu’elles iugent et s’exercent en l’inanité mesme, et au non estre? Outre la flexibilité de nostre inuention, à forger des raisons à toutes sortes de songes; nostre imagination se trouue pareillement facile, à receuoir des impressions de la fauceté, par bien friuoles apparences. Car par la seule authorité de l’vsage ancien, et publique de ce mot: ie me suis autresfois faict accroire, auoir receu plus de plaisir d’vne femme, de ce qu’elle n’estoit pas droicte, et mis cela au compte de ses graces.
Do not these examples serve what I was saying at the beginning: that our reasons often run ahead of the fact, and have so infinite an extent of jurisdiction that they judge and operate even in emptiness and non-being? Besides the flexibility of our invention in forging reasons for all sorts of dreams, our imagination is likewise found to be easy in receiving impressions of falsehood from very frivolous appearances. For on the sole authority of the ancient and public use of this saying, I once made myself believe that I had received more pleasure from a woman because she was not straight, and counted that among her charms.
Torquato Tasso, en la comparaison qu’il faict de la France à l’Italie; dit auoir remarqué cela, que nous auons les iambes plus gresles, que les Gentils-hommes Italiens; et en attribue la cause, à ce que nous sommes continuellement à cheual. Qui est celle-mêmes de laquelle Suetone tire vne toute contraire conclusion. Car il dit au rebours, que Germanicus auoit grossi les siennes, par continuation de ce mesme exercice. Il n’est rien si soupple et erratique, que nostre entendement. C’est le soulier de Theramenez, bon à tous pieds. Et il est double et diuers, et les matieres doubles, et diuerses. Donne moy vne dragme d’argent, disoit vn philosophe Cynique à Antigonus. Ce n’est pas present de Roy, respondit-il. Donne moy donc vn talent.
Torquato Tasso, in the comparison he makes between France and Italy, says he has noticed that we have thinner legs than Italian gentlemen, and attributes the cause to our being continually on horseback. That is the very cause from which Suetonius draws an entirely opposite conclusion: for he says, on the contrary, that Germanicus had made his legs thicker by persistent practice of this same exercise. There is nothing so supple and erratic as our understanding. It is the shoe of Theramenes, good for any foot. And it is double and diverse, and so are its materials. “Give me a drachma of silver,” said a Cynic philosopher to Antigonus. “That is not a king’s gift,” he replied. “Then give me a talent.”
Ce n’est pas present pour Cynique. Seu plures calor ille vias, et cæca relaxat / Spiramenta, nouas veniat qua succus in herbas: / Seu durat magis, et venas astringit hiantes, / Ne tenues pluuiæ, rapidiue potentia solis / Acrior, aut Boreæ penetrabile frigus adurat.
“That is not a gift for a Cynic.” Whether that heat loosens more channels and hidden / Pores, through which the sap may reach the new plants, / Or rather hardens the soil and binds its gaping veins, / So that neither fine rains nor the scorching sun’s fiercer / Power nor the North Wind’s piercing cold may sear it.
Ogni medaglia ha il suo riuerso. Voila pourquoy Clitomachus disoit anciennement, que Carneades auoit surmonté les labeurs d’Hercules; pour auoir arraché des hommes le consentement: c’est à dire, l’opinion, et la temerité de iuger. Cette fantasie de Carneades, si vigoureuse, nasquit à mon aduis anciennement, de l’impudence de ceux qui font profession de sçauoir, et de leur outre-cuidance desmesurée.
Every medal has its reverse. That is why Clitomachus said long ago that Carneades had surpassed the labors of Hercules, for having torn assent from men—that is, opinion and rashness in judging. This idea of Carneades, so vigorous, was born long ago, in my view, from the impudence of those who profess to know, and from their boundless arrogance.
On mit Æsope en vente, auec deux autres esclaues: l’acheteur s’enquit du premier ce qu’il sçauoit faire, celuy-la pour se faire valoir, respondit monts et merueilles, qu’il sçauoit et cecy et cela: le deuxiesme en respondit de soy autant ou plus: quand ce fut à Æsope, et qu’on luy eust aussi demandé ce qu’il sçauoit faire: Rien, dit-il, car ceux cy ont tout preoccupé: ils sçauent tout. Ainsin est-il aduenu en l’escole de la philosophie. La fierté, de ceux qui attribuoient à l’esprit humain la capacité de toutes choses, causa en d’autres, par despit et par emulation, cette opinion, qu’il n’est capable d’aucune chose. Les vns tiennent en l’ignorance, cette mesme extremité, que les autres tiennent en la science.
Aesop was put up for sale with two other slaves. The buyer asked the first what he could do; to make himself valued, that one promised wonders—he knew this and he knew that. The second said as much of himself, or more. When it came to Aesop’s turn, and he too was asked what he could do: “Nothing,” he said, “for these two have taken everything already: they know everything.” So it has happened in the school of philosophy. The pride of those who attributed to the human mind the capacity for all things produced in others, out of spite and rivalry, the opinion that it is capable of nothing. Some hold the same extreme in ignorance that others hold in knowledge.
Afin qu’on ne puisse nier, que l’homme ne soit immoderé par tout: et qu’il n’a point d’arrest, que celuy de la necessité, et impuissance d’aller outre.
So that no one can deny that man is immoderate everywhere, and that he has no stopping point but that of necessity and the inability to go further.