IL ne faut pas se cloüer si fort à ses humeurs et complexions. Nostre principalle suffisance, c’est, sçauoir s’appliquer à diuers vsages. C’est estre, mais ce n’est pas viure que se tenir attaché et obligé par necessité, à vn seul train. Les plus belles ames sont celles qui ont plus de varieté et de souplesse. Voyla vn honorable tesmoignage du vieil Caton: Huic versatile ingenium sic pariter ad omnia fuit, vt natum ad id vnum diceres, quodcumque ageret. Si c’estoit à moy à me dresser à ma mode, il n’est aucune si bonne façon, où ie voulusse estre fiché, pour ne m’en sçauoir desprendre. La vie est vn mouuement inegal, irregulier, et multiforme.
We should not rivet ourselves so firmly to our temperaments and dispositions. Our chief ability is knowing how to apply ourselves to various uses. To stay tied and bound by necessity to a single course is to exist, but it is not to live. The finest souls are those that have the most variety and suppleness. Here is an honorable testimony about old Cato: His mind was so versatile, so equally suited to everything, that whatever he was doing you would have said he had been born for that alone. If it were up to me to train myself in my own way, there is no way of being so good that I would want to be fixed in it and unable to get free of it. Life is an uneven, irregular and multiform motion.
Ce n’est pas estre amy de soy, et moins encore maistre; c’est en estre esclaue, de se suiure incessamment: et estre si pris à ses inclinations, qu’on n’en puisse fouruoyer, qu’on ne les puisse tordre. Ie le dy à cette heure, pour ne me pouuoir facilement despestrer de l’importunité de mon ame, en ce qu’elle ne sçait communément s’amuser, sinon où elle s’empesche, ny s’employer, que bandee et entiere. Pour leger subiect qu’on luy donne, elle le grossit volontiers, et l’estire, iusques au poinct où elle ayt à s’y embesongner de toute sa force. Son oysiueté m’est à cette cause vne penible occupation, et qui offense ma santé.
To follow oneself incessantly is not to be a friend to oneself, still less a master; it is to be a slave to oneself. So is being so caught by one’s inclinations that one cannot stray from them or bend them. I say this now because I cannot easily rid myself of the importunity of my mind. It usually cannot amuse itself except where it gets entangled, nor apply itself except tense and whole. However slight a subject you give it, it readily enlarges and stretches it until it has to work at it with all its strength. For this reason its idleness is a painful occupation for me, and one that harms my health.
La plus part des esprits ont besoing de matiere estrangere, pour se desgourdir et exercer: le mien en a besoing, pour se rassoir plustost et seiourner, vitia otij negotio discutienda sunt. Car son plus laborieux et principal estude, c’est, s’estudier soy. Les liures sont, pour luy, du genre des occupations, qui le desbauchent de son estude. Aux premieres pensees qui luy viennent, il s’agite, et fait preuue de sa vigueur à tout sens: exerce son maniement tantost vers la force, tantost vers l’ordre et la grace, se range, modere, et fortifie. Il a dequoy esueiller ses facultez par luy mesme. Nature luy a donné comme à tous, assez de matiere sienne, pour son vtilité, et des subiects propres assez, où inuenter et iuger.
Most minds need outside matter to rouse and exercise them; mine needs it rather to settle and rest. The vices of idleness must be shaken off by activity. For its most laborious and principal study is to study itself. Books, for it, are among the occupations that lure it away from that study. At the first thoughts that come to it, it bestirs itself and proves its vigor in every direction. It exercises its handling now toward force, now toward order and grace; it marshals, moderates and strengthens itself. It has the means to awaken its faculties by itself. Nature has given it, as to all, enough matter of its own for its use, and enough subjects of its own on which to invent and judge.
Le mediter est vn puissant estude et plein, à qui sçait se taster et employer vigoureusement. I’ayme mieux forger mon ame, que la meubler. Il n’est point d’occupation ny plus foible, ny plus forte, que celle d’entretenir ses pensees, selon l’ame que c’est. Les plus grandes en font leur vacation, quibus viuere est cogitare. Aussi l’a nature fauorisee de ce priuilege, qu’il n’y a rien, que nous puissions faire si long temps: ny action à laquelle nous nous addonnions plus ordinairement et facilement. C’est la besongne des Dieux, dit Aristote, de laquelle naist et leur beatitude et la nostre.
Meditation is a powerful and full study for anyone who knows how to probe himself and put himself vigorously to work. I would rather forge my mind than furnish it. There is no occupation either weaker or stronger than entertaining one’s own thoughts, depending on what the mind is. The greatest minds make it their vocation, for whom to live is to think. And so nature has favored it with this privilege: there is nothing we can do for so long, and no action we devote ourselves to more habitually and easily. It is the work of the gods, says Aristotle, and from it is born both their blessedness and ours.
La lecture me sert specialement à esueiller par diuers obiects mon discours: à embesongner mon iugement, non ma memoyre. Peu d’entretiens doncq m’arrestent sans vigueur et sans effort. Il est vray que la gentillesse et la beauté me remplissent et occupent, autant ou plus, que le pois et la profondeur. Et d’autant que ie sommeille en toute autre communication, et que ie n’y preste que l’escorce de mon attention, il m’aduient souuent, en telle sorte de propos abatus et lasches, propos de contenance, de dire et respondre des songes et bestises, indignes d’vn enfant, et ridicules: ou de me tenir obstiné en silence, plus ineptement encore et inciuilement.
Reading serves me especially to awaken my reasoning through various objects, to occupy my judgment, not my memory. So few conversations hold me if they lack vigor and force. It is true that charm and beauty fill and occupy me as much as weight and depth, or more. And since I doze in every other kind of conversation and lend it only the bark of my attention, it often happens to me, in that sort of feeble, slack talk, talk for form’s sake, that I say and answer dreamy nonsense and silly things, unworthy of a child, and ridiculous. Or else I keep obstinately silent, which is still more inept and uncivil.
I’ay vne façon resueuse, qui me retire à moy: et d’autre part vne lourde ignorance et puerile, de plusieurs choses communes. Par ces deux qualitez, i’ay gaigné, qu’on puisse faire au vray, cinq ou six contes de moy, aussi niais que d’autre quel qu’il soit.
I have a dreamy way that withdraws me into myself; and on the other hand a dense and childish ignorance of many ordinary things. Thanks to these two qualities I have earned the distinction that five or six stories can truthfully be told about me as foolish as about anyone at all.
Or suyuant mon propos, cette complexion difficile me rend delicat à la pratique des hommes: il me les faut trier sur le volet: et me rend incommode aux actions communes. Nous viuons, et negotions auec le peuple: si sa conuersation nous importune, si nous desdaignons à nous appliquer aux ames basses et vulgaires: et les basses et vulgaires sont souuent aussi reglees que les plus déliees: et toute sapience est insipide qui ne s’accommode à l’insipience commune: il ne nous faut plus entremettre ny de nos propres affaires, ny de ceux d’autruy: et les publiques et les priuez se demeslent auec ces gens là. Les moins tendues et plus naturelles alleures de nostre ame, sont les plus belles: les meilleures occupations, les moins efforcees.
Now, to continue with my subject, this difficult temperament makes me fastidious in dealing with men—I have to pick them out with great care—and makes me unfit for ordinary activities. We live and deal with the people. If their conversation bores us, if we disdain to adapt ourselves to low and common souls—and the low and common are often as well ordered as the most refined, and all wisdom is insipid that does not accommodate itself to common unwisdom—then we must no longer meddle in our own affairs or in other people’s; for both public and private affairs are worked out with those people. The least strained and most natural motions of our soul are the finest; the best occupations are the least forced.
Mon Dieu, que la sagesse faict vn bon office à ceux, de qui elle renge les desirs à leur puissance! Il n’est point de plus vtile science. Selon qu’on peut: c’estoit le refrain et le mot fauory de Socrates. Mot de grande substance: il faut adresser et arrester nos desirs, aux choses les plus aysees et voysines. Ne m’est-ce pas vne sotte humeur, de disconuenir auec vn milier à qui ma fortune me ioint, de qui ie ne me puis passer, pour me tenir à vn ou deux, qui sont hors de mon commerce: ou plustost à vn desir fantastique, de chose que ie ne puis recouurer? Mes mœurs molles, ennemies de toute aigreur et aspreté, peuuent aysement m’auoir deschargé d’enuies et d’inimitiez.
My God, what a good service wisdom does for those whose desires it brings into line with their power! There is no more useful knowledge. “As far as one can”: that was Socrates’ refrain and favorite saying. A saying of great substance: we must direct and fix our desires on the easiest and nearest things. Is it not a foolish disposition in me to be at odds with a thousand people to whom my fortune joins me, and whom I cannot do without, in order to cling to one or two who are outside my company—or rather to a fanciful desire for something I cannot recover? My gentle ways, enemies of all sourness and harshness, may easily have spared me envy and enmity.
D’estre aymé, ie ne dy, mais de n’estre point hay, iamais homme n’en donna plus d’occasion. Mais la froideur de ma conuersation, m’a desrobé auec raison, la bien-vueillance de plusieurs, qui sont excusables de l’interpreter à autre, et pire sens.
No man ever gave more reason—I do not say to be loved, but not to be hated. But the coldness of my manner has rightly robbed me of the goodwill of many, who may be excused for interpreting it in another, worse sense.
Ie suis tres-capable d’acquerir et maintenir des amitiez rares et exquises. D’autant que ie me harpe auec si grande faim aux accointances qui reuiennent à mon goust, ie m’y produis, ie m’y iette si auidement, que ie ne faux pas aysement de m’y attacher, et de faire impression où ie donne: j’en ay faict souuent heureuse preuue. Aux amitiez communes, ie suis aucunement sterile et froid: car mon aller n’est pas naturel, s’il n’est à pleine voyle. Outre ce, que ma fortune m’ayant duit et affriandé de ieunesse, à vne amitié seule et parfaicte, m’a à la verité aucunement desgousté des autres: et trop imprimé en la fantasie, qu’elle est beste de compagnie, non pas de troupe, comme disoit cet ancien.
I am very capable of acquiring and keeping rare and exquisite friendships. I seize with such hunger on the acquaintances that suit my taste, I put myself forward and throw myself into them so avidly, that I rarely fail to attach myself and to make an impression where I strike; I have often had happy proof of it. In ordinary friendships I am somewhat barren and cold, for my going is not natural unless it is under full sail. Besides, my fortune trained me from youth for a single, perfect friendship and gave me a taste for it. That has in truth somewhat put me off the others, and impressed too deeply on my mind that friendship is a companionable creature, not a herd animal, as that ancient said.
Aussi, que i’ay naturellement peine à me communiquer à demy: et auec modification, et cette seruile prudence et soupçonneuse, qu’on nous ordonne, en la conuersation de ces amitiez nombreuses, et imparfaictes. Et nous l’ordonne lon principalement en ce temps, qu’il ne se peut parler du monde, que dangereusement, ou faucement.
Also, I find it naturally hard to communicate myself by halves and with reservations, with that servile and suspicious prudence prescribed for us in the dealings of these numerous and imperfect friendships. And it is prescribed especially in these times, when one cannot speak of the world except dangerously or falsely.
Si voy-ie bien pourtant, que qui a comme moy, pour sa fin, les commoditez de sa vie, ie dy les commoditez essentielles, doibt fuyr comme la peste, ces difficultez et delicatesse d’humeur. Ie louerois vn’ ame à diuers estages, qui sçache et se tendre et se desmonter: qui soit bien par tout où sa fortune la porte: qui puisse deuiser auec son voisin, de son bastiment, de sa chasse et de sa querelle: entretenir auec plaisir vn charpentier et vn iardinier. I’enuie ceux, qui sçauent s’apriuoiser au moindre de leur suitte, et dresser de l’entretien en leur propre train.
And yet I see clearly that anyone who, like me, has for his aim the comforts of his life—I mean its essential comforts—should flee these difficulties and this fastidiousness of temperament like the plague. I would praise a soul with several stories, one that knows how both to tighten and to unbend itself. It should be at ease wherever its fortune carries it. It should be able to chat with its neighbor about his building, his hunting and his quarrel, and to converse with pleasure with a carpenter and a gardener. I envy those who know how to be at ease with the least of their retinue and to make conversation within their own household.
Et le conseil de Platon ne me plaist pas, de parler tousiours d’vn langage maistral à ses seruiteurs, sans ieu, sans familiarité: soit enuers les masles, soit enuers les femelles. Car outre ma raison, il est inhumain et iniuste, de faire tant valoir cette telle quelle prerogatiue de la fortune: et les polices, où il se souffre moins de disparité entre les valets et les maistres, me semblent les plus equitables. Les autres s’estudient à eslancer et guinder leur esprit: moy à le baisser et coucher: il n’est vicieux qu’en extention. Narras et genus Æaci, / Et pugnata sacro bella sub Ilio: / Quo Chium pretio cadum / Mercemur, quis aquam temperet ignibus, / Quo præbente domum, et quota / Pelignis caream frigoribus, taces.
And I do not like Plato’s advice always to speak to one’s servants in a masterly tone, without banter, without familiarity, whether to the men or the women. For, apart from my own reason, it is inhuman and unjust to make so much of this paltry prerogative of fortune. And the governments that tolerate less disparity between servants and masters seem to me the most equitable. Others strive to launch their minds aloft and hoist them up; I, to lower mine and lay it down. It goes wrong only when it stretches. You tell of the line of Aeacus / and the wars fought beneath sacred Troy; / but at what price we may buy a jar of Chian, / who will warm the water over the fire, / who will lend a house, and at what hour / I shall escape the Pelignian cold, you do not say.
Ainsi comme la vaillance Lacedemonienne auoit besoing de moderation, et du son doux et gratieux du ieu des flustes, pour la flatter en la guerre, de peur qu’elle ne se iettast à la temerité, et à la furie: là où toutes autres nations ordinairement employent des sons et des voix aigues et fortes, qui esmeuuent et qui eschauffent à outrance le courage des soldats: il me semble de mesme, contre la forme ordinaire, qu’en l’vsage de nostre esprit, nous auons pour la plus part, plus besoing de plomb, que d’ailes: de froideur et de repos, que d’ardeur et d’agitation.
Spartan valor needed moderation, and the soft, gracious sound of flutes to soothe it in war, for fear it should throw itself into rashness and fury; whereas all other nations usually employ shrill, strong sounds and voices that stir the soldiers’ courage and inflame it to excess. In the same way, it seems to me, contrary to the usual pattern, that in the use of our mind we mostly need lead more than wings, coolness and rest more than ardor and agitation.
Sur tout, c’est à mon gré bien faire le sot, que de faire l’entendu, entre ceux qui ne le sont pas: parler tousjours bandé, fauellar in punta di forchetta. Il faut se desmettre au train de ceux auec qui vous estes, et par fois affecter l’ignorance. Mettez à part la force et la subtilité: en l’vsage commun, c’est assez d’y reseruer l’ordre: trainez vous au demeurant à terre, s’ils veulent.
Above all, to my taste, it is playing the fool to play the expert among those who are not: to speak always under strain, to talk on the point of a fork. You must come down to the level of those you are with, and sometimes affect ignorance. Put force and subtlety aside; in ordinary use it is enough to keep order. For the rest, crawl along the ground, if they wish.
Les sçauans chopent volontiers à cette pierre: ils font tousiours parade de leur magistere, et sement leurs liures par tout. Ils en ont en ce temps entonné si fort les cabinets et oreilles des dames, que si elles n’en ont retenu la substance, au moins elles en ont la mine. A toute sorte de propos, et matiere, pour basse et populaire qu’elle soit, elles se seruent d’vne façon de parler et d’escrire, nouuelle et sçauante. Hoc sermone pauent, hoc iram, gaudia, curas, / Hoc cuncta effundunt animi secreta, quid vltrà? / Concumbunt doctè. Et alleguent Platon et sainct Thomas, aux choses ausquelles le premier rencontré, seruiroit aussi bien de tesmoing.
Learned men readily stumble on this stone: they always parade their mastery and scatter their books everywhere. In these times they have poured them so heavily into the studies and ears of the ladies that if the ladies have not retained the substance, at least they have the look of it. On every sort of topic and subject, however low and popular, they use a new and learned way of speaking and writing. In this language they voice their fears, their anger, joys, cares; / in this they pour out all their soul’s secrets. What more? / They make love learnedly. And they cite Plato and Saint Thomas on matters for which the first person they met would serve just as well as a witness.
La doctrine qui ne leur a peu arriuer en l’ame, leur est demeuree en la langue. Si les bien-nees me croient, elles se contenteront de faire valoir leurs propres et naturelles richesses. Elles cachent et couurent leurs beautez, soubs des beautez estrangeres: c’est grande simplesse, d’estouffer sa clarté pour luire d’vne lumiere empruntee. Elles sont enterrees et enseuelies soubs l’art de Capsula totæ. C’est qu’elles ne se cognoissent point assez: le monde n’a rien de plus beau: c’est à elles d’honnorer les arts, et de farder le fard. Que leur faut-il, que viure aymees et honnorees? Elles n’ont, et ne sçauent que trop, pour cela. Il ne faut qu’esueiller vn peu, et reschauffer les facultez qui sont en elles.
The learning that could not reach their souls has stayed on their tongues. If well-born women will believe me, they will be content to make the most of their own natural riches. They hide and cover their beauties under foreign beauties. It is great simplicity to smother one’s own brightness in order to shine with borrowed light. They are buried and entombed under the art of being all out of a box. That is because they do not know themselves well enough. The world has nothing more beautiful; it is for them to do honor to the arts and to paint the paint. What do they need but to live loved and honored? For that they have and know all too much. They need only awaken a little and rekindle the faculties that are in them.
Quand ie les voy attachees à la rhetorique, à la iudiciaire, à la logique, et semblables drogueries, si vaines et inutiles à leur besoing: i’entre en crainte, que les hommes qui le leur conseillent, le facent pour auoir loy de les regenter soubs ce tiltre. Car quelle autre excuse leur trouuerois-ie? Baste, qu’elles peuuent sans nous, renger la grace de leurs yeux, à la gayeté, à la seuerité, et à la douceur: assaisonner vn nenny, de rudesse, de doubte, et de faueur: et qu’elles ne cherchent point d’interprete aux discours qu’on faict pour leur seruice. Auec cette science, elles commandent à baguette, et regentent les regents et l’escole.
When I see them taken up with rhetoric, judicial astrology, logic and similar trumpery, so vain and useless for their needs, I begin to fear that the men who advise them to it do so in order to have the right to rule over them under that pretext. For what other excuse could I find for them? Enough that they can, without us, set the grace of their eyes to gaiety, to severity and to sweetness. They can season a “no” with harshness, with doubt, and with favor. They need no interpreter for the speeches made to court them. With this knowledge they command imperiously and rule over the teachers and the school.
Si toutesfois il leur fasche de nous ceder en quoy que ce soit, et veulent par curiosité auoir part aux liures: la poësie est vn amusement propre à leur besoin: c’est vn art follastre, et subtil, desguisé, parlier, tout en plaisir, tout en montre, comme elles. Elles tireront aussi diuerses commoditez de l’histoire. En la philosophie, de la part qui sert à la vie, elles prendront les discours qui les dressent à iuger de nos humeurs et conditions, à se deffendre de nos trahisons: à regler la temerité de leurs propres desirs: à mesnager leur liberté: allonger les plaisirs de la vie, et à porter humainement l’inconstance d’vn seruiteur, la rudesse d’vn mary, et l’importunité des ans, et des rides, et choses semblables.
If, however, it vexes them to yield to us in anything at all, and out of curiosity they want a share in books, poetry is an amusement suited to their need. It is a playful and subtle art, disguised, talkative, all pleasure, all show, like them. They will also draw various benefits from history. In philosophy, from the part that serves life, they will take the reasonings that train them to judge our temperaments and characters and to defend themselves against our betrayals. These will teach them to regulate the rashness of their own desires, to manage their freedom, to prolong the pleasures of life, and to bear with humanity a suitor’s inconstancy, a husband’s rudeness, the burden of years and wrinkles, and the like.
Voyla pour le plus, la part que ie leur assignerois aux sciences.
That, at most, is the share in learning I would assign them.
Il y a des naturels particuliers, retirez et internes. Ma forme essentielle, est propre à la communication, et à la production: ie suis tout au dehors et en euidence, nay à la societé et à l’amitié. La solitude que i’ayme, et que ie presche, ce n’est principallement, que ramener à moy mes affections, et mes pensees: restreindre et resserrer, non mes pas, ains mes desirs et mon soucy, resignant la solicitude estrangere, et fuyant mortellement la seruitude, et l’obligation: et non tant la foule des hommes, que la foule des affaires. La solitude locale, à dire verité, m’estend plustost, et m’eslargit au dehors: ie me iette aux affaires d’estat, et à l’vniuers, plus volontiers quand ie suis seul.
There are some particular natures, retiring and inward. My essential form is suited to communication and to bringing forth: I am all outward and in view, born for society and friendship. The solitude that I love and preach is chiefly nothing but bringing my affections and thoughts back to myself. It means restraining and narrowing not my steps but my desires and cares, resigning concern for outside things, and shunning servitude and obligation like death—and not so much the crowd of men as the crowd of affairs. Solitude of place, to tell the truth, rather extends me and enlarges me outward: I throw myself into affairs of state and into the universe more willingly when I am alone.
Au Louure et en la presse, ie me resserre et contraints en ma peau. La foule me repousse à moy. Et ne m’entretiens iamais si folement, si licentieusement et particulierement, qu’aux lieux de respect, et de prudence ceremonieuse. Nos folies ne me font pas rire, ce sont nos sapiences. De ma complexion, ie ne suis pas ennemy de l’agitation des cours: i’y ay passé partie de la vie: et suis faict à me porter allaigrement aux grandes compagnies: pourueu que ce soit par interualles, et à mon poinct. Mais cette mollesse de iugement, dequoy ie parle, m’attache par force à la solitude.
At the Louvre and in the crowd, I draw in and shrink into my skin. The crowd pushes me back into myself. And I never entertain myself so foolishly, so licentiously and privately, as in places that call for respect and ceremonious prudence. It is not our follies that make me laugh; it is our wisdoms. By constitution I am no enemy to the bustle of courts. I have spent part of my life there, and I am used to carrying myself cheerfully in great gatherings, provided it is at intervals and when I choose. But that softness of judgment I speak of ties me by force to solitude.
Voire chez moy, au milieu d’vne famille peuplee, et maison des plus frequentees, i’y voy des gens assez, mais rarement ceux, auecq qui i’ayme à communiquer. Et ie reserue là, et pour moy, et pour les autres, vne liberté inusitee. Il s’y faict trefue de ceremonie, d’assistance, et conuoiemens, et telles autres ordonnances penibles de nostre courtoisie (ô la seruile et importune vsance) chacun s’y gouuerne à sa mode, y entretient qui veut ses pensees: ie m’y tiens muet, resueur, et enfermé, sans offence de mes hostes.
Even at home, in the midst of a populous household and one of the most frequented of houses, I see people enough, but rarely those with whom I like to converse. And there I reserve, both for myself and for others, an unusual freedom. There is a truce there from ceremony, from attendance and escorting, and other such painful rules of our courtesy (oh, what a servile and tiresome custom!). Everyone conducts himself as he pleases; whoever wishes entertains his own thoughts. I keep silent, dreamy and shut up in myself, without offense to my guests.
Men of worth
The first kind of company: conversation with able, honorable men.
Les hommes, de la societé et familiarité desquels ie suis en queste, sont ceux qu’on appelle honnestes et habiles hommes: l’image de ceux icy me degouste des autres. C’est à le bien prendre, de nos formes, la plus rare: et forme qui se doit principallement à la nature. La fin de ce commerce, c’est simplement la priuauté, frequentation, et conference: l’exercice des ames, sans autre fruit. En nos propos, tous subiects me sont égaux: il ne me chaut qu’il y ayt ny poix, ny profondeur: la grace et la pertinence y sont tousiours: tout y est teinct d’vn iugement meur et constant, et meslé de bonté, de franchise, de gayeté et d’amitié.
The men whose society and familiarity I seek are those called honorable and capable men; the image of these spoils my taste for the others. Rightly considered, it is the rarest of our types, and a type owed chiefly to nature. The aim of this association is simply intimacy, company and conversation: the exercise of souls, with no other fruit. In our talk all subjects are alike to me. I do not care whether there is weight or depth in it; grace and pertinence are always there. Everything is tinged with a mature and steady judgment, and mingled with goodness, frankness, gaiety and friendship.
Ce n’est pas au subiect des substitutions seulement, que nostre esprit montre sa beauté et sa force, et aux affaires des Roys: il la montre autant aux confabulations priuees. Ie congnois mes gens au silence mesme, et à leur soubsrire, et les descouure mieux à l’aduanture à table, qu’au conseil. Hippomachus disoit bien qu’il congnoissoit les bons lucteurs, à les voir simplement marcher par vne ruë. S’il plaist à la doctrine de se mesler à nos deuis, elle n’en sera point refusee: non magistrale, imperieuse, et importune, comme de coustume, mais suffragante et docile elle mesme. Nous n’y cherchons qu’à passer le temps: à l’heure d’estre instruicts et preschez, nous l’irons trouuer en son throsne.
It is not only on the subject of entails, or in the affairs of kings, that our mind shows its beauty and strength; it shows them just as much in private conversations. I know my people even by their silence and their smiles, and perhaps discover them better at table than in council. Hippomachus rightly said that he could recognize good wrestlers just by seeing them walk down a street. If learning cares to join our talk, it will not be refused—not magisterial, imperious and tiresome, as it usually is, but itself deferential and docile. We seek there only to pass the time. When it is time to be instructed and preached to, we will go and find it on its throne.
Qu’elle se demette à nous pour ce coup s’il lui plaist: car toute vtile et desirable qu’elle est, ie presuppose, qu’encore au besoing nous en pourrions nous bien du tout passer, et faire nostre effect sans elle. Vne ame bien nee, et exercee à la practique des hommes, se rend plainement aggreable d’elle mesme. L’art n’est autre chose que le contrerolle, et le registre des productions de telles ames.
Let it come down to our level for this once, if it pleases. For useful and desirable as it is, I presume that even at need we could do entirely without it and achieve our purpose without it. A well-born soul, practiced in dealing with men, makes itself thoroughly agreeable on its own. Art is nothing but the record and register of the productions of such souls.
Women
The second kind: the company of beautiful and honorable women, enjoyed with care.
C’est aussi pour moy vn doux commerce, que celuy des belles et honnestes femmes: nam nos quoque oculos eruditos habemus. Si l’ame n’y a pas tant à iouyr qu’au premier, les sens corporels qui participent aussi plus à cettuy-cy, le ramenent à vne proportion voisine de l’autre: quoy que selon moy, non pas esgalle. Mais c’est vn commerce où il se faut tenir vn peu sur ses gardes: et notamment ceux en qui le corps peut beaucoup, comme en moy. Ie m’y eschauday en mon enfance: et y souffris toutes les rages, que les poëtes disent aduenir à ceux qui s’y laissent aller sans ordre et sans iugement. Il est vray que ce coup de fouët m’a seruy depuis d’instruction.
Another sweet association for me is that of beautiful and decent women: for we too have learned eyes. If the soul has not as much to enjoy here as in the first, the bodily senses, which have a greater share in this one, bring it to a proportion close to the other, though in my view not equal. But it is an association in which one must stay a little on one’s guard, especially those in whom the body has great power, as in me. I scalded myself at it in my youth, and suffered all the frenzies that the poets say befall those who abandon themselves to it without order and without judgment. It is true that this whipping has since served me as a lesson.
Quicumque Argolica de classe Capharea fugit, / Semper ab Euboicis vela retorquet aquis. C’est folie d’y attacher toutes ses pensees, et s’y engager d’vne affection furieuse et indiscrete. Mais d’autre part, de s’y mesler sans amour, et sans obligation de volonté, en forme de comediens, pour iouer vn rolle commun, de l’aage et de la coustume, et n’y mettre du sien que les parolles: c’est de vray pouruoir à sa seureté: mais bien laschement, comme celuy qui abandonneroit son honneur ou son proffit, ou son plaisir, de peur du danger. Car il est certain, que d’vne telle pratique, ceux qui la dressent, n’en peuuent esperer aucun fruict, qui touche ou satisface vne belle ame.
Whoever of the Argive fleet has escaped Caphareus / always turns his sails away from Euboean waters. It is folly to fasten all one’s thoughts on it and to engage in it with a furious and indiscreet passion. But on the other hand, to mix in it without love and without commitment of the will, like actors, playing a common part of one’s age and of custom, putting nothing of one’s own into it but words—that is indeed providing for one’s safety, but in a very cowardly way, like a man who would abandon his honor, his profit or his pleasure for fear of danger. For it is certain that those who go in for such a practice can expect from it no fruit that touches or satisfies a fine soul.
Il faut auoir en bon escient desiré, ce qu’on veut prendre en bon escient plaisir de iouyr. Ie dy quand iniustement fortune fauoriseroit leur masque: ce qui aduient souuent, à cause de ce qu’il n’y a aucune d’elles, pour malotrüe qu’elle soit, qui ne pense estre bien aymable, qui ne se recommande par son aage, ou par son poil, ou par son mouuement (car de laides vniuersellement, il n’en est non plus que de belles) et les filles Brachmanes, qui ont faute d’autre recommendation, le peuple assemblé à cri publiq pour cet effect, vont en la place, faisans montre de leurs parties matrimoniales: veoir, si par là aumoins elles ne valent pas d’acquerir vn mary.
One must have truly desired what one wants truly to take pleasure in enjoying. I mean this even if fortune should unjustly favor their mask. That often happens, because there is no woman, however ill-favored, who does not think herself quite lovable, and who does not commend herself by her age, or her hair, or her way of moving (for there are no more women universally ugly than universally beautiful). And the Brahmin girls who lack other recommendation go into the square, the people having been assembled for the purpose by public crier, and display their matrimonial parts, to see whether by that at least they are not worth a husband.
Par consequent il n’en est pas vne qui ne se laisse facilement persuader au premier serment qu’on luy fait de la seruir. Or de cette trahison commune et ordinaire des hommes d’auiourd’huy, il faut qu’il aduienne, ce que desia nous montre l’experience: c’est qu’elles se r’allient et reiettent à elles mesmes, ou entre elles, pour nous fuyr: ou bien qu’elles se rengent aussi de leur costé, à cet exemple que nous leur donnons: qu’elles ioüent leur part de la farce, et se prestent à cette negociation, sans passion, sans soing et sans amour: Neque affectui suo aut alieno obnoxiæ. Estimans, suyuant la persuasion de Lysias en Platon, qu’elles se peuuent addonner vtilement et commodement à nous, d’autant plus, que moins nous les aymons.
Consequently there is not one who does not easily let herself be persuaded by the first vow made to her to serve her. Now from this common and ordinary treachery of the men of today, there must follow what experience already shows us. Either women rally and fall back on themselves, or on one another, to avoid us; or else they too, on their side, fall in with the example we give them. They play their part in the farce and lend themselves to this transaction without passion, without care and without love: in thrall neither to their own feelings nor to another’s. They reckon, following the argument of Lysias in Plato, that they can give themselves to us profitably and conveniently, all the more as we love them less.
Il en ira comme des comedies, le peuple y aura autant ou plus de plaisir que les comediens. De moy, ie ne connois non plus Venus sans Cupidon, qu’vne maternité sans engeance. Ce sont choses qui s’entreprestent et s’entredoiuent leur essence. Ainsi cette piperie reiallit sur celuy qui la fait: il ne luy couste guere, mais il n’acquiert aussi rien qui vaille. Ceux qui ont faict Venus Deesse, ont regardé que sa principale beauté estoit incorporelle et spirituelle. Mais celle que ces gens cy cerchent, n’est pas seulement humaine, ny mesme brutale: les bestes ne la veulent si lourde et si terrestre.
It will be as with comedies: the audience will get as much pleasure from them as the actors, or more. For my part, I no more know Venus without Cupid than motherhood without offspring. They are things that lend and owe each other their essence. So this cheating rebounds on the one who practices it: it costs him little, but he gains nothing worth having either. Those who made Venus a goddess took into account that her principal beauty was incorporeal and spiritual. But the beauty these people seek is not merely human, nor even animal: the beasts do not want it so gross and earthy.
Nous voyons que l’imagination et le desir les eschauffe souuent et solicite, auant le corps: nous voyons en l’vn et l’autre sexe, qu’en la presse elles ont du choix et du triage en leurs affections, et qu’elles ont entre-elles des accointances de longue bien-vueillance. Celles mesmes à qui la vieillesse refuse la force corporelle, fremissent encores, hannissent et tressaillent d’amour. Nous les voyons auant le faict, pleines d’esperance et d’ardeur: et quand le corps a ioué son ieu, se chatouiller encor de la douceur de cette souuenance: et en voyons qui s’enflent de fierté au partir de là, et qui en produisent des chants de feste et de triomphe, lasses et saoules.
We see that imagination and desire often heat and stir the beasts before the body does. We see in both sexes that, in the herd, they have choice and discrimination in their affections, and that they form attachments among themselves of long goodwill. Even those to whom old age denies bodily strength still quiver, neigh and tremble with love. We see them before the act full of hope and ardor, and when the body has played its part, still tickling themselves with the sweetness of that memory. And we see some who swell with pride on leaving it, and who produce songs of festivity and triumph, weary and sated.
Qui n’a qu’à descharger le corps d’vne necessité naturelle, n’a que faire d’y embesongner autruy auec des apprests si curieux. Ce n’est pas viande à vne grosse et lourde faim.
Whoever has only to relieve his body of a natural necessity has no need to involve another in it with such elaborate preparations. This is no food for a gross and heavy hunger.
Comme celuy qui ne demande point qu’on me tienne pour meilleur que ie suis, ie diray cecy des erreurs de ma ieunesse: non seulement pour le danger qu’il y a, de la santé, (si n’ay-ie sceu si bien faire, que ie n’en aye eu deux atteintes, legeres toutesfois, et preambulaires) mais encores par mespris, ie ne me suis guere adonné aux accointances venales et publiques. I’ay voulu aiguiser ce plaisir par la difficulté, par le desir et par quelque gloire. Et aymois la façon de l’Empereur Tibere, qui se prenoit en ses amours, autant par la modestie et noblesse, que par autre qualité.
As one who does not ask to be thought better than I am, I will say this about the errors of my youth. I hardly ever went in for paid, public liaisons—not only because of the danger to health (and yet I did not manage so well that I escaped two touches of it, light ones, however, and preliminary), but also out of contempt. I wanted to sharpen that pleasure by difficulty, by desire and by some glory. And I liked the way of the Emperor Tiberius, who was captivated in his loves as much by modesty and nobility as by any other quality.
Et l’humeur de la courtisane Flora, qui ne se prestoit à moins, que d’vn Dictateur, ou Consul, ou Censeur: et prenoit son deduit, en la dignité de ses amoureux. Certes les perles et le brocadel y conferent quelque chose: et les tiltres, et le train.
And the disposition of the courtesan Flora, who would give herself to no one less than a dictator, a consul or a censor, and took her delight in the dignity of her lovers. Certainly pearls and brocade contribute something to it, and titles, and a retinue.
Au demeurant, ie faisois grand compte de l’esprit, mais pourueu que le corps n’en fust pas à dire. Car à respondre en conscience, si l’vne ou l’autre des deux beautez deuoit necessairement y faillir, i’eusse choisi de quitter plustost la spirituelle. Elle a son vsage en meilleures choses. Mais au subiect de l’amour, subiect qui principallement se rapporte à la veuë et à l’atouchement, on faict quelque chose sans les graces de l’esprit, rien sans les graces corporelles. C’est le vray aduantage des dames que la beauté: elle est si leur, que la nostre, quoy qu’elle desire des traicts vn peu autres, n’est en son point, que confuse auec la leur, puerile et imberbe.
For the rest, I set great store by the mind, but provided the body was not lacking. For, to answer in conscience, if one or the other of the two beauties had necessarily to be missing, I would sooner have chosen to give up the spiritual one. It has its use in better things. But in the matter of love, a matter that relates chiefly to sight and touch, something can be done without the graces of the mind, nothing without the graces of the body. Beauty is the true advantage of women. It is so much theirs that ours, though it calls for somewhat different features, is at its best only when it is mixed with theirs, boyish and beardless.
On dit que chez le grand Seigneur, ceux qui le seruent sous titre de beauté, qui sont en nombre infini, ont leur congé, au plus loing, à vingt et deux ans. Les discours, la prudence, et les offices d’amitié, se trouuent mieux chez les hommes: pourtant gouuernent-ils les affaires du monde.
They say that at the court of the Grand Signor, those who serve him by reason of their beauty, who are infinite in number, are dismissed at twenty-two at the latest. Reasoning, prudence and the offices of friendship are found better among men; that is why they govern the affairs of the world.
Books
The third and surest kind: books, always at hand, which console and divert.
Ces deux commerces sont fortuites, et despendans d’autruy: l’vn est ennuyeux par sa rareté, l’autre se flestrit auec l’aage: ainsin ils n’eussent pas assez prouueu au besoing de ma vie. Celuy des liures, qui est le troisiesme, est bien plus seur et plus à nous. Il cede aux premiers les autres aduantages: mais il a pour sa part la constance et facilité de son seruice. Cettuy-cy costoye tout mon cours, et m’assiste par tout: il me console en la vieillesse et en la solitude: il me descharge du poix d’vne oisiueté ennuyeuse: et me deffait à toute heure des compagnies qui me faschent: il emousse les pointures de la douleur, si elle n’est du tout extreme et maistresse.
These two kinds of association are fortuitous and depend on others. One is distressing in its rarity; the other withers with age; so they would not have provided sufficiently for the needs of my life. That of books, which is the third, is much more secure and more our own. It yields the other advantages to the first two, but it has for its share the constancy and ease of its service. It goes along beside my whole course and attends me everywhere. It consoles me in old age and in solitude. It relieves me of the weight of a wearisome idleness, and rids me at any hour of company that annoys me. It blunts the stings of pain, unless the pain is altogether extreme and in command.
Pour me distraire d’vne imagination importune, il n’est que de recourir aux liures, ils me destournent facilement à eux, et me la desrobent. Et si ne se mutinent point, pour voir que ie ne les recherche, qu’au deffaut de ces autres commoditez, plus reelles, viues et naturelles: ils me reçoiuent tousiours de mesme visage. Il a bel aller à pied, dit-on, qui meine son cheual par la bride.
To divert me from a troublesome fancy, I need only turn to books: they easily draw me to them and steal it away from me. And yet they do not mutiny on seeing that I seek them only for lack of those other pleasures, more real, lively and natural; they always receive me with the same face. He may well go on foot, they say, who leads his horse by the bridle.
Et nostre Iacques Roy de Naples, et de Sicile, qui beau, ieune, et sain, se faisoit porter par pays en ciuiere, couché sur vn meschant oriller de plume, vestu d’vne robe de drap gris, et vn bonnet de mesme: suiuy ce pendant d’vne grande pompe royalle, lictieres, cheuaux à main de toutes sortes, gentils-hommes et officiers: representoit vne austerité tendre encores et chancellante. Le malade n’est pas à plaindre, qui a la guarison en sa manche. En l’experience et vsage de cette sentence, qui est tres-veritable, consiste tout le fruict que ie tire des liures. Ie ne m’en sers en effect, quasi non plus que ceux qui ne les cognoissent poinct.
And our Jacques, king of Naples and Sicily, handsome, young and healthy, had himself carried about the country on a stretcher, lying on a wretched feather pillow, dressed in a gown of gray cloth with a cap to match. Meanwhile he was followed by great royal pomp, litters, led horses of all sorts, gentlemen and officers. He displayed an austerity still tender and wavering. The sick man is not to be pitied who has his cure up his sleeve. In the experience and practice of this maxim, which is very true, lies all the fruit I draw from books. In fact I make hardly more use of them than those who do not know them at all.
I’en iouys, comme les auaritieux des tresors, pour sçauoir que i’en iouyray quand il me plaira: mon ame se rassasie et contente de ce droict de possession. Ie ne voyage sans liures, ny en paix, ny en guerre. Toutesfois il se passera plusieurs iours, et des mois, sans que ie les employe. Ce sera tantost, dis-ie, ou demain, ou quand il me plaira: le temps court et s’en va ce pendant sans me blesser. Car il ne se peut dire, combien ie me repose et seiourne en cette consideration, qu’ils sont à mon costé pour me donner du plaisir à mon heure: et à reconnoistre, combien ils portent de secours à ma vie.
I enjoy them as misers enjoy their treasures, knowing that I shall enjoy them when I please; my soul is sated and contented with this right of possession. I do not travel without books, either in peace or in war. Yet many days will pass, and months, without my using them. Soon, I say, or tomorrow, or when I please; meanwhile time runs on and goes by without hurting me. For it is impossible to say how much I rest and take my ease in the thought that they are at my side to give me pleasure when I choose, and in recognizing how much help they bring to my life.
The library in the tower
Montaigne describes the round library where he reads, dreams and dictates.
C’est la meilleure munition que i’aye trouué à cet humain voyage: et plains extremement les hommes d’entendement, qui l’ont à dire. I’accepte plustost toute autre sorte d’amusement, pour leger qu’il soit: d’autant que cettuy-cy ne me peut faillir. Chez moy, ie me destourne vn peu plus souuent à ma librairie, d’où, tout d’vne main, ie commande mon mesnage. Ie suis sur l’entree, et vois soubs moy, mon iardin, ma basse cour, ma cour, et dans la plus part des membres de ma maison. Là ie feuillette à cette heure vn liure, à cette heure vn autre, sans ordre et sans dessein, à pieces descousues. Tantost ie resue, tantost i’enregistre et dicte, en me promenant, mes songes que voicy. Elle est au troisiesme estage d’vne tour.
It is the best provision I have found for this human journey, and I greatly pity men of intelligence who lack it. I take up any other sort of amusement first, however slight, since this one cannot fail me. At home I turn aside a little more often to my library, from which I direct my household at the same time. It is over the entrance, and I see below me my garden, my farmyard, my courtyard, and into most parts of my house. There I leaf through now one book, now another, without order and without plan, in disconnected pieces. Now I muse; now I record and dictate, walking up and down, these musings of mine you have here. It is on the third floor of a tower.
Le premier, c’est ma chapelle, le second vne chambre et sa suitte, où ie me couche souuent, pour estre seul. Au dessus, elle a vne grande garderobe. C’estoit au temps passé, le lieu plus inutile de ma maison. Ie passe là et la plus part des iours de ma vie, et la plus part des heures du iour. Ie n’y suis iamais la nuict. A sa suitte est vn cabinet assez poly, capable à receuoir du feu pour l’hyuer, tres-plaisamment percé.
The first floor is my chapel, the second a bedroom with its adjoining rooms, where I often lie down to be alone. Above it is a large wardrobe room. In times past it was the most useless place in my house. There I spend most of the days of my life and most of the hours of the day. I am never there at night. Next to it is a rather elegant little study, with a fireplace for the winter, very pleasantly windowed.
Et si ie ne craignoy non plus le soing que la despense, le soing qui me chasse de toute besongne: i’y pourroy facilement coudre à chasque costé vne gallerie de cent pas de long, et douze de large, à plein pied: ayant trouué tous les murs montez, pour autre vsage, à la hauteur qu’il me faut. Tout lieu retiré requiert vn proumenoir. Mes pensees dorment, si ie les assis. Mon esprit ne va pas seul, comme si les iambes l’agitent. Ceux qui estudient sans liure, en sont tous là.
And if I feared the trouble no more than the expense—the trouble that drives me from every task—I could easily join on to each side a gallery a hundred paces long and twelve wide, on the same level, for I have found all the walls already built, for another purpose, to the height I need. Every secluded place needs a walk. My thoughts fall asleep if I make them sit down. My mind does not go on its own, as it does when my legs move it. Those who study without a book are all in the same case.
La figure en est ronde, et n’a de plat, que ce qu’il faut à ma table et à mon siege: et vient m’offrant en se courbant, d’vne veuë, tous mes liures, rengez sur des pulpitres à cinq degrez tout à l’enuiron. Elle a trois veuës de riche et libre prospect, et seize pas de vuide en diametre. En hyuer i’y suis moins continuellement: car ma maison est iuchee sur vn tertre, comme dit son nom: et n’a point de piece plus euentee que cette cy: qui me plaist d’estre vn peu penible et à l’esquart, tant pour le fruit de l’exercice, que pour reculer de moy la presse. C’est là mon siege.
Its shape is round, with no flat part except what is needed for my table and chair. Curving around me, it offers me at a glance all my books, arranged on shelves five tiers high all the way round. It has three views with a rich and open prospect, and sixteen paces of free space across. In winter I am there less continually, for my house is perched on a hillock, as its name says, and has no room more exposed to the wind than this one. I like it for being a little hard to reach and out of the way, both for the benefit of the exercise and to keep the crowd at a distance. That is my seat.
I’essaye à m’en rendre la domination pure: et à soustraire ce seul coing, à la communauté et coniugale, et filiale, et ciuile. Par tout ailleurs ie n’ay qu’vne auctorité verbale: en essence, confuse. Miserable à mon gré, qui n’a chez soy, où estre à soy: où se faire particulierement la cour: où se cacher. L’ambition paye bien ses gents, de les tenir tousiours en montre, comme la statue d’vn marché. Magna seruitus est magna fortuna. Ils n’ont pas seulement leur retraict pour retraitte.
I try to make my rule there absolute, and to withdraw this one corner from all community, conjugal, filial and civil. Everywhere else I have only a verbal authority, in essence confused. Wretched, to my mind, is the man who has nowhere in his own home where he can be by himself, where he can pay court to himself in private, where he can hide. Ambition pays its people well by keeping them always on display, like a statue in a marketplace. A great fortune is a great servitude. They cannot even have their privy for privacy.
Ie n’ay rien iugé de si rude en l’austerité de vie, que nos religieux affectent, que ce que ie voy en quelqu’vne de leurs compagnies, auoir pour regle vne perpetuelle societé de lieu: et assistance nombreuse entre eux, en quelque action que ce soit. Et trouue aucunement plus supportable, d’estre tousiours seul, que ne le pouuoir iamais estre.
I have found nothing so harsh in the austerity of life our monks affect as what I see in some of their orders: a rule of perpetual sharing of place, and numerous company among them in every action whatever. And I find it somewhat more bearable to be always alone than never to be able to be so.
Si quelqu’vn me dit, que c’est auillir les muses, de s’en seruir seulement de iouet, et de passetemps, il ne sçait pas comme moy, combien vaut le plaisir, le ieu et le passetemps: à peine que ie ne die toute autre fin estre ridicule. Ie vis du iour à la iournee, et parlant en reuerence, ne vis que pour moy: mes desseins se terminent là. I’estudiay ieune pour l’ostentation; depuis, vn peu pour m’assagir: à cette heure pour m’esbattre: iamais pour le quest. Vne humeur vaine et despensiere que i’auois, apres cette sorte de meuble: non pour en prouuoir seulement mon besoing, mais de trois pas au dela, pour m’en tapisser et parer: ie l’ay pieça abandonnee.
If someone tells me that it is degrading the Muses to use them only as a toy and a pastime, he does not know, as I do, how much pleasure, play and pastime are worth. I would almost say that any other aim is ridiculous. I live from day to day, and, saving your reverence, I live only for myself; my plans end there. In youth I studied for show; later, a little to make myself wiser; now for amusement; never for gain. I once had a vain, spendthrift humor for this sort of furniture—not merely to provide for my need, but to go three steps beyond it, to deck and adorn myself with it. I gave it up long ago.
Les liures ont beaucoup de qualitez aggreables à ceux qui les sçauent choisir. Mais aucun bien sans peine. C’est vn plaisir qui n’est pas net et pur, non plus que les autres: il a ses incommoditez, et bien poisantes. L’ame s’y exerce, mais le corps, duquel ie n’ay non plus oublié le soing, demeure ce pendant sans action, s’atterre et s’attriste. Ie ne sçache excez plus dommageable pour moy, ny plus à euiter, en cette declinaison d’aage.
Books have many qualities pleasing to those who know how to choose them. But no good without pain. It is a pleasure no more clean and pure than the others; it has its drawbacks, and heavy ones. The mind exercises itself, but the body, whose care I have not forgotten either, meanwhile remains inactive, grows heavy and dejected. I know of no excess more harmful to me, or more to be avoided, in this decline of age.
Voyla mes trois occupations fauories et particulieres. Ie ne parle point de celles que ie doibs au monde par obligation ciuile.
Those are my three favorite and particular occupations. I do not speak of those I owe to the world by civic obligation.