though often contrary to reafon; and of omitting what* ever is of a ticklish nature in the life of their fove

reign; witness the retreat of meffieurs de Montmorency "and Brion, who are here omitted; nay, the name of "Madame de Estampes is not fo much as once mention"ed. Secret actions may be concealed by an hiftorian, "but to pass over in filence what is known to all the world, "and things too that have produced effects of fuch "confequence, is a defect not to be excufed. In fine, "whoever would have a perfect knowledge of king "Francis, and the affairs of his time, muft, if he will "take my advice, look for it elsewhere. The only ad

vantage he can reap from this work is, by the particu"lar account of the battles and military atchievements, "in which thofe gentlemen were prefent; certain ex"preffions and private actions of fome princes of their time, and the practices and negociations carried on by the lord de Langeay, wherein there are throughout things worthy to be known, and reafonings above the vulgar ftrain."

CHA P. XL

Of Cruelty.

IRTUE feems to me to be quite another thing, and more noble than the inclinations that are in

VIR

Virtue is fuperior to what is called goodness of nature.

nate in goodness. Thofe fouls that are well tempered, and as truly generous purfue the fame tract; and their actions wear the fame face as the virtuous. But the word Virtue imports fomething, I know not what, that is more great and active than a man's fuffering himself with a happy conftitution, to be gently and quietly conducted by reafon. The perfon, who from a mildness and fweetnefs in his temper, defpifes injuries received, performs a thing very amiable and commendable; but the man who, being provoked and enraged

Virtue not to

be practifed without fome

difficulty.

to the laft degree by fome offence, arms himself with the weapons of reafon against a furious thirst of revenge, and after a great ftruggle, at laft mafter's his own paffion, undoubtedly perforins much more, The first would do well, and the latter virtuously. One action might be called good-nature, the other virtue. For methinks the very name of Virtue prefuppofes difficulty and oppofition, and cannot be exercised without fomething to contend with. 'Tis for this reafon, perhaps, that we call God by the attributes of good, mighty, bountiful, and juft; but we do not give him that of virtuous, his works being all natural, and without any effort, The philofophers, not only the Stoics, but alfo the Epicurians (and this addition I borrow from the vulgar opinion, which is falfe, notwithstanding the witty conceit of Arcefilaus, in answer to one, who, being reproached that many fcholars went from his fchool to the Epicurean, but never any from thence to his fchool, faid in anfwer, "I believe it indeed; numbers "of capons being made out of cocks, but never any "cocks out of capons t." For, in truth, the Epicurean fect is not at all inferior to the Stoic in fteadiness, and the rigour of opinions and precepts. And a certain Stoic difcovering more honefty than thofe difputants, who, in order to quarrel with Epicurus, and to throw the game into their own hands, make him fay what he never thought, putting a wrong construction upon his words,

Montaigne ftops here to make his excufe for thus naming the Epicureans with the Stoics, in conformity to the general opinion that the Epicureans were not fo rigid in their morals as the Stoics, which is not true in the main, as he demonftrates at one view. This involved Montaigne in a tedious parenthefis, during which it is proper that the reader be attentive, that he may not intirely lofe the thread of the argument. In fome latter editions of this author, it has been attempted to remedy this inconvenience, but without obferving that Montaigne's argument is rendered more feeble and obfcure by fuch vain repetitions, it is a licence that ought not to be taken, because he who publishes the work of another, ought to give it as the other compofed it. But, in Mr. Cotton's tranflation, he was fo puzzled with this enormous parenthefis, that he has quite left it out.

Diog. Laert. in the life of Arcefilaus, lib. iv. fect 43.

cloathing

th

५

1

cloathing his fentences, by the ftrict rules of grammar, with another meaning, and a different opinion from that which they knew he entertained in his mind, and in his morals, the Stoic, I fay, declared, that he abandoned the Epicurean fect, upon this, among other confiderations, that he thought their tract too lofty and inacceffible; et ii qui φιλήδονοι vocantur funt φιλόκαλοι et φιλοδίκαιοι, 07nefque virtutes et colunt et ratinent; " and thofe whom we "call lovers of pleasure, being, in effect, lovers of ho"nour and juftice, cultivate and practife all the virtues." (Cic. Ep. 19. lib. xv.) feveral, I fay, of the Stoic and Epi-. curean philofophers, thought that it was not enough to have the foul in a good frame, well tempered, and welldifpofed to virtue; that it was not enough to have our refolutions and our reafonings fixed above all the efforts of fortune; but it that was ever neceffary to seek occafions to make trial of them: they were for going in queft of pain, neceffity, and contempt, in order to combat them, and to keep the foul in exercife. Mullum fibi adjicit virtus laceffita*;" virtue by being attacked be"comes the more courageous." It is one of the reasons why Epaminondas, who was alfo of a third fect +, refused the wealth which fortune put into his hand by very fair means, becaufe faid he, I may be able to fence with poverty, in which extreme he always ftood his ground. Socrates methinks put himfelf to a feverer trial, keeping, for his exercife, a fhrew of a wife; which was a trial with a vengeance. Metellus, the only one of all the Roman fenators, who attempted, by the ftrength of his virtue, to fupport himself against the violence of Saturninus, the tribune of the people of Rome, who was refolved by all means to get an unjuft law paft in favour of the commonalty, having, by fuch oppofition, incurred the capital punishments which Saturninus had established for the recufants; this very Metellus faid to the perfons, who, in this extremity, were leading him to the place of execution: "That it was a very cafy and a bafe thing to

Senec. Ep. 13.

+ Of the Pythagorean fect. Epaminondas, the Theban, fays Cicero, was inftructed by Lifis, a Pythagorean. De Offic. lib. i. c. 44. Plutarch, in the life of Marius, ch. 10, of Amyot's tranflation.

"commit evil; and that to do good, where there was no "danger, was a common thing; but to do good where "there was danger, was the proper office of a man of "virtue." Thefe words of Metellus clearly fhew what I would make out, that virtue refufes ease for its companion, and that the gentle afcent, that foft, fmooth way, in which thofe take their steps who are regulated by a natural inclination to goodness, is not the path of true virtue, This requires a rugged thorny paffage, and will have either difficulties from without to ftruggle with (like that of Metellus) by means whereof fortune delights to interrupt the fpeed of our career, or else internal difficulties that are introduced by the diforderly appetites and imperfections of our condition.

In noble fouls, fuch as thofe of Socrates and Cato, virtue becomes eafy thro' habit,

I am come thus far at my ease, but it just now falls into my imagination, that the foul of Socrates, the most perfect that ever has come to my knowledge, would, by this rule, have little to recommend it: for I cannot perceive, in this person, any effort of a vicious concupifcence. In the courfe of his virtue, I cannot imagine there was any difficulty or conftraint. I know his reafon had fo much fway and authority over him, that it would never have fuffered a vicious appetite fo much as to rife in him. To a virtue fc fublime as his I can fet nothing in oppofition. Methinks I fee it stalk, with a victorious and triumphant pace, in pomp, and at eafe, without moleftation or disturbance. If virtue cannot fhine but by ftruggling with contrary appetites, fhall we therefore fay, that the cannot fubfift without the af fiftance of vice, and that it is from thence the derives her reputation and honour? What would become alfo of that brave and generous Epicurean pleasure, which pretends to nourish and cherish virtue in its lap, giving it fhame, fickness, poverty, death, and hell for toys to play with? If I prefuppofe that perfect virtue is known by contending with, and patiently bearing pain, and even fits of the gout, without being moved in its feat: if I give it roughness and difficulty for its neceffary object, what will become of a virtue elevated to fuch a degree,

as not only to despise pain, but to rejoice in it, and to be delighted with the racking ftitches of a violent colic, as is the quality of that virtue which the Epicureans have eftablifhed, and of which many of them, by their actions, have left very evident proofs? As have many others, who I find have furpaffed the very rules of their difcipline; witness the younger Cato: when I fee him dying, and tearing out his own bowels, I cannot be contented fimply to believe, that his foul was, at that time, wholly exempt from trouble and fear: I cannot think, that he only fupported himself in this ftep which was prescribe to him by the laws of the Stoic fect, quite ferenely, without emotion or paffion : there was, methinks, in that man's virtue too much fprightlinefs and youth to ftop there. I make no doubt but he felt a pleafure and delight in fo noble an action, and that it was more agreeable to him than any thing he ever did in his life. Sic abiit è vitâ ut caufam moriendi natum fe effe gauderet," He went out of life in "fuch a manner, as if he was glad he had found a reason "for dying." And I really queftion, whether he would have been glad to have been deprived of the occafion of fo brave an exploit: and if that good-nature of his, which made him efpoufe the public benefit rather than his own, did not restrain me, I should be ready to believe, that he thought himself obliged to fortune, for having put his virtue to fo fevere a trial, and for having favoured the robber † in trampling the ancient liberty of his country under his feet. Methinks I read in this action, I know not what exultation in his foul, and an extraordinary and manly emotion of pleasure, when he looked upon the nobleness and fublimity of his undertaking.

* Deliberata morte ferocier +.

Grown fiercer now fhe is refolved to die.

Cic. Tufc. Quæft. lib. i. cap. 30.

+ Cæfar, who, notwithstanding the great qualities of his, which Montaigne fet off with fuch luftre in the preceding chapter, is here treated as he deferves for having committed the most heinous of all crimes.

Hor, lib. i. Od. 37. V. 29.

Not