and which makes a quite contrary appearance to that of Socrates. Two notable proofs of great advantage which Montaigne derived from his aspect. It has oft befallen me, that upon the mere credit of my prefence, and my very afpect, perfons who had no manner of Knowledge of me, have put a very great confidence in me, whether in their own affairs or mine and I have in foreign parts obtained favours fingular and uncommon; but two inftances, are perhaps worth particular relation. A certain perfon deliberated to furprise my house and me in it; his artifice was, to come to my gate alone, and to be importunate to be let in: I knew him by name, and had reafon to repofe a confidence in him, as being my neighbour, and fomething related to me. I caufed the gate to be opened to him, as I do to every one, and in he came, quite frighted, his horfe panting, and all in a foam. He presently entertained me with this flim-flam: "that "about half a league off, he had unluckily met with a "certain enemy of his, whom I alfo knew and had in"deed heard of their quarrel; that this enemy had 66 pursued him very hard; that he therefore filed to my gate for refuge; and that he was in great trouble for "his followers, whom, he faid, he concluded to be all "either dead or taken." I innocently did my best to comfort, hearten, and refresh him. Presently after, came four or five of his foldiers, who prefented themfelves in the fame countenance and affright to get in too, and after them more, and still more, very well mounted and armed, to the number of five and twenty or thirty, pretending that they had the enemy at their heels. This mystery began a little to awake my fufpicion. I was not ignorant what an age I lived in, how much my house might be envied, and I had feveral examples of others of my acquaintance, who had met with fuch fort of guests. So it was, that knowing there was nothing to be got in having begun to do a courtefy, unless I went through with it, and as I could not difengage myself from them without spoiling all; I chose the most natural and fimple way, as I always do, and invited them all all to come in. And in truth, I am very naturally very little inclined to fufpicion and diftruft. I willingly in.cline towards excufe, and the moft favourable conftruction. I take men according to the common run, and do not believe there can be fuch perverfe and unnatural inclinations, unless convinced by manifeft evidence, more than I do monfters and miracles; I am moreover a man who willingly commit myfelf to fortune, and throw myself headlong into her arms; and have hitherto found more reafon to applaud, than to condemn myfelf for it; having found her more folicitous of, and more a friend to my affairs, than I am myfelf. There are fome actions in my life, wherein my conduct may justly be called difficult, or, if you pleafe, prudent. Yet of thofe, fuppofing the third part to have been my own, doubtless the other two thirds were richly hers. We are, methinks, to blame, in that we do not enough truft heaven with our affairs, and challenge more from our own conduct than appertains to us. And therefore it is that our defigns fo oft mifcarry. Heaven is dif pleased at the extent that we attribute to the prerogatives of human prudence in prejudice of its own, and abridges them the more we ftretch them. The laft comers kept themselves on horfeback in my court-yard, whilft their leader was with me in the parlour, who would not have his horfe fet up in the ftable, faying, he would immediately retire, as foon as he fhould have news of the rest of his men. He faw himself master of his enterprize, and nothing now remained but the execution. He has fince feveral times faid (for he was not afhamed to tell the ftory himself) that my countenance and freedom had fnatched the treachery out of his hands. He again mounted his horfe, his followers having continually their eyes intent upon him, to fee when he would give the fign; very much aftonifhed to fee him march away and leave his prey behind him. Another time, relying upon I know not what truce, newly publifhed in the army, I took a journey through a very fickle country. I had not rid far, before it got wind, and two or three parties of horfe, from feveral places, were were fent out to take me; one of them the third day overtook me, where I was charged by fifteen or twenty. gentlemen in vizors, followed at a distance by a band of ragamuffins. Here was I furrounded and taken, drawn into the heart of a neighbouring foreft, difmounted, robbed, my trunks rifled, my casket taken, and my horfes and equipage divided amongst new mafters. We had here a very long conteft about my ranfom, which they fet fo high, that is was plain I was not known to them. They were moreover in a very great debate about my life; and in truth, there were feveral alarming circumftances that threatened me with the danger I was then in Tunc animis opus, Enea, tunc pecore firmo *. I still infifted upon the letter of the truce, that they should only have the gain of what they had already taken from me, which was not to be defpifed, without promife of any other ranfom. After we had been two or three hours in this place, and after they had mounted me on a pitiful jade that was not likely to run away from them, and committed me to the guard of fifteen or twenty harquebufiers, and difperfed my fervants to others, having given order that they fhould carry us off prifoners feveral ways; when I was got fome two or three musquetfhot from the place, Fam prece Pollucis, jam Caftoris implorata † ; Whilft I implor'd Caftor and Pollux aid . this fudden and unexpected alteration happened. I faw the chief of them return to me with milder language, making fearch amongst the troopers for my loft bag * Virgil. Æneid. lib. vi. ver. 261. + Catullus, lib. xvi. ver. 65. 1 Or as Montaigne might have faid in his own language: after I had made a vow to all the faints in Paradise, or as we protestants say, in the Romith Calendar. gage, gage, and caufing as much as could be recovered to be reftored to me, even to my cafket: but the best present they made me, was my liberty; for the reft did not much concern me at that time. The true cause of so fudden a change, and of this fecond thought, without any apparent impulfe, and of fo miraculous a repentance, at fuch a time, in a serious and deliberate enterprize, and which was become juft by cuftom, (for at the first dafh I plainly confeffed to them, of what party I was, and whither I was going) is what I do not yet rightly apprehend. The most eminent amongst them, who pulled off his vizor, and told me his name, faid to me over and over again, that I was obliged for my deliverance to my countenance, and the frankness and courage of my fpeech, which rendered me unworthy of fuch a misfortune, and he defired me to be in no dread of the like again. It is poffible that the divine Bounty chofe to make ufe of this mean inftrument for my prefervation. It moreover defended me the next day from other and worse ambushes, which even these had given me warning of. The last of these two gentlemen is yet living, to give an account of the ftory; the first was killed not long ago. The fimplicity of his intention which was vifible in his eyes, If my face did not answer for me, if men did not read in my eyes and words, the innocence of my intention, I had not and his language, lived fo long without quarrels, and withprevented his out giving offence, confidering the infreedom in difdifcrete liberty I take, right or wrong, to course from being refented. say whatever comes into my head, and to judge rafhly of things. This practice may with reafon appear uncivil, and ill-adapted to our way of converfation; but I have never met with any who have judged it outrageous or malicious, or that took offence at my liberty, if he had it from my own lips. Words repeated have another kind of fenfe, as well as found. Neither do I hate any perfon whatever; and am fo flow to offend that I cannot do it, to serve reafon itfelf. And when occafion has called me to condemn criminals, I have rather failed in the strictness of justice. Ut magis peccari nolim, quam Ariftotle rebeing merciful. proached for quam fatis animi ad vindicanda peccata habeam; "fo that "I have more concern for men's offences, than a heart to punish them *. Ariftotle, it is faid, was reproached for having been too merciful to a wicked man. I was indeed, "faid he, merciful to the man, but not to "his wickedness." Ordinary judgments are punishment by the horror of the crime. But this cools mine. The horror of the first murder makes me fear the fecond, and the deformity of the first cruelty makes me abhor all imitation of it. That may be applied to me, who am but a knave of clubs, which was faid of Charillus king of Sparta, "he cannot be good, be exafperated to cause he is not fevere to the wicked. Or thus; for Plutarch delivers it both these ways, as he does a thoufand other things, varioufly, and contrary to one another. "He muft needs be good, becaufe he is fo even to the "wicked §." Even as in lawful actions, I do not care to be concerned when others are offended by them; fo to fay the truth, in lawful things, I do not make confcience enough of employing myself when others approve them. T CHA P. XIII. Of Experience. HERE is no defire more natural than that of knowledge: we try all e ways that can lead us to it; where th fon is wanting, we therein employ exreaience; • Titus Livius lib. xxix. cap. 22. Aristotle, lib. v. fect. 17. Why experi ence is not a fure means to inform us of the truth of things. + Diog. Laert. in the life of Plutarch, of the Difference betwixt the Flatterer and the Friend, chap. 10. § I cannot imagine from which of Plutarch's tracts Montaigne took this reflection; but in the treatife of Envy and Hatred Plutarch gives it us exactly as it is in the preceding note, viz. "How should he be good, when he is not rigid to "the wicked," chap. 3. VOL. III. Bb Per |