i. e. Thy Superfluities do trouble thee, And what I want, and pant for, troubles me. Defire and Fruition do equally afflict us: The Rigours of Mistresses are difagreeable, but Facility, to fay Truth, is more fo; forafmuch as Difcontent and Anger fpring from the Efteem we have of the Thing defired; Love warms and stimulates, but Satiety begets Difguft; 'tis a blunt, dull, ftupid, and fleepy Paffion. Si qua volet regnare diu, contemnat amantem : contemnite, amantes, Sic kodie veniet, fi qua negavit beri *. i. e. The Lady that would keep her Servant ftill, Why did Poppea invent the Ufe of a Mask to hide her beautiful Face, but to enhance it to her Lovers? Why have they veiled, even below the Heels, those Beauties that every one defires to fhew, and every one defires to fee? Why do they cover, with fo many Hindrances, one over another, the Parts where our Defires, and their own, have their principal Seat? And to what End are those great hooped Bastions, with which our Ladies fortify their Haunches, but to allure our Appetite, and to draw us the nearer to them, by removing us the farther from them. Et fugit ad falices, et fe cupit ante videri 3. i. e. And to the Willows flies to be conceal'd, i. e. f Propert. lib. ii. Eleg. 14. Propert. lib. ii. Eleg. 13. v. 6. People who contentedly and fecurely without offenfive Arms. Montaigne fafe, in a defenceless Houfe, during the Civil Wars. The Greek Hiftories make Mention of the Agrippians', Neighbours to Scythia, who live either without Rod or Stick to offend; that not only have lived no one attempts to attack them, but whoever can fly thither is fafe, by reason of their Virtue and Sanctity of Life, and no one is fo bold as there to lay Hands upon them; and they have Applications made to them, to determine the Controverfies that arife betwixt Men of other Countries. There is a certain Nation, where the Inclosures of Gardens and Fields, which they would preferve, is made only of a String of Cotton-yarn; and, fo fenced, is more firm and fecure than our Hedges and Ditches. m Furem fignata folicitant: Aperta effractarius præterit. Things fealed up, invite a Thief: House-breakers pafs by open Doors. Peradventure, the Facility of entering my House, amongst other Things, has been a Means to preferve it from the Violence of our Civil Wars: Defence allures an Attempt, and Defiance provokes an Attack. I enervated the Soldiers Defign, by depriving the Exploit of all Danger, and all Matter of Military Glory, which is wont to ferve them for Pretence and Excufe. Whatever is done courageously, is ever done honourably, at a Time when the Laws are filent. I render the Conquest of my House cowardly and base to them; it is never shut to any one that knocks. My Gate has no other Guard than a Porter, by ancient Custom and Ceremony; who does not fo much ferve to defend it, as to offer it with more Decency, and the better Grace. I have no other Guard or Centinel than the Stars. A Gentleman would be in the Wrong to make a Shew of Defence, if he be not really in a Condition to defend himself. He that lies open on one Side, is every-where so. Our Ancestors did not think of building Frontier Garrifons. The Methods of Affaulting, I mean, without Battery and Army, and of furprising our Houses, increase every Day above the Means to guard them. Mens Wits are generally fharp fet that Way: Invasion every one is concerned in, none but the Rich in Defence. 1 Herodot. lib. iv. p. 263. * Senec. Ep. 68. and by having our Zeal and Forces exercised by reason of this Oppofition, I know not whether the Utility would not furmount the Damage. Whether the Marriage Tie is rendered the firmer by taking away We have thought to tie the Nuptial Knot more faft and firm, by having taken away all Means of diffolving it; but the Knot of the Will and Affection is fo much the more flackened and made loose, by how much that of Conftraint is drawn closer together: And, on the contrary, that which kept the Marriages at Rome fo long in Honour, and inviolate, was the Liberty every one, that would, had to break them. They kept their Wives the better, because they might part with them if they would; and in the full Liberty of Divorces they lived fifty Years, and more, before any one made Ufe the Means of diffolving it. on't. Quod licet, ingratum eft, quod non licet, acriùs urit1. i. e. What's free we are difgufted at, and flight; We might here introduce the Opinion of one of the Ancients, upon this Occafion, That Executions rather whet than dull the Edge of Vices: That they do not beget the Care of doing well, that being the Work of Reason and Difcipline, but only a Care not to be taken in doing ill.' Latiùs excife peftis contagia ferpunt *. i. e. The Plague-fore being launc'd, th' Infection spreads. I do not know that this is true; but I experimentally know, that Civil Government never was, by that Means, reformed The Order and Regulation of Manners depend upon fome other Expedient. i Ovid. Amor. lib. i. El. 19. v., 3. v. 397• The * Rutilius in Itinerario, lib. i. 1 People who contentedly and fecurely without offenfive Arms. Montaigne fafe, in a defenceless Houfe, during the Ci The Greek Hiftories make Mention of the Agrippians', Neighbours to Scythia, who live either without Rod or Stick to offend; that not only have lived no one attempts to attack them, but whoever can fly thither is fafe, by reafon of their Virtue and Sanctity of Life, and no one is fo bold as there to lay Hands upon them; and they have Applications made to them, to determine the Controverfies that arife betwixt Men of other Countries. There is a certain Nation, where the Inclosures of Gardens and Fields, which they would preferve, is made only of a String of Cotton-yarn; and, fo fenced, is more firm and fecure than our Hedges and Ditches. m Furem fignata folicitant: Aperta effractarius præterit. Things fealed up, invite a Thief: House-breakers pafs by open Doors. Peradventure, the Facility of entering my House, amongst other Things, has been a Means to preferve it from the Violence of our Civil Wars: Defence allures an Attempt, and Defiance provokes an Attack. I enervated the Soldiers Defign, by depriving the Exploit of all Danger, and all Matter of Military Glory, which is wont to serve them for Pretence and Excufe. Whatever is done courageously, is ever done honourably, at a Time when the Laws are filent. I render the Conquest of my House cowardly and base to them; it is never fhut to any one that knocks. My Gate has no other Guard than a Porter, by ancient Custom and Ceremony; who does not fo much ferve to defend it, as to offer it with more Decency, and the better Grace. I have no other Guard or Centinel than the Stars. A Gentleman would be in the Wrong to make a Shew of Defence, if he be not really in a Condition to defend himself. He that lies open on one Side, is every-where fo. Our Ancestors did not think of building Frontier Garrifons. The Methods of Affaulting, I mean, without Battery and Army, and of furprising our Houses, increase every Day above the Means to guard them. Mens Wits are generally fharp fet that Way: Invafion every one is concerned in, none but the Rich in Defence. 1 Herodot. lib. iv. p. 263. vil Wars. - Senec. Ep. 68. Book II. Defence. Mine was ftrong for the Time wherein it was built; I have added nothing to it of that kind, and fhould fear left its Strength would turn against myself, besides which, we are to confider, that a peaceable Time would require it to be dismantled. There is Danger never to be able to regain it, and it would be very hard to fecure it : For, in inteftine Commotions, your Man may be of the Party you fear; and where Religion is the Pretext, even a Man's nearest Relation becomes faithless with a Colour of Juftice. The public Exchequer will not maintain our domeftic Garrifons; they would exhauft it: We ourselves have not wherewithal to do it without our Ruin, or, which is more inconvenient and injurious, without ruining the People: As to the reft, you thereby lofe all, and even your Friends will be ready to accuse your Want of Vigilancy, and your Improvidence, than to pity you, as well as to blame your Ignorance or Lukewarmnefs in the Duties of your Profeffion. That so many garrisoned Houses have been loft, whereas this of mine remains, makes me apt to believe, that they were only loft, by being guarded: This gives an Enemy both a ftrong Inclination and Colour of Reafon: All Watching and Warding fhews a Face of War. Let who will come to me in God's Name, but I fhall not invite them: 'Tis the Retirement I have chofen for my Repose from War: I endeavour to fequefter this Corner from the public Tempeft, as I also do another Corner in my Soul. Our War may put on what Forms it will, multiply and diverfify itself into new Parties; for my own Part I fhall not budge. Amongst so many garrifoned Houfes, I am the only Perfon, of my Condition, that I know of, who have purely intrusted mine to the Protection of Heaven, without removing either Plate, Deeds, or Hangings. I will neither fear, nor fave myself by halves: If a full Acknowledgment can acquire the Divine Favour, it will continue with me to the End: If not, I have ftaid long enough, to render my Continuance remarkable, and fit to be recorded; How? Why, I have lived there thirty Years. CHAP. |