as mine, of several vulgar Things, and Things of which 'tis even a Shame to be ignorant. I must give some Examples of this: I was born and bred in the Country, and amongst Husbandmen; I have had Business and Husbandry in my own Hands, ever fince my Predeceffors, who were Lords of the Eftate I now enjoy, left me to fucceed them; and yet I can't caft up a Sum, either by Pen or Counters: I do not know most of our Coins, nor the Difference betwixt one Grain and another, either growing, or in the Barn, if it be not too apparent; and scarcely can diftinguish the Cabbage and Lettice in my Garden: I do not fo much as understand the Names of the chief Inftruments of Hufbandry, nor the moft ordinary Elements of Agriculture, which the very Children know; much lefs the Mechanic Arts, Traffic, Merchandise, the Variety and Nature of Fruits, Wines, and Meats; nor how to make a Hawk fly, nor to phyfic a Horse, or a Dog. And, fince I must publish my whole Shame, 'tis not above a Month ago, that I was trapped in my Ignorance of the Ufe of Leaven to make Bread, or to what End it was to keep Wine in the Vat. They conjectured, of Old, at Athens P, that a Man, who they faw dexterously made a Faggot of Brush-wood, had a Genius for the Mathematics. In Earneft, they would draw a quite contrary Conclufion from me; for, give me all the Neceffaries of a Kitchin, I should starve. By these Features of my Confeffion, Men may imagine others to my Prejudice: But whatever I deliver myself to be, provided it be fuch as I really am, I have my End; neither will I make any Excufe for committing fuch mean and frivolous Things as thefe to Paper: The Meanness of the Subject compels me to it. They may, if they please, accufe my Project, but not my Progrefs. So it is, that, without any-body's If Montaigne quoted this from his Memory, as is highly probable, he was mistaken in fixing the Fact at Athens; for, according to Diogenes Laer tius, lib. ix. fe&t. 53, it was Protagoras, of Abdera, who being obferved by Democritus to be very ingenious at making Faggots, he thought him capable of attaining to the fublimeft Sciences, ard took Care therein to inftruct him. From hence 'tis very likely, that this was not at Athens, but at Abdera, which was the Country both of Protagoras and Democritus; and Aulus Gellius exprefsly fays fo, lib, v. c. 3. any-body's telling me, I plainly fee of how little Weight and Value all this is, and the Folly of my Defign. 'Tis enough that my Judgment does not contradict itself, in these my Effays. Nafutus fis ufque licet, fis denique nafus, Non potes in nugas dicere plura meas, } Be nos'd, be all Nofe, till thy Nose appear So great, that Atlas it refufe to bear; Though ev'n against Latinus thou inveigh, Against my Trifles thou no more canft fay Than I have faid myself: Then to what End Should we to render Tooth for Tooth contend? You must have Flesh, if you'll be full, my Friend, Lofe not thy Labour; but on those that do Admire themselves thy utmoft Venom throw That these Things nothing are, full well we know.. I am not obliged to utter no Abfurdities, provided I am not deceived in them, and know them to be fuch; and to trip knowingly is fo ordinary with me, that I feldom do it otherwife, and rarely trip by Chance: 'Tis no great Matter to add ridiculous Actions to the TeHis Fickleness, merity of my Humour, fince I cannot ordinarily help fupplying it with thofe that are vicious. I was one Day at Barleduc, when King Francis the Second, for a Memorial of Rene, King of Sicily, was prefented with a Picture he had drawn of himself. Why is it not, in like manner, lawful for every one to draw himself with a Pen, as he did with a Crayon? I will not therefore omit this Blemish, though very unfit to be publifhed, which is Irrefolution; a Defect very detrimental in 9 Mart. lib. xiii. Epig. 2. The Picture of Rene, King of Sicily, drawn by him Self. the the Negociations of the Affairs of the World: In doubtful Enterprises, I know not what to refolve on. Ne fi, ne no, nel cor mi fuona intero. i. e. I can't, from my Heart, pronounce Yes, or No. I can maintain an Opinion, but I cannot chufe one, by reason, that, in human Things, to what Party foever a Man inclines, many Appearances prefent themselves, that confirm us in it; and the Philofopher Chryfippus said, That he would only learn the Doctrines of Zeno and • Cleanthes, his Masters; for as to Proofs and Reasons, < he should find enough of his own: Which Way foever I turn, I still furnish myself with Caufe, and Probability, enough to fix me there; which makes me detain Doubt, and the Liberty of chufing, till Occafion preffes me; and then, to confefs the Truth, I, for the moft part, throw the Feather into the Wind, as the Saying is, and commit myself to the Mercy of Fortune; a very light Inclination and Circumstance carries me along with it. Dum in dubio eft animus, paulo momento buc atque illuc impellitur. i. e. While he is divided in his Mind, a little Matter, will turn him one Way, or t'other. The Uncertainty of my Judgment is fo equally balanced in moft Occurrences, that I could willingly refer it to be decided by Lot, or the Turn of a Die: And I observe, with great Confideration of our human Infirmity, the Examples that the Divine History itself has left us of this Custom of referring the Determination of Elections, in doubtful Things, to Fortune and Chance. Sors cecidit fuper Matthiam: The Lot fell upon Matthias.' Human Reafon is a two-edged and a dangerous Sword: Observe, in the Hand of Socrates, its moft intimate and familiar Friend, how many feveral Points it has. I am also good t Diog. Lacrt. in the Life of Chryfippus, lib. vii, fect. 179. Acts, chap. i. ver. 26, for for nothing but to follow, and fuffer myself to be easily carried away with the Croud: I have not Confidence enough in my own Strength to take upon me to command and lead: I am very glad to find the Way beaten before me by others: If I must run the Hazard of an uncertain Choice, I am rather willing to have it under fuch a one as is more confident in his Opinions than I am in mine, whofe Ground and Foundation I find to be very flippery. And yet I do not easily change, by reason that I difcern the fame Weakness in contrary Opinions. Not given to Ipfa confuetudo affentiendi periculofa effe videtur, change, with et lubrica". The very Custom of affenting regard to State feems to be dangerous and flippery.' Efpecially in political Affairs, there is a large Field open for Wavering and Difpute. Affairs. Fufta pari premitur veluti cum pondere libra, i. e. Like a juft Balance prefs'd with equal Weight, Nor dips, nor rifes, but the Beam is straight. Machiavel's Writings, for Example, were folid enough for the Subject, yet were they easy enough to be controverted, and they who have taken up the Cudgels against him, have left it as easy to controvert theirs. There were never wanting, in that kind of Argument, Replies upon Replies, Rejoynders fur Rejoynders, and that infinite Contexture of Debates, which our wrangling Pettifoggers. have spun out in Favour of Law-fuits. Cadimur, et totidem plagis confumimus hoftem *. i. e. By Turns the Foe beats us, and we the Foe, Reasons having little other Foundation therein than Experience, and the Variety of human Events presenting u Cic. Acad. lib. iv. c. 21. Tibullus, lib. iv. Panegyr. ad Meffalam, v. 41, 42. * Hor. lib. ii. Epift. 2. y. 97. us Book II. us with infinite Examples of all forts of Forms. An underftanding Perfon, of our Times, fays, That whoever would, in Contradiction to our Almanacks, write Cold, • where they fay Hot, and Wet where they fay Dry, and always put the Contrary to what they foretel; if he were to lay a Wager on the Events, he would not care ⚫ which Side he took, excepting Things wherein no Uncertainty could fall out; as to promife exceffive Heats • at Christmas, or Extremity of Cold at Midfummer, which ⚫ cannot poffibly be.' I have the fame Opinion of these political Controverfies; be on which Side you will, you have as fair a Game to play as your Adversary, provided you do not proceed fo far as to joftle Principles that are too manifest to be difputed: And yet, in my Conceit, in public Affairs, there is no Management fo ill, provided it be ancient, and has been conftant, that is not better than Change and Motion. Our Manners are extremely corrupted, and wonderfully incline to the worfe: Of our Laws and Customs, there are many that are barbarous and monstrous: Nevertheless, by reafon of the Difficulty of Reformation, and the Danger of ftirring Things, if I could put a Peg to the Wheel, and keep it where it is, I would do it with all my Heart. -Nunquam adeo fædis adeoque pudendis Utimur exemplis, ut non pejora superfint▾. i. e. As bad as are the Inftances we give, 'tis plain, The worft Thing I find in our State, is the Instability of it; and that our Laws, no more than our Cloaths, cannot fettle in any certain Form. It is very easy to accuse a Government of Imperfection, for all mortal Things are full of it: It is very eafy to beget in a People a Contempt of ancient Obfervances; never any Man undertook it, but he did it; but to establish a better Regimen in the Stead of that which a Man has overthrown, many who have attempted it, have been baffled. I very little confult my Prudence in my Conduct; I am willing to be guided by Juv. Sat. viii. v. 183. the |