Epitomes are the moths and corruptions of learning. MONTAIGNE, Livre III, 8. Tout abbregé sur un bon livre est un sot abbregé. For apophthegms, it is a great loss of that book of Cæsar's; for as his history, and those few letters of his which we have, and those apophthegms which were of his own, excel all men's else, so I suppose would his collection of apophthegms have done. MONTAIGNE, Livre II, 34. Ib. (п, iii, 4). Dieu sçait de quelle grace et de quelle beauté il a fardé cette riche matiere [in his Commentaries] d'une façon de dire si pure, si delicate et si parfaicte, que à mon goust, il n'y a aucuns escrits au monde qui puissent estre comparables aux siens en cette partie. The opinion of Plato, who placed the understanding in the brain, animosity (which he did unfitly call anger, having a greater mixture with pride) in the heart, and concupiscence or sensuality in the liver, deserveth not to be despised; but much less to be allowed. Ib. (ix, 3). employs in telling the story (Sermo 80) a suggestion of the action he ascribes to "la garce" (the word had no disagreeable signification in his mouth): "Thaletum dum coelum contemplatur, in fossam illapsum, ancilla ejus Thracia oriunda jure id pati dixit, qui cum juxta pedes posita ignoraret, coelestia intueretur." (Translation by Gesner. 1555.) MONTAIGNE, Livre II, 12. Platon a mis la raison au cerveau, l'ire au cœur et la cupidité au foye, il est vray-semblable que ç'a esté plustost une interpretation des mouvemens de l'ame qu'une division et separation qu'il en ayt voulu faire, comme d'un corps en plusieurs membres. The art [of medicine] being conjectural hath made so much the more place to be left for imposture. For almost all other arts and sciences are judged by acts or masterpieces, as I may term them, and not by the successes and events. The lawyer is judged by the virtue of his pleading, and not by the issue of the cause. But the physician... hath no particular acts demonstrative of his ability, but is judged most by the event; which is ever but as it is taken: for who can tell, if a patient die or recover . . . whether it be art or accident? MONTAIGNE, Livre II, 37. Ib. (II, x, 2). Ils ont une façon bien avantageuse de se servir de toutes sortes d'evenemens, car ce que la fortune, ce que la nature, ou quelque cause estrangere (desquelles le nombre est infini) produit en nous de bon et de salutaire, c'est le privilege de la medecine de se l'attribuer. Tous les heureux succez qui arrivent au patient qui est soubs son regime, c'est d'elle qu'il les tient. 1 It should seem that hitherto men are rather beholden to a wild goat for surgery [pro emplastris] 1 or to a 1 See De Augmentis, V, 2. nightingale for music, or to the ibis for some part of physic [pro lavationibus intestinorum], or to the potlid that flew open, for artillery, or generally to chance, or anything else than to logic, for the invention of arts and sciences. MONTAIGNE, Livre II, 12. ... Ib. (II, xiii, 2). Pourquoy disons nous que c'est à l'homme science et connoissance, bastie par art et par discours, de discerner les choses utiles à son vivre, et au secours de ses maladies, de celles qui ne le sont pas; . . . et quand nous voyons les chevres de Candie,1 si elles ont receu un coup de trait, aller entre un million d'herbes choisir le dictame pour leur guerison ... les ciguoignes se donner elles mesmes des clysteres à tout [i. e. avec] de l'eau de marine2 . . . pourquoy ne disons nous de mesmes que c'est science et prudence? Or, laissant à part ce que Democritus jugeoit et prouvoit, que la plus part des arts les bestes nous les ont aprises comme .. le rossignol la musique, et plusieurs animaux par leur imitation à faire la medecine. ... Who taught the ant to bite every grain of corn that she burieth in her hill, lest it should take root and grow? 3 Ib. (II, xiii, 2). ["The supposed grains of corn are no doubt the nymphæ. Huber repeatedly observed ants in the act 1 Cf. Virgil, Æneid, xii, 412. 2 See Pliny, Nat. Hist. viii, 41. 3 See Pliny, Nat. Hist. xi, 36; and Plutarch, "On the Craftiness of Animals." of tearing the integuments in which the young ant was enclosed, in order to facilitate its exit." Note on De Aug. v, 2, by R. L. Ellis.] MONTAIGNE, Livre II, 12. Les fourmis estandent au dehors de l'aire leurs grains et semences pour les esventer, refreschir et secher, quand ils voyent qu'ils commencent à se moisir et à sentir le rance, de peur qu'ils ne se corrompent et pourrissent. Mais la caution et prevention dont ils usent à ronger le grain de froment surpasse toute imagination de prudence humaine: parce que le froment ne demeure pas tousjours sec ny sain, ains s'amolit, se resout et destrempe comme en laict, s'acheminant à germer et produire; parquoy, de peur qu'il ne devienne semance et perde sa nature et proprieté de magasin pour leur nourriture, ils rongent le bout par où le germe a accoustumé de sortir. Who taught the raven in a drowth to throw pebbles into an hollow tree, where she spied water, that the water might rise so as she might come to it? 1 Ib. (II, xiii, 2). The distinction between human reason and the sagacity of brutes appears to be a perfectly correct one. Yet there are certain instances of actions performed by animals, by which it seems that brutes too have some power of syllogising; as in the old story of the crow which in a time of great drought being half dead with thirst saw some water in the hollow trunk of a tree: and finding it too narrow to get it, proceeded to drop in a 1 See Pliny, Nat. Hist. x, 40; and Plutarch, op. cit. number of pebbles till the water rose high enough for it to drink; which thing afterwards passed into a proverb. Novum Organum, II, xxxv (Ellis's translation). MONTAIGNE, Livre II, 12. [Montaigne tells the story of a dog that Plutarch saw 1 throw stones into a jar half-full of oil] et en mit dans cette cruche jusques à ce qu'il eust fait hausser l'huile plus prés du bord, où il la peust attaindre. Cela qu'est ce, si ce n'est l'effet d'un esprit bien subtil? On dit que les corbeaux de Barbarie en font de mesme, quand l'eau qu'ils veulent boire est trop basse. For although in the mere gross sort of fallacies it happeneth (as Seneca maketh the comparison well 2) as in juggling feats, which, though we know not how they are done, yet we know well it is not as it seemeth to be; yet the more subtile sort of them doth not only put a man beside his answer, but doth many times abuse [deceive] his judgment. Advancement of Learning (II, xiv, 5). MONTAIGNE, Livre III, 8. Il me semble, de cette implication et entrelasseure du langage par où ils [les "maistres és arts"] nous pressent, qu'il en va comme des joueurs de passe-passe: leur souplesse combat et force nos sens, mais elle n'esbranle aucunement nostre creance. [Bacon speaks of] that comparison which Pythagoras 1 See "On the Craftiness of Animals." 2 Seneca: Ep. Mor. 45, § 8. |