第 6 节
作者:上访不如上网      更新:2022-05-01 22:41      字数:9322
  their festivals; but when the wine began to work in good earnest; and
  that they were to give the reins to pleasure; they sent them back to
  their private apartments; that they might not participate in their
  immoderate lust; sending for other women in their stead; with whom they
  were not obliged to so great a decorum of respect。'Plutarch; Precepts
  of Marriage; c。  14。'  All pleasures and all sorts of gratifications
  are not properly and fitly conferred upon all sorts of persons。
  Epaminondas had committed to prison a young man for certain debauches;
  for whom Pelopidas mediated; that at his request he might be set at
  liberty; which Epaminondas denied to him; but granted it at the first
  word to a wench of his; that made the same intercession; saying; that it
  was a gratification fit for such a one as she; but not for a captain。
  Sophocles being joint praetor with Pericles; seeing accidentally a fine
  boy pass by: 〃O what a charming boy is that!〃 said he。  〃That might be
  very well;〃 answered Pericles; 〃for any other than a praetor; who ought
  not only to have his hands; but his eyes; too; chaste。〃 'Cicero; De
  Offic。; i。 40。'  AElius Verus; the emperor; answered his wife; who
  reproached him with his love to other women; that he did it upon a
  conscientious account; forasmuch as marriage was a name of honour and
  dignity; not of wanton and lascivious desire; and our ecclesiastical
  history preserves the memory of that woman in great veneration; who
  parted from her husband because she would not comply with his indecent
  and inordinate desires。  In fine; there is no pleasure so just and
  lawful; where intemperance and excess are not to be condemned。
  But; to speak the truth; is not man a most miserable creature the while?
  It is scarce; by his natural condition; in his power to taste one
  pleasure pure and entire; and yet must he be contriving doctrines and
  precepts to curtail that little he has; he is not yet wretched enough;
  unless by art and study he augment his own misery:
  〃Fortunae miseras auximus arte vias。〃
  '〃We artificially augment the wretchedness of fortune。〃
  Properitius; lib。 iii。 7; 44。'
  Human wisdom makes as ill use of her talent; when she exercises it in
  rescinding from the number and sweetness of those pleasures that are
  naturally our due; as she employs it favourably and well in artificially
  disguising and tricking out the ills of life; to alleviate the sense of
  them。  Had I ruled the roast; I should have taken another and more
  natural course; which; to say the truth; is both commodious and holy; and
  should; peradventure; have been able to have limited it too;
  notwithstanding that both our spiritual and corporal physicians; as by
  compact betwixt themselves; can find no other way to cure; nor other
  remedy for the infirmities of the body and the soul; than by misery and
  pain。  To this end; watchings; fastings; hair…shirts; remote and solitary
  banishments; perpetual imprisonments; whips and other afflictions; have
  been introduced amongst men: but so; that they should carry a sting with
  them; and be real afflictions indeed; and not fall out as it once did to
  one Gallio; who having been sent an exile into the isle of Lesbos; news
  was not long after brought to Rome; that he there lived as merry as the
  day was long; and that what had been enjoined him for a penance; turned
  to his pleasure and satisfaction: whereupon the Senate thought fit to
  recall him home to his wife and family; and confine him to his own house;
  to accommodate their punishment to his feeling and apprehension。  For to
  him whom fasting would make more healthful and more sprightly; and to him
  to whose palate fish were more acceptable than flesh; the prescription of
  these would have no curative effect; no more than in the other sort of
  physic; where drugs have no effect upon him who swallows them with
  appetite and pleasure: the bitterness of the potion and the abhorrence of
  the patient are necessary circumstances to the operation。  The nature
  that would eat rhubarb like buttered turnips; would frustrate the use and
  virtue of it; it must be something to trouble and disturb the stomach;
  that must purge and cure it; and here the common rule; that things are
  cured by their contraries; fails; for in this one ill is cured by
  another。
  This belief a little resembles that other so ancient one; of thinking to
  gratify the gods and nature by massacre and murder: an opinion
  universally once received in all religions。  And still; in these later
  times wherein our fathers lived; Amurath at the taking of the Isthmus;
  immolated six hundred young Greeks to his father's soul; in the nature of
  a propitiatory sacrifice for his sins。  And in those new countries
  discovered in this age of ours; which are pure and virgin yet; in
  comparison of ours; this practice is in some measure everywhere received:
  all their idols reek with human blood; not without various examples of
  horrid cruelty: some they burn alive; and take; half broiled; off the
  coals to tear out their hearts and entrails; some; even women; they flay
  alive; and with their bloody skins clothe and disguise others。  Neither
  are we without great examples of constancy and resolution in this affair
  the poor souls that are to be sacrificed; old men; women; and children;
  themselves going about some days before to beg alms for the offering of
  their sacrifice; presenting themselves to the slaughter; singing and
  dancing with the spectators。
  The ambassadors of the king of Mexico; setting out to Fernando Cortez the
  power and greatness of their master; after having told him; that he had
  thirty vassals; of whom each was able to raise an hundred thousand
  fighting men; and that he kept his court in the fairest and best
  fortified city under the sun; added at last; that he was obliged yearly
  to offer to the gods fifty thousand men。  And it is affirmed; that he
  maintained a continual war; with some potent neighbouring nations; not
  only to keep the young men in exercise; but principally to have
  wherewithal to furnish his sacrifices with his prisoners of war。  At a
  certain town in another place; for the welcome of the said Cortez; they
  sacrificed fifty men at once。  I will tell you this one tale more; and I
  have done; some of these people being beaten by him; sent to acknowledge
  him; and to treat with him of a peace; whose messengers carried him three
  sorts of gifts; which they presented in these terms: 〃Behold; lord; here
  are five slaves: if thou art a furious god that feedeth upon flesh and
  blood; eat these; and we will bring thee more; if thou art an affable
  god; behold here incense and feathers; but if thou art a man; take these
  fowls and these fruits that we have brought thee。〃
  CHAPTER XXX
  OF CANNIBALS
  When King Pyrrhus invaded Italy; having viewed and considered the order
  of the army the Romans sent out to meet him; 〃I know not;〃 said he;
  〃what kind of barbarians〃 (for so the Greeks called all other nations)
  〃these may be; but the disposition of this army that I see has nothing of
  barbarism in it。〃 'Plutarch; Life of Pyrrhus; c。 8。' As much said the
  Greeks of that which Flaminius brought into their country; and Philip;
  beholding from an eminence the order and distribution of the Roman camp
  formed in his kingdom by Publius Sulpicius Galba; spake to the same
  effect。  By which it appears how cautious men ought to be of taking
  things upon trust from vulgar opinion; and that we are to judge by the
  eye of reason; and not from common report。
  I long had a man in my house that lived ten or twelve years in the New
  World; discovered in these latter days; and in that part of it where
  Villegaignon landed;'At Brazil; in 1557。' which he called Antarctic
  France。  This discovery of so vast a country seems to be of very great
  consideration。  I cannot be sure; that hereafter there may not be
  another; so many wiser men than we having been deceived in this。  I am
  afraid our eyes are bigger than our bellies; and that we have more
  curiosity than capacity; for we grasp at all; but catch nothing but wind。
  Plato brings in Solon; 'In Timaeus。' telling a story that he had
  heard from the priests of Sais in Egypt; that of old; and before the
  Deluge; there was a great island called Atlantis; situate directly at the
  mouth of the straits of Gibraltar; which contained more countries than
  both Africa and Asia put together; and that the kings of that country;
  who not only possessed that Isle; but extended their dominion so far into
  the continent that they had a country of Africa as far as Egypt; and
  extending in Europe to Tuscany; attempted to encroach even upon Asia; and
  to subjugate all the nations that border upon the Mediterranean Sea; as
  far as the Black Sea; and to that effect overran all Spain; the Gauls;
  and Italy; so far as to penetrate into Greece; where the Athenians
  stopped them: but that some time after; both the Athenians; and they and
  their island; were swallowed by the Flood。
  It is very likely that this extreme irruption and inundation of water
  made wonderful changes and alterations in the habitations of the earth;
  as 'tis said that the sea then divided Sicily from Italy
  〃Haec loca; vi quon