第 13 节
作者:上访不如上网      更新:2022-05-01 22:41      字数:9322
  never be prevailed upon to go with his head covered; how cold; stormy; or
  rainy soever the weather might be; which also is reported of the Emperor
  Severus。  Herodotus tells us; that in the battles fought betwixt the
  Egyptians and the Persians; it was observed both by himself and by
  others; that of those who were left dead upon the field; the heads of the
  Egyptians were without comparison harder than those of the Persians; by
  reason that the last had gone with their heads always covered from their
  infancy; first with biggins; and then with turbans; and the others always
  shaved and bare。  King Agesilaus continued to a decrepit age to wear
  always the same clothes in winter that he did in summer。  Caesar; says
  Suetonius; marched always at the head of his army; for the most part on
  foot; with his head bare; whether it was rain or sunshine; and as much is
  said of Hannibal:
  〃Tum vertice nudo;
  Excipere insanos imbres; coelique ruinam。〃
  '〃Bareheaded he marched in snow; exposed to pouring rain and the
  utmost rigour of the weather。〃Silius Italicus; i。 250。'
  A Venetian who has long lived in Pegu; and has lately returned thence;
  writes that the men and women of that kingdom; though they cover all
  their other parts; go always barefoot and ride so too; and Plato very
  earnestly advises for the health of the whole body; to give the head and
  the feet no other clothing than what nature has bestowed。  He whom the
  Poles have elected for their king;'Stephen Bathory' since ours came
  thence; who is; indeed; one of the greatest princes of this age; never
  wears any gloves; and in winter or whatever weather can come; never wears
  other cap abroad than that he wears at home。  Whereas I cannot endure to
  go unbuttoned or untied; my neighbouring labourers would think themselves
  in chains; if they were so braced。  Varro is of opinion; that when it was
  ordained we should be bare in the presence of the gods and before the
  magistrate; it was so ordered rather upon the score of health; and to
  inure us to the injuries of weather; than upon the account of reverence;
  and since we are now talking of cold; and Frenchmen used to wear variety
  of colours (not I myself; for I seldom wear other than black or white; in
  imitation of my father); let us add another story out of Le Capitaine
  Martin du Bellay; who affirms; that in the march to Luxembourg he saw so
  great frost; that the munition…wine was cut with hatchets and wedges; and
  delivered out to the soldiers by weight; and that they carried it away in
  baskets: and Ovid;
  〃Nudaque consistunt; formam servantia testae;
  Vina; nec hausta meri; sed data frusta; bibunt。〃
  '〃The wine when out of the cask retains the form of the cask;
  and is given out not in cups; but in bits。〃
  Ovid; Trist。; iii。 10; 23。'
  At the mouth of Lake Maeotis the frosts are so very sharp; that in the
  very same place where Mithridates' lieutenant had fought the enemy
  dryfoot and given them a notable defeat; the summer following he obtained
  over them a naval victory。  The Romans fought at a very great
  disadvantage; in the engagement they had with the Carthaginians near
  Piacenza; by reason that they went to the charge with their blood
  congealed and their limbs numbed with cold; whereas Hannibal had caused
  great fires to be dispersed quite through his camp to warm his soldiers;
  and oil to be distributed amongst them; to the end that anointing
  themselves; they might render their nerves more supple and active; and
  fortify the pores against the violence of the air and freezing wind;
  which raged in that season。
  The retreat the Greeks made from Babylon into their own country is famous
  for the difficulties and calamities they had to overcome; of which this
  was one; that being encountered in the mountains of Armenia with a
  horrible storm of snow; they lost all knowledge of the country and of the
  ways; and being driven up; were a day and a night without eating or
  drinking; most of their cattle died; many of themselves were starved to
  death; several struck blind with the force of the hail and the glare of
  the snow; many of them maimed in their fingers and toes; and many stiff
  and motionless with the extremity of the cold; who had yet their
  understanding entire。
  Alexander saw a nation; where they bury their fruit…trees in winter to
  protect them from being destroyed by the frost; and we also may see the
  same。
  But; so far as clothes go; the King of Mexico changed four times a day
  his apparel; and never put it on again; employing that he left off in his
  continual liberalities and rewards; and neither pot; dish; nor other
  utensil of his kitchen or table was ever served twice。
  CHAPTER XXXVI
  OF CATO THE YOUNGER
  '〃I am not possessed with this common errour; to judge of others
  according to what I am my selfe。  I am easie to beleeve things
  differing from my selfe。  Though I be engaged to one forme; I do not
  tie the world unto it; as every man doth。  And I beleeve and
  conceive a thousand manners of life; contrary to the common sorte。〃
  Florio; ed。 1613; p。 113。'
  I am not guilty of the common error of judging another by myself。  I
  easily believe that in another's humour which is contrary to my own; and
  though I find myself engaged to one certain form; I do not oblige others
  to it; as many do; but believe and apprehend a thousand ways of living;
  and; contrary to most men; more easily admit of difference than
  uniformity amongst us。  I as frankly as any one would have me; discharge
  a man from my humours and principles; and consider him according to his
  own particular model。  Though I am not continent myself; I nevertheless
  sincerely approve the continence of the Feuillans and Capuchins; and
  highly commend their way of living。  I insinuate myself by imagination
  into their place; and love and honour them the more for being other than
  I am。  I very much desire that we may be judged every man by himself; and
  would not be drawn into the consequence of common examples。  My own
  weakness nothing alters the esteem I ought to have for the force and
  vigour of those who deserve it:
  〃Sunt qui nihil suadent; quam quod se imitari posse confidunt。〃
  '〃There are who persuade nothing but what they believe they can
  imitate themselves。〃Cicero; De Orator。; c。 7。'
  Crawling upon the slime of the earth; I do not for all that cease to
  observe up in the clouds the inimitable height of some heroic souls。
  'Tis a great deal for me to have my judgment regular and just; if the
  effects cannot be so; and to maintain this sovereign part; at least; free
  from corruption; 'tis something to have my will right and good where my
  legs fail me。  This age wherein we live; in our part of the world at
  least; is grown so stupid; that not only the exercise; but the very
  imagination of virtue is defective; and seems to be no other but college
  jargon:
  〃Virtutem verba putant; ut
  Lucum ligna:〃
  '〃They think words virtue; as they think mere wood a sacred grove。〃
  Horace; Ep。; i。 6; 31。'
  〃Quam vereri deberent; etiam si percipere non possent。〃
  '〃Which they ought to reverence; though they cannot comprehend。〃
  Cicero; Tusc。 Quas。; v。 2。'
  'Tis a gewgaw to hang in a cabinet or at the end of the tongue; as on the
  tip of the ear; for ornament only。  There are no longer virtuous actions
  extant; those actions that carry a show of virtue have yet nothing of its
  essence; by reason that profit; glory; fear; custom; and other suchlike
  foreign causes; put us on the way to produce them。  Our justice also;
  valour; courtesy; may be called so too; in respect to others and
  according to the face they appear with to the public; but in the doer it
  can by no means be virtue; because there is another end proposed; another
  moving cause。  Now virtue owns nothing to be hers; but what is done by
  herself and for herself alone。
  In that great battle of Plataea; that the Greeks under the command of
  Pausanias gained against Mardonius and the Persians; the conquerors;
  according to their custom; coming to divide amongst them the glory of the
  exploit; attributed to the Spartan nation the pre…eminence of valour in
  the engagement。  The Spartans; great judges of virtue; when they came to
  determine to what particular man of their nation the honour was due of
  having the best behaved himself upon this occasion; found that
  Aristodemus had of all others hazarded his person with the greatest
  bravery; but did not; however; allow him any prize; by reason that his
  virtue had been incited by a desire to clear his reputation from the
  reproach of his miscarriage at the business of Thermopylae; and to die
  bravely to wipe off that former blemish。
  Our judgments are yet sick; and obey the humour of our depraved manners。
  I observe most of the wits of these times pretend to ingenuity; by
  endeavouring to blemish and darken the glory of the bravest and most
  generous actions of former ages; putting one vile interpretation or
  another upon them; and forging and supposing vain causes and motives for
  the noble thing