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38 - Selected Essays of Michel de Montaigne by Michel Eyquem de Montaigne · Selected Essays of Michel de Montaigne

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  Speaker 1: Section thirty eight of selected Essays of Michel la Montaigne
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  Speaker 1: by Michel la Cambe de Montaigne, translated by Charles Cotton.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by
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  Speaker 1: Pamel and Agami of Profit and Honesty, Part two, A
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  Speaker 1: man may very well behave himself commodiously and loyally too
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  Speaker 1: among those of the adverse party. Carry yourself, if not
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  Speaker 1: with the same equal affection, for that is capable of
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  Speaker 1: different measure, at least with an affection moderate, well tempered,
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  Speaker 1: and such as shall not so engage you to one
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  Speaker 1: party that it may demand all you are able to
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  Speaker 1: do for that side. Content yourself with a moderate proportion
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  Speaker 1: of their favor and good will, and to swim in
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  Speaker 1: troubled waters without fishing in them. The other way of
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  Speaker 1: offering a man self and the utmost service he is
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  Speaker 1: able to do both to one party and the other
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  Speaker 1: has still less a prudence in it than conscience. Does
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  Speaker 1: not he to whom you betray another to whom you
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  Speaker 1: were as welcome as to himself, know that you will
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  Speaker 1: at another time do as much for him. He holds
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  Speaker 1: you for a villain. And in the meantime, here's what
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  Speaker 1: you will say, gathers intelligence from you and works his
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  Speaker 1: own ends out of your disloyalty. Double dealing men are
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  Speaker 1: useful for bringing in, but we must have a care
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  Speaker 1: They carry out as little as is possible. I say
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  Speaker 1: nothing to one party that I may not, upon occasion
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  Speaker 1: say to the other with a little alteration of accent,
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  Speaker 1: and report nothing but things either indifferent or known, or
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  Speaker 1: what is of common consequence. I cannot permit myself, for
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  Speaker 1: any consideration, to tell them alone what is entrusted to
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  Speaker 1: my secrecy. I religiously conceal, but I take as few
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  Speaker 1: trusts of that nature upon me as I can. The
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  Speaker 1: secrets of princes are a troublesome burden to such as
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  Speaker 1: are not interested in them. I very willingly bargain that
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  Speaker 1: they trust me with little, but confidently rely upon what
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  Speaker 1: I tell them. I have ever known more than I desired.
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  Speaker 1: One open way of speaking introduces another open way of speaking,
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  Speaker 1: and draws out discoveries like wine and love. Philippides, in
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  Speaker 1: my opinion, answered king Lysimachus, very discreetly, who asking him
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  Speaker 1: what of his estate he should bestow upon him? What
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  Speaker 1: you will, said he provided it be none of your secrets.
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  Speaker 1: I see everyone is displeased if the bottom of the
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  Speaker 1: affair be concealed from him wherein he is employed, or
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  Speaker 1: that there be any reservation in the thing. For my part,
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  Speaker 1: I am content to know no more of the business
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  Speaker 1: than what they would have me employ myself in, nor
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  Speaker 1: desire that my knowledge should exceed or restrict what I
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  Speaker 1: have to say. If I must serve for an instrument
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  Speaker 1: of deceit, let it be at least with a safe conscience.
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  Speaker 1: I will not be reputed a servant either so affectionate
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  Speaker 1: or so loyal as to be fit to betray any one.
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  Speaker 1: He who is unfaithful to himself is excusably so to
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  Speaker 1: his master. But they are princes who do not accept
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  Speaker 1: men by halves, and despise limited and conditional services. I
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  Speaker 1: cannot help it. I frankly tell them how far I
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  Speaker 1: can go for a slave. I should not be but
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  Speaker 1: to reason, and I can hardly submit even to that.
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  Speaker 1: And they also are to blame who exact from a
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  Speaker 1: freeman the same subjection and obligation to their service that
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  Speaker 1: they do from him they have made and bought, or
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  Speaker 1: whose fortune particularly and expressly depends upon theirs. The laws
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  Speaker 1: have delivered me from a great anxiety. They have chosen
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  Speaker 1: aside from me and given me a master. All other
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  Speaker 1: superiority and obligation ought to be relative to that, and
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  Speaker 1: cut off from all others. Yet this is not to
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  Speaker 1: say that if my affection should otherwise incline me, my
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  Speaker 1: hand should presently obey it. The will and desire are
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  Speaker 1: a law to themselves, but actions must receive commission from
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  Speaker 1: the public appointment. All this proceeding of mine is a
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  Speaker 1: little dissonant from the ordinary forms. It would produce no
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  Speaker 1: great effects, nor be of any long duration. Innocence itself
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  Speaker 1: could not, in this age of ours, either negotiate without
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  Speaker 1: dissimulation or traffic without lying. And indeed public employments are
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  Speaker 1: by no means for my palate. What my profession requires
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  Speaker 1: I perform after the most private manner that I can.
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  Speaker 1: Being young, I was engaged up to the ears in business,
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  Speaker 1: and it succeeded well. But I disengaged myself in good time.
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  Speaker 1: I have often since avoided meddling in it, rarely accepted,
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  Speaker 1: and never asked it, keeping my back still turned to ambition.
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  Speaker 1: But if not like rowers who so advance backward, yet
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  Speaker 1: so at the same time that I am less obliged
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  Speaker 1: to my resolution than to my good fortune, that I
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  Speaker 1: was not wholly embarked in it, For there are ways
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  Speaker 1: less displeasing to my taste and more suitable to my ability,
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  Speaker 1: by which if she had formerly called me to the public, sirvus,
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  Speaker 1: and my own advancement toward the world's opinion, I know
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  Speaker 1: I should, in spite of all my arguments to the contrary,
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  Speaker 1: have pursued them, such as commonly say an opposition to
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  Speaker 1: what I profess, that what I call freedom, simplicity, and
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  Speaker 1: plainness in my manners is art and subtlety, and rather
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  Speaker 1: prudence than goodness, industry than nature, good sense than good luck.
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  Speaker 1: Do me more honor than disgrace, But certainly they make
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  Speaker 1: my subtlety too subtle. And whoever has followed me close
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  Speaker 1: and pride narrowly into me, I will give him the
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  Speaker 1: victory if he does not confess that there is no
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  Speaker 1: rule in their school that could match this natural motion
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  Speaker 1: and maintain an appearance of liberty and license so equal
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  Speaker 1: and inflexible through so many various and crooked paths, and
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  Speaker 1: that all their wit and endeavor could never have led
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  Speaker 1: them through the way of truth. Is one and simple
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  Speaker 1: that of particular profit, and the commodity of affairs a
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  Speaker 1: man is entrusted with is double, unequal and casual. I
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  Speaker 1: have often seen these counterfeit and artificial liberties practiced, but
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  Speaker 1: for the most part without success. They relish of Esop's ass, who,
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  Speaker 1: in emulation of the dog, obligingly clapped his two four
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  Speaker 1: feet upon his master's shoulders. But as many caresses as
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  Speaker 1: the dog had for such an expression of kindness, twice
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  Speaker 1: as many blows with a cudgel had the poor ass
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  Speaker 1: for his compliment. Says Cicero, that best becomes every man
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  Speaker 1: that he is best at. I will not deprive deceit
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  Speaker 1: if its due, that were but ill to understand the world.
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  Speaker 1: I know it has often been of great use, and
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  Speaker 1: that it maintains and supplies most men's employment. There are
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  Speaker 1: vices that are lawful, as there are many actions, either
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  Speaker 1: good or excusable, that are not lawful in themselves. The justice,
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  Speaker 1: which in itself is natural and universal, is otherwise and
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  Speaker 1: more nobly ordered than that other justice, which is special, national,
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  Speaker 1: and constrained to the ends of government. Cicero says further,
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  Speaker 1: we retain no solid and express effigies of true right
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  Speaker 1: and justice. We have only the shadow and image of it,
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  Speaker 1: insomuch that the Sage da damis hearing the lives of Socrates, Pythagoras,
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  Speaker 1: and Diogenes read judge them to be great men every way,
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  Speaker 1: excepting that they were too much subjected to the reverence
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  Speaker 1: of the laws which to second and authorize. True virtue
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  Speaker 1: must debate very much of its original vigor. Many vicious
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  Speaker 1: actions are introduced not only by their permission, but by
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  Speaker 1: their advice. Crimes are committed by the consent of the
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  Speaker 1: magistrates and the common laws. Says Seneca, I follow the
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  Speaker 1: common phrase that distinguishes between profitable and honest things, so
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  Speaker 1: as to call some natural actions that are not only
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  Speaker 1: profitable but necessary, dishonest and foul. But let us proceed
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  Speaker 1: to our examples of treachery. Two pretenders to the kingdom
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  Speaker 1: of Thrace were fallen into dispute about their title. The
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  Speaker 1: emperor hindered them from proceeding to blows, but one of them,
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  Speaker 1: under color of bringing things to a friendly issue by
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  Speaker 1: an interview, having invited his competitor to an entertainment in
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  Speaker 1: his own house, imprisoned and killed him. Justice required that
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  Speaker 1: the Romans should have satisfaction for this offense, but there
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  Speaker 1: was a difficulty in obtaining it by ordinary ways. What
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  Speaker 1: therefore they could not doe legitimately, without war and without danger,
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  Speaker 1: they resolved to do by treachery. And what they could
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  Speaker 1: not honestly do they did profitably, for which end one
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  Speaker 1: Pomponius Floccus was found to be a fit instrument. This man,
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  Speaker 1: by dissembling words and assurances, having drawn the other into
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  Speaker 1: his toils, instead of the honor and favor he had
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  Speaker 1: promised him, sent him bound hand and foot to Rome.
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  Speaker 1: Here one trader betrayed another, contrary to common custom. For
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  Speaker 1: they are full of mistrust, and tis hard to overreach
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  Speaker 1: them in their own art. Witness the sad experience we
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  Speaker 1: have lately had. Footnote Montaigne here probably refers to the
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  Speaker 1: feigned reconciliation between Catherine de Medici and Henry, Duke de
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  Speaker 1: Guise in fifteen eighty eight. Let who will be Pomponius Floccus.
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  Speaker 1: There are enough who would for my part. Both my
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  Speaker 1: word and my faith are like all the rest parts
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  Speaker 1: of this common body. Their best effect is the public service.
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  Speaker 1: This I take for presupposed. But should one command me
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  Speaker 1: to take charge of the courts, of law and law suits,
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  Speaker 1: I should make answer that I understood it not or
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  Speaker 1: the place of a leader of pioneers, I would say
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  Speaker 1: that I was called to a more honorable employment. So likewise,
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  Speaker 1: he that would employ me to lie, betray and forswear myself,
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  Speaker 1: though not to assassinate or to poison for some notable service,
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  Speaker 1: I should say, if I have robbed or stolen anything
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  Speaker 1: from any man, send me rather to the galleys. For
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  Speaker 1: it is permissible in a man of honor to say,
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  Speaker 1: as the Lacedaemonians did, having been defeated by Antipater, When
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  Speaker 1: just upon concluding an agreement, you may impose as heavy
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  Speaker 1: and ruinous taxes as you please, But to command us
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  Speaker 1: to do shameful and dishonest things, you will lose your time,
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  Speaker 1: for it is to no purpose. Everyone ought to make
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  Speaker 1: the same vow to himself that the kings of Egypt
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  Speaker 1: made their judges solemnly swear that they would not do
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  Speaker 1: anything contrary to their consciences, though never so much commanded
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  Speaker 1: to it by themselves. In such commissions there is evident
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  Speaker 1: mark of ignominy and condemnation, and he who gives it
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  Speaker 1: at the same time accuses you and gives it, if
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  Speaker 1: you understand it right for a burden and a punishment.
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  Speaker 1: As much as the public affairs are bettered by your exploit,
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  Speaker 1: so much are your own the worse, and the better
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  Speaker 1: you behave yourself in it tis so much the worse
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  Speaker 1: for yourself. And it will be no new thing, nor
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  Speaker 1: peradventure without some color of justice if the same person
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  Speaker 1: ruined you who set you on work. If treachery can
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  Speaker 1: be in any case excusable, it must be only so
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  Speaker 1: when it is practiced to chastise and betray treachery. There
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  Speaker 1: are examples enough of treacheries not only rejected, but chastised
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  Speaker 1: and punished by those in favor of whom they were undertaken.
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  Speaker 1: Who is ignorant of Fabricius's sentence against the physician of peeris.
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  Speaker 1: But this we also find recorded that some persons have
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  Speaker 1: commanded a thing, who afterward have severely avenged the execution
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  Speaker 1: of it upon him they had employed, rejecting the reputation
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  Speaker 1: of so unbridled an authority, and disowning so abandoned in
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  Speaker 1: base a servitude and obedience. Yaropelch, Duke of Russia, tampered
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  Speaker 1: with a gentleman of Hungary to betray Balislaus, King of Poland,
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  Speaker 1: either by killing him or by giving the Russians opportunit
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  Speaker 1: unity to do him some notable mischief. This worthy went
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  Speaker 1: ably to work. He was more assiduous than before in
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  Speaker 1: the service of that king, so that he obtained the
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  Speaker 1: honor to be of his council and one of the
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  Speaker 1: chiefest in his trust. With these advantages, and taking an
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  Speaker 1: opportune occasion of his master's absence, he betrayed Vislisha, a
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  Speaker 1: great and rich city to the Russians, which was entirely
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  Speaker 1: sacked and burned, and not only all the inhabitants of
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  Speaker 1: both sexes, young and old, put to the sword, but
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  Speaker 1: moreover a great number of neighboring gentry, whom he had
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  Speaker 1: drawden thither to that end yarro Pelch his revenge being
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  Speaker 1: thus satisfied in his anger appeased, which was not indeed
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  Speaker 1: without pretense, for Balaslaus had highly offended him, And after
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  Speaker 1: the same manner, and sated with the fruit of this treachery,
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  Speaker 1: coming to consider the foulness of it, with a sound
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  Speaker 1: judgment and clear from passion, looked upon what had been
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  Speaker 1: done with so much horror and remorse. That he caused
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  Speaker 1: the eyes to be bored out, and the tongue and
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  Speaker 1: shameful parts to be cut off of him who had
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  Speaker 1: performed it. Antigonus persuaded the Argyrispidian soldiers to betray Eumenes,
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  Speaker 1: their general, his adversary, into his hands. But after he
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  Speaker 1: had caused him so delivered to be slain, he would
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  Speaker 1: himself be the commissioner of the divine justice for the
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  Speaker 1: punishment of so detestable a crime, and committed them into
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  Speaker 1: the hands of the governor of the province, with express command,
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  Speaker 1: by whatever means to destroy and bring them all to
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  Speaker 1: an evil end, so that of that great number of men,
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  Speaker 1: not so much as one ever returned again into Macedonia.
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  Speaker 1: The better he had been served, the more wickedly he
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  Speaker 1: judged it to be, and meriti greater punishment. The slave
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  Speaker 1: who betrayed the place where his master, Publius Sulpicious lay concealed, was,
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  Speaker 1: according to the promise of Scylla's proscription manumented for his pains,
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  Speaker 1: But according to the promise of the public justice, which
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  Speaker 1: was free from any such engagement, he was thrown headlong
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  Speaker 1: from the Tarpeian rock. Our King Clovis instead of the
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  Speaker 1: arms of gold he had promised them. Caused three of
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  Speaker 1: Kannaker's servants to be hanged after they had betrayed their
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  Speaker 1: master to him, though he had debauched them to it.
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  Speaker 1: He hanged them with the purse of their reward about
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  Speaker 1: their necks. After having satisfied his second and special faith,
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  Speaker 1: he satisfied the general and first end of section thirty eight.