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266 ESSAYS OF MONTAIGNE

“That saying,” said Pericles, “would be blameless for an- other than a preetor, who should have not only chaste hands, but chaste eyes.” (a) The Emperor A‘lius Verus replied to his wife, when she complained of his allowing himself to love other women, that he did it from conscientious motives, be- cause marriage was a title of honour and dignity, not of wanton and licentious concupiscence.' (c) And our ancient religious authors * speak with all respect of a wife who re- periaten her husband because she was unwilling to yield to

is too licentious and immoderate passion. (a) In short, there is no pleasure so lawful that excess and lack of modera- tion in it are not blameworthy.

But speaking in good conscience, is not man a pitiful creature? It is hardly in his power, from his natural condi- tion, to enjoy a single pure and unalloyed pleasure; yet he takes pains to lessen this power by precepts; he is not piti- able enough if he does not add to his wretchedness by craft and study.

(4) Fortune miseras auximus arte vias.?

(c) Human wisdom plays the sage very foolishly‘ in exercis- ing herself to diminish the number and the charm of the pleasures which belong to us, while she shows kindness and vigilance in employing her skill in smoothing and colouring our ills,§ and lightening our perception of them. Had I been in command, I would om chosen a more natural path, and one more direct and godly; and perchance I might have made myself strong enough not to go too far.

(a) What of the fact that our doctors, spiritual and cor- poreal, as if they had conspired together, find no road to a cure, nor any remedy for the ills of body and mind save by anguish, pain, and trouble. Vigils, fastings, hair-shirts, dis- tant and solitary exile, perpetual imprisonment, scourgings, and other afflictions, were introduced for that purpose; and

1 See Spartianus, L/ius Verus.

  • Eusebius and Nicephorus.
  • We artificially make worse the painful paths of fortune. — Pro-

pertius, III, 7.32.

‘ Faict bien sottement [ingenieuse.

  • Comme elle faict favorablement et industrieusement d’employer ses

artifices a nous peigner et farder les maux.

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