登陆注册
5362600000370

第370章

There is stuff enough in our language, but there is a defect in cutting out: for there is nothing that might not be made out of our terms of hunting and war, which is a fruitful soil to borrow from; and forms of speaking, like herbs, improve and grow stronger by being transplanted.

I find it sufficiently abundant, but not sufficiently pliable and vigorous; it commonly quails under a powerful conception; if you would maintain the dignity of your style, you will often perceive it to flag and languish under you, and there Latin steps in to its relief, as Greek does to others. Of some of these words I have just picked out we do not so easily discern the energy, by reason that the frequent use of them has in some sort abased their beauty, and rendered it common; as in our ordinary language there are many excellent phrases and metaphors to be met with, of which the beauty is withered by age, and the colour is sullied by too common handling; but that nothing lessens the relish to an understanding man, nor does it derogate from the glory of those ancient authors who, 'tis likely, first brought those words into that lustre.

The sciences treat of things too refinedly, after an artificial, very different from the common and natural, way. My page makes love, and understands it; but read to him Leo Hebraeus --[Leo the Jew, Ficinus, Cardinal Bembo, and Mario Equicola all wrote Treatises on Love.]--and Ficinus, where they speak of love, its thoughts and actions, he understands it not. I do not find in Aristotle most of my ordinary motions; they are there covered and disguised in another robe for the use of the schools. Good speed them! were I of the trade, I would as much naturalise art as they artificialise nature. Let us let Bembo and Equicola alone.

When I write, I can very well spare both the company and the remembrance of books, lest they should interrupt my progress; and also, in truth, the best authors too much humble and discourage me: I am very much of the painter's mind, who, having represented cocks most wretchedly ill, charged all his boys not to suffer any natural cock to come into his shop; and had rather need to give myself a little lustre, of the invention of Antigenides the musician, who, when he was asked to sing or play, took care beforehand that the auditory should, either before or after, be satiated with some other ill musicians. But I can hardly be without Plutarch; he is so universal and so full, that upon all occasions, and what extravagant subject soever you take in hand, he will still be at your elbow, and hold out to you a liberal and not to be exhausted hand of riches and embellishments. It vexes me that he is so exposed to be the spoil of those who are conversant with him: I can scarce cast an eye upon him but I purloin either a leg or a wing.

And also for this design of mine 'tis convenient for me for me to write at home, in a wild country, where I have nobody to assist or relieve me; where I hardly see a man who understands the Latin of his Paternoster, and of French a little less. I might have made it better elsewhere, but then the work would have been less my own; and its principal end and perfection is to be exactly mine. I readily correct an accidental error, of which I am full, as I run carelessly on; but for my ordinary and constant imperfections, it were a kind of treason to put them out. When another tells me, or that I say to myself, "Thou art too thick of figures: this is a word of rough Gascon: that is a dangerous phrase (I do not reject any of those that are used in the common streets of France; they who would fight custom with grammar are triflers): this is an ignorant discourse: this is a paradoxical discourse: that is going too far: thou makest thyself too merry at times: men will think thou sayest a thing in good earnest which thou only speakest in jest."--"Yes, I know, but I correct the faults of inadvertence, not those of custom. Do I not talk at the same rate throughout? Do I not represent myself to the life?

'Tis enough that I have done what I designed; all the world knows me in my book, and my book in me."

Now I have an apish, imitative quality: when I used to write verses (and I never made any but Latin), they evidently discovered the poet I had last read, and some of my first essays have a little exotic taste: I speak something another kind of language at Paris than I do at Montaigne.

Whoever I steadfastly look upon easily leaves some impression of his upon me; whatever I consider I usurp, whether a foolish countenance, a disagreeable look, or a ridiculous way of speaking; and vices most of all, because they seize and stick to me, and will not leave hold without shaking. I swear more by imitation than by complexion: a murderous imitation, like that of the apes so terrible both in stature and strength, that Alexander met with in a certain country of the Indies, and which he would have had much ado any other way to have subdued; but they afforded him the means by that inclination of theirs to imitate whatever they saw done; for by that the hunters were taught to put on shoes in their sight, and to tie them fast with many knots, and to muffle up their heads in caps all composed of running nooses, and to seem to anoint their eyes with glue; so did those poor beasts employ their imitation to their own ruin they glued up their own eyes, haltered and bound themselves.

同类推荐
  • 阿弥陀经义述

    阿弥陀经义述

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 阿育王息坏目因缘经

    阿育王息坏目因缘经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 折狱龟鉴

    折狱龟鉴

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太清金阙玉华仙书八极神章三皇内秘文

    太清金阙玉华仙书八极神章三皇内秘文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 诊脉三十二辨

    诊脉三十二辨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 台湾私法商事编

    台湾私法商事编

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 请你向后看其实我一直都在

    请你向后看其实我一直都在

    为了一个诺言,我一直在等你。可是你,还记得我吗?
  • 痛会教我忘记你

    痛会教我忘记你

    她终于回来了,回来的第一件事就是诱惑他,“老公,好久不见!”李家三少气得当场想掐死她,但仍控制不住将她搂在怀里!“既然回来了,哪里还会有放你走的道理?哪怕……孩子不是我的!”当真相一件件浮出水面,两人最终相爱相杀!“孩子,我打掉了!”她决然的转身,留下满身鲜血的他。他苦笑,“你好狠,当真不看我一眼!”然而,只有她知道!这个决绝冷漠的样子,一点也不像她!夏青说,“我夏青要走,没人留得住!”除非,我想留!可是,那个男人终究没给她留下的勇气!
  • 楚辞

    楚辞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 来自终结的世界

    来自终结的世界

    “在最强的尽头,你究竟渴望着什么?”浩瀚的宇宙中,存在着不同的世界。血腥杀戮的世界,武林侠义的世界,修真者的世界,守护兽的世界,超能力者的世界,高端文明的科技世界,以及女神族的世界。每一个世界都有属于它的规则,也有这个世界的主宰者。但当终结来临之后,各个世界的最强者们汇集到了同一个世界,在这里,世界的规则将被重新构筑。当离冰出现在这个世界时,他的身边跟着十三位少女形态的人形兵器,从此,离冰带领着被称为终极兵器的少女们,开始了揭开真相的奇幻旅途。————新书《我能画出你的灵魂》望支持!
  • 大少,能不撩吗?

    大少,能不撩吗?

    一夜之间,却换来他的步步纠缠。纸醉金迷的夜场,他将她堵在了沙发一角,“上了我的船,是不是也该负起该负的责?”女人眼眸微转,“吃亏的是我好不好?”他笑得祸国殃民,“大男人从不欺负女人,这次,换你。”--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 女配攻略男主的101式

    女配攻略男主的101式

    【女配逆袭】叶云烟自己开车突然死亡,绑定了一个250的垃圾系统,从此开始了虐渣男,渣女主的道路。各种霸道总裁,温柔小哥哥,妖魔鬼怪,全部搞定。#男主强势壁咚:“想跑?哼,你这辈子也逃不掉我的!”(男主都是同一人)第一次写文,希望大家喜欢
  • 愚蠢粉丝

    愚蠢粉丝

    年轻人崇拜艺人的坏处,一点好处,内心感受的不断变化及讽刺性.
  • 定鼎奇闻

    定鼎奇闻

    小说描写的是明末清初的故事,通过写明朝末年,社会动荡,李自成起义,但是最终遭遇失败,满清入主中原的故事。文中插入了神魔,具有神话色彩,引人入胜。
  • 无尽道尊

    无尽道尊

    生生不息,逆转乾坤,八荒动乱,九域纷争战乱起,十二界域宗门崩离瓦解...选择生存还是灭亡!实力永远都有话语权,没有实力,那就闭嘴。