Essays vvritten in French by Michael Lord of Montaigne, Knight of the Order of S. Michael, gentleman of the French Kings chamber: done into English, according to the last French edition, by Iohn Florio reader of the Italian tongue vnto the Soueraigne Maiestie of Anna, Queene of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, &c. And one of the gentlemen of hir royall priuie chamber

The seven and fortieth Chapter.

Of the vncertainti•• of our iudgement.

IT is even as, that verse saith,

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

Of words on either side, A large doale they divide.

There is law sufficient to speake every where, both pro and contra; As for example:

Ʋinse Hannibal, & non seppe vsar'poi Ben la vitt••riosa sua ventura. Hanniball conquer'd, but he knew not after To vse well his victorious good fortune.

He that shall take this part, and with our men go about, to make that over-sight prevaile, that we did not lately pursue our fortune at Montcontour: Or he that shall accuse the King of Spaine, who could not vse the advantage he had against-vs at Saint Quintin, may say this fault to have proceeded from a mind drunken with his good fortune, and from a courage ful-gorged with the beginning of good lucke; looseth the taste how to encrease-it, being already hindred from digesting what he hath conceived of-it: He hath his hands full, and can not take hold any more: Vnworthie that ever fortune should cast so great a good into his lap: For, what profit hath he of-••t, if notwithstanding, he give his enemie leasure and meanes to recover himselfe? What hope may one have, that he will once more adventure to charge these re-enforced and re-united forces, and new armed with despite and venge∣ance, that durst-not, or knew-not how to pursue them being dismaied and put to rout?

Dum fortuna calet, dum conficit omnia terror.

While fortune is at height in heat, And terror worketh all by great.

But to conclude, what can he expect better, then what he hath lately lost? It is not, as at Fence, where the number of venies given, gets the victorie: So long as the enemie is on foote, a man is newly to begin. It is no victorie, except it end the warre. In that conflict where Caesar had the worse, neer ••he Citie of Oricum, he reprochfully said vnto Pompeis Souldiers, That he had vtterly been overthrowne, had their Captaine knowne how to conquer: and paide him home after another fashion when it came to his turne. But why may not a man also hold the contrarie? That ••t is the effect of an insatiate and rash-headlong minde, not to know how to limit or periode his covetousnesse: That it is an abusing of Gods favours, to go about to make them loose the measure he hath prescribed them, and that a-new to cast himselfe into danger after the victory, is once ••ore to remit the same vnto the mercie of fortune: That one of the chief∣est policies in militarie profession, is, not to drive his enemie vnto dispaire. Sill•• and Marius in the sociall warre, having discomfited the Marsians, seeing one squadron of them yet on foote, which through dispaire, like furious beasts were desperately comming vpon them, could not be induced to stay or make head against them. If the fervor of Monsieur de Foix had not drewne-him over rashly and moodily to pursue the straglers of the victorie at Ra∣ve••na, he had not blemished the same with his vntimely death; yet did the fresh-bleeding memory of his example serve to preserve the Lord of A••gusen from the like inconvenience, at Serisoles. It is dangerous to assaile a man, whom you have bereaved of all other meanes to escape or shift for himselfe, but by his weapons: for, necessitie is a violent school-mistris, and which teacheth strange lessons: Gravissimi sunt m••rsu•• irritatae necessicatis. No biting so grievous, as that of necessitie provoked and enraged.

Ʋincuur haud gratis ingula qui prov••••at host••m.

For nought you over-come him not, Who bids his foe come cut his throat.

And that is the reason, why 〈◊〉〈◊〉 empeached the King of Lacedemo•• who came from gaining of a victory against the Mantinaeans, from going to charge a thousand Argians, that were escaped whole from the discom••ture; but rather to let them passe with al libertie, lest he should come to make triall of provoked & despited vertue, through and by ill fortune. Clodo∣mire king of Aquitaine, after his victorie, pursuing Gondemar king of B••rgundie, vanquished and running away, forced him to make a stand, and make head againe, but his vnadvised wil∣fulnesse deprived him of the fruit of the victorie, for he dyed in the action. Likewise he that should chuse, whether it were best to keep his souldiers richly and sumptuously armed, or only for necessitie, should seeme to yeeld in favour of the first, whereof was Sertorious, Philo∣poemen. Brutus, Caesar, and others, vrging that it is ever a spur to •••••••••• and glorie, for a soul∣dier to see himself gorgiously attired, and richly armed, & an occasion to yeeld himselfe more

obstinate to sight, having the care to save his armes, as his goods and inheritance. A reason (saith Xenophon) why the Asiatikes carried with them, when they went to warres their wives and Concubines, with all their jewels and chiefest wealth. And might also encline to the other side, which is, that a man should rather remoove from his souldier, all care to preserve himselfe, than to encrease-it vnto him▪ for, by that meanes he shall doubly feare to hazard or engage himselfe, seeing these rich spoiles do rather encrease an earnest desire of victorie in the enemie: and it hath been observed, that the said respect hath sometimes wonderfully encouraged the Romans against the Samnites. Antiochus shewing the Armie, he prepared against them, gorgeously accountred with all pompe and statelinesse, vnto Hanniball, and de∣manding of him, whether the Romanes would be contented with-it: yea verily, answered the other, they will be verie well pleased with-it: They must needs be so, were they never so cove∣tous. Licurgus forbad his Souldiers, not only all maner of sumptuousnesse, in their equipage, but also to vncase or strip their enemies, when they overcame them, willing, as he said, that frugalitie & povertie should shine with the rest of the battell. Both at sieges, and else-where, where occasion brings vs neere the enemie, we freely give our souldiers libertie, to brave, to disdaine, and injurie him with all maner of reproaches: And not without apparance of rea∣son; for, it is no small matter, to take from them all hope of grace and composition, in pre∣senting vnto them, that there is no way left to expect-it, from-him, whom they have so egre∣giously outraged, and that there is no remedy left but from victorie. Yet had Ʋitelluis but bad successe in that; for, having to deale with Otho, weaker in his Souldiers valour, and of∣long disaccustomed from warre, and effeminated through the delights and pleasures of the Citie, himselfe in the end set them so on fire with his reproachsull and injurious words, vp∣brayding them with their pusilanimitie and faint-hartednesse, and with the regret of their Ladies, banquettings and sensualities, which they had left at Rome, that he put them into hart againe, which no perswasions or other means could do before; and thereby drew them, whom nought could have driven, to fight, and fall vpon him. And verilie, when they are injuries that touch a man to the quicke, they shall easilie vrge him, who was verie backward to fight for his Kings quarrell, to be verie forward in his owne cause or interest. If a man but consider of what consequence the preservation, and importance, the safetie of a generall is in an Armie, and how the enemies chiefest ayme, is at the fairest marke, which is the head, from which all other depend, it seemeth that that counsell can not be doubted of, which by sundrie great Chieftaines we have seene put in practise, which is, in the beginning of the fight, or in the furie of the battell, to disguise themselves. Notwithstanding the inconveni∣ence a man may by this meanes incurre, is no lesse then that mischiefe, which a man seeketh to avoid: For the Captaine being vnseene and vnknowne of his Souldiers, the courage they take by his example, and the hart they keep by his presence, is therewithall empaired and diminished; and loosing the knowne ensignes, and accustomed markes of their Leader, they either deeme him dead, or dispairing of any good successe, to be fled. And touching experience, we sometimes see-it to favour the one, and sometimes the other partie. The acci∣dent of Pirrhus in the battell he had against the Consull Levinus in Italie, serveth vs for both vses: For, by concealing himselfe vnder the armes of Demogacles, and arming him with his owne, indeed he saved his life, but was in great danger to fall into the other mischiefe, and loose the day. Alexander, Caesar, Lueullus, loved (at what time they were to enter fight) to arme and attire themselves with the richest armes, and garish clothes they had, and of parti∣cular bright-shining colours. Agis, Agesilaus, and that great G••lippus, contrarie, would ever goe to warres meanly accou••red, and without any imperiall ornament. Among other re∣proaches, that Pompey is charged withall in the battell of Pharsalia, this is one speciall, that he idlely lingred with his Armie, expecting what his enemie would attempt; forasmuch as that (I will heare borrow the verie words of Plutarke, which are of more consequence then mine) weakneth the violence, that running giveth the first blowes, and therewithall remoo∣veth the charging of the Combattants one against another, which more, then any other thing is wont to fill them with furie and impetuositie, when with vehemence they come to enter-shocke one another, augmenting their courage by the crie and running; and in a maner alayeth and quaileth the heat of the Souldiers: Loe-here what he saith concerning this. But had Caesar lost, who might not also have said, that contrariwise the strongest and firmest situ∣ation, is that, wherein a man keeps his stand without budging, and that who is settled in his

march, closing, and against any time of need, sparing his strength in himselfe, hath a great advantage against him, that is in motion and disordered, and that running hath alreadie consumed part of his breath? Moreover, that an armie being a bodie composed of so many severall parts, it is impossible it should in such furie advance it selfe with so just a march, and proportioned a motion, and not breake and dis-ranke, or at least alter hir ordinance, and that the nimblest be not grapling before his fellowes may help-him. In that drearie battell of the two Persian brethren, Clearchus the Lacedemonian, who commanded the Graecians that followed Cycus his faction, led them faire and gently without any hast-making to their charges; but when he came within fistie paces of his enemies, he bad them with all speed to run vnto it; hoping by the shortnesse of the distance to manage their order and direct their breath; in the meane time giving them the advantage of the impetuositie, both for their bo∣dies, and for their shooting-armes. Others have ordered this doubt in their armie after this maner: If your enemies headlong run vpon you, stay for them and bouge not: If they without stirring stay for you, run with furie vpon them.

In the passage which the Emperour Charles the fift made into Provence, our king Francis the first, stood a good while vpon this choice; whether it were best, by way of prevention, to go and meet with him in Italie, or to stay his comming into France: and albeit he considered what an advantage it is, for one to preserve his house from the troubles and mischiefes that warre brings with it, to the end that possessing hir whole strength, it may continually in all times of need, store him with money, and supplie him with all other helps; and considering how the necessitie of direfull warre, doth dailie enforce a Generall to make spoile of goods, and waste the Countrie, which cannot well be done in our own goods & countrie: and if the countriman doth not as patiently indure this ravage at his friends hands, as at his enemies, so as seditions may ensue amongst our owne factions, and troubles among our friends: That licence to rob and spoile, which in his Countrie may not be tolerated, is a great furtherauce in a Souldier, and makes him the more willing, to endure the miseries and toylings that fol∣low warre: And what a hard matter it is to keep the Souldier in office and hart, who hath no other hope of profit, but his bare pay, and is so neere his wife, his children, his friends, and his home: That he who layeth the cloth, is ever put to the greatest charges: That there is more plea∣sure in assailing than in defending: And that the apprehension of a battell-lost in our owne home and entrailes, is so violent, that it may easily snake the whole frame, and distemper the whole bodie. Seeing there is no passion so contagious, as that of feare, nor so easie apprehen∣ded and taken a-trust, or doth more furiously possesse all parts of man: And that the Cities or Townes, which have either heard the bustling noise of the Tempest, or seene the spar∣kles of this all consuming fire at their gates, or have perhaps received their captaines woun∣ded, their Citizens pursued, and their Souldiers spoiled, and all out of breath, if they be not more then obstinately-constant, it is a thousand to one, if in that brunt of furie, they do not headlong cast themselves into some desperate resolution: yet did he conclude and chose this resolve for the best. First to revoke his forces, he had beyond the Mountaines in Italie, and to stay his enemies approches. For, he might on the contrarie part imagine, that being in his owne Countrie, and amidst good friends, he had the better leasure to re-enforce his decayed forces, and more oportunitie, to strengthen Townes, to munite Castles, to store Rivers with all necessaries they wanted, and to keep all passages at his devotion, which done, all the waies should be open for him, and might by them have all maner of victuals, money, and other hab••lements of warre brought-him, in safety, and without convoy: that he should have his subjects so much the more affectionate vnto him, by how much nearer they should see the danger: That having so many Cities, Townes, Houlds, Castles, and Barres for his secu∣ritie, he might at all times, according to apportunitie and advantage, appoint and give law vnto the fight: And if he were pleased to temporize, whilest he tooke his ease, kept his forces whole, and maintained himselfe in safety, he might see his enemie consume & waste himselfe, by the difficulties which daily must necessarily assault, environ and combate-him, as he who should be engaged in an enemie-countrie and foe-land; Where he should have nothing, nor meet with any thing, either before, or behind him, or of any side; that did not offer him con∣tinuall warre: no way nor meanes to refresh, to ease or give his armie elbow-roome, if any sicknesse or contagion should come amongst his men; nor shelter to lodge his hurt and maymed Souldiers: where neither monie, munition, nor victuals might come vnto him, but

at the swords point; where he should never have leasure to take any rest, or breath; where he should have no knowledge of places, passages, woods, foords, rivers, or countrie, that might defend him from ambuscados, or surprises: And if he should vnfortunately chance to loose a battell, no hope to save, or meanes to re-unite the reliques of his forces. And there want not examples to strengthen both sides. Scipio found-it better for him to invade his enemies countrie of Affrica, then to defend his owne, and fight with him in Italie, where he was, wherein he had good successe. But contrariwise, Hanniball, in the same warre wrought his owne overthrow, by leaving the conquest of a forraine countrie, for to go and defend his owne. The Athenians having left the enemie in their owne land, for to passe into Sicilie, had verie ill successe, and were much contraried by fortune: whereas Agathocles King of Siracusa prospered and was favoured by her, what time he passed into Affrica, and left the warre on soote in his owne countrie. And we are accustomed to say with some shew of rea∣son, that especially in matters of warre, the events depend (for the greatest part) on fortune; which seldome will yeeld, or never subject her-selfe vnto our discourse or wisedome, as say these ensuing verses.

Et malè consultis pretium est, prudentia fallax, Nec fortuna probat causas sequitúrque merentes: Sed vaga per cunctos nullo discrimine fertur: Scilicet est aliud quod nos cogátque regátque Maius, & in proprias ducat mortalia leges.

Tis best for ill-advis'd, wisedome may faile, Fortune proves not the cause that should prevaile, But here and there without respect doth saile, A higher power forsooth vs over-drawes, And mortall states guides with immortall lawes.

But if it be well taken, it seemeth that our counsels and deliberations, doe as much depend of her; and that fortune doth also engage our discourses and consultations in her trouble and vncertaintie. We reason rashly, and discourse at randon, saith Timeus in Plato: For, even as we, so have our discourses great participation with the temeritie of hazard.

Notes

• Pet. Par. 1. son. 86. 1.
• Lu••an. l. 7. 734.
• Lu••••n. l. 4. 278.
• Manil. astr. lib. 4. 95.