Essays of Michael, seigneur de Montaigne in three books : with marginal notes and quotations and an account of the author's life : with a short character of the author and translator, by a person of honour / made English by Charles Cotton ...

CHAP. II. (Book 2)

Of Sorrow. (Book 2)

NO Man living is more free from this Passion than I, who neither like it in my self, nor admire it in others, and yet generally the World, (I know not why) is pleas'd to grace it with a particular Esteem, endeavouring to make us believe, That Wisdom, Vertue and Conscience shroud themselves under this grave and affected Appearance. Foolish and sordid Disguise! The Italians however under the De∣nomination of Un Tristo, decypher a clan∣destine Nature, a dangerous and ill-natur'd Man: And with good reason, it being a Qua∣lity always hurtful, always idle and vain, and as cowardly, mean, and base, by the Stoicks expresly, and particularly forbidden their Sa∣ges:

But the Story, nevertheless, says, that Psammenitus, King of Egypt, being defeated and taken Prisoner by Cambyses King of Persia, seeing his own Daughter pass by him in a wretched Habit, with a Bucket to draw Wa∣ter, though his Friends about him were so concerned as to break out into Tears and La∣mentations at the miserable sight; yet he him∣self remain'd unmov'd, without uttering a Word of Discontent, with his Eyes fix'd up∣on the Ground: and seeing moreover his Son immediately after led to Execution, still main∣tain'd the same Gravity and Indifference; till spying at last one of his Domesticks dragg'd a∣way amongst the Captives, he could then hold no longer, but fell to tearing his Hair, and beating his Breast, with all the other Extrava∣gancies of a wild and desperate Sorrow. A Story that may very fitly be coupled with ano∣ther of the same kind, of a late Prince of our own Nation, who being at Trent, and having News there brought him of the Death of his Elder Brother, but a Brother on whom de∣pended the whole Support and Honour of his House, and soon after of that of a younger Brother, the second Hope of his Family, and having withstood these two Assaults with an exemplary Resolution, one of his Servants happening a few days after to die, he suffer'd his Constancy to be overcome by his last Acci∣dent; and parting with his Courage, so a∣bandon'd himself to Sorrow and Mourning, that some from thence were forward to con∣clude, that he was only touch'd to the Quick

by this last Stroak of Fortune; but, in truth, it was, that being before brim full of Grief, the least Addition overflow'd the Bounds of all Patience. Which might also be said of the for∣mer Example, did not the Story proceed to tell us, That Cambyses asking Psammenitus, Why, not being mov'd at the Calamity of his Son and Daughter, he should with so great Impatience bear the Misfortune of his Friend? It is (an∣swer'd he) because this last affliction was only to be manifested by Tears, the two first exceeding all manner of Expression. And peradventure something like this might be working in the Fancy of the ancient Painter who being in the Sacrifice of Iphigenia to represent the Sorrow of the Assistants proportionably to the several Degrees of Interest every one had in the Death of this fair innocent Virgin; and having in the other Figures laid out the utmost Power of his Art, when he came to that of her Father, he drew him with a veil over his Face, mean∣ing thereby, that no kind of Countenance was capable of expressing such a degree of Sorrow. Which is also the reason why the Poets feign the miserable Mother Niobe, having first lost seven Sons, and successively as many Daugh∣ters, to be at last transform'd into a Rock,

* 1.1Diriguisse malis,

—Whom Grief alone, Had Pow'r to stiffen into Stone.

Thereby to express, that melancholick, dumb, and deaf Stupidity, which benumbs all our Faculties when opprest with Accidents greater than we are able to bear; and indeed the

Violence and Impression of an excessive Grief, must of necessity astonish the Soul, and whol∣ly deprive her of her ordinary Functions: As it happens to every one of us, who upon any sudden Alarm of very ill News, find our selves surpriz'd, stupified, and in a manner depriv'd of all Power of Motion, till the Soul beginning to vent it self in sighs and Tears, seems a lit∣tle to free and disingage it self from the sud∣den Oppression, and to have obtain'd some room to work it self out at greater liberty.

* 1.2Et via vix tandem voci laxata dolore est.

Yet scarce at last by strugling Grief, a Gate Unbolted is for Sighs to sally at.

In the War that Ferdinand made upon the Widow of King John of Hungary about Bu∣da, a Man at Arms was particularly taken no∣tice of by every one for his singular gallant Behaviour in a certain Encounter; unknown, highly commended, and as much lamented, be∣ing left Dead upon the Place: But by none so much as by Raisciac a German Lord, who was infinitely unamour'd of so unparallell'd a Ver∣tue. When the Body being brought off, and the Count with the common Curiosity coming to view it, the Arms were no sooner taken off, but he immediately knew him to be his own Son. A thing that added a second Blow to the Compassion of all the Beholders; only he, without uttering a Word, or turning away his Eyes from the woful Object, stood fixtly contemplating the Body of his Son, till the Vehemency of Sorrow having overcome his

Vital Spirits made him sink down stone dead to the Ground.

* 1.3Chi puo dir com' egli arde è in picciol fuoco?

—What Tongue is able to proclaim

How his Soul melted in the gentle Flame? say the Inamorato's when they would represent an insupportable Passion.

* 1.4misero quod omnes Eripit sensus mihi. Nam simul te, Lesbia, aspexi, nihil est super me Quod loquar amens, Lingua sed torpet tenuis, sub artus Flamma dimanat, sonitu suopte Tinniunt aures, gemina teguntur Lumina nocte.

—all conquering Lesbia, thine eyes Have ravish'd from me all my Faculties: At the first Glance of their victorious Ray I was so struck I knew not what to say; Nor had a Tongue to speak; a subtle Flame Crept thro' my veins; my tingling ears became Deaf without noise, and my poor eyes I found With a black Veil of double darkness bound.

Neither is it in the height and greatest Fu∣ry of the Fit, that we are in a condition to pour out our Complaints, or to sally into Courtship, the Soul being at that time over∣burthened, and labouring with profound Thoughts: and the Body dejected and lan∣guishing with Desire; and thence it is, that some∣times proceed those accidental Impotencies that so unseasonably surprise the willing Lover,

and that Frigidity which by the force of an Im∣moderate Ardour, so unhappily seizes him even in the very lap of Fruition: For all Pas∣sions that suffer themselves to be relish'd and digested, are but moderate.

* 1.5Curae leves loquuntur, ingentes stupent.

His grief's but easie, who his grief can tell, But piercing Sorrow has no Article.

A surprise of unexpected Joys does likewise often produce the same effect.

* 1.6Ut me conspexit venientem, & Troia circum Arma amens vidit, magnis exterrita monstris, Diriguit visu in medio, calor ossa reliquit, Labitur, & longo vix tandem tempore fatur.

Soon as she saw me coming, and beheld The Trojan Ensigns waving in the Field, O'er-joy'd, and ravish'd at th'unlook'd for sight, She turn'd a Statue, lost all feeling quite; Life's gentle Heat did her stiff Limbs forsake, She swoon'd, and scarce after long swooning spake.

To these we have the Examples of the Ro∣man Lady, who died for Joy to see her Son safe return'd from the Defeat of Cannae; and of Sophocles, and Dionysius the Tyrant, who di∣ed of Joy; and of Talva, who died in Corsica, reading News of the Honours the Roman Se∣nate had decreed in his Favour. We have moreover one, in the time of Pope Leo the tenth, who upon News of the taking of Milan, a thing he had so ardently and passionately de∣sir'd, was rapt with so sudden an excess of Joy,

that he immediately fell into a Fever and died. And for a more authentick Testimony of the imbecility of Humane Nature, it is recorded by the Ancients, that Diodorus the Logician died upon the Place, out of an extream Passi∣on of Shame, for not having been able in his own School, and in the presence of a great Au∣ditory, to disingage himself from a nice Ar∣gument that was propounded to him. I for my part am very little subject to these violent Passions; I am naturally of a stubborn appre∣hension, which also by discourse, I every day harden and fortifie more and more.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ovid. Met. lib. 6.
• * 1.2

  Aeneid. l. 11.
• * 1.3

  Petrarea, Sonetto 158.
• * 1.4

  Cat. Epig. 52.
• * 1.5

  Seneca Hippol. Act. 2. Scen. 3.
• * 1.6

  Virg. Ae∣neid.