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▪ XIV. (Book 14)

That Men are justly punish'd for being obsti∣nate in the Defence of a Fort that is not in reason to be defended. (Book 14)

VAlour has its bounds, as well as other Vertues, which once transgress'd, the next step is into the Territories of Vice, so that by having too large a Proportion of this Heroick Vertue, unless a man be very perfect in its limits, which upon the Confines are ve∣ry hard to discern, he may very easily una∣wares run into Temer••ty, Obstinacy, and Folly. From this consideration it is, that we have deriv'd the Custom in times of War, to punish even with Death those who are obsti∣nate to defend a Place that is not tenible by the Rules of War. In which case, if there were not some Examples made, Men would be so confident upon the hopes of Impunity, that not a Hen-roost but would resist, and stop a Royal Army. The Constab••e Monsieur de Montmorency, having at the Siege of Pavie been order'd to pass the Tesine, and to take up his Quarters in the Fauxburg St. Antonie, being hindred so to do by a Tower that was at the end of the Bridge, which was so impu∣dent as to endure a Battery, hang'd every man he found within it for their labour. And

again since, accompanying the Dauphine in his Expedition beyond the Alpes, and taking the Castle of Villane by Assault, and all within it being put to the Sword, the Governour and his Ensign only excepted, he caus'd them both to be truss'd up for the same reason; as also did Captain Martin du Bellay, then Governour of Turin, the Governour of St. Bony, in the same Countrey, all his People being cut in pie∣ces at the taking of the Place. But forasmuch as the Strength or Weakness of a Fortress is al∣ways measur'd by the Estimate and Counter∣poise of the Forces that attack it (for a Man might reasonably enough despise two Culverines, that would be a Mad-man to abide a Battery of thirty pieces of Canon) where also the greatness of the Prince who is Master of the Field, his Reputation, and the Respect that is due unto him, is al∣ways put into the Balance; 'tis dangerous to affront such an Enemy: And besides, by com∣pelling him to force you, you possess him with so great an Opinion of himself and his Power, that thinking it unreasonable any place should dare to shut their Gates against his victorious Army, he puts all to the Sword, where he meets with any Opposition, whilst his Fortune continues; as is very plain in the fierce and arrogant Forms of summoning Towns, and denouncing War: savouring so much of Bar∣barian Pride and Insolence in use amongst the Oriental Princes, and which their Successors to this day do yet retain and practise. And even in that remote Part of the World where the

Portuguese subdued the Indians, they found some States where it was an universal and in∣violable Law amongst them, that every Enemy, overcome by the King in Person, or by his representative Lieutenant, was out of Compo∣sition both of Ransom and Mercy. So that a∣bove all things a Man should take heed of fal∣ling into the hands of a Judge who is an Ene∣my and Victorious.