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414 MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYES
commerce and societie of men. It is the chiefe meane
of reconciliation betweene one and other. Nor is
there any man so harharous and so hard-hearted, that
in some sort feeleth not himselfe strucken with her
sweetnes. The hody hath a great part in our being,
and therein keepes a speciall rancke. For his structure
and composition are worthy due consideration.
Such as goe about to sunder our two principall parts,
are much to hlame; they ought rather to be coupled
and joyned fast together. The soule must be enjoyned
not to retire to her selfe her quarter, nor to entertaine
her selfe apart, nor to despise and leave the body
(which she cannot well doe, except it be by some
counterfaited, apish tricke) but ought so combine and
cling fast unto him, to embrace, to cherish, assist,
correct, perswade, and advise him, and if hee chance to
sway or stray, then to leade and direct him: In fine,
she should wed and serve him instead of a husband,
that so their effects may not seeme contrary and divers,
but agreeing and uniforme. Christians have a particular
instruction concerning this bond, for they know that
Gods justice alloweth this society, and embraceth this
conjunction of the body and soule, yea so farre as to
make the body capable of everlasting rewards. And
that God beholds the whole man to worke, and will
have him entirely to receive either the punishment or
the recompence, according to his demerits. The Peripatetike
Sect (of all Sects the most sociable) attributeth
this ouely care unto wisdome, in common to procure
and provide the good of these two associated parts:
and aeclareth other sects to have partialized overmuch,
because they had given themselves to the full consideration
of this commixture; this one for the body, this
other for the soule, with one like error and oversight,
and had mistaken their subject, which is man; and
their guide, which in generall they avouched to be
Nature. The first distinction that hath beene amongst
men, and the first consideration that gave preheminences
to some over others, it is very likely it was the
advantage of beauty.