214044_The_Essa ... rd_Of_Montaigne_Vol_II.pdf - OUDL Home

THE SECOND BOOKE 421
exercise and turmoile me no more, after the tmcertaintie
of their mending: and which even at the first
cast, drive me directly into sufferance.
dubics plus torquent mala* ¹
Evils yet in suspence,
Doe give us more offence.
In events, I carry my selfe man-like; in the conduct
childishly. The horror of a fall doth more hurt me
than the blow. The play is not worth the candle. The
covetous man hath a worse reckoning of his passion
than the poore; and the jealous man than the cuckold.
And it is often lesse harme for one to loose his farme,
than pleade and wrangle for it: the slowest march is
the safest. It is the seate of constancie. Therein you
have no need but of yourselfe. There she takes her
footing and wholly resteth upon her selfe. This example
of a gentleman, whom many have knowne, hath it not
some Philosophicall shew? This man having passed
all his youth like a good fellow, a jollie companion,
a great talker, and a merry ladd, being now well in
yeares, would needs be married. Remembring himselfe
how much the subject of cuckoldry had given
him cause to speake and scoff at others; to put himselfe
under covert-baron, he tooke him a wife from out
that place where all men may have them for money,
and with her made his alliance : good morrow whoore,
good morrow cuckold. And there is nothing wherewith
he oftener and more openly entertained such as
came unto him, than with this tale : whereby he
bridled the secret pratlings of mockers, and blunted
the point of their reproch.
Concerning ambition, which is next neighbor, or
rather daughter, to presumption, it had beene needfull
(to advance me) that fortune had come to take me by
the hand : for to put my selfe into any care for an
uncertaine hope, and to submit my selfe to all difficulties,
waiting on such as seeke to thrust themselfe
1 SEN. Agam. act iii. sc. 1, 29.