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436 MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYES
contradiction. It is an infirmity that is never where it is
scene, it is very strong and fast-holding, hut yet pierced
and dissipated by the first beame of the patients sight,
•as doth the sunnes raies scatter and disperse a gloomie
mist. For a man to accuse himselfe were to excuse
himselfe of that subject; and to condemne himselfe,
an absolving of himselfe. There was never so base a
porter, nor so silly a woman, but thought he had
sufficient wit for his provision. We easily know in
others the advantage of courage, of bodily strength, of
experience of disposition, and of beautie, but we never
yeeld the advantage of judgement to any body: and
the reasons which part from the simple naturall discourse
in others, wee thinke that had we but looked that
way, wee had surely found them. The skill, the knowledge,
the stile, and such like parts which we see in
strange workes, we easily perceive whether they exceede
ours; but the meere productions of wit and
understanding every man deemeth it lyeth in him to
meete with the very like, and doth hardly perceive the
weight and difficultie of it, except (and that very
scarcely) in an extreame and incomparable distance.
And he that should clearely see the height of a
strangers judgement, would come and bring his unto
it. Thus is it a kinde of exercising whereof a man may
hope but for meane commendation and small praise,
and a manner of composition of little or no harme at
all. And then for whom do you write ? The wiser sort,
unto whom belongeth bookish jurisdiction, know no
other price but of doctrine, and avow no other proceeding
in our wits but that of erudition and art. If you
have mistaken one Scipio for an other, what of any
worth have you left to speake-of ? He that is ignorant
of Aristotle (according to them) he is therewithall
ignorant of himselfe. Popular and shallow-headed
mindes cannot perceive the grace or comelinesse, nor
judge of a smooth and quaint discourse. Now these
two kindes possess the world. The third, unto whose
share you fall, of regular wits, and that are strong of
themselves., is so rare that justly it hath neither name