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88 MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYES
distribution of goods is, when we die, to distribute
them according to the;custome of the Country. The
lawes have better thought vpon them than we: And
better is it to let them erre in their election than for
vs rashly to hazard to faile in ours. They are not
properly our owne, since without vs, and by a civil
prescription, they are appointed to certaine successours.
And albeit we have some further liberty, I thinke it
should be a great and most apparant cause to induce
vs to take from one, and barre him from that which
Fortune hath allotted him, and the common lawes and
Justice hath called him unto : And that against reason
we abuse this liberty, by suting the same unto our
riuate humours and frivolous fantasies. My fortune
P
hath beene good, inasmuch as yet it never presented
me with any occasions that might tempt or divert my
affections from the common and lawful ordinance. I
see some towards whom it is but labour lost, carefully
to endevour to doe any good offices. A word ill taken
defaceth the merit of ten yeeres. Happy he that, at
this last passage, is ready to sooth and applaud their
will. The next action transporteth him ; not the best
and most frequent offices, but the freshest and present
worke the deed. They are people that play with their
wils and testaments as with apples and rods, to gratifie
or chastize every action of those who pretend any
interest thereunto. It is a matter of over-long pursute,
and of exceeding consequence, at every instance
to be thus dilated, and wherein the wiser sort establish
themselves once for all, chiefely respecting reason and
publike observance. We somewhat over-much take
these masculine substitutions to hart, and propose a
ridiculous eternity unto our names. We also overweight
such vaine future conjectures, which infantspirits
give vs. It might peradventure have beene
deemed injustice to displace me from out my rancke,
because I was the dullest, the slowest, the unwillingest,
the most leaden-pated to learne my lesson or any good,
that ever was, not onely of all my brethren, but of all
the children in my countrie, were the lesson concerning