resent peace, these war; those profit, these honour; those learning, these merit; those speech, these action; those justice, these valour; those reason, these force; those have the robe, these the sword for their portion.[1]
As for unimportant things, such as clothes, to whoever may desire to connect them with their true purpose, which is the service and pleasure of the body, upon which their charm and essential seemliness depend — I will suggest to him as, among others, the most fantastic that can be imagined, our square caps, that long tail of folded velvet, with its vari-coloured trimming, which hangs from the heads of our women, and that idle and useless covering of a member which we cannot decently even name, of which none the less we make show and parade in public. These considerations do not, however, turn a man of understanding aside from following the common custom. But, on the other hand, it seems to me that all unusual and peculiar fashions proceed rather from foolishness or ambitious affectation than from right reason; and that the wise man should inwardly withdraw his mind from the crowd and give it liberty and power to judge freely of things; but outwardly he should altogether follow the accepted fashions and forms. Society at large has no concern with our thoughts; but all the rest, as our acts, our work, our fortunes, and our lives, we must lend and abandon to its service and to public opinion: as the great and good Socrates refused to save his life by disobeying the magistrate, and verily a most unjust and most iniquitous magistrate.[2] For it is the rule of rules and the universal law of laws, that every one must obey those of the place where he is: —
Here is a consideration of another sort.[4] There is great doubt if there can be found as manifest advantage in alter-
- ↑ Ceux-là la robbe longue, ceux-cy la courte en partage.
- ↑ See Plato, Crito; Diogenes Laertius, Life of Socrates.
- ↑ It is noble to obey the laws of the country in which one dwells. — M. Villey thinks that Montaigne found this in a collection of Greek sentences compiled by Crispin (1569).
- ↑ En voicy d’un autre cuvée.
