The Essays Chapter 10

(1, p. 12v-13v).Michel de MontaigneC110 Du parler prompt ou tardifMontaigne - Essais, Éd de Bordeaux, 1.djvuMontaigne - Essais, Éd de Bordeaux, 1.djvu/112v-13v

Du parler prompt ou tardif.
Chap. X.

ONC ne furent à tous, toutes graces données.

Aussi voyons nous qu’au don d’eloquence, les uns ont la facilité et la promptitude, et ce qu’on dict, le boute-hors si aisé, qu’à chaque bout de champ ils sont prests ; les autres plus tardifs ne parlent jamais rien qu’élabouré et premedité. Comme on donne des regles aux dames de prendre les jeux et les exercices du corps selon l’advantage de ce qu’elles ont le plus beau, si j’avois à conseiller de mesmes, en ces deux divers advantages de l’eloquence, de laquelle il semble en nostre siècle que les prescheurs et les advocats facent principale profession, le tardif seroit mieux prescheur, ce me semble, et l’autre mieux advocat : par ce que la charge de celuy-là luy donne autant qu’il luy plaist de loisir pour se preparer, et puis sa carriere se passe d’un fil et d’une suite, sans interruption, là où les commoditez de l’advocat le pressent à toute heure de se mettre en lice, et les responces improuveues de sa partie adverse le rejettent hors de son branle, où il luy faut sur le champ prendre nouveau party. Si est-ce qu’à l’entreveue du Pape Clement et du Roy François à Marseille, il advint tout au rebours, que Monsieur Poyet, homme toute sa vie nourry au barreau, en grande reputation, ayant charge de faire la harangue au Pape, et l’ayant de longue main pourpensée, voire, à ce qu’on dict, apportée de Paris toute preste, le jour mesme qu’elle devoit estre prononcée, le Pape se craignant qu’on luy tint propos, qui peut offencer les ambassadeurs des autres princes, qui estoient autour de luy, manda au Roy l’argument qui luy sembloit estre le plus propre au temps et au lieu, mais de fortune tout autre que celuy sur lequel monsieur Poyet s’estoit travaillé : de façon que sa harangue
demeuroit inutile, et luy en falloit promptement refaire un autre.
Mais,
s’en sentant incapable, il fallut que Monsieur le Cardinal
du Bellay
en print la charge.

Il semble que ce soit plus le propre de l’esprit, d’avoir son
operation prompte et soudaine, et plus le propre du jugement de
l’avoir
lente et posée. Mais qui demeure du tout muet, s’il n’a loisir de se
preparer, et
celuy aussi à qui le loisir ne donne advantage de mieux dire, ils sont
en pareil degré d’estrangeté. On recite de Severus Cassius qu’il
disoit mieux sans y avoir pensé ; qu’il devoit plus à la fortune qu’à
sa diligence ; qu’il luy venoit à profit d’estre troublé en parlant,
et que ses adversaires craignoyent de le picquer, de peur que la
colere
ne luy fit redoubler son eloquence. Je cognois, par experience, cette
condition de nature, qui ne peut soustenir une vehemente premeditation
et laborieuse. Si elle ne va gayement et librement, elle ne va rien qui
vaille. Nous disons d’aucuns ouvrages qu’ils puent l’huyle et la lampe,
pour certaine aspreté et rudesse que le travail imprime en ceux où il
a grande part. Mais, outre cela, la solicitude de bien faire, et cette
contention de l’ame trop bandée et trop tendue à son entreprise, la
met au rouet, la rompt, et l’empesche, ainsi qu’il advient à l’eau
qui,
par force de se presser de sa violence et abondance, ne peut trouver
issue en un goulet ouvert. En cette condition de nature, de quoy je
parle, il y a quant et quant aussi cela, qu’elle demande à estre non
pas esbranlée et piquée par ces passions fortes, comme la colere de
Cassius (car ce mouvement seroit trop aspre), elle veut estre non pas
secouée, mais solicitée ; elle veut estre eschaufée et reveillée
par les occasions estrangeres, presentes et fortuites. Si elle va
toute
seule, elle ne fait que trainer et languir. L’agitation est sa vie et
sa grace.

Chapter X. Of quick or slow speech.

"Onc ne furent a touts toutes graces donnees."

So we see in the gift of eloquence, wherein some have such a facility and

promptness, and that which we call a present wit so easy, that they are

ever ready upon all occasions, and never to be surprised; and others more

heavy and slow, never venture to utter anything but what they have long

premeditated, and taken great care and pains to fit and prepare.

Now, as we teach young ladies those sports and exercises which are most

proper to set out the grace and beauty of those parts wherein their

chiefest ornament and perfection lie, so it should be in these two

advantages of eloquence, to which the lawyers and preachers of our age

seem principally to pretend. If I were worthy to advise, the slow

speaker, methinks, should be more proper for the pulpit, and the other

for the bar: and that because the employment of the first does naturally

allow him all the leisure he can desire to prepare himself, and besides,

his career is performed in an even and unintermitted line, without stop

or interruption; whereas the pleader's business and interest compels him

to enter the lists upon all occasions, and the unexpected objections and

replies of his adverse party jostle him out of his course, and put him,

upon the instant, to pump for new and extempore answers and defences.

Yet, at the interview betwixt Pope Clement and King Francis at

Marseilles, it happened, quite contrary, that Monsieur Poyet, a man bred

up all his life at the bar, and in the highest repute for eloquence,

having the charge of making the harangue to the Pope committed to him,

and having so long meditated on it beforehand, as, so they said, to have

brought it ready made along with him from Paris; the very day it was to

have been pronounced, the Pope, fearing something might be said that

might give offence to the other princes' ambassadors who were there

attending on him, sent to acquaint the King with the argument which he

conceived most suiting to the time and place, but, by chance, quite

another thing to that Monsieur de Poyet had taken so much pains about: so

that the fine speech he had prepared was of no use, and he was upon the

instant to contrive another; which finding himself unable to do, Cardinal

du Bellay was constrained to perform that office. The pleader's part is,

doubtless, much harder than that of the preacher; and yet, in my opinion,

we see more passable lawyers than preachers, at all events in France.

It should seem that the nature of wit is to have its operation prompt and

sudden, and that of judgment to have it more deliberate and more slow.

But he who remains totally silent, for want of leisure to prepare himself

to speak well, and he also whom leisure does noways benefit to better

speaking, are equally unhappy.

'Tis said of Severus Cassius that he spoke best extempore, that he stood

more obliged to fortune than to his own diligence; that it was an

advantage to him to be interrupted in speaking, and that his adversaries

were afraid to nettle him, lest his anger should redouble his eloquence.

I know, experimentally, the disposition of nature so impatient of tedious

and elaborate premeditation, that if it do not go frankly and gaily to

work, it can perform nothing to purpose. We say of some compositions

that they stink of oil and of the lamp, by reason of a certain rough

harshness that laborious handling imprints upon those where it has been

employed. But besides this, the solicitude of doing well, and a certain

striving and contending of a mind too far strained and overbent upon its

undertaking, breaks and hinders itself like water, that by force of its

own pressing violence and abundance, cannot find a ready issue through

the neck of a bottle or a narrow sluice. In this condition of nature,

of which I am now speaking, there is this also, that it would not be

disordered and stimulated with such passions as the fury of Cassius (for

such a motion would be too violent and rude); it would not be jostled,

but solicited; it would be roused and heated by unexpected, sudden, and

accidental occasions. If it be left to itself, it flags and languishes;

agitation only gives it grace and vigour. I am always worst in my own

possession, and when wholly at my own disposition: accident has more

title to anything that comes from me than I; occasion, company, and even

the very rising and falling of my own voice, extract more from my fancy

than I can find, when I sound and employ it by myself. By which means,

the things I say are better than those I write, if either were to be

preferred, where neither is worth anything. This, also, befalls me, that

I do not find myself where I seek myself, and I light upon things more by

chance than by any inquisition of my own judgment. I perhaps sometimes

hit upon something when I write, that seems quaint and sprightly to me,

though it will appear dull and heavy to another.--But let us leave these

fine compliments; every one talks thus of himself according to his

talent. But when I come to speak, I am already so lost that I know not

what I was about to say, and in such cases a stranger often finds it out

before me. If I should make erasure so often as this inconvenience

befalls me, I should make clean work; occasion will, at some other time,

lay it as visible to me as the light, and make me wonder what I should

stick at.