The Essays Chapter 15

(1, p. 23-23v).Michel de MontaigneC115 On est puny pour s’opiniastrer à une place sans raisonMontaigne - Essais, Éd de Bordeaux, 1.djvuMontaigne - Essais, Éd de Bordeaux, 1.djvu/123-23v

On est puny pour s’opiniastrer à une place sans raison
Chap. XV.

LA vaillance a ses limites, comme les autres vertus : lesquels franchis on se trouve dans le train du vice ; en maniere que par chez elle on se peut rendre à la temerité, obstination et folie, qui n’en sçait bien les bornes : malaiseez en verité à choisir sur leurs confins. De cette consideration est née la coustume, que nous avons aux guerres, de punir, voire de mort, ceux qui s’opiniastrent à defendre une place, qui par les reigles militaires ne peut estre soustenue. Autrement, soubs l’esperance de l’impunité il n’y
auroit pouillier, qui
n’arrestast une armée. Monsieur le Connestable de Mommorency au
siege
de Pavie, ayant esté commis pour passer le Tesin, et se loger aux
fauxbourgs Saint Antoine, estant empesché d’une tour au bout du
pont,
qui s’opiniastra jusques à se faire battre, feist pendre tout ce qui
estoit dedans. Et encore depuis, accompaignant Monsieur le Dauphin
au voyage delà les monts, ayant pris par force le chasteau de Villane,
et tout ce qui estoit dedans ayant esté mis en pieces par la furie
des
soldats, hormis le Capitaine et l’enseigne, il les fit pendre et
estrangler, pour cette mesme raison : comme fit aussi le Capitaine
Martin du Bellay, lors gouverneur de Turin en cette mesme contrée,
le capitaine de Saint Bony, le reste de ses gens ayant esté
massacré à
la prinse de la place. Mais, d’autant que le jugement de la valeur et
foiblesse du lieu se prend par l’estimation et contrepois des forces
qui l’assaillent, car tel s’opiniatreroit justement contre deux
couleuvrines, qui feroit l’enragé d’attendre trente canons ; où se
met
encore en conte la grandeur du prince conquerant, sa reputation, le
respect qu’on luy doit, il y a danger qu’on presse un peu la balance
de
ce costé là. Et en advient par ces mesmes termes, que tels ont
si
grande opinion d’eux et de leurs moiens, que, ne leur semblant point
raisonnables qu’il y ait rien digne de leur faire teste, passent le
cousteau par tout, où ils trouvent resistance, autant que fortune
leur
dure : comm’ il se voit par les formes de sommation et deffi, que les
princes d’Orient et leurs successeurs, qui sont encores, ont en usage,
fiere, hautaine et pleine d’un commandement barbaresque.

Chapter XV. Of the punishment of cowardice.

I once heard of a prince, and a great captain, having a narration given

him as he sat at table of the proceeding against Monsieur de Vervins, who

was sentenced to death for having surrendered Boulogne to the English,

-- --openly maintaining that a soldier could not

justly be put to death for want of courage. And, in truth, 'tis reason

that a man should make a great difference betwixt faults that merely

proceed from infirmity, and those that are visibly the effects of

treachery and malice: for, in the last, we act against the rules of

reason that nature has imprinted in us; whereas, in the former, it seems

as if we might produce the same nature, who left us in such a state of

imperfection and weakness of courage, for our justification. Insomuch

that many have thought we are not fairly questionable for anything but

what we commit against our conscience; and it is partly upon this rule

that those ground their opinion who disapprove of capital or sanguinary

punishments inflicted upon heretics and misbelievers; and theirs also who

advocate or a judge is not accountable for having from mere ignorance

failed in his administration.

But as to cowardice, it is certain that the most usual way of chastising

it is by ignominy and and it is supposed that this practice brought into

use by the legislator Charondas; and that, before his time, the laws of

Greece punished those with death who fled from a battle; whereas he

ordained only that they be for three days exposed in the public dressed

in woman's attire, hoping yet for some service from them, having awakened

their courage by this open shame:

"Suffundere malis homims sanguinem, quam effundere."

It appears also that the Roman laws did anciently punish those with death

who had run away; for Ammianus Marcellinus says that the Emperor Julian

commanded ten of his soldiers, who had turned their backs in an encounter

against the Parthians, to be first degraded, and afterward put to death,

according, says he, to the ancient laws,-- --and yet elsewhere for the like offence he only condemned

others to remain amongst the prisoners under the baggage ensign. The

severe punishment the people of Rome inflicted upon those who fled from

the battle of Cannae, and those who ran away with Aeneius Fulvius at his

defeat, did not extend to death. And yet, methinks, 'tis to be feared,

lest disgrace should make such delinquents desperate, and not only faint

friends, but enemies.

Of late memory,-- --the Seigneur de Frauget, lieutenant to the

Mareschal de Chatillon's company, having by the Mareschal de Chabannes

been put in government of Fuentarabia in the place of Monsieur de Lude,

and having surrendered it to the Spaniard, he was for that condemned to

be degraded from all nobility, and both himself and his posterity

declared ignoble, taxable, and for ever incapable of bearing arms, which

severe sentence was afterwards accordingly executed at Lyons.--

--And, since that, all the gentlemen who were in Guise when the Count of

Nassau entered into it, underwent the same punishment, as several others

have done since for the like offence. Notwithstanding, in case of such a

manifest ignorance or cowardice as exceeds all ordinary example, 'tis but

reason to take it for a sufficient proof of treachery and malice, and for

such to be punished.