The Essays Chapter 30

(Livre II, p. 302v-303).Michel de MontaigneVLivre II30 D’un enfant monstrueuxMontaigne - Essais, Éd de Bordeaux, 2.djvuMontaigne - Essais, Éd de Bordeaux, 2.djvu/1302v-303

D’un enfant monstrueux
Chap. XXX.

CE conte s’en ira tout simple, car je laisse aux medecins d’en discourir. Je vis avant hier un enfant que deux hommes et une nourrisse, qui se disoient estre le pere, l’oncle et la tante, conduisoyent pour tirer quelque sou de le montrer à cause de son estrangeté. Il estoit en tout le reste d’une forme commune, et se soustenoit sur ses pieds, marchoit et gasouilloit à peu pres comme les autres de mesme aage ; il n’avoit encore voulu prendre autre nourriture que du tetin de sa nourrisse ; et ce qu’on essaya en ma presence de luy mettre en la bouche, il le maschoit un peu, et le rendoit sans avaller ; ses cris sembloient bien avoir quelque chose de particulier ; il estoit aagé de quatorze mois justement. Au dessoubs de ses tetins, il estoit pris et collé à un autre enfant sans teste, et qui avoit le conduict du dos estoupé, le reste entier : car il avoit bien l’un bras plus court, mais il luy avoit esté rompu par accident à leur naissance ; ils estoient joints face à face, et comme si un plus petit enfant en vouloit accoler un plus grandelet. La jointure et l’espace par où ils se tenoient, n’estoit que de quatre doigts ou environ, en maniere que si vous retroussiez cet enfant imparfait, vous voyez au dessoubs le nombril de l’autre : ainsi la cousture se faisoit entre les tetins et son nombril. Le nombril de l’imparfaict ne se pouvoit voir, mais ouy bien tout le reste de son ventre. Voylà comme ce qui n’estoit pas attaché, comme bras, fessier, cuisses et jambes de cet imparfait, demouroient pendants et branlans sur l’autre, et luy pouvoit aller sa longueur jusques à my jambe. La nourrice nous adjoustoit qu’il urinoit par tous les deux endroicts ; aussi estoient les membres de cet autre nourris et vivans, et en mesme point que les siens, sauf qu’ils estoient plus petits et menus. Ce double corps et ces membres divers, se rapportans à une seule teste, pourroient bien fournir de favorable prognostique au Roy de maintenir sous l’union de ses loix ces pars et pieces diverses de nostre estat ; mais, de peur que l’evenement ne le démente, il vaut mieux le laisser passer devant, car il n’est que de deviner en choses faictes : Ut quum facta sunt, tum ad conjecturam aliqua interpretatione revocantur. Comme on dict d’Epimenides qu’il devinoit à reculons. Je viens de voir un pastre en Medoc, de trente ans ou environ, qui n’a aucune montre des parties genitales : il a trois trous par où il rend son eau incessamment ; il est barbu, a desir, et recherche l’attouchement des femmes. Ce que nous appellons monstres, ne le sont pas à Dieu, qui voit en l’immensité de son ouvrage l’infinité des formes qu’il y a comprinses ; et est à croire que cette figure qui nous estonne, se rapporte et tient à quelque autre figure de mesme genre inconnu à l’homme. De sa toute sagesse il ne part rien que bon et commun et reglé ; mais nous n’en voyons pas l’assortiment et la relation. Quod crebro videt, non miratur, etiam si cur fiat nescit. Quod ante non vidit, id, si evenerit, ostentum esse censet. Nous apelons contre nature ce qui advient contre la coustume : rien n’est que selon elle, quel qu’il soit. Que cette raison universelle et naturelle chasse de nous l’erreur et l’estonnement que la nouvelleté nous apporte.

Chapter XXX. Of a monstrous child.

This story shall go by itself; for I will leave it to physicians to

discourse of. Two days ago I saw a child that two men and a nurse, who

said they were the father, the uncle, and the aunt of it, carried about

to get money by showing it, by reason it was so strange a creature. It

was, as to all the rest, of a common form, and could stand upon its feet;

could go and gabble much like other children of the same age; it had

never as yet taken any other nourishment but from the nurse's breasts,

and what, in my presence, they tried to put into the mouth of it, it only

chewed a little and spat it out again without swallowing; the cry of it

seemed indeed a little odd and particular, and it was just fourteen

months old. Under the breast it was joined to another child, but without

a head, and which had the spine of the back without motion, the rest

entire; for though it had one arm shorter than the other, it had been

broken by accident at their birth; they were joined breast to breast, and

as if a lesser child sought to throw its arms about the neck of one

something bigger. The juncture and thickness of the place where they

were conjoined was not above four fingers, or thereabouts, so that if you

thrust up the imperfect child you might see the navel of the other below

it, and the joining was betwixt the paps and the navel. The navel of the

imperfect child could not be seen, but all the rest of the belly, so that

all that was not joined of the imperfect one, as arms, buttocks, thighs,

and legs, hung dangling upon the other, and might reach to the mid-leg.

The nurse, moreover, told us that it urined at both bodies, and that the

members of the other were nourished, sensible, and in the same plight

with that she gave suck to, excepting that they were shorter and less.

This double body and several limbs relating to one head might be

interpreted a favourable prognostic to the king, of

maintaining these various parts of our state under the union of his laws;

but lest the event should prove otherwise, 'tis better to let it alone,

for in things already past there needs no divination,

"Ut quum facts sunt, tum ad conjecturam

aliqui interpretatione revocentur;"

as 'tis said of Epimenides, that he always prophesied backward.

I have just seen a herdsman in Medoc, of about thirty years of age, who

has no sign of any genital parts; he has three holes by which he

incessantly voids his water; he is bearded, has desire, and seeks contact

with women.

Those that we call monsters are not so to God, who sees in the immensity

of His work the infinite forms that He has comprehended therein; and it

is to be believed that this figure which astonishes us has relation to

some other figure of the same kind unknown to man. From His all wisdom

nothing but good, common; and regular proceeds; but we do not discern the

disposition and relation:

"Quod crebro videt, non miratur, etiamsi,

cur fiat, nescit. Quod ante non vidit, id,

si evenerit, ostentum esse censet."

Whatever falls out contrary to custom we say is contrary to nature, but

nothing, whatever it be, is contrary to her. Let, therefore, this

universal and natural reason expel the error and astonishment that

novelty brings along with it.