It seems that God having given reason to men, this reason should teach them not to debase themselves by imitating animals, particularly when nature has given them neither arms to kill their fellow-creatures, nor instinct which leads them to suck their blood.
Yet murderous war is so much the dreadful lot of man, that except two or three nations, there are none but what their ancient histories represent as armed against one another. Towards Canada, man and warrior3 are synonymous; and we have seen, in our hemisphere, that thief and soldier were the same thing. Manich?ans! behold4 your excuse.
The most determined5 of flatterers will easily agree, that war always brings pestilence6 and famine in its train, from the little that he may have seen in the hospitals of the armies of Germany, or the few villages he may have passed through in which some great exploit of war has been performed.
That is doubtless a very fine art which desolates7 countries, destroys habitations, and in a common year causes the death of from forty to a hundred thousand men. This invention was first cultivated by nations assembled for their common good; for instance, the diet of the Greeks declared to the diet of Phrygia and neighboring nations, that they intended to depart on a thousand fishers’ barks, to exterminate8 them if they could.
The assembled Roman people judged that it was to their interest to go and fight, before harvest, against the people of Veii or the Volscians. And some years after, all the Romans, being exasperated9 against all the Carthaginians, fought them a long time on sea and land. It is not exactly the same at present.
A genealogist10 proves to a prince that he descends11 in a right line from a count, whose parents made a family compact, three or four hundred years ago, with a house the recollection of which does not even exist. This house had distant pretensions12 to a province, of which the last possessor died of apoplexy. The prince and his council see his right at once. This province, which is some hundred leagues distant from him, in vain protests that it knows him not; that it has no desire to be governed by him; that to give laws to its people, he must at least have their consent; these discourses13 only reach as far as the ears of the prince, whose right is incontestable. He immediately assembles a great number of men who have nothing to lose, dresses them in coarse blue cloth, borders their hats with broad white binding14, makes them turn to the right and left, and marches to glory.
Other princes who hear of this equipment, take part in it, each according to his power, and cover a small extent of country with more mercenary murderers than Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, and Bajazet employed in their train. Distant people hear that they are going to fight, and that they may gain five or six sous a day, if they will be of the party; they divide themselves into two bands, like reapers15, and offer their services to whoever will employ them.
These multitudes fall upon one another, not only without having any interest in the affair, but without knowing the reason of it. We see at once five or six belligerent17 powers, sometimes three against three, sometimes two against four, and sometimes one against five; all equally detesting18 one another, uniting with and attacking by turns; all agree in a single point, that of doing all the harm possible.
The most wonderful part of this infernal enterprise is that each chief of the murderers causes his colors to be blessed, and solemnly invokes19 God before he goes to exterminate his neighbors. If a chief has only the fortune to kill two or three thousand men, he does not thank God for it; but when he has exterminated20 about ten thousand by fire and sword, and, to complete the work, some town has been levelled with the ground, they then sing a long song in four parts, composed in a language unknown to all who have fought, and moreover replete21 with barbarism. The same song serves for marriages and births, as well as for murders; which is unpardonable, particularly in a nation the most famous for new songs.
Natural religion has a thousand times prevented citizens from committing crimes. A well-trained mind has not the inclination22 for it; a tender one is alarmed at it, representing to itself a just and avenging23 God; but artificial religion encourages all cruelties which are exercised by troops — conspiracies24, seditions, pillages25, ambuscades, surprises of towns, robberies, and murder. Each marches gaily26 to crime, under the banner of his saint.
A certain number of orators28 are everywhere paid to celebrate these murderous days; some are dressed in a long black close coat, with a short cloak; others have a shirt above a gown; some wear two variegated29 stuff streamers over their shirts. All of them speak for a long time, and quote that which was done of old in Palestine, as applicable to a combat in Veteravia.
The rest of the year these people declaim against vices16. They prove, in three points and by antitheses30, that ladies who lay a little carmine31 upon their cheeks, will be the eternal objects of the eternal vengeances of the Eternal; that Polyeuctus and Athalia are works of the demon32; that a man who, for two hundred crowns a day, causes his table to be furnished with fresh sea-fish during Lent, infallibly works his salvation33; and that a poor man who eats two sous and a half worth of mutton, will go forever to all the devils.
Of five or six thousand declamations of this kind, there are three or four at most, composed by a Gaul named Massillon, which an honest man may read without disgust; but in all these discourses, you will scarcely find two in which the orator27 dares to say a word against the scourge34 and crime of war, which contains all other scourges35 and crimes. The unfortunate orators speak incessantly36 against love, which is the only consolation37 of mankind, and the only mode of making amends38 for it; they say nothing of the abominable39 efforts which we make to destroy it.
You have made a very bad sermon on impurity40 — oh, Bourdaloue! — but none on these murders, varied41 in so many ways; on these rapines and robberies; on this universal rage which devours42 the world. All the united vices of all ages and places will never equal the evils produced by a single campaign.
Miserable43 physicians of souls! you exclaim, for five quarters of an hour, on some pricks44 of a pin, and say nothing on the malady45 which tears us into a thousand pieces! Philosophers! moralists! burn all your books. While the caprice of a few men makes that part of mankind consecrated46 to heroism47, to murder loyally millions of our brethren, can there be anything more horrible throughout nature?
What becomes of, and what signifies to me, humanity, beneficence, modesty48, temperance, mildness, wisdom, and piety49, while half a pound of lead, sent from the distance of a hundred steps, pierces my body, and I die at twenty years of age, in inexpressible torments50, in the midst of five or six thousand dying men, while my eyes which open for the last time, see the town in which I was born destroyed by fire and sword, and the last sounds which reach my ears are the cries of women and children expiring under the ruins, all for the pretended interests of a man whom I know not?
What is worse, war is an inevitable51 scourge. If we take notice, all men have worshipped Mars. Sabaoth, among the Jews, signifies the god of arms; but Minerva, in Homer, calls Mars a furious, mad, and infernal god.
The celebrated52 Montesquieu, who was called humane53, has said, however, that it is just to bear fire and sword against our neighbors, when we fear that they are doing too well. If this is the spirit of laws, it is also that of Borgia and of Machiavelli. If unfortunately he says true, we must write against this truth, though it may be proved by facts.
This is what Montesquieu says: “Between societies, the right of natural defence sometimes induces the necessity of attacking, when one people sees that a longer peace puts another in a situation to destroy it, and that attack at the given moment is the only way of preventing this destruction.”
How can attack in peace be the only means of preventing this destruction? You must be sure that this neighbor will destroy you, if he become powerful. To be sure of it, he must already have made preparations for your overthrow54. In this case, it is he who commences the war; it is not you: your supposition is false and contradictory55.
If ever war is evidently unjust, it is that which you propose: it is going to kill your neighbor, who does not attack you, lest he should ever be in a state to do so. To hazard the ruin of your country, in the hope of ruining without reason that of another, is assuredly neither honest nor useful; for we are never sure of success, as you well know.
If your neighbor becomes too powerful during peace, what prevents you from rendering56 yourself equally powerful? If he has made alliances, make them on your side. If, having fewer monks57, he has more soldiers and manufacturers, imitate him in this wise economy. If he employs his sailors better, employ yours in the same manner: all that is very just. But to expose your people to the most horrible misery58, in the so often false idea of overturning your dear brother, the most serene59 neighboring prince! — it was not for the honorary president of a pacific society to give you such advice.
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1
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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pestilence
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| n.瘟疫 | |
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desolates
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| 毁坏( desolate的第三人称单数 )； 极大地破坏； 使沮丧； 使痛苦 | |
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8
exterminate
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| v.扑灭，消灭，根绝 | |
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exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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genealogist
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| 系谱学者 | |
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descends
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| v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 )；下去；下降；下斜 | |
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pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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discourses
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| 论文( discourse的名词复数 )； 演说； 讲道； 话语 | |
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binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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reapers
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| n.收割者，收获者( reaper的名词复数 )；收割机 | |
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vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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belligerent
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| adj.好战的，挑起战争的；n.交战国，交战者 | |
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detesting
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的现在分词 ) | |
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invokes
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| v.援引( invoke的第三人称单数 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求 | |
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exterminated
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| v.消灭，根绝( exterminate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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replete
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| adj.饱满的，塞满的；n.贮蜜蚁 | |
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inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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23
avenging
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| adj.报仇的，复仇的v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的现在分词 )；为…报复 | |
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conspiracies
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| n.阴谋，密谋( conspiracy的名词复数 ) | |
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pillages
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| n.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的名词复数 )；掠夺者v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的第三人称单数 ) | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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orators
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| n.演说者，演讲家( orator的名词复数 ) | |
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variegated
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| adj.斑驳的，杂色的 | |
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antitheses
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| n.对照，对立的，对比法；对立( antithesis的名词复数 )；对立面；对照；对偶 | |
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carmine
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| n.深红色，洋红色 | |
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32
demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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scourge
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| n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏 | |
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scourges
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| 带来灾难的人或东西，祸害( scourge的名词复数 )； 鞭子 | |
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36
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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amends
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| n. 赔偿 | |
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39
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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40
impurity
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| n.不洁，不纯，杂质 | |
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41
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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42
devours
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| 吞没( devour的第三人称单数 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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43
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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44
pricks
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| 刺痛( prick的名词复数 )； 刺孔； 刺痕； 植物的刺 | |
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45
malady
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| n.病，疾病(通常做比喻) | |
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46
consecrated
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| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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47
heroism
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| n.大无畏精神，英勇 | |
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48
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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49
piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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50
torments
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| （肉体或精神上的）折磨，痛苦( torment的名词复数 )； 造成痛苦的事物[人] | |
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51
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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52
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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53
humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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54
overthrow
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| v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆 | |
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55
contradictory
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| adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立 | |
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56
rendering
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| n.表现，描写 | |
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57
monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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58
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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