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94 Ellen Sugg
scribendi." Perhaps Montaigne, writing in 1580, initially felt that his
writings revealed his soul, but did so only by diminishing his speech.
It was not until the later edition that he revealed what occurs when he
actually writes.
It is artistically pleasing, for the purpose of our analysis, to see
that the concluding passage of Montaigne's essay revolves around yet
another metaphor, that of the sword: "J'aurai eslancé quelque subtilité
en escrivant. (J'entens bien: mornée pour un autre, affilée pour moy)"
(I, 10, 42 B). Montaigne's use of the terms "eslancé," "mornée," and
"affilée" to describe the effect of his writing on both himself and his
reader points to a continuing preoccupation with rhetoric. His
appropriation of the sword metaphor to describe his writing clearly
falls within the tradition of comparing the sword with the pen. 19 What
is most striking about Montaigne's particular use of the sword
metaphor, however, is that he uses it to depict the range of difficulties
a writer encounters when maximizing the rhetorical effects available to
him.
The paradoxes inherent in Montaigne's assessment of his own
writing call out for explanation, and the polyvalent nature of the sword
metaphor serves to crystallize these paradoxes. Montaigne admits that
a remark he may have initially hurled with force and precision,
"J'aurai eslancé quelque subtilité en escrivant," not unlike a spear
hurled through the air to meet its target, may at a later time appear so
subtle that he can no longer discern what he initially intended to say.
Even a stranger, (perhaps a reader?) may be able to discern his
meaning more quickly than he: "Je l'ay si bien perdue que je ne sçay
ce que j'ay voulu dire; et l'a l'estranger descouverte par fois avant
moy" (I, 10, 40 C). Is Montaigne speaking for or against spontaneous
expression here? Certainly the verb "eslancé" describes movement
which is both forceful and spontaneous; yet, the spear itself must be
thrown with precision to hit its mark, and must be sharpened before it
is thrown if it is to pierce its target, with both activities requiring
premeditation and preparation. Or, is Montaigne saying that in spite of
combining both spontaneity of movement with pre-meditation and
19 See Bowen's discussion of letters and arms on p. 82 of her work cited above.
For a discussion of the Renaissance as a period of letters to be distinguished from
one of religion or arms, see Fumaroli's article (pp. 253-255) mentioned in note 5.