ESSAYS OF
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE
Translated by Charles Cotton
Edited by William Carew Hazlitt
1877
CONTENTS
[ PREFACE ]
[ THE LETTERS OF MONTAIGNE ]
[ I. — ]To Monsieur de MONTAIGNE
[ II. — ]To Monseigneur, Monseigneur de MONTAIGNE.
[ III. — ]To Monsieur, Monsieur de LANSAC,
[ IV. — ]To Monsieur, Monsieur de MESMES, Lord of Roissy and Malassize, Privy
[ V. — ]To Monsieur, Monsieur de L’HOSPITAL, Chancellor of France
[ VI. — ]To Monsieur, Monsieur de Folx, Privy Councillor, to the Signory of Venice.
[ VII. — ]To Mademoiselle de MONTAIGNE, my Wife.
[ VIII. — ] To Monsieur DUPUY,
[ IX. — ]To the Jurats of Bordeaux.
[ X. — ]To the same.
[ XI. — ]To the same.
[ XII. — ]
[ XIII. — ]To Mademoiselle PAULMIER.
[ XIV. — ]To the KING, HENRY IV.
[ XV. — ]To the same.
[ XVI. — ]To the Governor of Guienne.
[ BOOK THE FIRST — ]
[ CHAPTER I — ]THAT MEN BY VARIOUS WAYS ARRIVE AT THE SAME END.
[ CHAPTER II — ]OF SORROW
[ CHAPTER III — ]THAT OUR AFFECTIONS CARRY THEMSELVES BEYOND US
[ CHAPTER IV — ]THAT THE SOUL EXPENDS ITS PASSIONS UPON FALSE OBJECTS
[ CHAPTER V — ]WHETHER THE GOVERNOR HIMSELF GO OUT TO PARLEY
[ CHAPTER VI — ]THAT THE HOUR OF PARLEY DANGEROUS
[ CHAPTER VII — ]THAT THE INTENTION IS JUDGE OF OUR ACTIONS
[ CHAPTER VIII — ]OF IDLENESS
[ CHAPTER IX — ]OF LIARS
[ CHAPTER X — ]OF QUICK OR SLOW SPEECH
[ CHAPTER XI — ]OF PROGNOSTICATIONS
[ CHAPTER XII — ]OF CONSTANCY
[ CHAPTER XIII — ]THE CEREMONY OF THE INTERVIEW OF PRINCES
[ CHAPTER XIV — ]THAT MEN ARE JUSTLY PUNISHED FOR BEING OBSTINATE
[ CHAPTER XV — ]OF THE PUNISHMENT OF COWARDICE
[ CHAPTER XVI — ]A PROCEEDING OF SOME AMBASSADORS
[ CHAPTER XVII — ]OF FEAR
[ CHAPTER XVIII — ]NOT TO JUDGE OF OUR HAPPINESS TILL AFTER DEATH.
[ CHAPTER XIX — ]THAT TO STUDY PHILOSOPY IS TO LEARN TO DIE
[ CHAPTER XX — ]OF THE FORCE OF IMAGINATION
[ CHAPTER XXI — ]THAT THE PROFIT OF ONE MAN IS THE DAMAGE OF ANOTHER
[ CHAPTER XXII — ]OF CUSTOM; WE SHOULD NOT EASILY CHANGE A LAW RECEIVED
[ CHAPTER XXIII — ]VARIOUS EVENTS FROM THE SAME COUNSEL
[ CHAPTER XXIV — ]OF PEDANTRY
[ CHAPTER XXV — ]OF THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN
[ CHAPTER XXVI — ]FOLLY TO MEASURE TRUTH AND ERROR BY OUR OWN CAPACITY
[ CHAPTER XXVII — ]OF FRIENDSHIP
[ CHAPTER XXVIII — ]NINE AND TWENTY SONNETS OF ESTIENNE DE LA BOITIE
[ CHAPTER XXIX — ]OF MODERATION
[ CHAPTER XXX — ]OF CANNIBALS
[ CHAPTER XXXI — ]THAT A MAN IS SOBERLY TO JUDGE OF THE DIVINE ORDINANCES
[ CHAPTER XXXII — ]WE ARE TO AVOID PLEASURES, EVEN AT THE EXPENSE OF LIFE
[ CHAPTER XXXIII — ]FORTUNE IS OFTEN OBSERVED TO ACT BY THE RULE OF REASON
[ CHAPTER XXXIV — ]OF ONE DEFECT IN OUR GOVERNMENT
[ CHAPTER XXXV — ]OF THE CUSTOM OF WEARING CLOTHES
[ CHAPTER XXXVI — ]OF CATO THE YOUNGER
[ CHAPTER XXXVII — ]THAT WE LAUGH AND CRY FOR THE SAME THING
[ CHAPTER XXXVIII — ] OF SOLITUDE
[ CHAPTER XXXIX — ]A CONSIDERATION UPON CICERO
[ CHAPTER XL — ]RELISH FOR GOOD AND EVIL DEPENDS UPON OUR OPINION
[ CHAPTER XLI — ]NOT TO COMMUNICATE A MAN’S HONOUR
[ CHAPTER XLII — ]OF THE INEQUALITY AMOUNGST US.
[ CHAPTER XLIII — ]OF SUMPTUARY LAWS
[ CHAPTER XLIV — ]OF SLEEP
[ CHAPTER XLV — ]OF THE BATTLE OF DREUX
[ CHAPTER XLVI — ]OF NAMES
[ CHAPTER XLVII — ]OF THE UNCERTAINTY OF OUR JUDGMENT
[ CHAPTER XLVIII — ]OF WAR HORSES, OR DESTRIERS
[ CHAPTER XLIX — ]OF ANCIENT CUSTOMS
[ CHAPTER L — ]OF DEMOCRITUS AND HERACLITUS
[ CHAPTER LI — ]OF THE VANITY OF WORDS
[ CHAPTER LII — ]OF THE PARSIMONY OF THE ANCIENTS
[ CHAPTER LIII — ]OF A SAYING OF CAESAR
[ CHAPTER LIV — ]OF VAIN SUBTLETIES
[ CHAPTER LV — ]OF SMELLS
[ CHAPTER LVI — ]OF PRAYERS
[ CHAPTER LVII — ]OF AGE
[ BOOK THE SECOND — ]
[ CHAPTER I — ]OF THE INCONSTANCY OF OUR ACTIONS
[ CHAPTER II — ]OF DRUNKENNESS
[ CHAPTER III — ]A CUSTOM OF THE ISLE OF CEA
[ CHAPTER IV — ]TO-MORROW’S A NEW DAY
[ CHAPTER V — ]OF CONSCIENCE
[ CHAPTER VI — ]USE MAKES PERFECT
[ CHAPTER VII — ]OF RECOMPENSES OF HONOUR
[ CHAPTER VIII — ]OF THE AFFECTION OF FATHERS TO THEIR CHILDREN
[ CHAPTER IX — ]OF THE ARMS OF THE PARTHIANS
[ CHAPTER X — ]OF BOOKS
[ CHAPTER XI — ]OF CRUELTY
[ CHAPTER XII — ]APOLOGY FOR RAIMOND SEBOND
[ CHAPTER XIII — ]OF JUDGING OF THE DEATH OF ANOTHER
[ CHAPTER XIV — ]THAT OUR MIND HINDERS ITSELF
[ CHAPTER XV — ]THAT OUR DESIRES ARE AUGMENTED BY DIFFICULTY
[ CHAPTER XVI — ]OF GLORY
[ CHAPTER XVII — ]OF PRESUMPTION
[ CHAPTER XVIII — ]OF GIVING THE LIE
[ CHAPTER XIX — ]OF LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE
[ CHAPTER XX — ]THAT WE TASTE NOTHING PURE
[ CHAPTER XXI — ]AGAINST IDLENESS
[ CHAPTER XXII — ]OF POSTING
[ CHAPTER XXIII — ]OF ILL MEANS EMPLOYED TO A GOOD END
[ CHAPTER XXIV — ]OF THE ROMAN GRANDEUR
[ CHAPTER XXV — ]NOT TO COUNTERFEIT BEING SICK
[ CHAPTER XXVI — ]OF THUMBS
[ CHAPTER XXVII — ]COWARDICE THE MOTHER OF CRUELTY
[ CHAPTER XXVIII — ]ALL THINGS HAVE THEIR SEASON
[ CHAPTER XXIX — ]OF VIRTUE
[ CHAPTER XXX — ]OF A MONSTROUS CHILD
[ CHAPTER XXXI — ]OF ANGER
[ CHAPTER XXXII — ]DEFENCE OF SENECA AND PLUTARCH
[ CHAPTER XXXIII — ] THE STORY OF SPURINA
[ CHAPTER XXXIV — ]OBSERVATION ON A WAR ACCORDING TO JULIUS CAESAR
[ CHAPTER XXXV — ]OF THREE GOOD WOMEN
[ CHAPTER XXXVI — ]OF THE MOST EXCELLENT MEN
[ CHAPTER XXXVII — ]OF THE RESEMBLANCE OF CHILDREN TO THEIR FATHERS
[ BOOK THE THIRD — ]
[ CHAPTER I — ]OF PROFIT AND HONESTY
[ CHAPTER II — ]OF REPENTANCE
[ CHAPTER III — ]OF THREE COMMERCES
[ CHAPTER IV — ]OF DIVERSION
[ CHAPTER V — ]UPON SOME VERSES OF VIRGIL
[ CHAPTER VI — ]OF COACHES
[ CHAPTER VII — ]OF THE INCONVENIENCE OF GREATNESS
[ CHAPTER VIII — ] OF THE ART OF CONFERENCE
[ CHAPTER IX — ]OF VANITY
[ CHAPTER X — ]OF MANAGING THE WILL
[ CHAPTER XI — ]OF CRIPPLES
[ CHAPTER XII — ]OF PHYSIOGNOMY
[ CHAPTER XIII — ]OF EXPERIENCE
[ APOLOGY]
[ PROJECT GUTENBERG EDITOR’S BOOKMARKS]
PREFACE
The present publication is intended to supply a recognised deficiency in our literature—a library edition of the Essays of Montaigne. This great French writer deserves to be regarded as a classic, not only in the land of his birth, but in all countries and in all literatures. His Essays, which are at once the most celebrated and the most permanent of his productions, form a magazine out of which such minds as those of Bacon and Shakespeare did not disdain to help themselves; and, indeed, as Hallam observes, the Frenchman’s literary importance largely results from the share which his mind had in influencing other minds, coeval and subsequent. But, at the same time, estimating the value and rank of the essayist, we are not to leave out of the account the drawbacks and the circumstances of the period: the imperfect state of education, the comparative scarcity of books, and the limited opportunities of intellectual intercourse. Montaigne freely borrowed of others, and he has found men willing to borrow of him as freely. We need not wonder at the reputation which he with seeming facility achieved. He was, without being aware of it, the leader of a new school in letters and morals. His book was different from all others which were at that date in the world. It diverted the ancient currents of thought into new channels. It told its readers, with unexampled frankness, what its writer’s opinion was about men and things, and threw what must have been a strange kind of new light on many matters but darkly understood. Above all, the essayist uncased himself, and made his intellectual and physical organism public property. He took the world into his confidence on all subjects. His essays were a sort of literary anatomy, where we get a diagnosis of the writer’s mind, made by himself at different levels and under a large variety of operating influences.