Michel de Montaigne - Complete Works_ Essays, Travel Journal, Letters-

33.57 MB·english

by  Michel de Montaigne

MICHEL
• •
DE MONTAIGNE
T H E
C O MPLE TE WO RKS
Humanisstk,e ptaiccu,t oeb servoefrh im­
selafn d otherMsI,CH EL DE MONTAIGNE
(1533-w9a2s)t hefi rsttou set het erm' essay'
tor efetrot hef ormh ep ioneeraendd,h as
remaineodn eo fi tmso stf amoupsr acti­
tioneHres .r eflectoend t heg reatth emes
ofe xisteinnch ei sm asteralnyd e ngaging
writinhgisss, u bjecrtasn ginfrgo m proper
conversaatnidog no odr eadintgot, h er ais­
ingo fc hildraenndt hee nduranocfep ain;
from solituddees,t intyi,m ea ndc ustom,
tot rutcho,n sciousannedsd se,a thH.a ving
stootdh et esotft imeh,i ess sacyosn tintuoe
influenwcrei tenresa rl5y0 0y earlsa ter.
Alsoi ncludiendt hissi ngle-voelduim­e
tioonf t hec omplewtoer kasr eM ontaigne's
lettearnsd h ist ravejlo urnafla,s cinating
recorodfst hee xperienacnedcs o ntempla­
tiontsh ats hapeadn di nfusheids e ssays.
Montaigsnpee aksu sat low ayisna p ersonal
voicienw hichhi vsi rtuoefts o leranmcoed,­
eratioann,du nderstandairnedg a zzlingly
manifest.

E V E R Y M A N ' S L I B R A R Y

MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE
Th, C o p l t
e m e e
Works
EssaTyrsaJ,vo eulr Lneatlt,e rs
TranslabtyeD do nalMd. Frame
witha nI ntroductbiyoS nt uaHratm pshire
E V E R Y M A N ' S L I B R A R Y
Alfred A. Knopf New York Toronto
259
THISI SA BORZOIB OOK
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PUitL'l·SHEPBY ALFRED A.K NOPF
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theL elanSdt anforJdu nioUrn iversAiltlry i.g hrtess erved.
Reprintaenddp ublisbhyea dr rangement with
StanforUdn iversPirteys s.
IntroducBtiibolni,o graapnhdCy h,r onoloCgoyp yri©g h2t003
byE verymanL'isb rary
TypograpbhyPy e teBr.W ilblerg
Allr ighrtess ervuendd eIrn ternatainodnP aaln -AmeriCcoapny right
ConventioPnusb.l ishientd h eU niteSdt atbeysA lfredA .Kn opf,
ad ivisoifoR na ndomH ouseI,n cN.e,w Yorka,n ds imultaneionu sly
Canadbay R andomH ouseo fC anadLai miteTdo,r ontDoi.s tributed
byR andomH ouseI,n cN.e,w York
ww.w randomhousee.vceormy/m ans
Book Design l:ry Barbara de Wilde and Carol Devine Carson
Printaendd b oundi nG ermany
byG GP MediaP,o ssneck
C O N T E N TS
Introduction xv
Translator's Note XXVll
Select Bibliography xxx
..
Chronology xxxn
ESSAYS
With approximate dates of composition
To the Reader (1580) 2
BOOK I
CHAPTER
1. By diverse means we arrive at the same end
(1578-80) . . 3
2. Of sadness (1572-74) 6
3. Our feelings reach out beyond us (1572-74)
g
4. How the soul discharges its passions on false
objects when the true are wanting (1572-74) 16
5. Whether the governor of a besieged place
should go out to parley (1572-74) 18
6. Parley time is dangerous (1572-74) 20
7. That intention is judge of our actions (1572-74) 23
8. Of idleness (1572-74) 24
Of liars (1572-74). . 25
g.
10. Of prompt or slow speech (1572-74) 30
11. Of prognostications (1572-74) 32
12. Of constancy (1572-74) . . 35
13. Ceremony of interviews between kings (1572-74) 38
14. That the taste of good and evil depends in large
part on the opinion we have of them (1572-74) 39
15. One is punished for defending a place
obstinately without reason (1572-74) 56
16. Of the punishment of cowardice (1572-74) 57
vu..
MONTAI GNE
CHAPTER
17. A trait of certain �mbassadors (1572-74) 59
-
18. Of fear (�512�74). ;-. 62
19. That our happiness must not be judged until
after our death (1572-74) 64
20. That to philosophize is to learn to die (1572-74) 67
21. Of the power of the imagination (1572-74) 82
22. One man's profit is another man's harm
(1572-80) . . 92
23. Of custom, and not easily changing an
accepted law (1572-74) . . 93
24. Various outcomes of the same plan (1572-80) 109
25. Of pedantry (1572-78) 118
26. Of the education of children (1579-80). . 129
27. It is folly to measure the true and false by our
own capacity (1572-74) . . 160
28. Of friendship (1572-76, 1578-80) 164
29. Twenty-nine sonnets of Etienne de La Boetie
(1578-80) . . 176
30. Of moderation (1572-80) 177
31. Of cannibals (1578-80) . . 182
32. We should meddle soberly with judging divine
ordinances (1572-74) 194
33. To flee from sensual pleasures at the price of
life (1572-74) 196
34. Fortune is often met in the path of reason
(1572-74) . . 197
35. Of a lack in our administrations (1572-74) 200
36. Of the custom of wearing clothes (1572-74) 201
37. Of Cato the Younger (1572-74) . . 205
38. How we cry and laugh for the same thing
(1572-74) . . 208
39. Of solitude (1572-74) 211
40. A consideration upon Cicero (1572-74) . . 222
41. Of not communicating one's glory (1572-74) 227
42. Of the inequality that is between us (1572-74) . . 229
43. Of sumptuary laws (1572-74) 238
44. Of sleep (1572-74) 240
45. Of the Jattle of Dreux (1572-74) 242
Vlll
C ON TEN T S •
CHAPTER
46. Of names (1572-74) 243
47. Of the uncertainty of our judgment (1572-::-74) 248
48. Of war horses (1572-74) . . 254
49. Of ancient customs (1572-80) 261
50. Of Democritus and Heraclitus (1572-80) 266
51. Of the vanity of words (1572-80) 269
52. Of the parsimony of the ancients (1572-80) 271
53. Of a saying of Caesar's (1572-80) 272
54. Of vain subtleties (1572-80) 273
55. Of smells (1572-80) 276
56. Of prayers (1572-80) 278
57. Of age (1572-80) . . 287
BOOK II
1. Of the inconsistency of our actions (1572-74) 290
2. Of drunkenness (1573-74) 296
3. A custom of the island of Cea (1573-74) 305
4. Let business wait till tomorrow (1573-74) 318
5. Of conscience (1573-74) . . 320
6. Of practice (1573-74) 324
7. Of honorary awards (1578-80) 334
8. Of the affection of fathers for their children
(1578-80) . . 337
9. Of the arms of the Parthians (1578-80). . 356
10. Of books (1578-80) 359
11. Of cruelty (1578-80) 372
12. Apology for Raymond Sebond (1575-76,
1578-80) . . 386
Sebond and his book, 387
First objection to Sebond: Defense, 389
First objection to Sebond: Conclusion, 396
Second objection to Sebond: The objectors, 397
Second objection to Sebond: Defense, 398
Counterattack: The vanity of man and of man's
knowledge without God, 398
Man is no better than the animals, 401
Man's knowledge cannot make him happy, 435
Man's knowledge cannot make him good, 446
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