The Essays of Montaigne

by Michel de Montaigne

For other English-language translations of this work, see The Essays of Michel de Montaigne.

Scans

Table of Contents

• Preface
• The Life of Montaigne
• The Letters of Montaigne

• Book I
  • The Author to the Reader
  • 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 discharges her passions upon false objects, where the true are wanting.
  • Chapter V. Whether the governor of a place besieged ought himself to go out to parley.
  • Chapter VI. That the hour of parley is 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 in the defence of a fort that is not in reason to be defended.
  • Chapter XV. Of the punishment of cowardice.
  • Chapter XVI. A proceeding of some ambassadors.
  • Chapter XVII. Of fear.
  • Chapter XVIII. That men are not to judge of our happiness till after death.
  • Chapter XIX. That to study philosophy 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, and that 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. That it is folly to measure truth and error by our own capacity.
  • Chapter XXVII. Of friendship.
  • Chapter XXVIII. Nine-and-twenty sonnets of Estienne de la Boetie.
  • Chapter XXIX. Of moderation.
  • Chapter XXX. Of cannibals.
  • Chapter XXXI. That a man is soberly to judge of the divine ordinances.
  • Chapter XXXII. That we are to avoid pleasures, even at the expense of life.
  • Chapter XXXIII. That fortune is oftentimes 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. That the relish of good and evil depends in a great measure upon the opinion we have of them.
  • Chapter XLI. Not to communicate a man's honour.
  • Chapter XLII. Of the inequality amongst 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 II
  • 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. The Apology of Raymond Sebond. ^[1]
  • Chapter XIII. Of judging of the death of another.
  • Chapter XIV. That the 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. Means to carry 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 III
  • 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.

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1. Translator John Florio