The Essays of Montaigne

The Essays of Montaigne  (1686)  by Michel de Montaigne, translated by Charles Cotton

First published in 1686. From the edition published in 1877 by William Carew Hazilitt.

TOC

• 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.
  • 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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