The Essays, vol 12 | Page 4

to sample the author's ideas before making
an entire meal of them. D.W.]

ESSAYS OF MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE
Translated by Charles Cotton
Edited by William Carew Hazilitt
1877

CONTENTS OF VOLUME 12.
XVIII. Of giving the lie. XIX. Of liberty of conscience. XX. That we
taste nothing pure. XXI. Against idleness. XXII. Of Posting. XXIII. Of
ill means employed to a good end. XXIV. Of the Roman grandeur.
XXV. Not to counterfeit being sick. XXVI. Of thumbs. XXVII.
Cowardice the mother of cruelty. XXVIII. All things have their season.
XXIX. Of virtue. XXX. Of a monstrous child. XXXI. Of anger.

CHAPTER XVIII
OF GIVING THE LIE
Well, but some one will say to me, this design of making a man's self
the subject of his writing, were indeed excusable in rare and famous
men, who by their reputation had given others a curiosity to be fully
informed of them. It is most true, I confess and know very well, that a
mechanic will scarce lift his eyes from his work to look at an ordinary
man, whereas a man will forsake his business and his shop to stare at
an eminent person when he comes into a town. It misbecomes any
other to give his own character, but him who has qualities worthy of
imitation, and whose life and opinions may serve for example: Caesar
and Xenophon had a just and solid foundation whereon to found their
narrations, the greatness of their own performances; and were to be
wished that we had the journals of Alexander the Great, the
commentaries that Augustus, Cato, Sylla, Brutus, and others left of
their actions; of such persons men love and contemplate the very
statues even in copper and marble. This remonstrance is very true; but
it very little concerns me:
"Non recito cuiquam, nisi amicis, idque coactus; Non ubivis, coramve

quibuslibet, in medio qui Scripta foro recitant, sunt multi, quique
lavantes."
["I repeat my poems only to my friends, and when bound to do so; not
before every one and everywhere; there are plenty of reciters in the
open market-place and at the baths."--Horace, sat. i. 4, 73.]
I do not here form a statue to erect in the great square of a city, in a
church, or any public place:
"Non equidem hoc studeo, bullatis ut mihi nugis, Pagina turgescat......
Secreti loquimur:"
["I study not to make my pages swell with empty trifles; you and I are
talking in private."--Persius, Sat., v. 19.]
'tis for some corner of a library, or to entertain a neighbour, a kinsman,
a friend, who has a mind to renew his acquaintance and familiarity with
me in this image of myself. Others have been encouraged to speak of
themselves, because they found the subject worthy and rich; I, on the
contrary, am the bolder, by reason the subject is so poor and sterile that
I cannot be suspected of ostentation. I judge freely of the actions of
others; I give little of my own to judge of, because they are nothing: I
do not find so much good in myself, that I cannot tell it without
blushing.
What contentment would it not be to me to hear any one thus relate to
me the manners, faces, countenances, the ordinary words and fortunes
of my ancestors? how attentively should I listen to it! In earnest, it
would be evil nature to despise so much as the pictures of our friends
and predecessors, the fashion of their clothes and arms. I preserve their
writing, seal, and a particular sword they wore, and have not thrown the
long staves my father used to carry in his hand, out of my closet
"Paterna vestis, et annulus, tanto charior est posteris, quanto erga
parentes major affectus."
["A father's garment and ring is by so much dearer to his posterity, as

there is the greater affection towards parents." --St. Aug., De Civat. Dei,
i. 13.]
If my posterity, nevertheless, shall be of another mind, I shall be
avenged on them; for they cannot care less for me than I shall then do
for them. All the traffic that I have in this with the public is, that I
borrow their utensils of writing, which are more easy and most at hand;
and in recompense shall, peradventure, keep a pound of butter in the
market from melting in the sun:--[Montaigne semi-seriously speculates
on the possibility of his MS. being used to wrap up butter.]
"Ne toga cordyllis, ne penula desit olivis; Et laxas scombris saepe dabo
tunicas;"
["Let not wrappers be wanting to tunny-fish, nor olives; and I shall
supply loose coverings to mackerel." --Martial, xiii. I, I.]
And though nobody should read me, have I wasted time in entertaining
myself so many idle hours in so pleasing and useful thoughts? In
moulding this figure