the essays of montaigne, v1-第5节

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time　and　attention；　and　even　involve　the　sacrifice　of　his　blood。　　Placed
between　two　extreme　parties；　ever　on　the　point　of　getting　to　blows；　he
showed　himself　in　practice　what　he　is　in　his　book；　the　friend　of　a　middle
and　temperate　policy。　　Tolerant　by　character　and　on　principle；　he
belonged；　like　all　the　great　minds　of　the　sixteenth　century；　to　that
political　sect　which　sought　to　improve；　without　destroying；　institutions；
and　we　may　say　of　him；　what　he　himself　said　of　La　Boetie；　〃that　he　had
that　maxim　indelibly　impressed　on　his　mind；　to　obey　and　submit　himself
religiously　to　the　laws　under　which　he　was　born。　　Affectionately　attached
to　the　repose　of　his　country；　an　enemy　to　changes　and　innovations；　he
would　have　preferred　to　employ　what　means　he　had　towards　their
discouragement　and　suppression；　than　in　promoting　their　success。〃　　Such
was　the　platform　of　his　administration。

He　applied　himself；　in　an　especial　manner；　to　the　maintenance　of　peace
between　the　two　religious　factions　which　at　that　time　divided　the　town　of
Bordeaux；　and　at　the　end　of　his　two　first　years　of　office；　his　grateful
fellow…citizens　conferred　on　him　（in　1583）　the　mayoralty　for　two　years
more；　a　distinction　which　had　been　enjoyed；　as　he　tells　us；　only　twice
before。　　On　the　expiration　of　his　official　career；　after　four　years'
duration；　he　could　say　fairly　enough　of　himself　that　he　left　behind　him
neither　hatred　nor　cause　of　offence。

In　the　midst　of　the　cares　of　government；　Montaigne　found　time　to　revise
and　enlarge　his　Essays；　which；　since　their　appearance　in　1580；　were
continually　receiving　augmentation　in　the　form　of　additional　chapters　or
papers。　　Two　more　editions　were　printed　in　1582　and　1587；　and　during　this
time　the　author；　while　making　alterations　in　the　original　text；　had
composed　part　of　the　Third　Book。　　He　went　to　Paris　to　make　arrangements
for　the　publication　of　his　enlarged　labours；　and　a　fourth　impression　in
1588　was　the　result。　　He　remained　in　the　capital　some　time　on　this
occasion；　and　it　was　now　that　he　met　for　the　first　time　Mademoiselle　de
Gournay。　　Gifted　with　an　active　and　inquiring　spirit；　and；　above　all；
possessing　a　sound　and　healthy　tone　of　mind；　Mademoiselle　de　Gournay　had
been　carried　from　her　childhood　with　that　tide　which　set　in　with
sixteenth　century　towards　controversy；　learning；　and　knowledge。　　She
learnt　Latin　without　a　master；　and　when；　the　age　of　eighteen；　she
accidentally　became　possessor　of　a　copy　of　the　Essays；　she　was
transported　with　delight　and　admiration。

She　quitted　the　chateau　of　Gournay；　to　come　and　see　him。　　We　cannot　do
better；　in　connection　with　this　journey　of　sympathy；　than　to　repeat　the
words　of　Pasquier：　〃That　young　lady；　allied　to　several　great　and　noble
families　of　Paris；　proposed　to　herself　no　other　marriage　than　with　her
honour；　enriched　with　the　knowledge　gained　from　good　books；　and；　beyond
all　others；　from　the　essays　of　M。　de　Montaigne；　who　making　in　the　year
1588　a　lengthened　stay　in　the　town　of　Paris；　she　went　there　for　the
purpose　of　forming　his　personal　acquaintance；　and　her　mother；　Madame　de
Gournay；　and　herself　took　him　back　with　them　to　their　chateau；　where；　at
two　or　three　different　times；　he　spent　three　months　altogether；　most
welcome　of　visitors。〃　　It　was　from　this　moment　that　Mademoiselle　de
Gournay　dated　her　adoption　as　Montaigne's　daughter；　a　circumstance　which
has　tended　to　confer　immortality　upon　her　in　a　far　greater　measure　than
her　own　literary　productions。

Montaigne；　on　leaving　Paris；　stayed　a　short　time　at　Blois；　to　attend　the
meeting　of　the　States…General。　　We　do　not　know　what　part　he　took　in　that
assembly：　but　it　is　known　that　he　was　commissioned；　about　this　period；　to
negotiate　between　Henry　of　Navarre　（afterwards　Henry　IV。）　and　the　Duke　of
Guise。　　His　political　life　is　almost　a　blank；　but　De　Thou　assures　us　that
Montaigne　enjoyed　the　confidence　of　the　principal　persons　of　his　time。
De　Thou；　who　calls　him　a　frank　man　without　constraint；　tells　us　that；
walking　with　him　and　Pasquier　in　the　court　at　the　Castle　of　Blois；　he
heard　him　pronounce　some　very　remarkable　opinions　on　contemporary　events；
and　he　adds　that　Montaigne　had　foreseen　that　the　troubles　in　France　could
not　end　without　witnessing　the　death　of　either　the　King　of　Navarre　or　of
the　Duke　of　Guise。　　He　had　made　himself　so　completely　master　of　the　views
of　these　two　princes；　that　he　told　De　Thou　that　the　King　of　Navarre　would
have　been　prepared　to　embrace　Catholicism；　if　he　had　not　been　afraid　of
being　abandoned　by　his　party；　and　that　the　Duke　of　Guise；　on　his　part；
had　no　particular　repugnance　to　the　Confession　of　Augsburg；　for　which　the
Cardinal　of　Lorraine；　his　uncle；　had　inspired　him　with　a　liking；　if　it
had　not　been　for　the　peril　involved　in　quitting　the　Romish　communion。　　It
would　have　been　easy　for　Montaigne　to　play；　as　we　call　it；　a　great　part
in　politics；　and　create　for　himself　a　lofty　position　but　his　motto　was；
'Otio　et　Libertati'；　and　he　returned　quietly　home　to　compose　a　chapter
for　his　next　edition　on　inconveniences　of　Greatness。

The　author　of　the　Essays　was　now　fifty…five。　　The　malady　which　tormented
him　grew　only　worse　and　worse　with　years；　and　yet　he　occupied　himself
continually　with　reading；　meditating；　and　composition。　　He　employed　the
years　1589；　1590；　and　1591　in　making　fresh　additions　to　his　book；　and
even　in　the　approaches　of　old　age　he　might　fairly　anticipate　many　happy
hours；　when　he　was　attacked　by　quinsy；　depriving　him　of　the　power
utterance。　　Pasquier；　who　has　left　us　some　details　　his　last　hours；
narrates　that　he　remained　three　days　in　full　possession　of　his　faculties；
but　unable　to　speak；　so　that；　in　order　to　make　known　his　desires；　he　was
obliged　to　resort　to　writing；　and　as　he　felt　his　end　drawing　near；　he
begged　his　wife　to　summon　certain　of　the　gentlemen　who　lived　in　the
neighbourhood　to　bid　them　a　last　farewell。　　When　they　had　arrived；　he
caused　mass　to　be　celebrated　in　apartment；　and　just　as　the　priest　was
elevating　the　host；　Montaigne　fell　forward　with　his　arms　extended　in
front　of　him；　on　the　bed；　and　so　expired。　　He　was　in　his　sixtieth　year。
It　was　the　13th　September　1592。

Montaigne　was　buried　near　his　own　house；　but　a　few　years　after　his
decease；　his　remains　were　removed　to　the　church　of　a　Commandery　of　St。
Antoine　at　Bordeaux；　where　they　still　continue。　　His　monument　was
restored　in　1803　by　a　descendant。　　It　was　seen　about　1858　by　an　English
traveller　（Mr。　St。　　John）。'＇〃Montaigne　the　Essayist；〃　by　Bayle　St。
John；　1858；　2　vols。　　8vo；　is　one　of　most　delightful　books　of　the　kind。＇
and　was　then　in　good　preservation。

In　1595　Mademoiselle　de　Gournay　published　a　new　edition　of　Montaigne's
Essays；　and　the　first　with　the　latest　emendations　of　the　author；　from　a
copy　presented　to　her　by　his　widow；　and　which　has　not　been　recovered；
although　it　is　known　to　have　been　in　existence　some　years　after　the　date
of　the　impression；　made　on　its　authority。

Coldly　as　Montaigne's　literary　productions　appear　to　have　been　received
by　the　generation　immediately　succeeding　his　own　age；　his　genius　grew
into　just　appreciation　in　the　seventeenth　century；　when　such　great
spirits　arose　as　La　Bruyere；　Moliere；　La　Fontaine；　Madame　de　Sevigne。
〃O；〃　exclaimed　the　Chatelaine　des　Rochers；　〃what　capital　company　he　is；
the　dear　man！　　he　is　my　old　friend；　and　just　for　the　reason　that　he　is
so；　he　always　seems　new。　　My　God！　　how　full　is　that　book　of　sense！〃
Balzac　said　that　he　had　carried　human　reason　as　far　and　as　high　as　it
could　go；　both　in　politics　and　in　morals。　　On　the　other　hand；　Malebranche
and　the　writers　of　Port　Royal　were　against　him；　some　reprehended　the
licentiousness　of　his　writings；　others　their　impiety；　materialism；
epicureanism。　　Even　Pascal；　who　had　carefully　read　the　Essays；　and　gained
no　small　profit　by　them；　did　not　spare　his　reproaches。　　But　Montaigne　has
outlived　detraction。　　As　time　has　gone　on；　his　admirers　and　borrowers
have　increased　in　number；　and　his　Jansenism；　which　recommended　him　to　the
eighteenth　century；　may　not　be　his　least　recommendation　in　the
nineteenth。　　Here　we　have　certainly；　on　the　whole；　a　first…class　man；　and
one　proof　of　his　masterly　genius　seems　to　be；　that　his　merits　and　his
beauties　are　sufficient　to　induce　us　to　leave　out　of　consideration
blemishes　and　faults　which　would　have　been　fatal　to　an　inferior　writer。






　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　LETTERS　OF　MONTAIGNE。


I。

To　Monsieur　de　MONTAIGNE

＇This　account　of　the　death　of　La　Boetie　begins　imperfectly。　　It　first
appeared　in　a　little　volume　of　Miscellanies　in　1571。　　See　Hazlitt；　ubi
sup。　　p。　　630。＇〃。。。。As　to　his　last　words；　doubtless；　if　any　man　can
give　good　account　of　them；　it　is　I；　both　because；　during　the　whole　of　his
sickness　he　conversed　as　fully　with　me　as　with　any　one；　and　also　because；
in　consequence　of　the　singular　and　brotherly　friendship　which　we　had
entertained　for　each　other；　I　was　perfectly　acquainted　with　the
intentions；　opinions；　and　wishes　which　he　had　formed　in　the　course　of　his
life；　as　much　so；　certainly；　as　one　man　can　possibly　be　with　those　of
another　man；　and　because　I　knew　them　to　be　elevated；　virtuous；　full　of
steady　resolution；　and　（after　all　said）　admirabl