Essays of Michel de Montaigne cover

Essays of Michel de Montaigne

Original title: Essais

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), trans. Charles Cotton

Original en 525835 words First published 1580 France

Michel de Montaigne invented the essay — the word, and the thing — in his tower in southwest France, and this is the book that defined the form. Whether discussing friendship, death, cannibals, the education of children, or his own habits and contradictions, he writes with a candour and wandering intelligence that no one had put on the page before: 'I am myself the matter of my book.' Four centuries on, he remains the most companionable of philosophers — sceptical, humane, funny, and endlessly quotable. This edition uses the classic Cotton/Hazlitt translation.

Text sourced from Project Gutenberg (public domain in the United States); the Project Gutenberg trademark and license text have been removed on import. Public-domain status determined by the author's death year + 50 years rule.

Table of Contents

  1. 001 PREFACE (1) 2527 words
  2. 002 PREFACE (2) 2537 words
  3. 003 PREFACE (3) 2514 words
  4. 004 PREFACE (4) 2606 words
  5. 005 PREFACE (5) 2525 words
  6. 006 PREFACE (6) 2517 words
  7. 007 PREFACE (7) 2511 words
  8. 008 PREFACE (8) 2506 words
  9. 009 PREFACE (9) 510 words
  10. 010 Chapter 1 2564 words
  11. 011 Chapter 2 2542 words
  12. 012 Chapter 3 2524 words
  13. 013 Chapter 4 2507 words
  14. 014 Chapter 5 2603 words
  15. 015 Chapter 6 2516 words
  16. 016 Chapter 7 2551 words
  17. 017 Chapter 8 2510 words
  18. 018 Chapter 9 2565 words
  19. 019 Chapter 10 2538 words
  20. 020 Chapter 11 2522 words
  21. 021 Chapter 12 2526 words
  22. 022 Chapter 13 2523 words
  23. 023 Chapter 14 2605 words
  24. 024 Chapter 15 2509 words
  25. 025 Chapter 16 2515 words
  26. 026 Chapter 17 2510 words
  27. 027 Chapter 18 2574 words
  28. 028 Chapter 19 2512 words
  29. 029 Chapter 20 2507 words
  30. 030 Chapter 21 2566 words
  31. 031 Chapter 22 2517 words
  32. 032 Chapter 23 2527 words
  33. 033 Chapter 24 2506 words
  34. 034 Chapter 25 2506 words
  35. 035 Chapter 26 2578 words
  36. 036 Chapter 27 2527 words
  37. 037 Chapter 28 2533 words
  38. 038 Chapter 29 2519 words
  39. 039 Chapter 30 2512 words
  40. 040 Chapter 31 2511 words
  41. 041 Chapter 32 2521 words
  42. 042 Chapter 33 2511 words
  43. 043 Chapter 34 2518 words
  44. 044 Chapter 35 2513 words
  45. 045 Chapter 36 2569 words
  46. 046 Chapter 37 2521 words
  47. 047 Chapter 38 2549 words
  48. 048 Chapter 39 2504 words
  49. 049 Chapter 40 2549 words
  50. 050 Chapter 41 2540 words
  51. 051 Chapter 42 2513 words
  52. 052 Chapter 43 2510 words
  53. 053 Chapter 44 2523 words
  54. 054 Chapter 45 2520 words
  55. 055 Chapter 46 2544 words
  56. 056 Chapter 47 2520 words
  57. 057 Chapter 48 2506 words
  58. 058 Chapter 49 2510 words
  59. 059 Chapter 50 2520 words
  60. 060 Chapter 51 2549 words
  61. 061 Chapter 52 2512 words
  62. 062 Chapter 53 2500 words
  63. 063 Chapter 54 2508 words
  64. 064 Chapter 55 2532 words
  65. 065 Chapter 56 2523 words
  66. 066 Chapter 57 2551 words
  67. 067 Chapter 58 2550 words
  68. 068 Chapter 59 2603 words
  69. 069 Chapter 60 2503 words
  70. 070 Chapter 61 2575 words
  71. 071 Chapter 62 2550 words
  72. 072 Chapter 63 2562 words
  73. 073 Chapter 64 2509 words
  74. 074 Chapter 65 2504 words
  75. 075 Chapter 66 2526 words
  76. 076 Chapter 67 2512 words
  77. 077 Chapter 68 2524 words
  78. 078 Chapter 69 2558 words
  79. 079 Chapter 70 2522 words
  80. 080 Chapter 71 2511 words
  81. 081 Chapter 72 2513 words
  82. 082 Chapter 73 2503 words
  83. 083 Chapter 74 2538 words
  84. 084 Chapter 75 2507 words
  85. 085 Chapter 76 2502 words
  86. 086 Chapter 77 2511 words
  87. 087 Chapter 78 2508 words
  88. 088 Chapter 79 2516 words
  89. 089 Chapter 80 2542 words
  90. 090 Chapter 81 2501 words
  91. 091 Chapter 82 2514 words
  92. 092 Chapter 83 2501 words
  93. 093 Chapter 84 2554 words
  94. 094 Chapter 85 2576 words
  95. 095 Chapter 86 2518 words
  96. 096 Chapter 87 2548 words
  97. 097 Chapter 88 2544 words
  98. 098 Chapter 89 2554 words
  99. 099 Chapter 90 2610 words
  100. 100 Chapter 91 2549 words
  101. 101 Chapter 92 2504 words
  102. 102 Chapter 93 2502 words
  103. 103 Chapter 94 2659 words
  104. 104 Chapter 95 2541 words
  105. 105 Chapter 96 2531 words
  106. 106 Chapter 97 2512 words
  107. 107 Chapter 98 2529 words
  108. 108 Chapter 99 2556 words
  109. 109 Chapter 100 2504 words
  110. 110 Chapter 101 2533 words
  111. 111 Chapter 102 2511 words
  112. 112 Chapter 103 2604 words
  113. 113 Chapter 104 2502 words
  114. 114 Chapter 105 2520 words
  115. 115 Chapter 106 2528 words
  116. 116 Chapter 107 2541 words
  117. 117 Chapter 108 2506 words
  118. 118 Chapter 109 2528 words
  119. 119 Chapter 110 2500 words
  120. 120 Chapter 111 2551 words
  121. 121 Chapter 112 2505 words
  122. 122 Chapter 113 2513 words
  123. 123 Chapter 114 2559 words
  124. 124 Chapter 115 2530 words
  125. 125 Chapter 116 2577 words
  126. 126 Chapter 117 2579 words
  127. 127 Chapter 118 2601 words
  128. 128 Chapter 119 2565 words
  129. 129 Chapter 120 2502 words
  130. 130 Chapter 121 2519 words
  131. 131 Chapter 122 2505 words
  132. 132 Chapter 123 2533 words
  133. 133 Chapter 124 2501 words
  134. 134 Chapter 125 2553 words
  135. 135 Chapter 126 2550 words
  136. 136 Chapter 127 2508 words
  137. 137 Chapter 128 2609 words
  138. 138 Chapter 129 2540 words
  139. 139 Chapter 130 2516 words
  140. 140 Chapter 131 2573 words
  141. 141 Chapter 132 2560 words
  142. 142 Chapter 133 2566 words
  143. 143 Chapter 134 2556 words
  144. 144 Chapter 135 2703 words
  145. 145 Chapter 136 2547 words
  146. 146 Chapter 137 2552 words
  147. 147 Chapter 138 2528 words
  148. 148 Chapter 139 2524 words
  149. 149 Chapter 140 2517 words
  150. 150 Chapter 141 2500 words
  151. 151 Chapter 142 2530 words
  152. 152 Chapter 143 2550 words
  153. 153 Chapter 144 2508 words
  154. 154 Chapter 145 2541 words
  155. 155 Chapter 146 2504 words
  156. 156 Chapter 147 2586 words
  157. 157 Chapter 148 2543 words
  158. 158 Chapter 149 2524 words
  159. 159 Chapter 150 2500 words
  160. 160 Chapter 151 2518 words
  161. 161 Chapter 152 2521 words
  162. 162 Chapter 153 2515 words
  163. 163 Chapter 154 2516 words
  164. 164 Chapter 155 2532 words
  165. 165 Chapter 156 2574 words
  166. 166 Chapter 157 2557 words
  167. 167 Chapter 158 2504 words
  168. 168 Chapter 159 2510 words
  169. 169 Chapter 160 2503 words
  170. 170 Chapter 161 2563 words
  171. 171 Chapter 162 2601 words
  172. 172 Chapter 163 2740 words
  173. 173 Chapter 164 2500 words
  174. 174 Chapter 165 2520 words
  175. 175 Chapter 166 2510 words
  176. 176 Chapter 167 2502 words
  177. 177 Chapter 168 2504 words
  178. 178 Chapter 169 2516 words
  179. 179 Chapter 170 2503 words
  180. 180 Chapter 171 2515 words
  181. 181 Chapter 172 2509 words
  182. 182 Chapter 173 2541 words
  183. 183 Chapter 174 2504 words
  184. 184 Chapter 175 2556 words
  185. 185 Chapter 176 2508 words
  186. 186 Chapter 177 2501 words
  187. 187 Chapter 178 2537 words
  188. 188 Chapter 179 2503 words
  189. 189 Chapter 180 2500 words
  190. 190 Chapter 181 2543 words
  191. 191 Chapter 182 2541 words
  192. 192 Chapter 183 2521 words
  193. 193 Chapter 184 2551 words
  194. 194 Chapter 185 2560 words
  195. 195 Chapter 186 2543 words
  196. 196 Chapter 187 2539 words
  197. 197 Chapter 188 2506 words
  198. 198 Chapter 189 2531 words
  199. 199 Chapter 190 2555 words
  200. 200 Chapter 191 2507 words
  201. 201 Chapter 192 2502 words
  202. 202 Chapter 193 2504 words
  203. 203 Chapter 194 2518 words
  204. 204 Chapter 195 2766 words
  205. 205 Chapter 196 2704 words
  206. 206 Chapter 197 2539 words
  207. 207 Chapter 198 2939 words
  208. 208 Chapter 199 2712 words