Essays of Michel De Montaigne — Volume 04
1580
Essays of Michel De Montaigne — Volume 04
1580
Translated by Charles Cotton
Essays of Michel De Montaigne — Volume 04, first published in 1580, is a collection of philosophical essays that explore various themes such as custom, authority, and societal norms. Montaigne, a key figure of the Renaissance, uses personal anecdotes and historical references to examine human behavior and morality. This volume opens with 'Of Custom, and That We Should Not Easily Change a Law Received,' where he discusses the profound influence of customs on perceptions and actions. Montaigne's work is notable for popularizing the essay as a literary form and offers deep insights into the human condition.
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“On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.””
— Michel de Montaigne
“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.””
— Michel de Montaigne
“I quote others only in order the better to express myself.””
— Michel de Montaigne
“He who fears he shall suffer, already suffers what he fears.””
— Michel de Montaigne
“When I am attacked by gloomy thoughts, nothing helps me so much as running to my books. They quickly absorb me and banish the clouds from my mind.””
— Michel de Montaigne
“If you press me to say why I loved him, I can say no more than because he was he, and I was I.””
— Michel de Montaigne
“If I speak of myself in different ways, that is because I look at myself in different ways.””
— Michel de Montaigne
“Learned we may be with another man's learning: we can only be wise with wisdom of our own.””
— Michel de Montaigne
“I am afraid that our eyes are bigger than our stomachs, and that we have more curiosity than understanding. We grasp at everything, but catch nothing except wind.””
— Michel de Montaigne
