The Essays of Montaigne, Volume 14

dy truly afflicted. Most of their mou

r lacrymis, sem

ubatque expec

at manar

fountain of tears rea

ake use of them."

her, and by a facile and insensible gradation fall into discourses more solid and proper for their cure. I, whose aim it was principally to gull the company who had their eyes fixed upon me, took it into my head only to palliate the disease. And indeed I have found by experience that I have an unlucky hand in persuading. My arguments are either too sharp and dry, or pressed too roughly, or not home enough. After I had some time applied myself to her grief, I did not attempt to cure her by strong and lively reasons, either because I had them not at hand, or because I thought to do my business better another way; neither did I make choice of any of those methods of consolation which philosophy prescribes: that what we complain of is no evil, according to Cleanthes; that it is a light evil, acc

nsider of it, began to mutiny against the agreement, and several of them resolved to fall upon the commissioners, whom they had in their power; he, feeling the gusts of this first popular storm, who were coming to rush into his lodgings, suddenly sent out to them two of the inhabitants of the city (of whom he had some with him) with new and milder terms to be proposed in their council, which he had then and there contrived for his need: These two diverted the first tempest, carrying back the enraged rabble to the town-hall to hear and consider of what they had to say. T

running, upon condition that they who failed should lose their lives. There were enough who thought the prize very well worth the hazard, and who suffered the cruel penalty of the contract. Hippomenes, about to make trial after the rest, made his address to the goddess of love, imploring her assistance; and she,

rgo, nitidiqu

s, aurumque vo

hed and attracted by

r, and seizes t

Metam.,

ose so much ground, he won the race. When physicians cannot stop a catarrh, they divert and turn it into some

sollicitudines, curas, negotia: loci denique mutatione,

s to be diverted to ot

ne, by change of place

lescent."-Cicero, T

nfirmities; we neither make him sustain nor repel

he seeks no consolation out of the thing itself; dying appears to him a natural and indifferent accident; 'tis there that he fixes his sight and resolution, without looking elsewhere. The disciples of Hegesias, who starved themselves to death, animated thereunto by his fine lectur

otion, do doubtless things very commendable and proper for such a necessity: we ought to commend them for their devotion, but not properly for their constancy; they shun the encounter, they divert their thoughts from the consideration of death, as children are amused with some toy or other when the surgeon

wed to put him into ill-made: "Neither is this," said he, turning to the soldiers who guarded him, "according to military discipline." And to Niger, who exhorted him to keep his head firm: "Do but thou strike as firmly," said h

conscience; but he has since told me, that though he very well heard what they said, it nothing moved him, and that he never thought of anything but how to disengage and revenge himself. He afterwards killed his man in that very duel. He who brought to L. Silanus the sentence of death, did him a very great kindness, in that, having received his answer, that he

pe of our children's worth, or the future glory of our name, or the leaving behind the evils of this li

ediis, si quid p

urum scopulis,

ocaturu

Manes veniet mih

the pious gods have an

he rocks, and will ca

s report will come to

, 3

t the first surprise of the news, he threw his crown to the ground; but understanding by the sequel of the narrative the manner of a most brave and val

bilitati labores f

illustrious and famou

usc. Quaes

to a general of an army as to a common soldier. Epaminondas took his death

a, haec fomenta s

s and alleviations t

usc. Quaes

hilosophical school, and superintendent over all the rest, the great Zeno, forms this syllogism against death: "No evil is honourable; but death is honourable; therefore death is no evil"; against drunkenness this: "No one commits his secrets to a drunk

im that had struck him upon the one cheek, turn the other, upon account of charity; nor go about to represent to him the tragical events that poetry attributes to this passion. I left that behind; and I busied myself t

it with advantage: break it into several desires, of which let one be regent, if you will, over the res

go singultiet

re, satisfy it with the first person that

em collectum in

. 1062, to the

it prove troublesome to deal wi

ovis conturbes

gus venere ante

ld wounds by new."-

ion to disengage me, by art and study I became amorous, wherein I was assisted by my youth: love relieved and rescued me from the evil wherein friendship had engaged me. 'Tis in everything else the same; a

f the way, and make, my doubles; shifting place, business, and company, I secure myse

other and new affairs, it loosens and dissolves the first apprehension, how strong soever. A wise man little less sees his friend dying at the end of five-and-twenty years than on the first year; and according

and to stop their mouths, some women conceal their real affections by those that were only counterfeit; but I have also seen some of them, who in counterfeiting have suffered themselves to be caught indeed, and who have quitted the true and original affection for the feigned: and so have learned that they who find their affections well

nsider subjects in gross and singly; they are little and superficial circumstances, or ima

nunc teretes

quu

rasshoppers leave be

tius,

which was more than his death had done. Even the sound of names ringing in our ears, as "my poor master,"-"my faithful friend,"-"alas, my dear father," or, "my sweet daughter," afflict us. When these repetitions annoy me, and that I examine it a little nearer, I find 'tis no other but a grammatical an

ulis dolor i

itements grief p

tius,

foundations of

eight and difficulty of this dislodging was composed in my soul; to how many idle and frivolous thoughts we give way in so great an affair; a dog, a horse, a book, a glass, and what not, were considered in my loss; to others their ambitious hopes, their money, their knowledge, not less foolish considerations in my opinion than mine. I look upon death carelessly when I look upon it universally as the end of life. I insult over it in gross, but in detail it domineers over me: the tears of a footman, the disposing of my clothes, the touch of a friendly hand, a common consolation, discourages and softens me. So do the complain

ceremony of sorrow, who sell their tears and mourning by weight and measure; for although they act in a borrowed form, nevertheless, by habituating and settling their countenances to the occasion, 'tis most certain they often are really affected with an actual sorrow. I was one, amongst several others of his friends, who conveyed the body of Monsieur de Grammont to Spissons from the siege of La Fere, where he was slain; I observed that in all places we passed through we filled the people we met

es to enter into some composition, and divert themselves from compassion to disdain. Yet with much better grace than we, who, when we lose an acquaintance, strive to give him new and false praises, and to make him quite another thing when we have lost sight of him than he appeare

rule and agitate it. Let me thing of building castles in Spain, my imagination suggests to me conveniences and pleasures with which my soul is really tickled and pleased. How often do we torment our mind with anger or sorrow by such shadows, and engage ourselves in fantastic passions that impair both soul and body? What astonished, fleeting, confused grimaces does this raving put our faces into! what sallies and agitations both of members and voices does it inspire us with! Does it not seem that this individual man has false visions amid the crowd of others with whom he has to do, or that he is possessed with some internal demon that persecutes him? Inquire of yourself where is the obj

ix finger ti t

cauti pecto

ens, mentem no

primum debui

e wisdom did he shew! In framing bodies, he did not apply his art to form

ITOR'S B

ng will turn

dental repentance w

nkles in the mind tha

ading their p

f my repose as

d are beyond th

s the ancient said,

side with me in

ing qualities to such

nour and beauty of an

nce of many ver

ion, discourage

n the utility and et

and supplies most

nions and conject

im a natural and i

f retirement

theirs for hav

n admired by the

me laugh, it is ou

r own light and shine

the laws and

r the inconst

e rind of m

rovokes

ssion, who can make

, they say, who leads

what it is now, bu

so easy to count

ress upon my opin

relessly when I look

tle advice, I als

o much as I would, b

en even by their

o me a very p

ll not abase themsel

ndships I am som

unsaid, how home

here that I am

the greatest par

s kind o

edy, to owe one's hea

s not at home whe

o be always alone

go by itself, as w

s sleep if

ions of those with

urable; but dea

from speaking

deafened the

her be as ugly as the

for having weaned

s out discoveries,

hey are, they ar

work more upon their

res that men shou

riches when we have

so advanc

with asperity, s

ave said no worse

cording to w

g, for ostentation

d waters withou

eing uninterested in

on of the vulg

to complain who has h

soul does not cons

t maintains itself in

but their interest,

natured pleasure in

santly to be led by

at effort will short

h forsake vices

imagine an artisan

lie with their

f anything but to liv

does not accommodat

lf down to those wi