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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68475	Essays vvritten in French by Michael Lord of Montaigne, Knight of the Order of S. Michael, gentleman of the French Kings chamber: done into English, according to the last French edition, by Iohn Florio reader of the Italian tongue vnto the Soueraigne Maiestie of Anna, Queene of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, &c. And one of the gentlemen of hir royall priuie chamber; Essais. English	Montaigne, Michel de, 1533-1592.; Florio, John, 1553?-1625.; Hole, William, d. 1624, engraver.	1613 (1613)	STC 18042; ESTC S111840	1,002,565	644

but their tittle-tattle to aime at nothing else so much Thus with store of choise and quaint words and wyre-drawne phrases they huddle vp and make a hodge-pot of a laboured contexture of the reports which they gather in the market-places or such other assemblies The only good histories are those that are written by such as commanded or were imploid themselves in weighty affaires or that were partners in the conduct of them or that at least have had the fortune to manage others of like qualitie Such in a maner are all the Graecians and Romans For many eye-witnesses hauing written of one same subject as it hapned in those times when Greatnesse and Knowledge did commonly meet if any fault or over-sight have past them it must be deemed exceeding light and vpon some doubtfull accident What may a man expect at a Phisitions hand that discourseth of warre or of a bare Scholler treating of Princes secret designes If we shall but note the religion which the Romans had in that we need no other example Asinius Polio found some mistaking or oversight in Caesars Commentaries whereinto he was falne only because he could not possiblie oversee all things with his owne eyes that hapned in his Armie but was faine to relie on the reports of particular men who often related vntruths vnto him or else because he had not been curiously advertised and distinctly enformed by his Lieutenants and Captaines of such matters as they in his absence had managed or effected Whereby may be seen that nothing is so hard or so vncertaine to be found-out as the certaintie of a Truth sithence no man can put any assured confidence concerning the truth of a battel neither in the knowledge of him that was Generall or commanded over it nor in the soldiers that fought of any thing that hath hapned amongst them except after the maner of a strict point of law the severall witnesses are brought and examined face to face and that all matters be nicely and thorowly sifted by the objects and trials of the successe of every accident Verily the knowledge we have of our own affaires is much more barren and feeble But this hath sufficiently been handled by Bodine and agreeing with my conception Somewhat to aide the weaknesse of my memorie and to assist her great defects for it hath often been my chance to light vpon bookes which I supposed to be new and never to have read which I had not vnderstanding diligently read and run-over many yeares before and all bescribled with my notes I have a while since accustomed my selfe to note at the end of my booke I meane such as I purpose to read but once the time I made an end to read it and to set downe what censure or judgement I gave of it that so it may at least at another time represent vnto my mind the aire and generall Idea I had conceived of the Author in reading him I will here set downe the Coppie of some of mine annotations and especially what I noted vpon my Guicciardine about ten yeares since For what language soever my bookes speake vnto me I speake vnto them in mine owne He is a diligent Historiographer and from whom in my conceit a man may as exactly learne the truth of such affaires as passed in his time as of any other writer whatsoever and the rather because himselfe hath been an Actor of most part of them and in verie honourable place There is no signe or apparance that ever he disguised or coloured any matter either through hatred malice favour or vanitie whereof the free and imparciall judgements he giveth of great men and namely of those by whom he had been advanced or imployed in his important charges as of Pope Clement the seaventh beareth vndoubted testimonie Concerning the parts wherewith he most goeth about to prevaile which are his digressions and discourses many of them are verie excellent and enriched with faire ornaments but he hath too much pleased himselfe in them for endevouring to omit nothing that might be spoken having so full and large a subject and almost infinite he proveth somewhat languishing and giveth a taste of a kind of scholasticall tedious babling Moreover I have noted this that of so severall and divers armes successes and effects he judgeth of of so many and variable motives alterations and counsels that he relateth he never referreth any one vnto vertue religion or conscience as if they were all extinguished and banished the world and of all actions how glorious soever in apparance they be of themselves he doth ever impute the cause of them to some vicious and blame-worthie occasion or to some commoditie and profit It is impossible to imagine that amongst so infinite a number of actions whereof he judgeth some one have not been produced and compassed by way of reason No corruption could ever possesse men so vniversally but that some one must of necessity escape the contagion which makes me to feare he hath had some distaste or blame in his passion and it hath haply fortuned that he hath judged or esteemed of others according to himselfe In my Philip de Comines there is this In him you shall find a pleasing-sweet and gently-gliding speach fraught with a purely-sincere simplicitie his narration pure and vnaffected and wherein the Authours vnspotted-good meaning doth evidently appeare void of all maner of vanitie or ostentation speaking of himselfe and free from all affection or envie speaking of others his discourses and perswasions accompanied more with a well-meaning zeale and meere veritie then with any laboured and exquisit sufficiencie and all-through with gravitie and authoritie representing a man well-borne and brought vp in high negotiations Vpon the memories and historie of Monsieur du Bellay It is ever a well-pleasing thing to see matters writen by those that have assaide how in what maner they ought to be directed and managed yet can it not be denied but that in both these Lords there will manifestly appeare a great declination from a free libertie of writing which clearely shineth in ancient writers of their kind as in the Lord of Ionuille familiar vnto Saint Lewis Eginard Chancellor vnto Charlemaine and of more fresh memorie in Philip de Comines This is rather a declamation or pleading for king Francis against the Emperour Charles the fifth then an Historie I will not believe they have altered or changed any thing concerning the generalitie of matters but rather to wrest and turne the judgement of the events many times against reason to our advantage and to omit whatsoever they supposed to be doubtfull or ticklish in their masters life they have made profession of it witnesse the recoylings of the Lords of Momorancy and Byron which therein are forgotten and which is more you shall not so much as find the name of the Ladie of Estampes mentioned at all A man may sometimes colour and happily hide secret actions but absolutely to conceal that which all the world

IOANNES FLORIVS AVGVSTAE ANNAE ANGL SCOT FRANC ET HIB REGINAE PRAELECTOR LING ITALICAE CHI SI CONTENTA GODE AET 58. A.D. 1611 In virtute suâ contentus nobilis arte Italus ore Anglus pectore vterque opere Floret adhuc et adhuc florebit floreat vltra FLORIVS hâc specie floridus optat amans Gul Hole sculp Tam foelix vtinam ESSAYES WRITTEN IN French By MICHAEL Lord of Montaigne Knight of the Order of S. Michael Gentleman of the French Kings Chamber DONE INTO ENGLISH according to the last French edition by IOHN FLORIO Reader of the Jtalian tongue vnto the Soueraigne Maiestie of ANNA Queene of England Scotland France and Ireland c. And one of the Gentlemen of hir Royall Priuie chamber LONDON Printed by MELCH BRADVVOOD for EDVVARD BLOVNT and WILLIAM BARRET TO THE MOST ROYAL AND RENOVMED MAIESTIE of the High-borne Princesse ANNA of DENMARKE by the Grace of God QVEENE of England Scotland France and Ireland c. Imperiall and Incomparable Maiestie SEeing with me all of me is in your Royall possession and whatsoeuer pieces of mine haue heeretofore vnder other starres passed the publike view come now of right to be vnder the predomination of a Power that both contain's all their perfections and hath influences of a more sublime nature I could not but also take in this part wherof time had worn-out the edition which the world hath long since had of mine and lay it at your Sacred feet as a memoriall of my deuoted dutie and to shew that where I am I must be all I am and can not stand dispersed in my obseruance being wholly and therein happy Your sacred MAIESTIES most humble and loyall seruant IOHN FLORIO ALL' AVGVSTA MAESTA DI ANNA Seren. ma REGINA d' Inghilterra di Scotia di Francia d' Irlanda c. C He si può dir di VOI somma REGINA Che non sia detto delle più lodate Di Magnanimità Virtù Beltate Incomparabile Sopra-diuina Anzi che stile tanto si raffina Che non sia vinto dalla Maestate L' Altezza la Chiarezza la Bontate Alla qual ' ogni cuor di-cuor s' inchina La qual di tutti honori'l specchio mostra La qual ' il pregio Sour a tutte tiene ANNA l' anello della Gioia nostra La nostra sicurtà la nostra spene VIEN DALL ' ECCELSO LA GRANDEZZA vostra Dalla GRANDEZZA vostra'l nostro bene Il Candido TO THE READER ENough if not too much hath been sayd of this Translation If the faults found euen by my selfe in the first impression be now by the Printer corrected as he was directed the worke is much amended If not know that through mine attendance on hir Maiestie I could not intend-it and blame not Neptune for thy second shipwracke Let me conclude with this worthie mans daughter of alliance Que t'en semble donc lecteur Still resolute IOHN FLORIO To my deare brother and friend M. IOHN FLORIO one of the Gentlemen of hir Maiesties most Royall Priuie Chamber BOoks like superfluous humors bred with ease So stuffe the world as it becomes opprest With taking more than it can well digest And now are turnd to be a great disease For by this ouer charging we confound The appetite of skill they had before There be'ng no end of words nor any bound Set to conceit the Ocean without shore As if man laboured with himselfe to be As infinite in writing as intents And draw his manifold vncertaintie In any shape that passion represents That these innumerable images And figures of opinion and discourse Draw'n out in leaves may be the witnesses Of our defects much rather than our force And this proud frame of our presumption This Babel of our skill this Towre of wit Seemes only checkt with the confusion Of our mistakings that dissolueth it And well may make vs of our knowledge doubt Seeing what vncertainties wee build vpon To be as weake within booke as without Or els that truth hath other shapes then one But yet although wee labor with this store And with the presse of writings seeme opprest And have to many bookes yet want wee more Feeling great dearth and scarsenesse of the bell Which cast in choiser shapes haue bin produc'd To giue the best proportions to the minde Of our confusion and haue introduc'd The likeliest images frailtie can finde And wherein most the skill-desiring soule Takes her delight the best of all delight And where her motions evenest come to rowle About this doubtfull center of the right Which to discouer this great Potentate This Prince Montaigne if he be not more Hath more aduentur'd of his owne estate Then euer man did of himselfe before And hath made such bolde sallies out vpon Custome the mightie tyrant of the earth In whose Seraglio of subiection Wee all seeme bred-vp from our tender birth As I admire his powres and out of loue Here at his gate do stand and glad I stand So neere to him whom I do so much loue T'applaude his happie setling in our land And safe transpassage by his studious care Who both of him and vs doth merit much Having as sumptuously as he is rare Plac'd him in the best lodging of our speach And made him now as free as if borne here And as well ours as theirs who may be proud That he is theirs though he be euery where To haue the franchise of his worth allow'd It be'ing the proportion of a happie Pen Not to b'invassal'd to one Monarchie But dwell with all the better world of men Whose spirits all are of one communitie Whom neither Ocean Desarts Rockes nor Sands Can keepe from th'intertraffique of the minde But that it vents her treasure in all lands And doth a most secure commercement finde Wrap Excellencie vp neuer so much In Hierogliphicques Ciphers Caracters And let her speake neuer so strange a speach Her Genius yet finds apt discipherers And neuer was she borne to dye obscure But guided by the starres of her owne grace Makes her owne fortune and is ever sure In mans best hold to hold the strongest place And let the Critick say the worst he can He cannot say but that Montaigne yet Yeeldes most rich pieces and extracts of man Though in a troubled frame confus'dly set Which yet h 'is blest that he hath euer seene And therefore as a guest in gratefulnesse For the great good the house yeelds him within Might spare to taxe th'vnapt conuayances But this breath hurts not for both worke and frame Whilst England English speakes is of that store And that choyse stuffe as that without the same The richest librarie can be but poore And they vnblest who letters doe professe And have him not whose owne fate beates their want With more sound blowes then Alcibiades Did his Pedante that did Homer want By SAM DANIEL one of the Gentlemen extraordinarie of her Maiesties most royall priuie Chamber Concerning the honor of bookes SInce Honor

sundry prognostications that one Phocas a Souldier at that time yet vnknowne should kill him demanded of Philip his sonne in law who that Phocas was his nature his conditions and customes and how amongst other things Philip told him he was a fainte cowardly and timorousfellow The Emperour thereby presently concluded that he was both cruell and a murtherer What makes tyrants so bloud-thirstie it is the care of their securitie and that their faint-hart yeelds them no other meanes to assure themselves then by rooting out those which may in any sort offend them yea silly women for feare they should or bite or scrach them Cuncta ferit dum cuncta timet Of all things he afraide At all things fiercely laide The first cruelties are exercised by themselves thence proceedeth the feare of a just revenge which afterward produceth a swarme of new cruelties by the one to stis●le the other Philip the King of Macedon who had so many crowes to pull with the Romanes agitated by the horrour of so many murthers committed by his appointment and vnable to make his partie good or to take any saue resolution against so many families by him at severall times injuried resolved at last to seize vpon all their children whom he had caused to be murthered that so he might day by day one after another rid the world of them and so establish his safety Matters of worth are not impertinent wheresoever they be placed I who rather respect the weight and benefite of discourses then their order and placing neede not feare to place here at randone a notable storie When they are so rich of their owne beautie and may very well vpholde themselves alone I am content with a haires end to fitte or joyne them to my purpose Amongst others who had beene condemned by Philip was one Herodicus Prince of the Thessalians After whome he caused his two sonnes in lawe to bee put to death each of them leaving a yoong sonne behinde him Theoxena and Arco were the two widdowes Theoxena although shee were instantly vrged therevnto coulde never be induced to marry againe Arco tooke to husbande Poris a chiefe man amongst the Aenians and by him had diverse children all which she left very yoong Theoxena moved by a motherly charitie toward her yoong nephewes and so to have them in her protection and bringing vp wedded Poris Vpon this came out the proclamation of the Kings Edict This noble-minded mother distrusting the kings crueltie and fearing the mercilesnes of his Satelities or officers towards these noble hopefull and tender youths feared not to say that shee would rather kil them with her owne hands then deliver them Poris amazed at her protestations promiseth her secretly to convey them to Athens there by some of his faithfull friends to be kept safely They take occasion of an yearely feast which to the honor of Aeneas was solemnized at Aenia and thither they goe where having all day-long assisted to the ceremonies and publike banket night being come they convay themselves iuto a shippe appointed for that purpose in hope to save themselves by Sea But the winde fell out so contrarie that the next morning they found themselves in view of the towne whence the night before they had hoised sailes where they were pursued by the guarders and Souldiers of the Porte Which Poris perceiving laboured to hasten and encourage the Mariners to shift away But Theoxena enraged through love and revenge remembring her first resolution prepared both weapons and poison and presenting them to their sight thus shee bespake them Oh my deere children take a good heart death is now the onely meane of your defence and libertie and shall be a just cause vnto the Gods for their holy justice These bright-keene blades these full cuppes shall free you the passage vnto it Courage therefore and thou my eldest childe take this sworde to die the strongest death Who on the one side hauing so vndaunted a perswader and on the other their enemies ready to cut their throates in furious manner ranne all to that which came next to his hand And so all goared and panting were throwne into the Sea Theoxena prowde shee had so gloriouslie provided for her childrens safety lovingly embracing her husband saide thus vnto him Oh my deare heart let vs follow these boyes and together with them enjoy one selfe same graue And so close-claspt-together they flung themselves in to the maine So that the ship was brought to shoare againe but emptie of hir Maisters Tyrants to act two things together that is to kill and cause their rage to be felt have employed the vtmost of their skill to devise lingring deaths They will have their enemies die yet not so soone but that they may have leisure to feele their vengeance Wherein they are in great perplexitie for if the torments be over-violent they are short if lingring not grievous inough In this they imploy their wits and devises Many examples whereof we see in antiquitie and I wot not whether wittingly we retaine some spice of that barbari●me Whatsoever is beyond a simple death seemeth to mee meere crueltie Our justice cannot hope that he whom the terror of death cannot dismay be he to be hanged or beheaded can in any sort be troubled with the imagination of a languishing fire of a wheele or of burning pincers And I wot not whether in that meane time we bring him to despaire For what plight can the soule of a man be in that is broken vpon wheele or after the olde fashion nailed vpon a Crosse and xxiiij houres together expects his death Iosephus reporteth that whilest the Romane warres continued in Iurie passing by a place where certaine Iewes had beene crucified three dayes before he knew three of his friends amongst them and having gotten leave to remoove then two of them died but the third lived long after Chalcondylas a man of credite in the memories he left off matters happened in his time and thereabouts maketh report of an extreame torment the Emperor Mechmed was often wont to put in practise which was by one onely blow of a Cimitary or broad Persian Sword to have men cutte in two parts by the waste of the body about the Diaphragma which is a membrane lying ouerthwart the lower part of the breast separating the heart and lights from the stomake which caused them to dy two deaths at once and affirmeth that both parts were seene full of life to moove and stirre long time after as if they had beene in lingring torment I doe not thinke they felt any great torture in that mooving The gastliest torments to looke vpon are not alwai●s the greatest to be endured And I finde that much more fiercely-horrible which other Historians write and which he vsed against certain Lords of Epirus whom faire and leasurely he caused to be fleade all over disposed by so malicious a dispensation that their lives continued fifteene daies in that languor and anguish And these two

we eat for nourishment some opening or aperitive operation have beene discovered Galen reporteth that a Leprous man chanced to be cured by meanes of a Cuppe of Wine he had drunke forsomuch as a Viper was by fortune fallen into the Wine caske In which example we finde the meane and a very likely directory to this experience As also in those to which Physitions affirme to have beene addressed by the examples of some beasts But in most of other experiences to which they say they came by fortune and had no other guide but hazard I finde the progresse of this information incredible I imagine man heedfully viewing about him the infinite number of things creatures plants and mettals I wot not where to make him beginne his Essay And suppose he cast his first fantasie vpon an Elkes-Horne to which an easie and gentle credulity must be given he will be as farre to seeke and as much troubled in his second operation So many diseases and severall circumstances are proposed vnto him that before he come to the certainty of this point vnto which the perfection of his experience should arrive mans wit shall be to seeke and not know where to turne himselfe And before amiddest this infinity of things hee finde out what this Horne is Amongst the numberlesse diseases that are what an Epilepsie is the sundrie and manifolde complexions in a melancholy man So many seasons in Winter So diverse Nations amongst French-men So many ages in age So diverse coelestiall changes and alterations in the conjunction of Venus and Saturne So severall and many partes in a mans body nay in one of his fingers To all which being neyther guided by argument nor by conjecture nor by example or divine inspiration but by the one ly motion of fortune it were most necessary it should be by a perfectly artificiall well-ordred and methodicall fortune Moreover suppose the disease thorowly cured how shall he rest assured but that eyther the evill was come to his vtmost period or that an effect of the hazard caused the same health Or the operation of some other thing which that day he had eyther eaten drunke or touched or whether it were by the merite of his Grand-mothers prayers Besides suppose this experiment to have beene perfect how many times was it applied and begun a new And how often was this long and tedious web of fortunes and encounters woven over againe before a certaine rule might be concluded And being concluded by whom is it I pray you Amongst so many millions of men you shall scarse meete with three or foure that well duely observe and carefully keepe a Register of their experiments shall it be your or his happe to light truely or hit just with one of them three or foure What if another man Nay what if a hundred other men have had and made contrary experiments and cleane opposite conclusions and yet have sorted well We should peradventure discerne some shew of light if all the judgements and consultations of men were knowne vnto vs. But That three Witnesses and three Doctors shall sway all mankind there is no reason It were requisite humane nature had appointed and made speciall choise of them and that by expresse procuration and letter of atturny they were by her declared our Iudges and deputed our Atturnies To my Lady of Duras MAdame the last time it pleased you to come and visite me you found me vpon this point And because it may be these toyes of mine may happily come to your hands I would have them witnesse their Authour reputeth himselfe highly honoured for the favours it shall please you to shew them Wherein you shall discerne the very same demeanor and selfe-countenance you have seene in his conversasion And could I have assumed vnto my selfe any other fashion than mine owne accustomed or more honourable and better forme I would not have done it For all I seeke to reape by my writings is they will naturally represent and to the life pourtray me to your remembrance The very same conditions and faculties it pleased your Lady-ship to frequent and receive with much more honor and curtesie than they any way deserve I will place and reduce but without alteration and change into a solide body which may happily continue some daies and yeares after mee Where when soever it shall please you to refresh your memory with them you may easily finde them without calling them to remembrance which they scarsely deserve I would entreate you to continue the favour of your Friend-ship towards mee by the same qualities through whose meanes it was produced I labour not to be beloved more and esteemed better being dead than alive The humour of Tyberius is ridiculous and common who endevoured more to extinguish his glory in future ages than yeeld himselfe regardfull and pleasing to men of his times If I were one of those to whom the World my be indebted for praise I would quit it for the one moytie on condition it would pay me before-hand And that the same would hasten and in great heapes environ me about more thicke than long and more full than lasting And let it hardly vanish with my knowledge and when this sweet alluring sound shall no more tickle mine eares It were a fond conceite now I am ready to leave the commerce of men by new commendations to goe about anew to beget my selfe vnto them I make no account of goods which I could not employ to the vse of my life Such as I am so would I be elsewhere then in Paper Mine arte and industry have beene emploied to make my selfe of some worth My study and endevour to doe and not to write I have applied all my skill and devoire to frame my life Lo-heere mine occupation and my worke I am a lesse maker of books then of any thing else I have desired and aimed at sufficiencie rather for the benefite of my present and essentiall commodities then to make a Store-house and hoard it vp for mine heires Whosoever hath any worth in him let him shew it in his behaviour maners and ordinary discourses be it to treat of love or of quarrels of sport and play or bed-matters at board or else-where or be it in the conduct of his owne affaires or private houshold matters Those whom I see make good bookes having tattered hosen and ragged clothes on had they believed mee they should first have gotten themselves good clothes Demand a Spartan whether he would rather be a cunning Rhethorician then an excellent Souldier nay were I asked I would say a good Cooke had I not some to serve me Good Lord Madame how I would hate such a commendation to be a sufficient man in writing and a foolish-shallow-headed braine or coxcombe in all things else yet had I rather be a foole both here and there then to have made so bad a choise wherein to imploy my worth So farre am I also from expecting by such trifles to gaine new honour to