people　must　be　talking　of　me；　I　would　have　it　to　be　justly　and　truly；　I
  would　come　again；　with　all　my　heart；　from　the　other　world　to　give　any　one
  the　lie　who　should　report　me　other　than　I　was；　though　he　did　it　to　honour
  me。　　I　perceive　that　people　represent；　even　living　men；　quite　another
  thing　than　what　they　really　are；　and　had　I　not　stoutly　defended　a　friend
  whom　I　have　lost；＇De　la　Boetie。＇　they　would　have　torn　him　into　a
  thousand　contrary　pieces。
  To　conclude　the　account　of　my　poor　humours；　I　confess　that　in　my　travels
  I　seldom　reach　my　inn　but　that　it　comes　into　my　mind　to　consider　whether
  I　could　there　be　sick　and　dying　at　my　ease。　　I　desire　to　be　lodged　in
  some　private　part　of　the　house；　remote　from　all　noise；　ill　scents；　and
  smoke。　　I　endeavour　to　flatter　death　by　these　frivolous　circumstances；
  or；　to　say　better；　to　discharge　myself　from　all　other　incumbrances；　that
  I　may　have　nothing　to　do；　nor　be　troubled　with　anything　but　that　which
  will　lie　heavy　enough　upon　me　without　any　other　load。　　I　would　have　my
  death　share　in　the　ease　and　conveniences　of　my　life；　'tis　a　great　part　of
  it；　and　of　great　importance；　and　I　hope　it　will　not　in　the　future
  contradict　the　past。　　Death　has　some　forms　that　are　more　easy　than
  others；　and　receives　divers　qualities；　according　to　every　one's　fancy。
  Amongst　the　natural　deaths；　that　which　proceeds　from　weakness　and　stupor
  I　think　the　most　favourable；　amongst　those　that　are　violent；　I　can　worse
  endure　to　think　of　a　precipice　than　of　the　fall　of　a　house　that　will
  crush　me　in　a　moment；　and　of　a　wound　with　a　sword　than　of　a　harquebus
  shot；　I　should　rather　have　chosen　to　poison　myself　with　Socrates；　than
  stab　myself　with　Cato。　　And；　though　it；　be　all　one；　yet　my　imagination
  makes　as　great　a　difference　as　betwixt　death　and　life；　betwixt　throwing
  myself　into　a　burning　furnace　and　plunging　into　the　channel　of　a　river：
  so　idly　does　our　fear　more　concern　itself　in　the　means　than　the　effect。
  It　is　but　an　instant；　'tis　true；　but　withal　an　instant　of　such　weight；
  that　I　would　willingly　give　a　great　many　days　of　my　life　to　pass　it　over
  after　my　own　fashion。　　Since　every　one's　imagination　renders　it　more　or
  less　terrible；　and　since　every　one　has　some　choice　amongst　the　several
  forms　of　dying；　let　us　try　a　little　further　to　find　some　one　that　is
  wholly　clear　from　all　offence。　　Might　not　one　render　it　even　voluptuous；
  like　the　Commoyientes　of　Antony　and　Cleopatra？　　I　set　aside　the　brave　and
  exemplary　efforts　produced　by　philosophy　and　religion；　but；　amongst　men
  of　little　mark　there　have　been　found　some；　such　as　Petronius　and
  Tigellinus　at　Rome；　condemned　to　despatch　themselves；　who　have；　as　it
  were；　rocked　death　asleep　with　the　delicacy　of　their　preparations；　they
  have　made　it　slip　and　steal　away　in　the　height　of　their　accustomed
  diversions　amongst　girls　and　good　fellows；　not　a　word　of　consolation；　no
  mention　of　making　a　will；　no　ambitious　affectation　of　constancy；　no　talk
  of　their　future　condition；　amongst　sports；　feastings；　wit；　and　mirth；
  common　and　indifferent　discourses；　music；　and　amorous　verses。　　Were　it
  not　possible　for　us　to　imitate　this　resolution　after　a　more　decent
  manner？　　Since　there　are　deaths　that　are　good　for　fools；　deaths　good　for
  the　wise；　let　us　find　out　such　as　are　fit　for　those　who　are　betwixt　both。
  My　imagination　suggests　to　me　one　that　is　easy；　and；　since　we　must　die；
  to　be　desired。　　The　Roman　tyrants　thought　they　did；　in　a　manner；　give　a
  criminal　life　when　they　gave　him　the　choice　of　his　death。　　But　was　not
  Theophrastus；　that　so　delicate；　so　modest；　and　so　wise　a　philosopher；
  compelled　by　reason；　when　he　durst　say　this　verse；　translated　by　Cicero：
  〃Vitam　regit　fortuna；　non　sapientia？〃
  ＇〃Fortune；　not　wisdom；　sways　human　life。〃
  Cicero；　Tusc。　　Quaes。；　V。　31。＇
  Fortune　assists　the　facility　of　the　bargain　of　my　life；　having　placed　it
  in　such　a　condition　that　for　the　future　it　can　be　neither　advantage　nor
  hindrance　to　those　who　are　concerned　in　me；　'tis　a　condition　that　I　would
  have　accepted　at　any　time　of　my　life；　but　in　this　occasion　of　trussing　up
  my　baggage；　I　am　particularly　pleased　that　in　dying　I　shall　neither　do
  them　good　nor　harm。　　She　has　so　ordered　it；　by　a　cunning　compensation；
  that　they　who　may　pretend　to　any　considerable　advantage　by　my　death　will；
  at　the　same　time；　sustain　a　material　inconvenience。　　Death　sometimes　is
  more　grievous　to　us；　in　that　it　is　grievous　to　others；　and　interests　us
  in　their　interest　as　much　as　in　our　own；　and　sometimes　more。
  In　this　conveniency　of　lodging　that　I　desire；　I　mix　nothing　of　pomp　and
  amplitudeI　hate　it　rather；　but　a　certain　plain　neatness；　which　is
  oftenest　found　in　places　where　there　is　less　of　art；　and　that　Nature　has
  adorned　with　some　grace　that　is　all　her　own：
  〃Non　ampliter；　sea　munditer　convivium。〃
  ＇〃To　eat　not　largely；　but　cleanly。〃Nepos；　Life　of　Atticus；　c。　13＇
  〃Plus　salis　quam　sumptus。〃
  ＇〃Rather　enough　than　costly　（More　wit　than　cost）〃Nonius；　xi。　19。＇
  And　besides；　'tis　for　those　whose　affairs　compel　them　to　travel　in　the
  depth　of　winter　through　the　Grisons　country　to　be　surprised　upon　the　way
  with　great　inconveniences。　　I；　who；　for　the　most　part；　travel　for　my
  pleasure；　do　not　order　my　affairs　so　ill。　　If　the　way　be　foul　on　my　right
  hand；　I　turn　on　my　left；　if　I　find　myself　unfit　to　ride；　I　stay　where　I
  am；　and；　so　doing；　in　earnest　I　see　nothing　that　is　not　as　pleasant　and
  commodious　as　my　own　house。　　'Tis　true　that　I　always　find　superfluity
  superfluous；　and　observe　a　kind　of　trouble　even　in　abundance　itself。
  Have　I　left　anything　behind　me　unseen；　I　go　back　to　see　it；　'tis　still　on
  my　way；　I　trace　no　certain　line；　either　straight　or　crooked。　＇Rousseau
  has　translated　this　passage　in　his　Emile；　book　v。＇　Do　I　not　find　in　the
  place　to　which　I　go　what　was　reported　to　meas　it　often　falls　out　that
  the　judgments　of　others　do　not　jump　with　mine；　and　that　I　have　found
  their　reports　for　the　most　part　falseI　never　complain　of　losing　my
  labour：　I　have；　at　least；　informed　myself　that　what　was　told　me　was　not
  true。
  I　have　a　constitution　of　body　as　free；　and　a　palate　as　indifferent；　as
  any　man　living：　the　diversity　of　manners　of　several　nations　only　affects
  me　in　the　pleasure　of　variety：　every　usage　has　its　reason。　　Let　the　plate
  and　dishes　be　pewter；　wood；　or　earth；　my　meat　be　boiled　or　roasted；　let
  them　give　me　butter　or　oil；　of　nuts　or　olives；　hot　or　cold；　'tis　all　one
  to　me；　and　so　indifferent；　that　growing　old；　I　accuse　this　generous
  faculty；　and　would　wish　that　delicacy　and　choice　should　correct　the
  indiscretion　of　my　appetite；　and　sometimes　soothe　my　stomach。　　When　I
  have　been　abroad　out　of　France　and　that　people；　out　of　courtesy；　have
  asked　me　if　I　would　be　served　after　the　French　manner；　I　laughed　at　the
  question；　and　always　frequented　tables　the　most　filled　with　foreigners。
  I　am　ashamed　to　see　our　countrymen　besotted　with　this　foolish　humour　of
  quarrelling　with　forms　contrary　to　their　own；　they　seem　to　be　out　of
  their　element　when　out　of　their　own　village：　wherever　they　go；　they　keep
  to　their　own　fashions　and　abominate　those　of　strangers。　　Do　they　meet
  with　a　compatriot　in　Hungary？　　O　the　happy　chance！　　They　are　henceforward
  inseparable；　they　cling　together；　and　their　whole　discourse　is　to　condemn
  the　barbarous　manners　they　see　about　them。　　Why　barbarous；　because　they
  are　not　French？　　And　those　have　made　the　best　use　of　their　travels　who
  have　observed　most　to　speak　against。　　Most　of　them　go　for　no　other　end
  but　to　come　back　again；　they　proceed　in　their　travel　with　vast　gravity
  and　circumspection；　with　a　silent　and　incommunicable　prudence；　preserving
  themselves　from　the　contagion　of　an　unknown　air。　　What　I　am　saying　of
  them　puts　me　in　mind　of　something　like　it　I　have　at　times　observed　in
  some　of　our　young　courtiers；　they　will　not　mix　with　any　but　men　of　their
  own　sort；　and　look　upon　us　as　men　of　another　world；　with　disdain　or　pity。
  Put　them　upon　any　discourse　but　the　intrigues　of　the　court；　and　they　are
  utterly　at　a　loss；　as　very　owls　and　novices　to　us　as　we　are　to　them。
  'Tis　truly　said　that　a　well…bred　man　is　a　compound　man。　　I；　on　the
  contrary；　travel　very　much　sated　with　our　own　fashions；　I　do　not　look　for
  Gascons　in　Sicily；　I　have　left　enough　of　them　at　home；　I　rather　seek　for
  Greeks　and　Persians；　they　are　the　men　I　endeavour　to　be　acquainted　with
  and　the　men　I　study；　'tis　there　that　I　bestow　and　employ　myself。　　And
  which　is　more；　I　fancy　that　I　have　met　but　with　few　customs　that　are　not
  as　good　as　our　own；　I　have　not；　I　confess；　travelled　very　far；　scarce　out
  of　the　sight　of　the　vanes　of　my　own　house。
  As　to　the　rest；　most　of　the　accidental　company　a　man　falls　into　upon　the
  road　beget　him　more　trouble　than　pleasure；　I　waive　them　as　much　as　I
  civilly　can；　especially　now　that　age　seems　in　some　sort　to　privilege　and
  sequester　me　from　the　common　forms。　　You　suffer　for　others　or　others
  suffer　for　you；　both　of　them　inconveniences　of　importance　enough；　but　the
  latter　appears　to　me　the　greater。　　'Tis　a　rare　fortune；　but　of
  inestimable　solace；　to　have　a　worthy　man；　one　of　a　sound　judgment　and　of
  manners　conformable