The　Essays　of　Montaigne；　V12
  by　Michel　de　Montaigne
  Translated　by　Charles　Cotton
  Edited　by　William　Carew　Hazilitt
  1877
  CONTENTS　OF　VOLUME　12。
  XVIII。　　　　Of　giving　the　lie。
  XIX。　　　　　　Of　liberty　of　conscience。
  XX。　　　　　　　That　we　taste　nothing　pure。
  XXI。　　　　　　Against　idleness。
  XXII。　　　　　Of　Posting。
  XXIII。　　　　Of　ill　means　employed　to　a　good　end。
  XXIV。　　　　　Of　the　Roman　grandeur。
  XXV。　　　　　　Not　to　counterfeit　being　sick。
  XXVI。　　　　　Of　thumbs。
  XXVII。　　　　Cowardice　the　mother　of　cruelty。
  XXVIII。　　　All　things　have　their　season。
  XXIX。　　　　　Of　virtue。
  XXX。　　　　　　Of　a　monstrous　child。
  XXXI。　　　　　Of　anger。
  CHAPTER　XVIII
  OF　GIVING　THE　LIE
  Well；　but　some　one　will　say　to　me；　this　design　of　making　a　man's　self　the
  subject　of　his　writing；　were　indeed　excusable　in　rare　and　famous　men；　who
  by　their　reputation　had　given　others　a　curiosity　to　be　fully　informed　of
  them。　　It　is　most　true；　I　confess　and　know　very　well；　that　a　mechanic
  will　scarce　lift　his　eyes　from　his　work　to　look　at　an　ordinary　man；
  whereas　a　man　will　forsake　his　business　and　his　shop　to　stare　at　an
  eminent　person　when　he　comes　into　a　town。　　It　misbecomes　any　other　to
  give　his　own　character；　but　him　who　has　qualities　worthy　of　imitation；
  and　whose　life　and　opinions　may　serve　for　example：　Caesar　and　Xenophon
  had　a　just　and　solid　foundation　whereon　to　found　their　narrations；　the
  greatness　of　their　own　performances；　and　were　to　be　wished　that　we　had
  the　journals　of　Alexander　the　Great；　the　commentaries　that　Augustus；
  Cato；　Sylla；　Brutus；　and　others　left　of　their　actions；　of　such　persons
  men　love　and　contemplate　the　very　statues　even　in　copper　and　marble。
  This　remonstrance　is　very　true；　but　it　very　little　concerns　me：
  〃Non　recito　cuiquam；　nisi　amicis；　idque　coactus；
  Non　ubivis；　coramve　quibuslibet；　in　medio　qui
  Scripta　foro　recitant；　sunt　multi；　quique　lavantes。〃
  ＇〃I　repeat　my　poems　only　to　my　friends；　and　when　bound　to　do　so；
  not　before　every　one　and　everywhere；　there　are　plenty　of　reciters
  in　the　open　market…place　and　at　the　baths。〃Horace；　sat。　i。　4；　73。＇
  I　do　not　here　form　a　statue　to　erect　in　the　great　square　of　a　city；　in　a
  church；　or　any　public　place：
  〃Non　equidem　hoc　studeo；　bullatis　ut　mihi　nugis；
  Pagina　turgescat。。。。。。
  Secreti　loquimur：〃
  ＇〃I　study　not　to　make　my　pages　swell　with　empty　trifles；
  you　and　I　are　talking　in　private。〃Persius；　Sat。；　v。　19。＇
  'tis　for　some　corner　of　a　library；　or　to　entertain　a　neighbour；
  a　kinsman；　a　friend；　who　has　a　mind　to　renew　his　acquaintance　and
  familiarity　with　me　in　this　image　of　myself。　　Others　have　been　encouraged
  to　speak　of　themselves；　because　they　found　the　subject　worthy　and　rich；
  I；　on　the　contrary；　am　the　bolder；　by　reason　the　subject　is　so　poor　and
  sterile　that　I　cannot　be　suspected　of　ostentation。　　I　judge　freely　of　the
  actions　of　others；　I　give　little　of　my　own　to　judge　of；　because　they　are
  nothing：　I　do　not　find　so　much　good　in　myself；　that　I　cannot　tell　it
  without　blushing。
  What　contentment　would　it　not　be　to　me　to　hear　any　one　thus　relate　to　me
  the　manners；　faces；　countenances；　the　ordinary　words　and　fortunes　of　my
  ancestors？　how　attentively　should　I　listen　to　it！　　In　earnest；　it　would
  be　evil　nature　to　despise　so　much　as　the　pictures　of　our　friends　and
  predecessors；　the　fashion　of　their　clothes　and　arms。　　I　preserve　their
  writing；　seal；　and　a　particular　sword　they　wore；　and　have　not　thrown　the
  long　staves　my　father　used　to　carry　in　his　hand；　out　of　my　closet
  〃Paterna　vestis；　et　annulus；　tanto　charior　est
  posteris；　quanto　erga　parentes　major　affectus。〃
  ＇〃A　father's　garment　and　ring　is　by　so　much　dearer　to　his　posterity；
  as　there　is　the　greater　affection　towards　parents。〃
  St。　Aug。；　De　Civat。　Dei；　i。　13。＇
  If　my　posterity；　nevertheless；　shall　be　of　another　mind；　I　shall　be
  avenged　on　them；　for　they　cannot　care　less　for　me　than　I　shall　then　do
  for　them。　　All　the　traffic　that　I　have　in　this　with　the　public　is；　that　I
  borrow　their　utensils　of　writing；　which　are　more　easy　and　most　at　hand；
  and　in　recompense　shall；　peradventure；　keep　a　pound　of　butter　in　the
  market　from　melting　in　the　sun：＇Montaigne　semi…seriously　speculates　on
  the　possibility　of　his　MS。　being　used　to　wrap　up　butter。＇
  〃Ne　toga　cordyllis；　ne　penula　desit　olivis；
  Et　laxas　scombris　saepe　dabo　tunicas；〃
  ＇　Let　not　wrappers　be　wanting　to　tunny…fish；　nor　olives；
  and　I　shall　supply　loose　coverings　to　mackerel。〃
  Martial；　xiii。　　I；　I。＇
  And　though　nobody　should　read　me；　have　I　wasted　time　in　entertaining
  myself　so　many　idle　hours　in　so　pleasing　and　useful　thoughts？　　In
  moulding　this　figure　upon　myself；　I　have　been　so　often　constrained　to
  temper　and　compose　myself　in　a　right　posture；　that　the　copy　is　truly
  taken；　and　has　in　some　sort　formed　itself；　painting　myself　for　others；
  I　represent　myself　in　a　better　colouring　than　my　own　natural　complexion。
  I　have　no　more　made　my　book　than　my　book　has　made　me：　'tis　a　book
  consubstantial　with　the　author；　of　a　peculiar　design；　a　parcel　of　my
  life；　and　whose　business　is　not　designed　for　others；　as　that　of　all　other
  books　is。　　In　giving　myself　so　continual　and　so　exact　an　account　of
  myself；　have　I　lost　my　time？　　For　they　who　sometimes　cursorily　survey
  themselves　only；　do　not　so　strictly　examine　themselves；　nor　penetrate　so
  deep；　as　he　who　makes　it　his　business；　his　study；　and　his　employment；　who
  intends　a　lasting　record；　with　all　his　fidelity；　and　with　all　his　force：
  The　most　delicious　pleasures　digested　within；　avoid　leaving　any　trace　of
  themselves；　and　avoid　the　sight　not　only　of　the　people；　but　of　any　other
  person。　　How　often　has　this　work　diverted　me　from　troublesome　thoughts？
  and　all　that　are　frivolous　should　be　reputed　so。　　Nature　has　presented　us
  with　a　large　faculty　of　entertaining　ourselves　alone；　and　often　calls　us
  to　it；　to　teach　us　that　we　owe　ourselves　in　part　to　society；　but　chiefly
  and　mostly　to　ourselves。　　That　I　may　habituate　my　fancy　even　to　meditate
  in　some　method　and　to　some　end；　and　to　keep　it　from　losing　itself　and
  roving　at　random；　'tis　but　to　give　to　body　and　to　record　all　the　little
  thoughts　that　present　themselves　to　it。　　I　give　ear　to　my　whimsies；
  because　I　am　to　record　them。　　It　often　falls　out；　that　being　displeased
  at　some　action　that　civility　and　reason　will　not　permit　me　openly　to
  reprove；　I　here　disgorge　myself；　not　without　design　of　public
  instruction：　and　also　these　poetical　lashes；
  〃Zon　zur　l'oeil；　ion　sur　le　groin；
  Zon　zur　le　dos　du　Sagoin；〃
  ＇〃A　slap　on　his　eye；　a　slap　on　his　snout；　a　slap　on　Sagoin's
  back。〃Marot。　Fripelippes；　Valet　de　Marot　a　Sagoin。＇
  imprint　themselves　better　upon　paper　than　upon　the　flesh。　　What　if　I
  listen　to　books　a　little　more　attentively　than　ordinary；　since　I　watch　if
  I　can　purloin　anything　that　may　adorn　or　support　my　own？　　I　have　not　at
  all　studied　to　make　a　book；　but　I　have　in　some　sort　studied　because　I　had
  made　it；　if　it　be　studying　to　scratch　and　pinch　now　one　author；　and　then
  another；　either　by　the　head　or　foot；　not　with　any　design　to　form　opinions
  from　them；　but　to　assist；　second；　and　fortify　those　I　already　have
  embraced。　But　whom　shall　we　believe　in　the　report　he　makes　of　himself　in
  so　corrupt　an　age？　　considering　there　are　so　few；　if；　any　at　all；　whom　we
  can　believe　when　speaking　of　others；　where　there　is　less　interest　to　lie。
  The　first　thing　done　in　the　corruption　of　manners　is　banishing　truth；
  for；　as　Pindar　says；　to　be　true　is　the　beginning　of　a　great　virtue；　and
  the　first　article　that　Plato　requires　in　the　governor　of　his　Republic。
  The　truth　of　these　days　is　not　that　which　really　is；　but　what　every　man
  persuades　another　man　to　believe；　as　we　generally　give　the　name　of　money
  not　only　to　pieces　of　the　dust　alloy；　but　even　to　the　false　also；　if　they
  will　pass。　　Our　nation　has　long　been　reproached　with　this　vice；　for
  Salvianus　of　Marseilles；　who　lived　in　the　time　of　the　Emperor
  Valentinian；　says　that　lying　and　forswearing　themselves　is　with　the
  French　not　a　vice；　but　a　way　of　speaking。　　He　who　would　enhance　this
  testimony；　might　say　that　it　is　now　a　virtue　in　them；　men　form　and
  fashion　themselves　to　it　as　to　an　exercise　of　honour；　for　dissimulation
  is　one　of　the　most　notable　qualities　of　this　age。
  I　have　often　considered　whence　this　custom　that　we　so　religiously　observe
  should　spring；　of　being　more　highly　offended　with　the　reproach　of　a　vice
  so　familiar　to　us　than　with　any　other；　and　that　it　should　be　the　highest
  insult　that　can　in　words　be　done　us　to　reproach　us　with　a　lie。　　Upon
  examination；　I　find　that　it　is　natural　most　to　defend　the　defects　with
  which　we　are　most　tainted。　　It　seems　as　if　by　resenting　and　being　moved
  at　the　accusation；　we　in　some　sort　acquit　ourselves　of　the　fault；　though
  we　have　it　in　effect；　we　condemn　it　in　outward　appearance。　　May　it　not
  also　be　that　this　reproach　seems　to　imply　cowardice　and　feebleness　of
  heart？　of　which　can　there　be　a　more　manifest　sign　than　to　eat　a　man's　own
  wordsnay；　to　lie　against　a　man's　own　knowledge？　　Lying　is