WIST

Miracles arise from our ignorance of nature, not from nature.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
“Of Custom,” Essays (1588) [tr Frame (1958)]

Especially in an age as corrupt and ignorant as this, the good opinion of the people is a dishonor.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
“Of Repentance,” Essays (1588) [tr. Frame (1958)]

The eloquence that diverts us to itself harms its content.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
“Of the Education of Children,” Essays (1588) [Tr. D. Frame (1958)]

There is no man so good that if he placed all his actions and thoughts under the scrutiny of the laws, he would not deserve hanging ten times in his life.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
“Of Vanity,” Essays (1588) [tr. Frame (1958)]
Alt. trans.: "No man is so exquisitely honest or upright in living but that ten times in his life he might not lawfully be hanged."

I want death to find me planting my cabbages.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
“That to Philosophize Is to Learn to Die,” Essays (1588) [tr. D. Frame (1958)]

There never were in the world two opinions alike, no more than two hairs or two grains; the most universal quality is diversity.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
(Attributed)

If you don’t know how to die, don’t worry; Nature will tell you what to do on the spot, fully and adequately. She will do this job perfectly for you; don’t bother your head about it.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
(Attributed)

Nothing is as firmly held as what man knows least.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
(Attributed)

Confidence in others’ honesty is no light testimony of one’s own integrity.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
(Attributed)

Whosoever lies shows that he despises God and fears men.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
(Attributed)

Hath God obliged himself not to exceed the bounds of our knowledge?

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
(Attributed)

Necessity is a violent school-mistress and teacheth strange lessons.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
(Attributed)

There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
(Attributed)

Don’t discuss yourself, for you are bound to lose; if you belittle yourself, you are believed; if you praise yourself, you are disbelieved.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
(Attributed)

A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
(Attributed)

When all is summed up, a man never speaks of himself without loss; his accusations of himself are always believed, his praises never.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
(Attributed)

I, who am a very earthy person, loathe that inhuman teaching which would make us despise and dislike the care of the body. I consider it just as wrong to reject natural pleasures as to set too much store by them.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
Essays

No man is exempt from saying silly things; the mischief is to say them deliberately.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
Essays (1580-1588)

When I play with my cat, who knows if I am not a pastime to her more tha she is to me.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
Essays, “Apology for Raymond Sebond” (1588) [tr. D. Frame (1958)]

He who imposes his argument by bravado and command shows that it is weak in reason.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
Essays, “Of Cripples” (1588) [tr. D. Frame (1958)]
Alt. trans.: "He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak."

If falsehood, like truth, had but one face, we would be more on equal terms. For we would consider the contrary of what the liar said to be certain. But the opposite of truth has a hundred thousand faces and an infinite field.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
Essays, Bk. I, ch. 9 “Of Liars” (1575)

Alt trans. [C. Cotton (1877)]: "If falsehood had, like truth, but one face only, we should be upon better terms; for we should then take for certain the contrary to what the liar says: but the reverse of truth has a hundred thousand forms, and a field indefinite, without bound or limit."

Alt trans. [Florio (1603)]: "If a lie had no more faces but one, as truth had, we should be in farre better termes than we are: For whatsoever a lier should say, we would take it in a contrarie sense. But the opposite of truth has many shapes, and an undefinite field."

Few men are admired by their servants.

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
Essays, Book 3, ch. 11 (1580-1588)

No matter that we may mount on stilts, we still must walk on our own legs. And on the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.

[Si, avons nous beau monter sur des échasses, car sur des échasses encore faut-il marcher de nos jambes. Et au plus élevé trône du monde, si ne sommes assis que sur notre cul.]

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
Essays, Book 3, ch. 13 (1580) [tr. Zeitlin (1936)]
Alt. trans.: "Even on the most exalted throne in the world we are only sitting on our own bottom." [Jacob Zeitlin (1936)]