Works of Michael de Montaigne: Comprising His Essays, Journey Into Italy, and Letters, Volume 2Houghton, Mifflin, 1887 |
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Common terms and phrases
according actions amongst ancient animals Aristotle arms atque authority beasts beauty believe better betwixt body Cæsar Carneades Chrysippus Cicero Clitomachus condition contrary death Democritus Deor discourse divine doubt effect Eneid Epicureans Epicurus Epist example eyes false fancy father favour fear forasmuch force fortune give glory gods hand heaven honour Horace human humour imagine infinite judge judgment kill king knowledge Laertius laws liberty live Livy Lucret Lucretius Lycurgus manner matter means ment mind Montaigne mortal motion nature never nihil opinion ourselves Ovid pain passion philosophers Plato pleasure Pliny Plutarch Pompey Protagoras Pyrrho Pythagoras quæ quam quod reason receive religion reputation Roman Rome Seneca senses Sextus Empiricus Socrates soever sort soul speak Stoics Suetonius suffer Tacitus things thou thought tion truth Tusc understanding vanity virtue Vità weakness wherein words Xenophon
Popular passages
Page 276 - Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world ? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world ? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Page 200 - For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Page 226 - Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Page 155 - Tis one and the same nature that rolls on her course, and whoever has sufficiently considered the present state of things, might certainly conclude as to both the future and the past.
Page 88 - But boldly to confess the truth (for since one has passed the barriers of impudence, off with the bridle), his way of writing, and that of all other long-winded authors, appears to me very tedious: for his prefaces, definitions, divisions, and etymologies take up the greatest part of his work: whatever there is of life and marrow is smothered and lost in the long preparation.
Page 243 - Has your nation," said he to them, " the power to make gods of whom they please ? Pray first deify some one amongst yourselves, and when I shall see what advantage he has by it, I will thank you for your offer.
Page 309 - Say then, shall man, deprived all power of choice, Ne'er raise to heaven the supplicating voice? Not so; but to the gods his fortunes trust: Their thoughts are wise, their dispensations just. What best may profit or delight they know, And real good for fancied bliss bestow: With eyes of pity they our frailties scan ; More dear to them, than to himself, is man.
Page 246 - That if beasts frame any gods to themselves, as 'tis likely they do, they make them certainly such as themselves are, and glorify themselves in it, as we do. For why may not a goose say thus: 'All the parts of the universe I have an interest in: the earth serves me to walk upon ; the sun to light me ; the stars have their influence upon me: I have such an advantage by the winds and...
Page 10 - The next, in place and punishment, are they Who prodigally threw their souls away : Fools, who, repining at their wretched state, And loathing anxious life, suborned their fate. With late repentance, now they would retrieve The bodies they forsook, and wish to live ; Their pains and poverty desire to bear, To view the light of heaven, and breathe the vital air : But Fate forbids ; the Stygian floods oppose, And, with nine circling streams, the captive souls inclose.
Page 43 - No one since has followed the track: 'tis a rugged road, more so than it seems, to follow a pace so rambling and uncertain, as that of the soul; to penetrate the dark profundities of its intricate internal windings; to choose and lay hold of so many little nimble motions; 'tis a new and extraordinary undertaking, and that withdraws us from the common and most recommended employments of the world.