Description: Michel de Montaigne, one of the foremost writers of the French Renaissance and the originator of the genre of the essay, wrote on subjects ranging from friendship to imagination, from language to conscience. This collection includes twenty-two of Montaigne's essays, including "Of Prognostications," "Of the Custom of Wearing Clothes," "Of Pedantry," and "Of Friendship." Throughout Montaigne's writing, he approaches his subject matter with rationality and skepticism, constantly searching for truth and inquiring into the nature of the human character. Montaigne's essays have been widely read since their first publication by such great writers as Shakespeare and Ralph Waldo Emerson and continue to resonate for modern audiences. This edition is the translation by Charles Cotton.
Brief description: Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne (1533-1592), commonly known as Michel de Montaigne, was one of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance and the originator of the genre of the essay. Born near Bordeaux, Montaigne studied law and became a member of the Parliament of Bordeaux in 1557. In 1571, he retired to his castle at Montaigne and began to compose his many essays, on such diverse subjects as friendship, fear, education, and imagination, which were published in three volumes from 1580 to 1588. His work is characterized by skepticism, a desire for truth, and a driving interest in the human character, and has influenced writers across the ages, including Shakespeare, Descartes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Virginia Woolf.