For other English-language translations of this work, see The Essays of Michel de Montaigne.
Table of Contents
- Book I
- The Author to the Reader

- Chapter I. That men by various ways arrive at the same end.

- Chapter II. Of Sorrow.

- Chapter III. That our affections carry themselves beyond us.

- Chapter IV. That the soul discharges her passions upon false objects, where the true are wanting.

- Chapter V. Whether the governor of a place besieged ought himself to go out to parley.

- Chapter VI. That the hour of parley is dangerous.

- Chapter VII. That the intention is judge of our actions.

- Chapter VIII. Of idleness.

- Chapter IX. Of liars.

- Chapter X. Of quick or slow speech.

- Chapter XI. Of prognostications.

- Chapter XII. Of constancy.

- Chapter XIII. The ceremony of the interview of princes.

- Chapter XIV. That men are justly punished for being obstinate in the defence of a fort that is not in reason to be defended.

- Chapter XV. Of the punishment of cowardice.

- Chapter XVI. A proceeding of some ambassadors.

- Chapter XVII. Of fear.

- Chapter XVIII. That men are not to judge of our happiness till after death.

- Chapter XIX. That to study philosophy is to learn to die.

- Chapter XX. Of the force of imagination.

- Chapter XXI. That the profit of one man is the damage of another.

- Chapter XXII. Of custom, and that we should not easily change a law received.

- Chapter XXIII. Various events from the same counsel.

- Chapter XXIV. Of pedantry.

- Chapter XXV. Of the education of children.

- Chapter XXVI. That it is folly to measure truth and error by our own capacity.

- Chapter XXVII. Of friendship.

- Chapter XXVIII. Nine-and-twenty sonnets of Estienne de la Boetie.

- Chapter XXIX. Of moderation.

- Chapter XXX. Of cannibals.

- Chapter XXXI. That a man is soberly to judge of the divine ordinances.

- Chapter XXXII. That we are to avoid pleasures, even at the expense of life.

- Chapter XXXIII. That fortune is oftentimes observed to act by the rule of reason.

- Chapter XXXIV. Of one defect in our government.

- Chapter XXXV. Of the custom of wearing clothes.

- Chapter XXXVI. Of Cato the Younger.

- Chapter XXXVII. That we laugh and cry for the same thing.

- Chapter XXXVIII. Of solitude.

- Chapter XXXIX. A consideration upon Cicero.

- Chapter XL. That the relish of good and evil depends in a great measure upon the opinion we have of them.

- Chapter XLI. Not to communicate a man's honour.

- Chapter XLII. Of the inequality amongst us.

- Chapter XLIII. Of sumptuary laws.

- Chapter XLIV. Of sleep.

- Chapter XLV. Of the battle of Dreux.

- Chapter XLVI. Of names.

- Chapter XLVII. Of the uncertainty of our judgment.

- Chapter XLVIII. Of war-horses, or destriers.

- Chapter XLIX. Of ancient customs.

- Chapter L. Of Democritus and Heraclitus.

- Chapter LI. Of the vanity of words.

- Chapter LII. Of the parsimony of the Ancients.

- Chapter LIII. Of a saying of Caesar.

- Chapter LIV. Of vain subtleties.

- Chapter LV. Of smells.

- Chapter LVI. Of prayers.

- Chapter LVII. Of age.

- The Author to the Reader
- Book II
- Chapter I. Of the inconstancy of our actions.

- Chapter II. Of drunkenness.

- Chapter III. A custom of the Isle of Cea.

- Chapter IV. To-morrow's a new day.

- Chapter V. Of conscience.

- Chapter VI. Use makes perfect.

- Chapter VII. Of recompenses of honour.

- Chapter VIII. Of the affection of fathers to their children.

- Chapter IX. Of the arms of the Parthians.

- Chapter X. Of books.

- Chapter XI. Of cruelty.

- Chapter XII. The Apology of Raymond Sebond.
[1] - Chapter XIII. Of judging of the death of another.

- Chapter XIV. That the mind hinders itself.

- Chapter XV. That our desires are augmented by difficulty.

- Chapter XVI. Of glory.

- Chapter XVII. Of presumption.

- Chapter XVIII. Of giving the lie.

- Chapter XIX. Of liberty of conscience.

- Chapter XX. That we taste nothing pure.

- Chapter XXI. Against idleness.

- Chapter XXII. Of Posting.

- Chapter XXIII. Of ill means employed to a good end.

- Chapter XXIV. Of the Roman grandeur.

- Chapter XXV. Not to counterfeit being sick.

- Chapter XXVI. Of thumbs.

- Chapter XXVII. Cowardice the mother of cruelty.

- Chapter XXVIII. All things have their season.

- Chapter XXIX. Of virtue.

- Chapter XXX. Of a monstrous child.

- Chapter XXXI. Of anger.

- Chapter XXXII. Defence of Seneca and Plutarch.

- Chapter XXXIII. The story of Spurina.

- Chapter XXXIV. Means to carry on a war according to Julius Caesar.
- Chapter XXXV. Of three good women.

- Chapter XXXVI. Of the most excellent men.

- Chapter XXXVII. Of the resemblance of children to their fathers.

- Chapter I. Of the inconstancy of our actions.
- Book III
- Chapter I. Of Profit and Honesty.
- Chapter II. Of Repentance.
- Chapter III. Of Three Commerces.
- Chapter IV. Of Diversion.
- Chapter V. Upon Some verses of Virgil.
- Chapter VI. Of Coaches.
- Chapter VII. Of the Inconvenience of Greatness.
- Chapter VIII. Of the Art of Conference.
- Chapter IX. Of Vanity.
- Chapter X. Of Managing the Will.
- Chapter XI. Of Cripples.
- Chapter XII. Of Physiognomy.
- Chapter XIII. Of Experience.
| Original: | This work was published before January 1, 1927, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago. |
|---|---|
| Translation: | This work was published before January 1, 1927, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago. |
- ↑ Translator John Florio
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