Ebook: Essays

Untitled; Contents; VOLUME 1.; Preface; The Life of Montaigne; The Letters of Montaigne.; The Author to the Reader.-- (Omitted by Cotton.); VOLUME 2.; 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 Expends Its 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 Dangerous; Chapter VII -- That the Intention is Judge of Our Actions.;Essays is a book written by Michel de Montaigne that was first published in 1580. Montaigne essentially invented the literary form of essay, a short subjective treatment of a given topic, of which the book contains a large number. Essai is French for "trial" or "attempt". Montaigne wrote in a kind of crafted rhetoric designed to intrigue and involve the reader, sometimes appearing to move in a stream-of-thought from topic to topic and at other times employing a structured style which gives more emphasis to the didactic nature of his work ...