John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
Page 961
| Michel Eyquem, seigneur de Montaigne. (1533–1592) (continued) |
| 9278 |
| Nothing is so firmly believed as what we least know. |
| Book i. Chap. xxxi. Of Divine Ordinances. |
| 9279 |
| A wise man never loses anything, if he has himself. |
| Book i. Chap. xxxviii. Of Solitude. |
| 9280 |
| Even opinion is of force enough to make itself to be espoused at the expense of life. |
| Book i. Chap. xl. Of Good and Evil. |
| 9281 |
| Plato says, “’T is to no purpose for a sober man to knock at the door of the Muses;” and Aristotle says “that no excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of folly.” 1 |
| Book ii. Chap. ii. Of Drunkenness. |
| 9282 |
| For a desperate disease a desperate cure. 2 |
| Book ii. Chap. iii. The Custom of the Isle of Cea. |
| 9283 |
| And not to serve for a table-talk. 3 |
| Book ii. Chap. iii. The Custom of the Isle of Cea. |
| 9284 |
| To which we may add this other Aristotelian consideration, that he who confers a benefit on any one loves him better than he is beloved by him again. 4 |
| Book ii. Chap. viii. Of the Affections of Fathers. |
| 9285 |
| The middle sort of historians (of which the most part are) spoil all; they will chew our meat for us. |
| Book ii. Chap. x. Of Books. |
| 9286 |
| The only good histories are those that have been written by the persons themselves who commanded in the affairs whereof they write. |
| Book ii. Chap. x. Of Books. |
| 9287 |
| She [virtue] requires a rough and stormy passage; she will have either outward difficulties to wrestle with, 5 … or internal difficulties. |
| Book ii. Chap. xi. Of Cruelty. |
| 9288 |
| There is, nevertheless, a certain respect and a general duty of humanity that ties us, not only to beasts that have life and sense, but even to trees and plants. |
| Book ii. Chap. xi. Of Cruelty. |
| Note 1. See Dryden, Quotation 5. [back] |
| Note 2. See Shakespeare, Hamlet, Quotation 179. [back] |
| Note 3. See Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice Quotation 62. [back] |
| Note 4. Aristotle: Ethics, ix. 7. [back] |
| Note 5. See Milton, Quotation 363. [back] |