Michel de Montaigne Quotes - Page 22

• I honor most those to whom I show least honor; and where my soul moves with great alacrity, I forget the proper steps of ceremony.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Moving, Self, Soul

  Michel de Montaigne (1958). “Complete Essays”, p.186, Stanford University Press

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• What am I to choose? "Choose what you please, as long as you choose." There you have a foolish answer, which seems to be the outcome, however, of all Dogmatism, which will not allow us to be ignorant of that which we are ignorant.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Ignorance, Long, Ignorant

  Michel de Montaigne (1946). “The essays”

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• The shortest way to arrive at glory should be to do that for conscience which we do for glory. And the virtue of Alexander appears to me with much less vigor in his theater than that of Socrates in his mean and obscure. I can easily conceive Socrates in the place of Alexander, but Alexander in that of Socrates I cannot.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Mean, Vigor, Way

  Michel de Montaigne, Charles Cotton (1711). “Essays of Michael Seigneur de Montaigne: In Three Books with Marginal Notes and Quotations. And an Account of the Author's Life. With a Short Character of the Author and Translator,”, p.29

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• There is power in ambition, pleasure in luxury...but envy can gain nothing but vexation.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Gratitude, Ambition, Luxury

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• "Ultimately the bond of all companionship, whether in marriage or in friendship, is conversation." -If you press me to say why I loved him, I can say no more than it was because he was he and I was I.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Love, Companionship, Conversation

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• A woman is no sooner ours than we are no longer hers.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Women

  Michel de Montaigne, Marvin Lowenthal (1999). “The Autobiography of Michel de Montaigne: Comprising the Life of the Wisest Man of His Times : His Childhood, Youth, and Prime : His Adventures in Love and Marriage, at Court, and in Office, War, Revolution, and Plague : His Travels at Home and Abroad : His Habits, Tastes, Whims, and Opinions”, p.48, David R. Godine Publisher

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• Might I have had my own will, I would not have married Wisdom herself, if she would have had me.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Might, Married, Celibacy

  Michel de Montaigne “Annotated Essays of Michel de Montaigne with English Grammar Exercises: by Michel de Montaigne (Author), Robert Powell (Editor)”, Powell Publications, LLC

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• After they had accustomed themselves at Rome to the spectacles of the slaughter of animals, they proceeded to those of the slaughter of men, to the gladiators.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Life, Death, Animal

  Michel de Montaigne (1850). “Works, Comprising His Essays, Letters, and Journey Through Germany and Italy: With Notes from All the Commentators, Biographical and Bibliographical Notices &c., &c”, p.224

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• An orator of past times declared that his calling was to make small things appear to be grand.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Past, Calling, Eloquence

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• There is no passion that so much transports men from their right judgments as anger. No one would demur upon punishing a judge with death who should condemn a criminal upon the account of his own choler; why then should fathers and pedants be any more allowed to whip and chastise children in their anger? It is then no longer correction bat revenge. Chastisement is instead of physic to children; and should we suffer a physician who should be animated against and enraged at his patient?

  Michel de Montaigne

  Children, Revenge, Father

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• Arts and sciences are not cast in a mould, but are found and perfected by degrees, by often handling and polishing.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Art, Degrees, Found

  Michel de Montaigne (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of Michel de Montaigne (Illustrated)”, p.796, Delphi Classics

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• To how many blockheads of my time has a cold and taciturn demeanor procured the credit of prudence and capacity!

  Michel de Montaigne

  Credit, Cold, Gravity

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• The only good histories are those written by those who had command in the events they describe.

  Michel de Montaigne

  History, Events, Command

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• Learning is not to be tacked to the mind, but we must fuse and blend them together, not merely giving the mind a slight tincture, but a thorough and perfect dye. And if we perceive no evident change and improvement, it would be better to leave it alone; learning is a dangerous weapon, and apt to wound its master if it be wielded by a feeble hand, and by one not well acquainted with its use.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Learning, Hands, Giving

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• No profession or occupation is more pleasing than the military; a profession or exercise both noble in execution (for the strongest, most generous and proudest of all virtues is true valor) and noble in its cause. No utility either more just or universal than the protection of the repose or defense of the greatness of one's country. The company and daily conversation of so many noble, young and active men cannot but be well-pleasing to you.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Country, Military, Exercise

  Michel de Montaigne (1964). “Selected essays of Montaigne: in the translation of John Florio”

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• I have here only made a nosegay of culled flowers, and have brought nothing of my own but the thread that tied them together.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Philosophy, Flower, Together

  Michel de Montaigne, William Hazlitt (1845). “The Works of Michael de Montaigne: Comprising His Essays, Letters, Journey Through Germany and Italy. With Notes from All the Commentators, Biographical and Bibliographical Notices, &c. &c”, p.489

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• The great and glorious masterpiece of humanity is to know how to live with a purpose.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Inspirational, Life, Humanity

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• I conceive that pleasures are to be avoided if greater pains be the consequence, and pains to be coveted that will terminate in greater pleasures.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Pain, Pleasure, Avoided

  Michel de Montaigne, James Hain Friswell (1866). “Essays by Montaigne. [A selection.] Edited, compared, revised, and annotated by the Author of “The Gentle Life” [J. H. Friswell].”, p.318

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• A lady could not boast of her chastity who was never tempted.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Chastity, Tempted, Boast

  Michel de Montaigne (2015). “Montaigne's Essays: Top Essays”, p.884, 谷月社

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• A good marriage ... is a sweet association in life: full of constancy, trust, and an infinite number of useful and solid services and mutual obligations.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Trust, Marriage, Sweet

  Michel de Montaigne (1980). “Essays”

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• Books are pleasant, but if by being over-studious we impair our health and spoil our good humour, two of the best things we have, let us give it over. I, for my part, am one of those who think no fruit derived from them can recompense so great a loss.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Book, Health, Loss

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• Nature clasps all her creatures in a universal embrace; there is not one of them which she has not plainly furnished with all means necessary to the conservation of its being.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Nature, Mean, Science

  Michel de Montaigne (1991). “The essays of Michel de Montaigne”, Lane, Allen

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• I love a friendship that flatters itself in the sharpness and vigor of its communications.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Friendship, Communication, Vigor

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• Friendship that possesses the whole soul, and there rules and sways with an absolute sovereignty, can admit of no rival.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Friendship, Soul, Rivals

  Michel de Montaigne (1853). “The Works of Michael de Montaigne: Comprising His Essays, Letters, and Journey Through Germany and Italy. With Notes from All the Commentators, Biographical and Bibliographical Notices &c., &c”, p.82

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• Learning must not only lodge with us: we must marry her.

  Michel de Montaigne

  Educational, Lodges

  Michel de Montaigne (1991). “The essays of Michel de Montaigne”, Lane, Allen

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