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From the most accurate and elegant French Edition of

PETER COST E.

IN THREE VOLUME S.

VOL. II.

LONDON,

Printed for J. POTE, E. BALLARD, C.BATHURST, T. DAVIES,
T. PAYNE, J. F. and C. RIVINGTON, S. CROWDER,
T. LONGMAN, B. LAW, T. CASLON, J. ROBSON,
W. GINGER, T. EVANS, and E. JOHNSTON.

MDCCLXXVI,

REPAIR CDS. No. 1 9 3 188

TILDEN LIBRARY

1895

ESSAYS

O F

MICHAEL Seigneur de MONTAIGNE.

T

BOOK I.

CHA P. I.

Of the Inconftancy of our Actions.

HEY who apply themselves to the critical infpection of human actions, are in nothing fo much perplexed as how to reconcile them, and fet them off with equal luftre; for in general these fo ftrangely contradict one another, that it feems impoffible they fhould proceed from one and the fame perfon. We find the younger Marius one while a son of Mars, and another the fon of Venus. Pope Boniface VIII is faid to have entered on the papacy like a fox, to have behaved in it like a lion, and to have died like a dog. And who could believe it to be the fame Nero, that perfect image of cruelty, who, when the fentence paffed upon a criminal was brought to him in form to fign it, cried out, "Would to God I had never been "taught to write!" So much it went to his heart to condemn a man to death. All hiftory is fo full of the like inftances, nay, every man is able to furnifh himfelf with fo many out of his own practice, that I fometimes wonder to fee men of understanding give themfelves the trouble of reconciling fuch inconfiftencies, • Vellem nefcire literas. Senec. de Clementia, lib. ii. cap. 1. VOL. II.

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