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Printed for S. and E. BALLARD, J. CLARKE, D. BROWNE, C. HITCH
and L. HAWES, A. MILLAR, J. POTE, C. BATHURST, B. BARKER,
T. PAYNE, T. WALLER, W. JOHNSTON, S. CROWDER, T. LONG-
MAN, P. DAVEY and B. LAW, C. CORBET, and P. BRINDLEY.

M.DCC.LIX.

1

L

ESSAYS

O F

MICHAEL Seigneur de MONTAIGNe.

BOOK II.

T

CHA P. I:

Of the Inconftancy of our Actions.

HEY who apply themselves to the critical Infpection of human Actions, do not find them

felves, in any Thing, fo much perplexed as how to reconcile them, and fet them off with equal Luftre; for they do commonly fo ftrangely contradict one another, that it seems impoffible they fhould proceed from one and the fame Perfon. We find the younger Marius one While a Son of Mars, and another the Son 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 Sentence 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 History is fo full of the like Inftances, nay, every Man is able to furnish himself with fo many out of his own Practice, that I fometimes wonder to fee Men of Understanding give themfelves the Trouble of reconciling fuch VOL. II.

B

* Vellem nefcire literas. Senec. de Clementia, lib. ii. cap. 1.

In

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