foon perceived that it would be easier for me to make an entire new Tranflation, than to amend that of Mademoifelle Gournay, befides that the confounding of my French with that Lady's, would form a very ridiculous Medley. Here I must intreat our Book-Criticks to remember, that Montaigne having put a Senfe quite new upon feveral Pasfages, which I have rendered into French, I was therefore obliged to tranfplant Montaigne's Ideas into my Tranflation, without confidering whether it agreed or not with the Sentiments of the Authors whofe Expreffions Montaigne borrowed.

3. A very particular Advantage which this Edition will have beyond all the former Editions, is the Verification of a great Number of Sentiments, Turns of Wit, and historical Facts with which Montaigne has adorned his Book, without naming the Authors from whence he had them. In the firft Place, I took Notice of fome that presented themselves as it were of their own Accord, and afterwards 1 made it my Bufinefs to note down as many as I could poffibly discover. By degrees this Examen produced a very ample Kind of Criticifm upon Montaigne; for by fearching into the Authorities which he had recourse to, I discovered many Errors that he committed, either because he did not rightly understand the Authors he copied, or for want of due Ketention of their Opinions. And to the End that his Exactnefs might be the more Vifible, as well as his Miftakes, (which in the Main are not fo numerous nor fo grofs, but there are quite as many, and almost of the fame Kind too, in the most celebrated Writers, the Salmafius's, Grotius's *, &c.) I have at the bottom of the Pages, quoted the very Words of the Authors in Paffages of any Importance, without tranflating them, when they only fay what Montaigne has fince faid in French; but wherever they are contradictory to what Montaigne has faid, I give an exact Tranflation, on purpose to make fuch Contradiction apparent.

4. This

*See Mr. Barbeyrac's Preface of his excellent Tranflation of De Jure Belli & Pacis, p. 22, 23. and I know not how many more of his Com mentaries on that Work.

4. This Edition is alfo augmented with a little Commentary, which confifts in a fhort Paraphrafe on those Paffages of Montaigne whofe Senfe does not occur easily to the Mind, and in an explanation of all antiquated Words, which are now grown obfolete. But our Virtuofos will fay, was it worth while to spend Time on a Thing of fo little Importance? I know that all this must be reckoned a Trifle, by Men who have fuch a clear and well grounded Knowledge of Books as they have. But thefe Gentlemen ought to confider, that as they are the more refpected in the World, because they are few in Number, a Book only calculated for them, would be of no great Ufe to the reft of Mankind.

I have left out of this Edition what appears in many others, with the Title of The Life of Montaigne; an infipid and incomplete Abftract of what Montaigne has faid of himself in his Effays, and couched in his very Words, but by their being detached from the Occafion which produced them, they lofe all their Spirit and Beauty.

To fupply this Omiffion I have added, at the End of the third Volume, fome Letters from Montaigne, of which the laft is prefixed to the Natural Theology of RAYMOND SEBONDE, tranflated into French by Montaigne: And the others are taken from a little Book which is very fcarce, confifting of fome pofthumous Pieces of Stephen de la Böetia, which Montaigne put to the Prefs, in 1571, about nine Years before the firft Edition of his Effays. This Book was first shewed to me by the Honourable Mr. Stanley, who was fo very obliging as to put it into my Hands, with leave to make any Extract of it that might Answer my Purpose. The Letter wherein Montaigne relates the most remarkable Particulars of the Sickness and Death of his intimate Friend Stephen de la Böetia, is fufficient to demonstrate that when he had a Mind to take Pains, he could write in a Stile very coherent and regular: But in the other Letters there appears that free natural Air which is fuitable to Montaigne's common Way of Writing, and to his Genius.

Το

To conclude, it will not be improper, in my Opinion to take Notice that Montaigne was born in 1533, that he lived in the Reigns of Francis 1. Henry II. Francis II. Charles IX. Henry III. and Henry IV. and that he died in 1592, on the 13th of September, aged 59 Years, 6 Months, and Days.

A

VINDICATION

O F

Montaigne's ESSAYS.

THE

HESE Effays, or rather Mifcellanies, because they are on various Subjects, tho' they have not fo much Order and Connection as others, yet People of all Ranks, extol them above all others whatsoever. In many other Mifcellanies, both ancient and modern, they complain of an unneceffary Heap of Quotations, whereas in this they are delighted to find Authorities quite pertinent to the Purpose, intermixed with the Author's own Thoughts; which being bold and extraordinary, are very effectual to cure Men of their Weakness and Vanity, and induce them to a lawful Pursuit of Virtue and Felicity. But because every Body is not of this Opinion, we will take Notice here of what is faid for and against thefe Effays; and this is the more neceffary, because one has frequent Occafions to talk of this Author, his Book being universally read, and having been often quoted, and referred to by the Writers of the Spectator, and others of the firft Clafs.

The Enemies of Montaigne tell us, That his Book is fo far from infpiring his Readers with the Love of Virtue, that, on the contrary, the free and licentious Words in fome of his Difcourfes, teach them fome Vices of which they were ignorant, or elfe are the Occafion that they take a Pleasure in speaking of them, if not in committing them: That his Difcourfes upon feveral Effects of Nature are rather fit to divert Men's Thoughts from the true Religion, than to convince them of it, and are altogether unbecom

ing a Chriftian Philofoph er: That his Propofitions and Affertions, are for the most Part, very dangerous for several Perfons, who either want Learning, or have too great a Bias for Libertinifm: That, befides an indifferent Knowledge of practical Morals, and of History, which Montaigne had acquired in reading Seneca and Plutarch, having converfed with few other Books, as he owns himself, he had hardly a Tincture of other Sciences and Arts, even not of the Theory of Moral Philofophy: That he was as ignorant in other Parts of Philofophy, as Phyficks, Metaphyficks, and Logick: That he understood very little of what we call Humanity, or the Belles Lettres: That he was a very ill Grammarian, and a bad Rhetorician; and that, as he talks pofitively, and boldly, Scaliger, ufed to ftile him a bold Ignorant. Thefe These angry Gentlemen likewife pretend, that if his Quotations from ancient Authors, and the little Stories he tells us about his own Temper and Inclinations were taken out of his Book, the reft would amount to little or nothing.

Having thus impartially related the moft material Objections urged against Montaigne, we proceed now to mention what is faid in his Vindication. And we might here, in the first Place, make use of the long Preface Mademoifelle de Gournay has prefixed to the French Folio Edition, of his Effays, 1635, wherein fhe does not only give a full Answer to all Objections against Montaigne, but also talks of him as of a Man whofe Works have revived Truth in his Age, and which therefore fhe calls the Quintessence of Philofophy, the Hellebore of Man's Folly, the Setter at Liberty of the Understanding, and the Judicial Throne of Reason. But we do not think fit to infift upon her Evidence; for, notwithstanding the folid Arguments her Opinion is grounded upon, fhe may be fufpected to be blindfolded with the paffionate Love fhe had for her adopted Father: And befides, we have fo many great Men to produce in Favour of Montaigne, that we may without, any Prejudice to his Cause, wave the Evidence of that Lady. Thefe will tell you, that if he has handled any Matters with an uncommon Freedom, it is owing to his generous Temper, which abhorred any base Compliance; and, as to his Love for

Virtue,