The Complete Essays (10 page)

Chronology

1477
Ramond Eyquem, a rich merchant in Bordeaux trading in wines and salt fish, purchases the estates of Montaigne.

1497
Birth of Pierre Eyquem (Montaigne’s father) at the family estates.

1519
Pierre Eyquem, as a result of deaths in the family, inherits the estates at Montaigne and leaves to fight in Italy, entailing an absence of several years.

1528
Pierre Eyquem marries Antoinette de Louppes, of a rich and politically influential family. The Louppes, a pious Christian family, were descended from Iberian Jews.

1530
Pierre Eyquem is
premier jurat
(first magistrate) and Provost of Bordeaux. Birth of Etienne de la Boëtie.

1533
28 February
: birth of Michel Eyquem de Montaigne at the family estates.

1534
A brother, Thomas, is born.

1535
Montaigne’s German tutor’s aim is to make Latin his first language.
This continues his father’s scheme from the outset.
Another brother, Pierre, is born.

1536
A sister, Jeanne, is born.

1539/40
Montaigne enters the Collège de Guyenne at Bordeaux, where the tutors include Mathurin Cordier, Buchanan (the humanist playwright and future Scottish Reformer) and Elie Vinet. He stays there for six years. His understanding tutors encouraged his delight in Latin poetry. He acquired some Greek, but Latin was his literary language.

1546
Montaigne probably studies philosophy in the Faculty of Arts at Bordeaux.

1548
Civil disobedience and riots in Bordeaux, fiercely suppressed. Mayors now to be elected for periods of two years only. The Huguenots become established and numerous in the City and its environs.

1552
Birth of Montaigne’s second sister, Lénor.

1554
Michel follows his father and becomes counsellor at the Cour des Aides at Périgueux. This Cour is suppressed three years later and the counsellors join the Parlement of Bordeaux. His father becomes Mayor of Bordeaux.
Birth of third sister, Marie.

1557/8
Montaigne meets Etienne de la Boëtie, also a member of the Parlement de Bordeaux; their deep and special friendship begins.

1559
Montaigne visits Paris, and follows King François II to Bar-le-Duc. Amyot’s translation of Plutarch: it greatly influences Montaigne both in thought and style.

1560
Birth of Montaigne’s brother, Bertrand.

1561
Second visit to Paris and the Royal Court, partly in connection with the serious religious strife in Guyenne.

1562
Proclamation of the
Edict of the Seventeenth of January 1562
granting limited rights of assembly to members of the ‘so-called Reformed Church’. In June, Etienne de la Boëtie writes a
mémoire
on that Edict. Montaigne, still in Paris, makes a public profession of Roman Catholicism before the First President of the Parlement de Paris. In October he follows the Royal Army when Rouen is retaken from the Huguenots; he meets there Indians from Brasil. Massacre of Huguenots at Wassy.

1563
February
: Montaigne returns to Bordeaux.
18 August
: death of La Boëtie at Germinant at the home of Montaigne’s brother-in-law, Lestonnat. Montaigne writes of it to his father. Assassination of François de Guise.

1564
16 October
: Montaigne finishes reading the
De Rerum Natura
of Lucretius and notes at the end the date and 31 (his age). The flyleaves are all covered with dense Latin notes. Several topics in the
Essays
go back to that initial reading. On a subsequent reading Montaigne made many notes on the pages of the text in French. This edition of Lucretius by Lambinus had been published either late in 1563 or early in 1564.

1565
January
: visit of Charles IX to Bordeaux.
Marriage of Montaigne to Françoise de la Chassaigne, the daughter of a colleague in the Parlement de Bordeaux.

1568
Death of Montaigne’s father, Pierre. Montaigne becomes Seigneur de Montaigne and inherits the domain. (Difficulties with his mother over the inheritance.)

1569
Montaigne publishes his French translation of the
Theologia Naturalis
of Raimon Sebon (Raymundus de Sabunde), with the printer G. Chaudière of Paris.

1570
Montaigne sells his counsellorship of the Parlement de Bordeaux. Goes to Paris to publish works left by Etienne de la Boëtie (Latin, then French).
Birth of his first daughter, Toinette, who dies three months later.

1571
Montaigne returns to his estates, to consecrate his life to the Muses: to scholarship, philosphy and reflection. He receives the Ordre de Saint-Michel and is named Gentleman of the Chamber by Charles IX.
Birth of Léonor (the only one of his six daughters to live).

1572
24 August
: massacre of Saint Bartholomew’s Day. Uprisings at La Rochelle (a stronghold of the Reformed Church).
Publication of the French translation of the
Moral Works
of Plutarch by Bishop Amyot. It joins other authors studied by Montaigne in the tower of his château.

1572–4
During the civil wars Montaigne joins the royalist forces. Montaigne dispatched to Bordeaux to advise the Parlement to strengthen their defences.

1574
Anonymous publication (adapted to Reformed propaganda) of La Boëtie's short treatise
De la Servitude volontaire
.

1575
Reads Sextus Empiricus’
Hypotyposes
.

1576
Strikes a medal with the Greek motto
I abstain
. He is working on his
Apology of Raimon Sebon
.

1577
Henri de Navarre names Montaigne Gentleman of the Chamber. About this time suffers his first attack of the stone.

1580–81
1 March
: publication of the
Essays
(Simon Millanges, Bordeaux). Montaigne leaves on his travels. At Paris he offers his book to Henri III, who is delighted with it. On his travels (partly to take the waters) Montaigne visits Plombières, Mülhauser, Basle, Baden, Augsburg, Munich, Innsbruck, the Tyrol, Padua, Venice, Ferrara and Rome (which was reached on 30 November). At Rome his books are impounded, but relations are good. The maestro di Palazzo offers suggestions for changes to be made by Montaigne in his
Essays
, without further interference. Montaigne has an audience of the Pope, Gregory XIII. On his way back he makes a pilgrimage to Loretto and has medals of the Virgin blessed for his wife and daughter as well as himself. Travels via Florence and Pisa and the baths at Lucca.
17 September
: leaves on learning that royal approval requires him to become Mayor of Bordeaux.
30 September
: arrives home.

1582
Second edition of the
Essays
published with the same publisher. Gregory XIII reforms the calendar, a reform accepted in France, but not in England.

1583
Montaigne re-elected Mayor of Bordeaux for a further two years.

1582–5
During his Mayoralty Montaigne visits Paris and often stays on his estates. Henri de Navarre, now heir to the throne, visits Montaigne and stays in his château. Montaigne is concerned with high politics as well as local affairs. In 1585 the plague ravages Bordeaux. Montaigne, absent, does not return to the town: he and his family are forced to leave their home, Montaigne, and wander about in search of a safe lodging.

1587
24 October
: the King of Navarre dines at Montaigne.

1588
16 February
: Montaigne, en route for Paris, is attacked and robbed by soldiers of
La Ligue
. His goods and freedom are restored to him. His third edition of the
Essays
is published in Paris by L’Angelier.
Mlle de Gournay sends him greetings from her lodgings in Paris. Montaigne visits her. She becomes eventually his
fille d’alliance
, virtually an adopted daughter.
June
: publication of the greatly expanded edition of the
Essays
, which now includes a new third book (Paris, L’Angelier).
10 July
: Montaigne is arrested in Paris and sent to the Bastille apparently to serve as a hostage. He is restored to freedom the same day by order of Catherine de’ Medici.

1589
2 August
: death of Henri III.

Montaigne begins working on a further expanded edition of the
Essays
.

1590
18 June
: marriage of Montaigne’s daughter Léonor to François de La Tour. Though ill, Montaigne writes to Henri de Navarre (now Henri IV), who replies to him (20 July) and invites him to come as (probably) his adviser.

1591
Birth of François de La Tour, Montaigne's grand-daughter.

1592
13 September
: death of Montaigne during a Mass said in his bed-chamber.

1595
Montaigne's widow, Pierre de Brach and Marie de Gournay produce the first posthumous edition of the
Essays
incorporating Montaigne's last additions and changes.

1601
Death of Montaigne's mother.

1613
John Florio's translation of the
Essays
.

To the Reader

[A] You have here, Reader, a book whose faith can be trusted, a book which warns you from the start that I have set myself no other end but a private family one. I have not been concerned to serve you nor my reputation: my powers are inadequate for such a design. I have dedicated this book to the private benefit of my friends and kinsmen so that, having lost me (as they must do soon) they can find here again some traits of my character and of my humours. They will thus keep their knowledge of me more full, more alive. If my design had been to seek the favour of the world I would have decked myself out [C] better and presented myself in a studied gait.
¹
[A] Here I want to be seen in my simple, natural, everyday fashion, without [C] striving
²
[A] or artifice: for it is my own self that I am painting. Here, drawn from life, you will read of my defects and my native form so far as respect for social convention allows: for had I found myself among those peoples who are said still to live under the sweet liberty of Nature's primal laws, I can assure you that I would most willingly have portrayed myself whole, and wholly naked.

And therefore, Reader, I myself am the subject of my book: it is not reasonable that you should employ your leisure on a topic so frivolous and so vain.

Therefore, Farewell:

From Montaigne;
this first of March, One thousand, five hundred and eighty.
³