Quotes and Images From The Works of Michel De Montaigne

Stilpo lost wife, children, and goods

Stilpo: thank God, nothing was lost of his

Strangely suspect all this merchandise: medical care

Strong memory is commonly coupled with infirm judgment

Studied, when young, for ostentation, now for diversion

Studies, to teach me to do, and not to write

Study makes me sensible how much I have to learn

Study of books is a languishing and feeble motion

Study to declare what is justice, but never took care to do it

Stumble upon a truth amongst an infinite number of lies

Stupidity and facility natural to the common people

Style wherewith men establish religions and laws

Subdividing these subtilties we teach men to increase their doubt

Such a recipe as they will not take themselves

Suffer my judgment to be made captive by prepossession

Suffer those inconveniences which are not possibly to be avoided

Sufficiently covered by their virtue without any other robe

Suicide: a morsel that is to be swallowed without chewing

Superstitiously to seek out in the stars the ancient causes

Swell and puff up their souls, and their natural way of speaking

Swim in troubled waters without fishing in them

Take a pleasure in being uninterested in other men's affairs

Take all things at the worst, and to resolve to bear that worst

Take my last leave of every place I depart from

Take two sorts of grist out of the same sack

Taking things upon trust from vulgar opinion

Taught to be afraid of professing our ignorance

Taught to consider sleep as a resemblance of death

Tearing a body limb from limb by racks and torments

Testimony of the truth from minds prepossessed by custom?

That he could neither read nor swim

That looks a nice well-made shoe to you

That we may live, we cease to live

That which cowardice itself has chosen for its refuge

The action is commendable, not the man

The age we live in produces but very indifferent things

The authors, with whom I converse

The Babylonians carried their sick into the public square

The best authors too much humble and discourage me

The Bible: the wicked and ignorant grow worse by it

The cause of truth ought to be the common cause

The conduct of our lives is the true mirror of our doctrine

The consequence of common examples

The day of your birth is one day's advance towards the grave

The deadest deaths are the best

The event often justifies a very foolish conduct

The faintness that surprises in the exercises of Venus

The gods sell us all the goods they give us

The good opinion of the vulgar is injurious

The honour we receive from those that fear us is not honour

The ignorant return from the combat full of joy and triumph

The impulse of nature, which is a rough counsellor

The last informed is better persuaded than the first

The mean is best

The mind grows costive and thick in growing old

The most manifest sign of wisdom is a continual cheerfulness

The most voluntary death is the finest

The particular error first makes the public error

The pedestal is no part of the statue

The privilege of the mind to rescue itself from old age

The reward of a thing well done is to have done it

The satiety of living, inclines a man to desire to die

The sick man has not to complain who has his cure in his sleeve

The storm is only begot by a concurrence of angers

The thing in the world I am most afraid of is fear

The very name Liberality sounds of Liberty

The vice opposite to curiosity is negligence

The virtue of the soul does not consist in flying high

Their disguises and figures only serve to cosen fools

Their labour is not to delivery, but about conception

Their pictures are not here who were cast away

Their souls seek repose in agitation

There are defeats more triumphant than victories

There are some upon whom their rich clothes weep

There can be no pleasure to me without communication

There is more trouble in keeping money than in getting it

There is no allurement like modesty, if it be not rude

There is no long, nor short, to things that are no more

There is no merchant that always gains

There is no reason that has not its contrary

There is no recompense becomes virtue

There is none of us who would not be worse than kings

There is nothing I hate so much as driving a bargain

There is nothing like alluring the appetite and affections

There is nothing single and rare in respect of nature

These sleepy, sluggish sort of men are often the most dangerous

They (good women) are not by the dozen, as every one knows

They begin to teach us to live when we have almost done living

They better conquer us by flying

They buy a cat in a sack

They can neither lend nor give anything to one another

They do not see my heart, they see but my countenance

They err as much who too much forbear Venus

They gently name them, so they patiently endure them (diseases)

They have heard, they have seen, they have done so and so

They have not one more invention left wherewith to amuse us

They have not the courage to suffer themselves to be corrected

They have yet touched nothing of that which is mine

They juggle and trifle in all their discourses at our expense

They must be very hard to please, if they are not contented

They must become insensible and invisible to satisfy us

They neither instruct us to think well nor to do well

They never loved them till dead

They who would fight custom with grammar are triflers

Thing at which we all aim, even in virtue is pleasure

Things grow familiar to men's minds by being often seen

Things I say are better than those I write

Things often appear greater to us at distance than near at hand

Things seem greater by imagination than they are in effect

Things that engage us elsewhere and separate us from ourselves

Think myself no longer worth my own care

Think of physic as much good or ill as any one would have me

Thinking nothing done, if anything remained to be done

Thinks nothing profitable that is not painful

This decay of nature which renders him useless, burdensome

This plodding occupation of bookes is as painfull as any other

Those immodest and debauched tricks and postures

Those oppressed with sorrow sometimes surprised by a smile

Those which we fear the least are, peradventure, most to be fear

Those who can please and hug themselves in what they do

Those within (marriage) despair of getting out

Thou diest because thou art living

Thou wilt not feel it long if thou feelest it too much

Though I be engaged to one forme, I do not tie the world unto it

Though nobody should read me, have I wasted time

Threats of the day of judgment

Thucydides: which was the better wrestler

Thy own cowardice is the cause, if thou livest in pain

'Tis all swine's flesh, varied by sauces

'Tis an exact life that maintains itself in due order in private

'Tis better to lean towards doubt than assurance—Augustine

'Tis evil counsel that will admit no change

'Tis far beyond not fearing death to taste and relish it

'Tis for youth to subject itself to common opinions

'Tis impossible to deal fairly with a fool

'Tis in some sort a kind of dying to avoid the pain of living well

'Tis more laudable to obey the bad than the good

'Tis no matter; it may be of use to some others

'Tis not the cause, but their interest, that inflames them

'Tis not the number of men, but the number of good men

'Tis said of Epimenides, that he always prophesied backward

'Tis so I melt and steal away from myself

'Tis the sharpness of our mind that gives the edge to our pains

'Tis then no longer correction, but revenge

'Tis there she talks plain French

Titillation of ill-natured pleasure in seeing others suffer

Title of barbarism to everything that is not familiar

Titles being so dearly bought

Titles of my chapters do not always comprehend the whole matter

To be a slave, incessantly to be led by the nose by one's self

To be, not to seem

To condemn them as impossible, is by a temerarious presumption

To contemn what we do not comprehend

To die of old age is a death rare, extraordinary, and singular

To do well where there was danger was the proper office

To forbear doing is often as generous as to do

To forbid us anything is to make us have a mind to't

To fret and vex at folly, as I do, is folly itself

To give a currency to his little pittance of learning

To go a mile out of their way to hook in a fine word

To keep me from dying is not in your power

To kill men, a clear and strong light is required

To know by rote, is no knowledge

To make little things appear great was his profession

To make their private advantage at the public expense

To smell, though well, is to stink

To study philosophy is nothing but to prepare one's self to die

To what friend dare you intrust your griefs

To whom no one is ill who can be good?

Tongue will grow too stiff to bend

Too contemptible to be punished

Torture: rather a trial of patience than of truth

Totally brutified by an immoderate thirst after knowledge

Transferring of money from the right owners to strangers

Travel with not only a necessary, but a handsome equipage

True liberty is to be able to do what a man will with himself

Truly he, with a great effort will shortly say a mighty trifle

Truth itself has not the privilege to be spoken at all times

Truth, that for being older it is none the wiser

Turks have alms and hospitals for beasts

Turn up my eyes to heaven to return thanks, than to crave

Tutor to the ignorance and folly of the first we meet

Twas a happy marriage betwixt a blind wife and a deaf husband

Twenty people prating about him when he is at stool

Two opinions alike, no more than two hairs

Two principal guiding reins are reward and punishment

Tyrannic sourness not to endure a form contrary to one's own

Tyrannical authority physicians usurp over poor creatures

Unbecoming rudeness to carp at everything

Under fortune's favour, to prepare myself for her disgrace

Universal judgments that I see so common, signify nothing

Unjust judges of their actions, as they are of ours

Unjust to exact from me what I do not owe

Upon the precipice, 'tis no matter who gave you the push

Use veils from us the true aspect of things

Utility of living consists not in the length of days

Valour has its bounds as well as other virtues

Valour whetted and enraged by mischance

Valour will cause a trembling in the limbs as well as fear

Valuing the interest of discipline

Vast distinction betwixt devotion and conscience

Venture it upon his neighbour, if he will let him

venture the making ourselves better without any danger

Very idea we invent for their chastity is ridiculous

Vice of confining their belief to their own capacity

Vices will cling together, if a man have not a care

Victorious envied the conquered

Virtue and ambition, unfortunately, seldom lodge together

Virtue is a pleasant and gay quality

Virtue is much strengthened by combats

Virtue refuses facility for a companion

Viscid melting kisses of youthful ardour in my wanton age

Voice and determination of the rabble, the mother of ignorance

Vulgar reports and opinions that drive us on

We are masters of nothing but the will

We are not to judge of counsels by events

We ask most when we bring least

We believe we do not believe

We can never be despised according to our full desert

We cannot be bound beyond what we are able to perform

We confess our ignorance in many things

We consider our death as a very great thing

We do not correct the man we hang; we correct others by him

We do not easily accept the medicine we understand

We do not go, we are driven

We do not so much forsake vices as we change them

We have lived enough for others

We have more curiosity than capacity

We have naturally a fear of pain, but not of death

We have not the thousandth part of ancient writings

We have taught the ladies to blush

We much more aptly imagine an artisan upon his close-stool

We must learn to suffer what we cannot evade

We neither see far forward nor far backward

We only labour to stuff the memory

We ought to grant free passage to diseases

We say a good marriage because no one says to the contrary

We set too much value upon ourselves

We still carry our fetters along with us

We take other men's knowledge and opinions upon trust

Weakness and instability of a private and particular fancy

Weigh, as wise: men should, the burden of obligation

Well, and what if it had been death itself?

Were more ambitious of a great reputation than of a good one

What a man says should be what he thinks

What are become of all our brave philosophical precepts?

What can they not do, what do they fear to do (for beauty)

What can they suffer who do not fear to die?

What did I say?  that I have?  no, Chremes, I had

What he did by nature and accident, he cannot do by design

What is more accidental than reputation?

What may be done to-morrow, may be done to-day

What more? they lie with their lovers learnedly

What need have they of anything but to live beloved and honoured

What sort of wine he liked the best: "That of another"

What step ends the near and what step begins the remote

What they ought to do when they come to be men

What we have not seen, we are forced to receive from other hands

What, shall so much knowledge be lost

Whatever was not ordinary diet, was instead of a drug

When I travel I have nothing to care for but myself

When jealousy seizes these poor souls

When their eyes give the lie to their tongue

When time begins to wear things out of memory

When we have got it, we want something else

"When will this man be wise," said he, "if he is yet learning?"

When you see me moved first, let me alone, right or wrong

Where the lion's skin is too short

Where their profit is, let them there have their pleasure too

Wherever the mind is perplexed, it is in an entire disorder

Whilst thou wast silent, thou seemedst to be some great thing

Whimpering is offensive to the living and vain to the dead

Who by their fondness of some fine sounding word

Who can  flee from himself

Who discern no riches but in pomp and show

Who does not boast of some rare recipe

Who escapes being talked of at the same rate

Who ever saw one physician approve of another's prescription

Who has once been a very fool, will never after be very wise

Who would weigh him without the honour and grandeur of his end

Whoever expects punishment already suffers it

Whoever will be cured of ignorance must confess it

Whoever will call to mind the excess of his past anger

Whosoever despises his own life, is always master

Why do we not imitate the Roman architecture?

Wide of the mark in judging of their own works

Willingly give them leave to laugh after we are dead

Willingly slip the collar of command upon any pretence whatever

Wisdom has its excesses, and has no less need of moderation

Wisdom is folly that does not accommodate itself to the common

Wise man lives as long as he ought, not so long as he can

Wise man never loses anything if he have himself

Wise man to keep a curbing hand upon the impetus of friendship

Wise may learn more of fools, than fools can of the wise

Wise whose invested money is visible in beautiful villas

Wiser who only know what is needful for them to know

With being too well I am about to die

Woman who goes to bed to a man, must put off her modesty

Women who paint, pounce, and plaster up their ruins

Wont to give others their life, and not to receive it

World where loyalty of one's own children is unknown

Worse endure an ill-contrived robe than an ill-contrived mind

Would have every one in his party blind or a blockhead

Would in this affair have a man a little play the servant

Wrangling arrogance, wholly believing and trusting in itself

Wretched and dangerous thing to depend upon others

Write what he knows, and as much as he knows, but no more

Wrong the just side when they go about to assist it with fraud

Yet at least for ambition's sake, let us reject ambition

Yet do we find any end of the need of interpretating?

You and companion are theatre enough to one another

You have lost a good captain, to make of him a bad general

You may indeed make me die an ill death

You must first see us die

You must let yourself down to those with whom you converse

Young and old die upon the same terms

Young are to make their preparations, the old to enjoy them