Chapter 14 Montaigne

Now I don't want to mention French literature, because it is too rich.There are so many excellent books, many of which I should at least mention by name.Even so, I am afraid that I will not be able to set aside space for works in other languages, which is undoubtedly a loss to readers.But here I want to talk about a book first, because it also portrays a character.This character is quite different from Don Quixote, he wins your heart so skillfully that, once you know him, you regard him as a dear friend.He is Montaigne.He describes his true self with each prose, his taste, his eccentricities, and his fragility, all unfolded before your eyes, so that you may know him better than any friend around you deep.In getting to know him, you also get to know yourself deeply, for Montaigne's patient and humorous examination of his own nature is also an exploration of humanity in general.For Montaigne's skepticism, there have been many theories since ancient times.There are always two sides to a matter. When one side cannot be determined, it is wise to keep an open mind and not hold prejudices. If this is skepticism, then I admit that Montaigne was a skeptic.But skepticism taught him tolerance, a virtue that is especially important today.Montaigne's interest in human beings and enjoyment of life made him a generous mind. If we can also have such qualities, we can not only make ourselves happy, but also make others happy.

Florio's imposing translation of the Essays of Montaigne, but for those readers who do not care for the flamboyant rhetoric, the later version, translated by Cotton and written by William Carew Hazlitt, is more readable sex.It is a great enjoyment to read any of Montaigne's prose, but the essence is the third volume.The prose in this volume is relatively long, and rational logical deduction occupies a large space, which is also the characteristic of Montaigne's prose.They are generally more solemn, but not lacking in fun.Through the articles in this volume, Montaigne, a master of the generation, narrates the essence of his wandering spirit, which is also a manifestation of his confidence in readers' reading taste.In addition, refrain from taking the text by its name, because the title and content of Montaigne's prose have nothing to do with each other.For example, "On Some Verses of Virgil" is actually a treatise on the French language, one of his most fascinating works, and much of it is straightforward enough to make even the unprincipled blush .