If I had to pick one book to keep me company for a while, on most days I’d choose Montaigne’s. I have been reading his Essays since college, convinced by Eric Hoffer that it was worth doing.
In my reading yesterday, Montaigne told the sad tale of Artaxerxes, whose magnificent bridge over the Hellespont was wrecked by a storm. The great Persian king ordered his officials to whip the water. Montaigne told the story as an example of emotion and why it is to be mistrusted.
In Montaigne, you find all things. He talks about writing, warfare, sex, death and his library. He considers the greatness of Plutarch, Seneca and Epaminondas. In one essay, Montaigne, a lawyer, famously puts the penis on trial. He talks about ways to approach fear and grief. He talks of the proper way to die.
What makes a good hunter is his skill and persistence in searching for game. Montaigne is a kind of hunter. Here is a good mind, searching a cosmos for interesting ideas.
If you're interested in Montaigne, there's an essay on what I find so interesting about him at hebertaylor.com.
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