l e m e . l i b r a r y . u t o r o n t o . c a

s t c 1 8 0 4 1

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THE
ESSAYES
Or
Morall, Politike and Millitarie
Discourses:
of
Lo: Michaell de Montaigne,
Knight
Of the noble Order of St. Michaell, and one of the
Gentlemen in Ordinary of the French king, Henry
the third his Chamber.

The first Booke.
*   *
  *

First written by him in French.
And
now done into English





By him that hath inviolably vowed his labors to the Æternitie of their Honors,
whose names he hath severally inscribed on these his consecrated Altares.

The first Booke.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE
LVCIE CO: OF BEDFORD:
AND
LADIE ANNE HARRINGTON
HER HO: MOTHER.

The second Booke.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE
ELIZABETH CO: OF RUTLAND,
AND
LADIE PENELOPE RICHE.

The third Booke.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE
LADIE ELIZABETH GREY,
AND
LADIE MARIE NEVILL.

IOHN FLORIO.

¶Printed at London by Val. Sims for Edward Blount dwelling
in Paules churchyard. 1603.








.... But some errors are 
mine, and mine by more then translation. Are they in Grammer, or Ortographie? as easie for you 
to right, as me to be wrong; or in construction, as mis-attributing him, her, or it, to things alive, or 
dead, or newter; you may soone know my meaning, and eftsoones vse your mending: or are they in 
some vncouth termes; as entraine, conscientious, endeare, tarnish, comporte, efface, facilitate, am­
musing, debauching, regret, effort, emotion, and such like; if you like them not, take other most com­
monly set by them to expound them, since there they were set to make such likely French words fami­
liar with our English, which well may beare them. If any be capitall in sense mistaking, be I admo­





nished, and they shall be recanted ...

Florio in his translator's introduction brands all these terms as barbarous.