he　be　strong　and　able；　or　if　my　cook　be　a　swearer；　if　he　be　a　good　cook。
  I　do　not　take　upon　me　to　direct　what　other　men　should　do　in　the
  government　of　their　families；　there　are　plenty　that　meddle　enough　with
  that；　but　only　give　an　account　of　my　method　in　my　own：
  〃Mihi　sic　usus　est：　tibi；　ut　opus　est　facto；　face。〃
  ＇〃This　has　been　my　way；　as　for　you；　do　as　you　find　needful。
  〃Terence；　Heaut。；　i。　I。；　28。＇
  For　table…talk；　I　prefer　the　pleasant　and　witty　before　the　learned　and
  the　grave；　in　bed；　beauty　before　goodness；　in　common　discourse　the　ablest
  speaker；　whether　or　no　there　be　sincerity　in　the　case。　　And；　as　he　that
  was　found　astride　upon　a　hobby…horse；　playing　with　his　children；
  entreated　the　person　who　had　surprised　him　in　that　posture　to　say　nothing
  of　it　till　himself　came　to　be　a　father；　＇Plutarch；　Life　of　Agesilaus；
  c。　　9。＇　supposing　that　the　fondness　that　would　then　possess　his　own
  soul；　would　render　him　a　fairer　judge　of　such　an　action；　so　I；　also；
  could　wish　to　speak　to　such　as　have　had　experience　of　what　I　say：　though；
  knowing　how　remote　a　thing　such　a　friendship　is　from　the　common　practice；
  and　how　rarely　it　is　to　be　found；　I　despair　of　meeting　with　any　such
  judge。　　For　even　these　discourses　left　us　by　antiquity　upon　this　subject；
  seem　to　me　flat　and　poor；　in　comparison　of　the　sense　I　have　of　it；　and　in
  this　particular；　the　effects　surpass　even　the　precepts　of　philosophy
  〃Nil　ego　contulerim　jucundo　sanus　amico。〃
  ＇〃While　I　have　sense　left　to　me；　there　will　never　be　anything　more
  acceptable　to　me　than　an　agreeable　friend。〃
  Horace；　Sat。；　i。　5；　44。＇
  The　ancient　Menander　declared　him　to　be　happy　that　had　had　the　good
  fortune　to　meet　with　but　the　shadow　of　a　friend：　and　doubtless　he　had
  good　reason　to　say　so；　especially　if　he　spoke　by　experience：　for　in　good
  earnest；　if　I　compare　all　the　rest　of　my　life；　though；　thanks　be　to　God；
  I　have　passed　my　time　pleasantly　enough；　and　at　my　ease；　and　the　loss　of
  such　a　friend　excepted；　free　from　any　grievous　affliction；　and　in　great
  tranquillity　of　mind；　having　been　contented　with　my　natural　and　original
  commodities；　without　being　solicitous　after　others；　if　I　should　compare
  it　all；　I　say；　with　the　four　years　I　had　the　happiness　to　enjoy　the　sweet
  society　of　this　excellent　man；　'tis　nothing　but　smoke；　an　obscure　and
  tedious　night。　　From　the　day　that　I　lost　him：
  〃Quern　semper　acerbum；
  Semper　honoratum　（sic；　di；　voluistis）　habebo；〃
  ＇〃A　day　for　me　ever　sad；　for　ever　sacred；　so　have　you　willed　ye
  gods。〃AEneid；　v。　49。＇
  I　have　only　led　a　languishing　life；　and　the　very　pleasures　that　present
  themselves　to　me；　instead　of　administering　anything　of　consolation；
  double　my　affliction　for　his　loss。　　We　were　halves　throughout；　and　to
  that　degree；　that　methinks；　by　outliving　him；　I　defraud　him　of　his　part。
  〃Nec　fas　esse　ulla　me　voluptate　hic　frui
  Decrevi；　tantisper　dum　ille　abest　meus　particeps。〃
  ＇〃I　have　determined　that　it　will　never　be　right　for　me　to　enjoy　any
  pleasure；　so　long　as　he；　with　whom　I　shared　all　pleasures　is　away。〃
  〃Terence；　Heaut。；　i。　I。　97。＇
  I　was　so　grown　and　accustomed　to　be　always　his　double　in　all　places　and
  in　all　things；　that　methinks　I　am　no　more　than　half　of　myself：
  〃Illam　meae　si　partem　anima　tulit
  Maturior　vis；　quid　moror　altera？
  Nec　carus　aeque；　nec　superstes
  Integer？　　Ille　dies　utramque
  Duxit　ruinam。〃
  ＇〃If　that　half　of　my　soul　were　snatch　away　from　me　by　an　untimely
  stroke；　why　should　the　other　stay？　　That　which　remains　will　not　be
  equally　dear；　will　not　be　whole：　the　same　day　will　involve　the
  destruction　of　both。〃
  or：
  ＇〃If　a　superior　force　has　taken　that　part　of　my　soul；　why　do　I；　the
  remaining　one；　linger　behind？　　What　is　left　is　not　so　dear；　nor　an
  entire　thing：　this　day　has　wrought　the　destruction　of　both。〃
  Horace；　Ode；　ii。　17；　5。＇
  There　is　no　action　or　imagination　of　mine　wherein　I　do　not　miss　him；　as　I
  know　that　he　would　have　missed　me：　for　as　he　surpassed　me　by　infinite
  degrees　in　virtue　and　all　other　accomplishments；　so　he　also　did　in　the
  duties　of　friendship：
  〃Quis　desiderio　sit　pudor；　aut　modus
  Tam　cari　capitis？〃
  ＇〃What　shame　can　there；　or　measure；　in　lamenting　so　dear　a　friend？〃
  Horace；　Ode；　i。　24；　I。＇
  〃O　misero　frater　adempte　mihi！
  Omnia　tecum　una　perierunt　gaudia　nostra；
  Quae　tuus　in　vita　dulcis　alebat　amor。
  Tu　mea；　tu　moriens　fregisti　commoda；　frater；
  Tecum　una　tota　est　nostra　sepulta　anima
  Cujus　ego　interitu　tota　de　menthe　fugavi
  Haec　studia；　atque　omnes　delicias　animi。
  Alloquar？　　audiero　nunquam　tua　verba　loquentem？
  Nunquam　ego　te；　vita　frater　amabilior
  Aspiciam　posthac；　at　certe　semper　amabo；〃
  ＇〃O　brother；　taken　from　me　miserable！　　with　thee；　all　our　joys　have
  vanished；　those　joys　which；　in　thy　life；　thy　dear　love　nourished。
  Dying；　thou；　my　brother；　hast　destroyed　all　my　happiness。　　My　whole
  soul　is　buried　with　thee。　　Through　whose　death　I　have　banished　from
  my　mind　these　studies；　and　all　the　delights　of　the　mind。　　Shall　I
  address　thee？　　I　shall　never　hear　thy　voice。　　Never　shall　I　behold
  thee　hereafter。　　O　brother；　dearer　to　me　than　life。　　Nought　remains；
  but　assuredly　I　shall　ever　love　thee。〃Catullus；　lxviii。　　20；　lxv。＇
  But　let　us　hear　a　boy　of　sixteen　speak：
  ＇In　Cotton's　translation　the　work　referred　to　is　〃those　Memoirs
  upon　the　famous　edict　of　January；〃　of　which　mention　has　already　been
  made　in　the　present　edition。　　The　edition　of　1580；　however；　and　the
  Variorum　edition　of　1872…1900；　indicate　no　particular　work；　but　the
  edition　of　158o　has　it　〃this　boy　of　eighteen　years〃（which　was　the
  age　at　which　La　Boetie　wrote　his　〃Servitude　Volontaire〃）；　speaks　of
  〃a　boy　of　sixteen〃　as　occurring　only　in　the　common　editions；　and　it
  would　seem　tolerably　clear　that　this　more　important　work　was；　in
  fact；　the　production　to　which　Montaigne　refers；　and　that　the　proper
  reading　of　the　text　should　be　〃sixteen　years。〃　　What　〃this　boy
  spoke〃　is　not　given　by　Montaigne；　for　the　reason　stated　in　the　next
  following　paragraph。
  〃Because　I　have　found　that　that　work　has　been　since　brought　out；　and　with
  a　mischievous　design；　by　those　who　aim　at　disturbing　and　changing　the
  condition　of　our　government；　without　troubling　themselves　to　think
  whether　they　are　likely　to　improve　it：　and　because　they　have　mixed　up　his
  work　with　some　of　their　own　performance；　I　have　refrained　from　inserting
  it　here。　　But　that　the　memory　of　the　author　may　not　be　injured；　nor
  suffer　with　such　as　could　not　come　near…hand　to　be　acquainted　with　his
  principles；　I　here　give　them　to　understand；　that　it　was　written　by　him　in
  his　boyhood；　and　that　by　way　of　exercise　only；　as　a　common　theme　that　has
  been　hackneyed　by　a　thousand　writers。　　I　make　no　question　but　that　he
  himself　believed　what　he　wrote；　being　so　conscientious　that　he　would　not
  so　much　as　lie　in　jest：　and　I　moreover　know；　that　could　it　have　been　in
  his　own　choice；　he　had　rather　have　been　born　at　Venice；　than　at　Sarlac；
  and　with　reason。　　But　he　had　another　maxim　sovereignty　imprinted　in　his
  soul；　very　religiously　to　obey　and　submit　to　the　laws　under　which　he　was
  born。　　There　never　was　a　better　citizen；　more　affectionate　to　his
  country；　nor　a　greater　enemy　to　all　the　commotions　and　innovations　of　his
  time：　so　that　he　would　much　rather　have　employed　his　talent　to　the
  extinguishing　of　those　civil　flames；　than　have　added　any　fuel　to　them；
  he　had　a　mind　fashioned　to　the　model　of　better　ages。　　Now；　in　exchange　of
  this　serious　piece；　I　will　present　you　with　another　of　a　more　gay　and
  frolic　air；　from　the　same　hand；　and　written　at　the　same　age。〃
  CHAPTER　XXVIII。
  NINE　AND　TWENTY　SONNETS　OF　ESTIENNE　DE　LA　BOITIE
  TO　MADAME　DE　GRAMMONT；　COMTESSE　DE　GUISSEN。
  ＇They　scarce　contain　anything　but　amorous　complaints；　expressed　in　a
  very　rough　style；　discovering　the　follies　and　outrages　of　a　restless
  passion；　overgorged；　as　it　were；　with　jealousies；　fears　and
  suspicions。　Coste。＇
  ＇These。。。。contained　in　the　edition　of　1588　nine…and…twenty　sonnets
  of　La　Boetie；　accompanied　by　a　dedicatory　epistle　to　Madame　de
  Grammont。　　The　former；　which　are　referred　to　at　the　end　of　Chap。
  XXVIL；　do　not　really　belong　to　the　book；　and　are　of　very　slight
  interest　at　this　time；　the　epistle　is　transferred　to　the
  Correspondence。　　The　sonnets；　with　the　letter；　were　presumably　sent
  some　time　after　Letters　V。　et　seq。　　Montaigne　seems　to　have　had
  several　copies　written　out　to　forward　to　friends　or　acquaintances。＇
  CHAPTER　XXIX。
  OF　MODERATION
  As　if　we　had　an　infectious　touch；　we；　by　our　manner　of　handling；　corrupt
  things　that　in　themselves　are　laudable　and　good：　we　may　grasp　virtue　so
  that　it