In 1572, Montaigne retired to his estates in order to devote himself to leisure,
reading and reflection. There he wrote his constantly expanding 'essays', inspi
red by the ideas he found in books from his library and his own experience. He d
iscusses subjects as diverse as war-horses and cannibals, poetry and politics, s
ex and religion, love and friendship, ecstasy and experience.
Above all, Mont
aigne studied himself to find his own inner nature and that of humanity. The Ess
ays are among the most idiosyncratic and personal works in all literature. An in
sight into a wise Renaissance mind, they continue to engage, enlighten and enter
tain modern readers.
