Title -- Contents -- Preface -- The Life of Montaigne -- The Letters of Montaigne -- The Author to the Reader- (Omitted by Cotton) -- BOOK THE FIRST -- Chapter I That Men by Various Ways Arrive at the Same End -- Chapter II Of Sorrow -- Chapter III That Our Affections Carry Themselves Beyond Us -- Chapter IV That the Soul Expends Its Passions Upon False Objects, Where the True Are Wanting -- Chapter V Whether the Governor of a Place Besieged Ought Himself to Go Out to Parley -- Chapter VI That the Hour of Parley Dangerous -- Chapter VII That the Intention is Judge of Our Actions -- Chapter VIII Of Idleness -- Chapter IX Of Liars -- Chapter X Of Quick or Slow Speech -- Chapter XI Of Prognostications -- Chapter XII Of Constancy -- Chapter XIII The Ceremony of the Interview of Princes -- Chapter XIV That Men Are Justly Punished for Being Obstinate in the Defence of a Fort that is not in Reason to Be Defended -- Chapter XV Of the Punishment of Cowardice -- Chapter XVI A Proceeding of Some Ambassadors -- Chapter XVII Of Fear -- Chapter XVIII That Men Are not to Judge of Our Happiness Till After Death -- Chapter XIX That to Study Philosopy is to Learn to Die -- Chapter XX Of the Force of Imagination -- Chapter XXI That the Profit of One Man is the Damage of Another -- Chapter XXII Of Custom, and that We Should not Easily Change a Law Received -- Chapter XXIII Various Events from the Same Counsel -- Chapter XXIV Of Pedantry -- Chapter XXV Of the Education of Children -- Chapter XXVI That it is Folly to Measure Truth and Error by Our Own Capacity -- Chapter XXVII Of Friendship -- Chapter XXVIII Nine and Twenty Sonnets of Estienne De La Boitie -- Chapter XXIX Of Moderation -- Chapter XXX Of Cannibals -- Chapter XXXI That a Man is Soberly to Judge of the Divine Ordinances -- Chapter XXXII That We Are to Avoid Pleasures, Even at the Expense of Life.

Chapter XXXIII That Fortune is Oftentimes Observed to Act by the Rule of Reason -- Chapter XXXIV Of One Defect in Our Government -- Chapter XXXV Of the Custom of Wearing Clothes -- Chapter XXXVI Of Cato the Younger -- Chapter XXXVII That We Laugh and Cry for the Same Thing -- Chapter XXXVIII Of Solitude -- Chapter XXXIX A Consideration Upon Cicero -- Chapter XL That the Relish for Good and Evil Depends in Great Measure Upon the Opinion We Have of Them -- Chapter XLI Not to Communicate a Man's Honour -- Chapter XLII Of the Inequality Amoungst Us -- Chapter XLIII Of Sumptuary Laws -- Chapter XLIV Of Sleep -- Chapter XLV Of the Battle of Dreux -- Chapter XLVI Of Names -- Chapter XLVII Of the Uncertainty of Our Judgment -- Chapter XLVIII Of War Horses, or Destriers -- Chapter XLIX Of Ancient Customs -- Chapter L Of Democritus and Heraclitus -- Chapter LI Of the Vanity of Words -- Chapter LII Of the Parsimony of the Ancients -- Chapter LIII Of a Saying of Caesar -- Chapter LIV Of Vain Subtleties -- Chapter LV Of Smells -- Chapter LVI Of Prayers -- Chapter LVII Of Age -- BOOK THE SECOND -- Chapter I - Of the Inconstancy of Our Actions -- Chapter II Of Drunkenness -- Chapter III A Custom of the Isle of Cea -- Chapter IV To-Morrow's a New Day -- Chapter V Of Conscience -- Chapter VI Use Makes Perfect -- Chapter VII Of Recompenses of Honour -- Chapter VIII Of the Affection of Fathers to Their Children -- Chapter IX Of the Arms of the Parthians -- Chapter X Of Books -- Chapter XI Of Cruelty -- Chapter XIII Of Judging of the Death of Another -- Chapter XIV That Our Mind Hinders Itself -- Chapter XV That Our Desires Are Augmented by Difficulty -- Chapter XVI Of Glory -- Chapter XVII Of Presumption -- Chapter XVIII Of Giving the Lie -- Chapter XIX Of Liberty of Conscience -- Chapter XX That We Taste Nothing Pure -- Chapter XXI Against Idleness.

Chapter XXII Of Posting -- Chapter XXIII Of Ill Means Employed to a Good End -- Chapter XXIV Of the Roman Grandeur -- Chapter XXV Not to Counterfeit Being Sick -- Chapter XXVI Of Thumbs -- Chapter XXVII Cowardice the Mother of Cruelty -- Chapter XXVIII All Things Have Their Season -- Chapter XXIX Of Virtue -- Chapter XXX Of a Monstrous Child -- Chapter XXXI Of Anger -- Chapter XXXII Defence of Seneca and Plutarch -- Chapter XXXIII The Story of Spurina -- Chapter XXXIV Observation on the Means to Carry on a War According to Julius Caesar -- Chapter XXXV Of Three Good Women -- Chapter XXXVI Of the Most Excellent Men -- Chapter XXXVII Of the Resemblance of Children to Their Fathers -- BOOK THE THIRD -- Chapter I Of Profit and Honesty -- Chapter II Of Repentance -- Chapter III Of Three Commerces -- Chapter IV Of Diversion -- Chapter V Upon Some Verses of Virgil -- Chapter VI Of Coaches -- Chapter VII Of the Inconvenience of Greatness -- Chapter VIII Of the Art of Conference -- Chapter IX Of Vanity -- Chapter X Of Managing the Will -- Chapter XI Of Cripples -- Chapter XII Of Physiognomy -- Chapter XIII Of Experience.