282 TiMEHRl. 



When the modern novel palls on us and ^he reading of 

 modern philosophy seems to land us in a sea of doubts 

 and uncertainties, we find it infinitely refreshing to turn 

 to older works and enjoy here and there -a. page of past 

 wisdom. Among the older writers M'ontaigne is a 

 great favourite of mine. There is a d.elightful egotism 

 in his writing that is in fine contras^^. to the repulsive 

 egotism of RousSEAU. 



I open my MONTAIGNE at ranrliom to seek confirmation 

 of my good opinion of him, an-d at the first glance I find 

 this naive passage : — 



" If in reading I fortune to. "nieet with any difficult points, 

 I fret not myself about them, but after I have given them 

 a charge or two, I leave them as I found them, I should 

 loose both time and 'myself, for I have a skipping wit." 

 There is a quaintness about MONTAIGNE that is most 

 entertaining. One day he went out for a ride and on 

 his return was met 'by some of his servants. He thus des- 

 cribes an accident that occurred owing to the rashness of 

 one of his men : — 



" One of my men (a strong sturdy fellow), mounted 

 upon a voung stron^-headed horse, and that had a despe- 

 rate hard mouth, fresh, lusty and in breathy to show his 

 courage, and to out-goe his fellovves, fortuned with 

 might and maine to set spurres unto him and giving him 

 the bridle, to cone right into the path where I was, and 

 as a Colossus with his weight riding over me and my 

 nag, that were both very little, he overthrew us both, 

 and made us fall with our heeles upward : so that the 

 nag lay astonied in one place, and I in a trance gro- 

 veling on the g'-ound ten or twelve paces wide of 

 him." 



