If I had lived among those nations, which (they say) yet dwell under the sweet liberty of nature's primitive laws, I assure thee I would most willingly have painted myself quite fully and quite naked.

Thus, reader, myself am the matter of my book: there's no reason thou shouldst employ thy leisure about so frivolous and vain a subject.

Therefore farewell.
From Montaigne, the 12th June 1580--[So in the edition of 1595; the edition of 1588 has 12th June 1588] From Montaigne, the 1st March 1580.
-- [See Bonnefon, Montaigne, 1893, p.254.

The book had been licensed for the press on the 9th May previous.

The edition of 1588 has 12th June 1588;]-- ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: Arts of persuasion, to insinuate it into our minds Help: no other effect than that of lengthening my suffering Judgment of great things is many times formed from lesser thing Option now of continuing in life or of completing the voyage Two principal guiding reins are reward and punishment Virtue and ambition, unfortunately, seldom lodge together ESSAYS OF MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE Translated by Charles Cotton Edited by William Carew Hazlitt 1877.