Michel de Montaigne
Michel de Montaigne, (1533-92). French essayist. He Chopped the family name, Eyquem, and adopted in-stead the name of the family estates. He practised law until 1570 and in 1581 became mayor of Bordeaux. He turned to writing after the death of his friend La Boetie and his subsequent unhappy marriage to Francoise de la Chassaigne. His Essays (1580; revised 1588) were published in three volumes, and consist of sceptical dissertations on various aspects of life and human nature.
