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Thursday, December 26, 2002
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Essays After Montaigne
The Author to the Reader
Reader, loe here a well-meaning Booke. It doth at the first entrance forewarne thee, that in contriving the same I have proposed unto my selfe no other than a familiar and private end: I have no respect or consideration at all, either to thy service, or to my glory: my forces are not capable of any such desseigne. I have vowed the same to the particular commodity of my kinsfolk and friends: to the end, that losing me (which they are likely to do ere long), they may therein find some lineaments of my conditions and humours, and by that meanes reserve more whole, and more lively foster the knowledge and acquaintance they have had of me. Had my intention beene to forestal and purchase the world's opinion and favour, I would surely have adorned myselfe more quaintly, or kept a more grave and solemne march. I desire thereun to be delineated in mine own genuine, simple and ordinarie fashion, without contention, art or study; for it is myselfe I pourtray. My imperfections shall thus be read to the life, and my naturall forme discerned, so farre-forth as publike reverence hath permitted me. For if my fortune had beene to have lived among those nations which yet are said to live under the sweet liberty of Nature's first and uncorrupted lawes, I assure thee, I would most willingly have pourtrayed myselfe fully and naked. Thus, gentle Reader, myselfe am the groundworke of my booke: it is then no reason thou shouldest employ thy time about so frivolous and vaine a subject.
9:54:41 PM 
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So How About This?
At the end of the year, people may find themselves at home with free time to which they are unaccustomed. Some will catch up on sleep or watching television, some will clean and organize, and some will tinker. I fall into the latter category. I always have things I'd like to do, some grand and some modest. But I never make resolutions or start things whole. I can only start things (like this Weblog) that begin with tinkering. And as my projects begin with tinkering, they also evolve through tinkering.
I'm going to try some changes in this Weblog for two reasons: First, I'd like to write longer entries less frequently; and second, I'd like to structure my writing to facilitate my reading of The Essayes of Montaigne. I find that I do much better with otherwise overwhelming books (like, say, more than 100 essays spread over more than 1,000 pages) if I can develop some sort of structure to support my reading. For instance, tackling Proust in a reading group worked very well for me. But the group wanted to read more manageable books next year (which I completely understand), so I need to find a new structure for Montaigne.
How can a Weblog support reading? Not by becoming the Oprah Winfrey Show. Instead, about twice a week or so, I'm going to try to write my own modest essay on the topic of one of Montaigne's essays, from "By divers Meanes men come unto a like End" to "Of Experience." If anyone would care to follow along, I'll be reading John Florio's translation of 1603 (just because I like the idea of reading the translation that Shakespeare read) with reference to Donald Frame's contemporary translation for clarity where necessary. I promise nothing with respect to the value or quality of my essays.
7:03:00 PM
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© Copyright 2003 Morgan N. Sandquist.
Last update: 11/2/03; 10:32:50 AM.
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