The Selected Essays of Montaigne Author:Edited by Lester G. Crocker When Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne, retired to his chateau in 1571, he shut himself up in his library and wrote. The book that resulted was first published in 1580, and from that day to this, it has been a model of literary form and style as well as the constant companion of the reading public. The works of such men as Francis Bacon, Sh... more »akespeare, Voltaire and Emerson have all left us with a clear account of this book's influence and importance in the history of our culture.« less