Montaigne, Michel Eyquem de

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French writer. He is regarded as the creator of the essay form. In 1580 he published the first two volumes of his Essais; the third volume appeared in 1588, and the definitive edition was issued posthumously in 1595. In his writings Montaigne considers all aspects of life from an urbanely sceptical viewpoint. He is critical of human pride and suspicious of philosophy and religion, seeking his own independent path to self-knowledge. Francis Bacon was among the thinkers who have been challenged and stimulated by his work, and through the translation by John Florio in 1603, he influenced Shakespeare and other English writers.

He was born at the Château de Montaigne near Bordeaux, studied law, and in 1554 became a counsellor of the Bordeaux parlement. Little is known of his earlier life, except that he regularly visited Paris and the court of Francis II. In 1569 he published his translation of the Theologia Naturalis of Raymond Sebond (a 15th-century professor of Toulouse), and in the same year edited the works of his friend Etienne de La Boétie. In 1571 he retired to his estates, relinquishing his magistracy, and began to write his Essais (1572). The ironical Apologie de Raymond Sebond (c. 1576) reveals the full extent of his sceptical philosophy, refusing to trust the reasoning and rationality of other philosophies. He toured Germany, Switzerland, and Italy (1580–81), returning upon his election as mayor of Bordeaux, a post he held until 1585.

Although often coloured yellow, the island is intended to be copper, reflecting the country's name, ‘Copper Island’. Effective date: c. September 1960. >>