The Online Library of Liberty

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• List of Illustrations
• Essays of Montaigne
• Of Experience
• Sketch of the Life of Montaigne
• Letters of Montaigne
• I: To Messire Antoine Du Prat, Provost of Paris.
• II: To Monseigneur, Monseigneur De Montaigne (his Father). (1563.)
• III: To the Same.
• IV: To Monsieur, Monsieur De Lansac, Knight of the King’s Order, Privy Councillor, Subcontroller of His Finance, and Captain of the Cent Gardes of His Household.
• V: To Monsieur, Monsieur De Mesmes, Seigneur De Roissy and Malassize, Privy Councillor to the King.
• VI: To Monsieur, Monsieur De L’hospital, Chancellor of France.
• VII: To Monsieur, Monsieur De Foix, Privy Councillor, and Ambassador of His Majesty to the Signory of Venice.
• VIII: To Mademoiselle, Mademoiselle De Montaigne, My Wife.
• IX: To Madame De Grammont, Comtesse De Guissen.
• X: To the Jurats of Bordeaux.
• XI: To Monseigneur, Monseigneur De Nantouillet, Councillor to the King.
• XII: To Henry III.
• XIII: Memorial of Montaigne, Mayor of Bordeaux, and of His Jurats, Addressed to the King of Navarre, On Different Subjects Interesting That Same Town.
• XIV: To the Marechal De Matignon.
• XV: To the Same.
• XVI: To Monsieur, Monsieur Dupuy, the King’s Councillor In His Court and Parliament of Paris, At Xaintes.
• XVII: To Mm, the Jurats of the Town of Bordeaux.
• XVIII: To the Marechal De Matignon.
• XIX: To the Same.
• XX: To the Same.
• XXI: To the Jurats of Bordeaux.
• XXII: To the Marechal De Matignon.
• XXIII: To the Same.
• XXIV: To the Same.
• XXV: To the Same.
• XXVI: To the Same.
• XXVII: To the Same.
• XXVIII: To the Jurats of Bordeaux.
• XXIX: To the Same.
• XXX: To the Marechal De Matignon.
• XXXI: To the Same.
• XXXII: To Mademoiselle Paulmier.
• XXXIII: To Henry IV.
• XXXIV: To — —
• XXXV: To Henry IV.
• Notes
• Volume I
• Volume Ii
• Volume Iii
• Volume Iv
• Volume V
• Volume Vi
• Volume Vii
• Volume Viii
• Volume Ix
• Volume X

XVI

To Monsieur, Monsieur Dupuy, the King’s Councillor in his Court and Parliament of Paris, at Xaintes.

Monsieur,—The action of the Sieur de Verres, a prisoner, who is very well known to me, deserves that you should bring to bear in his judgment your natural clemency, if, in the public interest, you are able to do so. He has done a thing not only excusable, according to the military laws of this age, but necessary and (as we are living) commendable. He committed the act, without doubt, unwillingly and under pressure; the rest of his course of life is irreproachable. I beseech you, Monsieur, to devote your attention to this; you will find the nature of this fact as I represent it to you. He is persecuted on this crime in a way which is far worse than the offence itself. If it is likely to be of use to you, I desire to inform you that he is a man brought up in my house, related to several respectable families, and above all, who has always led an honorable life, (and that he) is my particular friend. By saving him you lay me under an extreme obligation. I beg you very humbly to regard him as recommended by me, and, after kissing your hands, I pray God, Monsieur, to give you a long and happy life. From Castera, this 23rd of April (1584?). Your affectionate servant,

MONTAIGNE.