Book of Essays 3 : Chapter 11 Summary and Analysis

This chapter begins during the third essay. Here, the author is showing off his own education yet again. He refers to the elder Cato, stating, "He had a mind so equally versatile for all things that whatever he was doing, you would say that he was born for that one thing alone" (p. 621). He cites the ancient writer Livy as the source of this comment. Liviticus wrote one of the first official histories of the city of Rome. During the 5th essay, Montaigne writes a bit more about marriage and about what he is really like. He actually claims that he would have avoided marrying Wisdom if she had given him the option of being her husband. Soon thereafter, he admits that he has proven to be a better husband - or a more faithful...