THE study of Montaigne during the nineteenth
century falls into three periods. The somewhat
barren period of the Eulogies (Éloges), in the
earlier years of the century, was succeeded by a
period of research; documents were discovered;
the facts of Montaigne's life were carefully inves-
tigated; and the great collection of Dr. Payen,
now preserved in the Bibliothèque Nationale,
was brought together. Finally, with further re-
search, directed especially to ascertaining the text
of the Essays (Essais) ( 1580- 1588- 1595) in
its various forms, came the period when results
were co-ordinated. In this third period the name
of M. Bonnefon is of high distinction. No one
can write on Montaigne without being his debtor.
I desire here to acknowledge my own debt to
many of my predecessors, and in particular to
M. Bonnefon. But M. Bonnefon was able to
assume an acquaintance with the Essays on the
part of his readers which I have not assumed in
those for whom I write; and accordingly I have
had to proportion the parts of this book on a
principle different from that which guided Mon-
taigne's French biographer.

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