Athens than in those of sixteenth-century Bordeaux or
twentieth-century London.

Nothing illustrates better Montaigne's essential paganism than his
passionate admiration for magnanimity. That was the virtue he loved.
High courage and fortitude, dignity, patience, and generosity--these are
qualities, examples of which never fail to strike a spark of enthusiasm
from his calm nature. He is never tired of extolling the constancy of
Socrates and Cato, the courage of Caesar, the generosity of Alexander,
the great and grandiose actions of the heroes of antiquity. Indeed,
this admiration for courage and dignity so transports him that once, at
any rate, he surpasses most pagan philosophers, and joins hands with the
latest and most Christian of Christian moralists:

"A quoy faire nous allons nous gendarmant par ces efforts de la
science? Regardons a terre, les pauvres gens que nous y voyons
espandus, la teste panchante apres leur besongne: qui ne scavent ny
Aristote ny Caton, ny exemple ny precepte. De ceux-la, tire Nature
tous les iours, des effects de constance et de patience, plus purs
et plus roides, que ne sont ceux que nous estudions si curieusement
en l'escole. Combien en vois ie ordinairement, qui mescognoissent
la pauvrete: combien qui desirent la mort, ou qui la passent sans
alarme et sans affliction? Celui la qui fouit mon iardin, il a ce
matin enterre son pere ou son fils. Les noms mesme, dequoy ils
appellent les maladies, en addoucissent et amollissent l'asprete.
La phthysie, c'est la toux pour eux: la dysenterie, devoyment
d'estomach: un pleuresis, c'est un morfondement: et selon qu'ils
les nomment doucement, ils les supportent aussi. Elles sont bien
griefves, quand elles rompent leur travail ordinaire: ils ne
s'allitent que pour mourir."

This passage is exceptional; it is not the less sincere. Of its
sincerity no one who reads and feels can doubt. But generally the
instances of eximious virtue are what Montaigne delights to honour.
Nothing in him is more lovable than this passionate hero-worship; and
what quality is more lovable or more common in the ordinary man?

"Le plus sage des Francais," Sainte-Beuve called him; the judgment is
typical of the critic and his age. We need not stay to quarrel with it.
We can hold that there is a higher wisdom than the quest of golden
mediocrity without disparaging either Horace or his discipl