The Essays of Montaigne — Volume 02 by Michel de Montaigne
page 10 of 58 (17%)
page 10 of 58 (17%)
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some room to work itself out at greater liberty.
"Et via vix tandem voci laxata dolore est." ["And at length and with difficulty is a passage opened by grief for utterance."--AEneid, xi. 151.] In the war that Ferdinand made upon the widow of King John of Hungary, about Buda, a man-at-arms was particularly taken notice of by every one for his singular gallant behaviour in a certain encounter; and, unknown, highly commended, and lamented, being left dead upon the place: but by none so much as by Raisciac, a German lord, who was infinitely enamoured of so rare a valour. The body being brought off, and the count, with the common curiosity coming to view it, the armour was no sooner taken off but he immediately knew him to be his own son, a thing that added a second blow to the compassion of all the beholders; only he, without uttering a word, or turning away his eyes from the woeful object, stood fixedly contemplating the body of his son, till the vehemency of sorrow having overcome his vital spirits, made him sink down stone-dead to the ground. "Chi puo dir com' egli arde, a in picciol fuoco," ["He who can say how he burns with love, has little fire" --Petrarca, Sonetto 137.] say the Innamoratos, when they would represent an 'insupportable passion. "Misero quod omneis Eripit sensus mihi: nam simul te, |
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