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Commentary on Passage from Essais I.26 (De l’institution des enfants)

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Commentary on Passage from Essais I.26 (De l’institution des enfans)

        This passage appears towards the beginning of Chapter 26 of Montaigne’s first book of Essais, and is addressed to Madame Diane de Foix, Contesse de Gurson, who is awaiting a child, and to whom Montaigne puts forward his educational principles to aid her in her approach to educating her child. These principles constitute a new way to approach teaching and bringing up children, with radically different principles; some of which I will outline in the course of this commentary.

        After having begun the chapter with a passage of text introducing the subject matter by providing context to the innovative principles he intends to propose, and by referring to anecdotes and personal experience, this passage appears immediately after Montaigne has begun to address Mme de Foix directly, the preceding chapter being introduced with “Madame”. Montaigne is embarking upon the most section of the chapter, where he outlines the innovative teaching principles he has identified. However he will first present to us a picture of a scholastic pedagogue who’s pedantic teaching style, using knowledge for personal purposes, Montaigne intends to dismantle. In this passage he will prepare the character he will undertake to critique, in order that he may provide a legitimate alternative.

        Montaigne begins the passage by affirming the position of influence and responsibility that a tutor fulfills, and underlining the utmost importance of the choice of said tutor. The choice of the word “gouverneur” is an interesting one here, as it has a political significance, reinforcing the great “charge” on the shoulders of a tutor. In Chapter 18 of Livre II for example (“Du démentir”), Montaigne refers to Plato and “le gouverneur de sa république”. In the Ancien Régime, the “gouverneur”, once named by the king, had total power to act and command. The same is true in the case of education, making Montaigne’s comparison a valuable one. This comparison is also significant because it sets the author up for an affirmation later on in the chapter of an important principle: “l'authorité du gouverneur, qui doit estre souveraine sur luy, s'interrompt et s'empesche par la presence des parens” (Essais I.26, Garnier-Flammarion, 1969, Paris. pg. 201-202). The tutor’s authority is thus one given by the parents, but not restricted by them. Borrowing this political lexicon helps emphasise how important the tutor’s independence is, despite an initial relationship built upon subordination.

        Also of importance in the opening few lines of this passage is Montaigne’s request to be listened to. Having indicated his incompetence to comment on other questions relating to education (“ell’a plusieurs autres grandes parties; mais je n’y touché point, pour n’y sçavoir rien apporter qui vaille”, line 2-3), he demands that the “gouverneur” himself take heed of his recommendations: “il m’en croira autant qu’il y verra d’apparence” (line 3-4). These elements are important for two reasons. Firstly, we can see that the recipient of the chapter has changed in favour of the tutor himself, to whom Montaigne appoints all authority, yet still endeavours to convince. Secondly, we can note a common practice among sixteenth century writers, as mentioned by John Holyoake in his study of Montaigne’s Essais, “to try to give the impression their work was a trifle, dashed off effortlessly in haste”[1]. This was done in an effort to endear him to his reader, presenting himself not as an omniscient scholarly author, rather one with limits to their knowledge like everyone else, presenting himself more as a plain fellow hoping to achieve a close relationship with the reader that he values so highly. Montaigne was aware that the ideas he was presenting in this chapter were innovative and in many ways controversial, and so he wishes to encourage the reader to listen to these ideas more sympathetically by attempting to form a close relationship with them early on in the chapter, as can be seen evidenced in this passage.

        The following sentence opens as if the addressee has changed once again, Montaigne this time aiming his comments “À un enfant de maison qui recherche les lettres” (line 4). Several clauses later in line 8, the reader notes that the child is the subject of the indirect object attached to the verb in “luy choisir” (line 8). This implies that, grammatically, the child is the first to benefit from the choice of a good tutor, and the long phrase appears to prolong this ambiguity, suggesting the author is taking pleasure in leaving the reader hanging. It would seem logical to address this to the child, who Montaigne has just warned against engaging in aducation for “les commoditez externs” (line 6), but instead for “s’en enricher et parer au dedans”. It appears Montaigne is blurring the identity of the recipient, addressing his text at once to the expectant mother, the tutor, and the child, as if he does not want to make clear who he believes the addressee must be in matters of education, implicating all three as the recipient in the end. This ambiguity is recalled later in the text with the prevalence of “on”, implying that a successful education is the achieved through a joint effort between all three parties. Indeed, the passages that follow in this chapter will have as their focus, among others, outlining the nature of their respective relationships.

        The essayist makes it clear what the end product of the education must be, and the type of tutor that must be chosen. In both cases, Montaigne expresses this through preference of the ideal over the undesired, “ayant plutost envie d’en tirer un habil’homme qu’un homme sçavant” (line 6-7), “qu’on fut soigneux de luy choisir un conducteur qui eust plutost la teste bien faicte que bien pleine, et qu’on y requite tous les deux, mais plus les meurs et l’entendement que la science” (line 7-9). The adverb “plutost” implies moderation, as if it Montaigne is suggesting it is necessary to guide without outright exclusion, understanding that a mixture of opposing characteristics is always valuable. The author here is employing an attitude and style of temperance and moderation again in an attempt to endear himself to the addressee, which I will make full mention of later in this commentary. The reference in the latter quote to “les meurs et l’entendement” in favour of “la science” is notable because it contradicts an assertion that Montaigne makes in the text directly preceding this passage in Chapter 26: “Madame, c’est un grand ornement que la science, et un util de merveilleux service, notamment aux personnes élevées en tel degré de fortune, comme vous estes”. Despite earlier outlining the value of science most notably to those of higher social standing, Montaigne now returns this conventional opinion to condemn it, affirming that it is not science that must be focused on in a child’s education. The phrase “la teste bien faicte”, used in line 8 in reference to the “conducteur” is an expression said by French publicist and lawyer Joseph-Michel-Antoine Servan to have been created by Montaigne that has now entered common speech; just one of many indications of the great influence Montaigne’s texts have had on modern day French society and culture.

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