Montaigne and the Low Countries (1580-1700)

Book excerpt: Montaigne (1533-1592) is known as the inventor of the essay. His relativism, his craving for self-knowledge and his taste for freedom and tolerance have had a long-lasting influence in Europe. It is therefore surprising that until present no substantial study has been devoted to the multiple relationships between Montaigne and the Low Countries. This volume aims to fill this gap. It studies the Netherlandish presence in Montaigne’s Essays, represented by Erasmus and Lipsius and by contemporary history (the Dutch Revolt against Spain). It also deals with Montaigne’s translations and editions in the Dutch Golden Age, as well as his readership, which included humanists such as Scaliger and Vulcanius, the poets Hooft and Cats, and a painter, Pieter van Veen, who illustrated the Essays. Contributors include: Frans R.E. Blom, Warren Boutcher, Jeanine De Landtsheer, Philippe Desan, Karl A.E. Enenkel, Ton Harmsen, Jeroen Jansen, Johan Koppenol, Anton van der Lem, Michel Magnien, Kees Meerhoff, Olivier Millet, Alicia C. Montoya, Marrigje Rikken, and Paul J. Smith.