Montaigne's Literary Patrons: The Case of La Boetie

Abstract

Montaigne presents De l'amitie as a eulogy that vies with classical models of friendship in both content and literary form. Citing examples of ancient friendships only to dismiss their inadequacy, Montaigne proclaims his friendship with Etienne de la Boetie far superior to those recorded by Aristotle, Cicero, and Lucian; by association, the literary form that describes this «parfaicte amitie» also surpasses ancient treatises: the ordered logical presentation of Aristotle and the dialogue form employed by Cicero and Lucian. Having placed La Boetie on a par with, or even above, the ancients Montaigne must nevertheless ensure that his own talents are not displaced by those of his vaunted friend. The painting metaphor that opens De l'amitie -visually represented by the title page of the 1588 edition of the Essais-underscores Montaigne's originality as a writer and distances his novel art form from classical artistic ideals embodied by both La Boetie and the ancients.