Essayists in all languages.
Sir Thomas Browne.
Religio Medici, Urn Burial, Christian Morals, and Other Essays. By Sir Thomas Browne. Edited by C. J. Holmes; decorated by C. S. Ricketts, under whose supervision the book has been printed at the Ballantyne Press. London, 1902. —Beautifully printed by one of the leading lights of the printing revival.
George Eliot
The Essays of "George Eliot." Complete. Collected and arranged, with an introduction on her "analysis of motives," by Nathan Shepherd. New York, 1883. —Much of this material is literary criticism, in which George Eliot appears as one of the most interesting and perceptive critics of her age.
Samuel Johnson has his own page.
Oliver Wendell Holmes
The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table. Every man his own Boswell. Twenty-second thousand. Boston, 1859.
Edinburgh edition, 1859, with extensive table of contents.
Reprinted from the Atlantic Monthly, as it appeared from November, 1857, to October, 1858. New York: F. M. Lupton (no date, but early-1900s decorations).
Michel de Montaigne
Les Essais de Michel Seigneur de Montaigne. Edition nouvelle, prise sur l’exemplaire trouvé apres le deceds de l’Autheur, reveu & augmenté d’un tiers outre les precedentes impressions. Paris: Chez Abel l’Angelier, 1598.
The Essayes, or, Morall, Politike and Millitarie Discourses of Lo. Michaell de Montaigne, Knight of the noble Order of St. Michaell, and one of the gentlemen in ordinary of the French King, Henry the Third his chamber. First written by him in French. And now done into English by…John Florio. Printed at London by Val. Sims for Edward Blount dwelling in Paules churchyard. 1603. —Florio was the translator Montaigne deserved.
“I know not whether they work that in others, which they doe in mee. But when I heare our Architects mouth-out those bigge and ratling words of Pilasters, Arhitraves, Cornixes, Frontispieces, Corinthians, and Dorike workes and such-like fustian-termes of theirs, I cannot let my wandering imagination forme a soddaine apprehension of Apollidonius his pallace, and I finde by effect, that they are the seche, and decaued peeces of my Kitchin-doore. Doe but heare one pronounce Metonomia, Metaphore, Allegory, Ætymologie, and other such trash-names of Grammer, would you not thinke, they meant some forme of a rare and strange language? They are titles and wordes, that concern your chamber-maides tittle-tattle.” ——The first Booke, the one and fiftieth chapter. Of the vanitie of Wordes.