The meeting between Montaigne and Tasso under the critical gaze of the romantics

In the addition to the "Apologie de Raymond Sebond" of the 1582 edition of the Essays, Montaigne alludes to the visit he would have made to the interned Tasso following delirious episodes at the Saint-Anne hospital from Ferrara. Annoyed by the madness of the Italian poet, he finds in this meeting the opportunity to illustrate the dangers of an unbridled imagination. Fascinated by the tragic fate of the man they consider a cursed poet, the romantics reread this interview, violently criticizing Montaigne's attitude.