Note 42 — II SWITZERLAND
W. G. (William George) Waters translation
The ancient name was Aquæ Helvetiæ. In the time of Nero, according to Tacitus (
Hist.
, i. 67), it had all the appearance of a town: “In modum municipii extructus locus, amœno salubrium aquarum usu frequens.” But nothing is said about the personal investigations of Tacitus, to which Montaigne alludes.
Querlon, in a note on this passage, remarks: “Je ne sais où l’écrivain a pris cela. La mémoire trompoit quelquefois Montaigne come tous ceux qui citent beaucoup, car on ne peut mettre cette érudition que sur son compte.”