Because it was him. Because it was me.

What it means

Asked why he loved his friend La Boétie, Montaigne could give no reason but this. The deepest bonds cannot be explained, only lived. Treasure the friendships you cannot justify.

The source

"Because it was him. Because it was me." Montaigne said it in Essays 1.28 (Of Friendship). Translated from the original French by Spartan Surfers.

"Par ce que c'estoit luy, par ce que c'estoit moy."

Original French, Essays 1.28 (Of Friendship). Text read at gutenberg.org.

Who said it

Montaigne (1533–1592). French magistrate who retired to his tower library and invented the essay. His motto was a question: What do I know?

Questions

What does "Because it was him. Because it was me." mean?

Asked why he loved his friend La Boétie, Montaigne could give no reason but this. The deepest bonds cannot be explained, only lived. Treasure the friendships you cannot justify.

Who said "Because it was him. Because it was me."?

Montaigne (1533–1592). Source: Essays 1.28 (Of Friendship).

What is the original French?

Par ce que c'estoit luy, par ce que c'estoit moy. Translated from the original French by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Because it was him. Because it was me." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Because it was him. Because it was me." (Montaigne, Essays 1.28 (Of Friendship), translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/because-it-was-him-because-it-was-me