6(32 



MONTESQUIEU. 



Montci' interest ol' religion and the pence of society- Those ca- 

 '!"'"' luiYinies reached the ear of Cardinal de Fleury ; and 

 *"" "V""* vhen Montesquieu, sustained by the public opinion of 

 his talents, applied for the place which M. Sacy's death 

 had left vacant in the French academy, that learned 

 body was made to understand, that his majesty would 

 never give his consent to the writer of the Leltres 

 Persanes ; because, though his majesty 'had not read 

 the work, persons in whom he placed confidence had 

 shewn him its poisonous tendency. Without feeling 

 too much anxiety for literary distinction, Montesquieu 

 perceived the fatal effect that such an accusation might 

 produce upon his dearest interests. He waited upon 

 Fleury, therefore, and signified, that although for par- 

 ticular reasons he had not acknowledged the Let Ires 

 Persanes, he was very far from wishing to disown that 

 work, which appeared to contain nothing disgraceful 

 to him, and which ought at least to be read before it 

 was condemned. Struck by these remonstrances, the 

 cardinal perused the work ; the objections were re- 

 moved ; and France avoided the disgrace of forcing 

 this great man to depart, as he had threatened, and 

 seek among foreigners, who invited him, the security 

 and respect which his own country seemed little in- 

 clined to grant*. The 24th of January 17W, is the 

 date of his admission ; and the inaugural discourse 

 pronounced by him on that occasion, appears to have 

 been distinguished by that originality for which all his 

 writings are remarkable. 



A short time before this event, Montesquieu had 

 quitted his judicial charge. Full of the important 

 ideas which had long occupied his attention, he de- 

 termined to renounce every engagement which might 

 obstruct the perfection and publication of them. To 

 qualify himself for the arduous task of investigating 

 and appreciating the different political or civil consti- 

 tutions of ancient and modern times, he judged it re- 

 quisite to travel, that, so far as possible, he might 

 study the manners and character, the physical and 

 moral condition of the European nations, by actual 

 inspection. In pursuance of this object, he set out 

 for Vienna, along with Lord Waldegrave, the English 

 ambassador. From this city, after conversing with the 

 celebrated Prince Eugene, and surveying all that 

 seemed worthy of notice, he passed into Hungary, 

 and afterwards to Italy, where he met with Lord 

 Chesterfield, and travelled in his company to Venice. 

 Here he found our noted countrymen John Law, still 

 fostering magnificent projects, though reduced to gain 

 a precarious livelihood by often risking his sole pos- 

 session, a diamond, at the gaining table. Whilst exa- 

 mining the singular institutions of this republic, and 

 canvassing the subject with eager frankness in places 

 of public resort, Montesquieu, being informed by a 

 friend that the Government took offence at his proce- 

 dure, was cautioned to withdraw, if he wished to avoid 

 a scrutiny which might be troublesome and perhaps 

 dangerous. He instantly embarked for Fucina, where 

 he arrived in safety, though not till, in his fear of being 

 overtaken by some gondolas which appeared to aim at 

 reaching the ship, he had consigned his manuscript 



remarks to the waves t. He next visited Rome ; and Monies, 

 having surveyed Switzerland and the united provinces, quieu. 

 he repaired to this country in 1730. Newton and *"" ^"v'""~ 

 Locke were dead ; but the philosophical traveller found 

 men in England qualified to estimate his talents ; re- 

 spected and patronised by Queen Caroline, he enjoyed 

 the intimacy of Pope, Bolingbroke, and many other 

 eminent characters of that period. 



From England, Montesquieu returned to La Brede. 

 The striking scenes which he had examined, and the 

 distinguished persons with whom he had associated, 

 could not but furnish matter of deep and extensive re- 

 flection to a mind so gifted. Perhaps his well known 

 observation, that Germany is a country fit to travel in, 

 Italy to sojourn, England to think, and France to live 

 in, exhibits rather more pointedness than truth ; but 

 the practical knowledge which he had acquired re- 

 specting men and governments, was advantageously 

 applied in his future productions. The first, in order 

 of time, is an Essay, Sur le causes de la Grandeur et de 

 la Decadence des Romains, completed during the two 

 years of his seclusion at la Brede, and published in 



In attempting to derive the grandeur and downfall 

 of Rome> from the admitted principles of human na- 

 ture, Montesquieu gave a new turn to such investiga- 

 tions. If some elements of a problem so complex have 

 been omitted, and others rated too high or too low, the 

 work must be allowed to exhibit views of political so- 

 ciety, at all times specious, often equally just and pro- 

 found: the vivid pictures, the acute and original 

 thoughts, with which it every where abounds, are to 

 be traced in many succeeding speculations. It deserves 

 praise also for the manly and liberal tone of feeling 

 that pervades it. 



But the chief basis of Montesquieu's fame is the 

 Esprit des Lois, published in 1748. His profession had 

 led him to examine the subject of law with great mi- 

 nuteness; and he appears, from an early period, to 

 have aimed at discovering some system which might 

 serve to connect the isolated facts of a science, the ex- 

 tent and confusion of which increased with his know- 

 ledge of it. Hitherto, writers on jurisprudence had 

 limited their views to the codes of particular states, or 

 to metaphysical discussions concerning the abstract 

 rectitude of those codes. But the object of Montes- 

 quieu was different, and much more comprehensive. 

 Embracing the various, and apparently capricious, sys- 

 tems of law, as they regard commerce, religion, or civil 

 rights, in every country which travellers or historians 

 make known to us, he endeavours to elicit regularity 

 from this chaos, and to derive the intention of each 

 legislator, or at least the utility of his law, from some 

 circumstances in the natural or political situation of 

 those to whom it is addressed. The attempt, if not 

 entirely successful, was arduous and vast : it was like- 

 wise altogether new. The reading alone which it 

 presupposes, would have deterred a man of common 

 ardour ; especially if, like the author, almost totally 

 deprived of sight, he had been compelled to employ 

 the eyes of others. But although the Esprit des Lois 



* Voltaire represents this matter in another light " He (Montesquieu) adopted a skilful artifice to regain the minister's favour ; in two 

 or three days he prepared a new edition of liis book, in which he retrenched or softened whatever might be condemned by a Cardinal and a 

 minister. M. de Alontesquieu himself carried the work to Fleury, no great reader, who examined a part of it : this air of confidence^ 

 supported by the zeal of some persons in authority, quieted the Cardinal, and Montesquieu gained admission to the Academy." Ecri- 

 vaint du SKcte de Louis XIV, Montent/uieu. The authenticity of this statement, however, appears to rest solely on Voltaire's evidence, 

 ot altogether unexceptionable in the present case. D'Alemberl's account is generally preferred. 



f In the Dictiunnairc Uiugrafhiijite, this affair is said to have been a mere frolic, invented and executed by Lord Chesterfield, to con- 

 Tince Montesquieu of his error in maintaining thai French vivacity was preferable to English good sense. But his Lordship's logic, as 

 well as urbanity, mist hare left him, before he could make use of such an argument. The statement seems to be incredible. 



