part14-第15章

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some　work　into　which　he　could　bring　his　whole　commonplace　book　in　a

digested　form。　　He　fixed　on　the　subject　of　his　Spirit　of　Laws；　and

wrote　the　book。　　He　consulted　his　friend　Helvetius　about　publishing

it；　who　strongly　dissuaded　it。　　He　published　it；　however；　and　the

world　did　not　confirm　Helvetius'　opinion。　　Still；　every　man　who

reflects　as　he　reads；　has　considered　it　as　a　book　of　paradoxes；

having；　indeed；　much　of　truth　and　sound　principle；　but　abounding　also

with　inconsistencies；　apochryphal　facts　and　false　inferences。　　It　is

a　correction　of　these　which　has　been　executed　in　the　work　I　mention；

by　way　of　commentary　and　review；　not　by　criticising　words　or

sentences；　but　by　taking　a　book　at　a　time；　considering　its　general

scope；　and　proceeding　to　confirm　or　confute　it。　　And　much　of

confutation　there　is；　and　of　substitution　of　true　for　false

principle；　and　the　true　principle　is　ever　that　of　republicanism。　　I

will　not　venture　to　say　that　every　sentiment　in　the　book　will　be

approved；　because；　being　in　manuscript；　and　the　French　characters；　I

have　not　read　the　whole；　but　so　much　only　as　might　enable　me　to

estimate　the　soundness　of　the　author's　way　of　viewing　his　subject；

and；　judging　from　that　which　I　have　read；　I　infer　with　confidence

that　we　shall　find　the　work　generally　worthy　of　our　high　approbation；

and　that　it　everywhere　maintains　the　preeminence　of　representative

government；　by　showing　that　its　foundations　are　laid　in　reason；　in

right；　and　in　general　good。　　I　had　expected　this　from　my　knowledge　of

the　other　writings　of　the　author；　which　have　always　a　precision

rarely　to　be　met　with。　　But　to　give　you　an　idea　of　the　manner　of　its

execution；　I　translate　and　enclose　his　commentary　on　Montesquieu's

eleventh　book；　which　contains　the　division　of　the　work。　　I　wish　I

could　have　added　his　review　at　the　close　of　the　twelve　first　books；

as　this　would　give　a　more　complete　idea　of　the　extraordinary　merit　of

the　work。　　But　it　is　too　long　to　be　copied。　　I　add　from　it；　however；

a　few　extracts　of　his　reviews　of　some　of　the　books；　as　specimens　of

his　plan　and　principles。　　If　printed　in　French；　it　would　be　of　about

180　pages　8vo；　or　23　sheets。　　If　any　one　will　undertake　to　have　it

translated　and　printed　on　their　own　account；　I　will　send　on　the　MS。

by　post；　and　they　can　take　the　copyright　as　of　an　original　work；

which　it　ought　to　be　understood　to　be。　　I　am　anxious　it　should　be

ably　translated　by　some　one　who　possesses　style　as　well　as　capacity

to　do　justice　to　abstruse　conceptions。　　I　would　even　undertake　to

revise　the　translation　if　required。　　The　original　sheets　must　be

returned　to　me；　and　I　should　wish　the　work　to　be　executed　with　as

little　delay　as　possible。




　　　　　　　　I　close　this　long　letter　with　assurances　of　my　great　esteem　and

respect。