unded at Bordeaux, seconded these rational views. It was
decided that a good physical experiment would be better than a weak
discourse or a bad poem; and Bordeaux got an Academy of Sciences.

M. de Montesquieu, careless of reputation, wrote little. It was not
till 1721, that is to say, at thirty-two years of age, that he published
the 'Persian Letters.' The description of Oriental manners, real or
supposed, is the least important thing in these letters. It serves
merely as a pretense for a delicate satire upon our own customs and for
the concealment of a serious intention. In this moving picture, Usbec
chiefly exposes, with as much ease as energy, whatever among us most
struck his penetrating eyes: our way of treating the silliest things
seriously, and of laughing at the most important; our way of talking
which is at once so blustering and so frivolous; our impatience even in
the midst of pleasure itself; our prejudices and our actions that
perpetually contradict our understandings; our great love of glory and
respect for the idol of court favor, our little real pride; our
courtiers so mean and vain; our exterior politeness to, and our real
contempt of strangers; our fantastical tastes, than which there is
nothing lower but the eagerness of all Europe to adopt them; our
barbarous disdain for the two most respectable occupations of a
citizen--commerce and magistracy; our literary disputes, so keen and so
useless; our rage for writing before we think, and for judging before we
understand. To this picture he opposes, in the apologue of the
Troglodytes, the description of a virtuous people, become wise by
misfortunes--a piece worthy of the portico. In another place, he
represents philosophy, long silenced, suddenly reappearing, regaining
rapidly the time which she had lost; penetrating even among the Russians
at the voice of a genius which invites her; while among other people of
Europe, superstition, like a thick atmosphere, prevents the
all-surrounding light from reaching them. Finally, by his review of
ancient and modern government, he presents us with the bud of those
bright ideas since fully developed in his great work.

These different subjects, no longer novel, as when the 'Persian Letters'
first appeared, will forever remain original--a merit the more real that
it proceeds alone from the genius of the writer; for Usbec acquired,
during his abode in France, so perfect a knowledge of our morals, and so
strong a tinct