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344 ON THE RISE, PROGRESS, ETC.to determine,it did not on that account work less effectually.It contained, in the first place,an inexhaustibletreasure for the practical study of history and; althoughthere are many single opinions and assertions in which wemay not agree with Montesquieu, yet his labours served sufficiently to point out the advantages which might be derived from the study of history, as well as the manner inwhich these pursuits should be directed in order to attainthem. Besides this, it derived great influence upon thespirit and way of thinking of the people of France, from theoccurrences of the time at which it appeared. During theregency of the Duke of Orleans, as well as after the succession of Lewis XV., the most shameless corruption pervadedthe whole government the main cause of this;was usuallyheld to be the systematic suppression of the national freedom, the remains of which were occasionally perceptible inthe struggles with the parliament while it;ought, withmuch more truth, to have been attributed to the state ofmorality, especially among the higher orders, to which noconstitutional forms could have offered an impediment.The favourite maxims of Montesquieu were thus readily appreciated by the spirit of the day his unrestrained attachment to mixed constitutions, especially that of Great Britain,could not fail to procure him a host of supporters. He metpublic opinion half way was it astonishing then that heshould be received with so much applause?The spirit of political discussion was fairlyawakened byhim among his countrymen, never again to be lulled to rest,and from that time forth legislation,and the best modes ofadapting it to the end proposed, became one of the subjectsto which thinking men chiefly turned their attention.Montesquieu, therefore, contributed largely towards includingitin the subject-matter of philosophy, although his own inquiries proceeded from the study of history,and not fromthe philosophy of the day.In fact, of all those men who were at first distinguished, asthey are now branded, with the name of philosophers, not onehad attained to any eminence in France tilllong after Montesquieu had began to busy himself on his ' 1Spirit of Laws.'With all the imperfections and deficiencies of his work,1According to his own account, Montesquieu was occupied for twenty yearsOE that workSee the end of his preface.