The desire of glory naturally generated in republics. From the Persian Letters
Authors of source text
Charles Louis de Secondat, baron La Brède and Montesquieu
Contributions
- John Ozell
- translator
- Thomas Spence
- publisher
Related resources
- is other edition
- Persian letters. Translated by Mr. Ozell translation has other edition
Summary (extracted citations)
The sanctuary of honour, reputation, and virtue; seems to be placed in republics, and in those states where a man may with safety pronounce the word, country. At Rome, Athens, and Sparta, honour was the only reward for the most signal services. A crown of oak-leaves, or laurel, a statue, an inscription, was an immence return for a battle won, or a city taken. There, a man that had performed a noble action, thought himself sufficiently recompenced in the action itself. He could not see one of his countrymen, without feeling the inward satisfaction of knowing himself his benefactor; he reckoned the number of his services by that of his fellow citizens. Any man is capable of doing a piece of service to another man; but it is somewhat divine to contribute to the happiness of a whole society.
Notes
Pigs' meat, vol. 1 (1793), p. 78. Short fragment in defence of republics from n. 90 of the Persian Letters. It is taken from John Ozell's translation, first published in 1730.