I made my first essay on the Perpetual Peace, the greatest and
most elaborate of all the works which composed the collection; and
before I abandoned myself to my reflections I had the courage to
read everything the abbe had written upon this fine subject, without
once suffering myself to be disgusted either by his slowness or
repetitions. The public has seen the extract, on which account I
have nothing to say upon the subject. My opinion of it has been
printed, nor do I know that it ever will be; however, it was written
at the same time the extract was made. From this I passed to the
Polysynodie, or Plurality of Councils; a work written under the regent
to favor the administration he had chosen, and which caused the Abbe
de Saint Pierre to be expelled from the academy, on account of some
remarks unfavorable to the preceding administration, and with which
the Duchess of Maine and the Cardinal de Polignac were displeased. I
completed this work as I did the former, with an extract and
remarks; but I stopped here without intending to continue the
undertaking which I ought never to have begun.
The reflection which induced me to give it up naturally presents
itself, and it was astonishing I had not made it sooner. Most of the
writings of the Abbe de Saint Pierre were either observations, or
contained observations, on some parts of the government of France, and
several of these were of so free a nature, that it was happy for him
he had made them with impunity.
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