Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/554

 414 General History of Europe Although they may appoint a single person, such as a king, to manage the government for them, they should make the laws, since it is they who must obey them. We shall find that the first French constitution accepted Rousseau's doctrine and defined law as "the expression of the general will" not the will of a king reigning by the grace of God. Rousseau also urged men to re- turn to nature and to a life of simplicity ; for he held that the development of the arts and sciences had demoralized mankind, since they had pro- duced luxury, insincerity, and arrogance. 722. The Benevolent Des- pots. Some of the rulers of the time, especially Frederick the Great of Prussia, Catherine p. the Great of Russia, and Maria Theresa's son, Emperor ^J^H jjB Joseph II, read the books of the French reformers and cor- responded with them. These monarchs are known as the "benevolent despots"; for while they were careful to keep the government in their own hands, they introduced various reforms which they claimed would be advantageous to their subjects. Frederick read French books and wrote in French ; he invited Voltaire to spend some time at his palace near Berlin and kept up a correspondence with him later. Catherine too worked hard in governing her realms and explained her reforms in letters to Voltaire. She also helped and encouraged Diderot. She talked of abolishing serfdom, but really made the serfs' lot worse. She confiscated the property of churches and monasteries, using part of the revenue to support the clergy and part for schools and hospitals. CATHERINE II