Page:Montesquieu - The spirit of laws.djvu/86

34 I beg that no one will take this amiss; my observations are founded on the unanimous testimony of historians. I am not ignorant that virtuous princes are no such very rare fight; but I venture to affirm that in a monarchy it is extremely difficult for the people to be virtuous.

Let us compare what the hifsorians of all ages have said concerning the courts of monarchs; let us recollect the conversations and sentiments of people of all countries in respect to the wretched character of courtiers; and we shall find, that these are not mere airy speculations, but things confirmed by a sad and melancholy experience.

Ambition joined to idleness, and baseness to pride, a desire of obtaining riches without labour, and an aversion to truth , flattery, treason, perfidy, violation of engagements, contempt of civil duties, fear of the prince's virtue, hope from his weakness, but above all a perpetual ridicule cast upon virtue, are, I think, the characteristics by which most courtiers in all ages and countries have been constantly distinguished. Now it is exceeding difficult for the leading men of the nation to be knaves, and for the inferior sort of people to be honest; for the former to be cheats, and for the latter to rest satisfied to be only dupes.

But if there should chance to be some unlucky honest man among the people, cardinal Richelieu Rh