of the separation of powers by examining the British form of Christian:for,not to mention getting covered in mud from head government.He believed that the legislative,executive and judicial to foot,I cannot forgive being regularly and systematically powers must be confided to different individuals or bodies,acting elbowed.A man coming up behind me turns me right round as independently.The book was well accepted by the philosophers of he overtakes me;another,passing in the opposite direction, the Enlightenment and his theories had a great influence in the abruptly puts me back where the first one got me;and before I Western world even to this day.Particularly,his doctrines of the have gone a hundred yards I am in a worse state than if I had separation of powers became one of the most important principles of done ten leagues. the U.S.constitution. Do not expect me to be able to give you a thorough Here are some examples from his Persian Letters: description of European ways and customs.I have only a superficial idea of them myself,and have had barely enough time Letter 24 to do anything except be astonished. Rica to Ibben,at Smyrna The King of France is the most powerful ruler in Europe. We have been in Paris for a month,and we have been in a He has no goldmines like the King of Spain,his neighbour,but continual whirl all the time.There is so much to be done before his riches are greater,because he extracts them from his one can get lodgings,find the people to whom one has subjects'vanity,which is more inexhaustible than mines.He introductions,and obtain the necessities of life,all of which one has been known to undertake or sustain major wars with no needs simultaneously. other funds but what he gets from selling honorific titles,and by Paris is as big as Ispahan.The houses here are so high that a miracle of human vanity,his troops are paid,his fortresses you would swear that only astrologers would live in them.As supplied,and his fleets equipped. you will realize,a town built in the air,with six or seven houses Moreover,this king is a great magician.He exerts all on top of each other,is exceedingly full of people,and when authority even over the minds of his subjects;he makes them everyone comes out into the street it makes a splendid muddle. think what he wants.If there are only a million crowns in the Perhaps you will not believe this,but during the month exchequer,and he needs two million,all he has to do is that I have been here I haven't yet seen anyone walk.No people persuade them that one crown is worth two,and they believe it. in the world make their bodies work harder for them than If he is involved in a difficult war without any money,all he has Frenchmen:they run;they fly.The slow vehicles of Asia,the to do is to get it into their heads that a piece of paper will do for measured step of our camels,would give them apoplexy.As for money,and they are immediately convinced of it.He even me,who am not used to such a rush,and who often go on foot succeeds in making them believe that he can cure them of all sorts of diseases by touching them,such is the force and power without changing my pace,I sometimes get as cross as a 237 236 可牙容9静利串不發网得所绿环配