Complete Works of Helvétius

LETTER VII.

HELVÉTIUS TO THE COUNT OF ***,

President of the Academy of Saint Petersburg.

Without dwelling, sir, on all that your letter contains that is flattering to my vanity, I congratulate you, and I congratulate your compatriots on the enlightened zeal you show for the progress of knowledge original: "lumieres" lights/enlightenment and reason. There are men whom heaven brings into the world to elevate the spirit and character of a nation, and to lay the foundations for its future glory. The Czar sketched out the work that you are now completing. To set the entire mass of a great nation in motion, several great men must succeed...