Complete Works of Helvétius

one another in this way. A sovereign, without a doubt, has more powerful means to incite emulation than even the most influential great lord. However, a superior mind in a man such as yourself compensates for the weakness of the means. You possess all the gifts of fortune. You share these advantages of birth, of titles, and of wealth with many other great lords. Only the love of glory can distinguish you from them. It is the only good that remains for you to desire; it is the reward most worthy of an elevated soul, because it is always a gift of public recognition. The glory of an infinite number of powerful nations has been buried under the ruins of their capitals. Through you, perhaps, the Russian Rome may still endure when time has destroyed its power.