DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.69463#0133
MONTESQUIEU.
Charles de Secondat, Baron of La Brede and
Montesquieu, was born at La Brede, near Bourdeaux,
the 18th of January, 1689, of a noble family in Guyenne.
His father had early quitted the se/vice, in which he had
frequently distinguished himself, and devoted all his at-
tention to the education of his son, from whose happy
disposition he formed the most flattering expectations.
At an age when the mind is willing to embrace every
science, but too frequently grasps at all, without attach-
ing itself to any particular one, the study of jurispru-
dence appears to have exclusively occupied the attention
of Montesquieu. It might then be foreseen that this
would become the principal study of his life; and it was
not difficult to prognosticate tfle future author of the
Spirit of Laws. To genius seems to belong the peculiar
property of directing all its vigour and energy to a single
point; while those of ordinary minds are divided and
weakened by the attempt to grasp at every attainment,
without the power of excelling in any. Thus had so
many great men distinguished themselves in one career,
in that illustrious age, of which Montesquieu was desr
tined to see the end. That happy period seemed to have
exhausted all the triumphs of literature, and probably in-
duced him to direct his thoughts to the study of law; a
matter undoubtedly of sufficient novelty, if considered in a
philosophical point pf view. He had already made am-
ple extracts from the numerous volumes which compose
the civil code; but willing to adhere to the peculiar
course of the magistracy, he was admitted a counsellor
49
Charles de Secondat, Baron of La Brede and
Montesquieu, was born at La Brede, near Bourdeaux,
the 18th of January, 1689, of a noble family in Guyenne.
His father had early quitted the se/vice, in which he had
frequently distinguished himself, and devoted all his at-
tention to the education of his son, from whose happy
disposition he formed the most flattering expectations.
At an age when the mind is willing to embrace every
science, but too frequently grasps at all, without attach-
ing itself to any particular one, the study of jurispru-
dence appears to have exclusively occupied the attention
of Montesquieu. It might then be foreseen that this
would become the principal study of his life; and it was
not difficult to prognosticate tfle future author of the
Spirit of Laws. To genius seems to belong the peculiar
property of directing all its vigour and energy to a single
point; while those of ordinary minds are divided and
weakened by the attempt to grasp at every attainment,
without the power of excelling in any. Thus had so
many great men distinguished themselves in one career,
in that illustrious age, of which Montesquieu was desr
tined to see the end. That happy period seemed to have
exhausted all the triumphs of literature, and probably in-
duced him to direct his thoughts to the study of law; a
matter undoubtedly of sufficient novelty, if considered in a
philosophical point pf view. He had already made am-
ple extracts from the numerous volumes which compose
the civil code; but willing to adhere to the peculiar
course of the magistracy, he was admitted a counsellor
49