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Persian Letters

Montesquieu

Thomas Nugent (1777)

Montesquieu's first great work, published anonymously in 1721, is an epistolary novel in which two Persian travellers, Usbek and Rica, describe Europe—and especially France—in letters home, while dispatches from Usbek's seraglio unfold a parallel drama of despotism and revolt. Through the device of the 'foreign observer,' Montesquieu satirizes French politics, religion, and manners while probing liberty, tyranny, and cultural difference. Enormously popular, it helped define the Enlightenment spirit of critical, cosmopolitan inquiry.

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Contents

  1. Letter 1
  2. Letter 2
  3. Letter 3
  4. Letter 4
  5. Letter 5
  6. Letter 6
  7. Letter 7
  8. Letter 8
  9. Letter 9
  10. Letter 10
  11. Letter 11
  12. Letter 12
  13. Letter 13
  14. Letter 14
  15. Letter 15
  16. Letter 16
  17. Letter 17
  18. Letter 18
  19. Letter 19
  20. Letter 20
  21. Letter 21
  22. Letter 22
  23. Letter 23
  24. Letter 24
  25. Letter 25
  26. Letter 26
  27. Letter 27
  28. Letter 28
  29. Letter 29
  30. Letter 30
  31. Letter 31
  32. Letter 32
  33. Letter 33
  34. Letter 34
  35. Letter 35
  36. Letter 36
  37. Letter 37
  38. Letter 38
  39. Letter 39
  40. Letter 40
  41. Letter 41
  42. Letter 42
  43. Letter 43
  44. Letter 44
  45. Letter 45
  46. Letter 46
  47. Letter 47
  48. Letter 48
  49. Letter 49
  50. Letter 50
  51. Letter 51
  52. Letter 52
  53. Letter 53
  54. Letter 54
  55. Letter 55
  56. Letter 56
  57. Letter 57
  58. Letter 58
  59. Letter 59
  60. Letter 60
  61. Letter 61
  62. Letter 62
  63. Letter 63
  64. Letter 64
  65. Letter 65
  66. Letter 66
  67. Letter 67
  68. Letter 68
  69. Letter 69
  70. Letter 70
  71. Letter 71
  72. Letter 72
  73. Letter 73
  74. Letter 74
  75. Letter 75
  76. Letter 76
  77. Letter 77
  78. Letter 78
  79. Letter 79
  80. Letter 80
  81. Letter 81
  82. Letter 82
  83. Letter 83
  84. Letter 84
  85. Letter 85
  86. Letter 86
  87. Letter 87
  88. Letter 88
  89. Letter 89
  90. Letter 90
  91. Letter 91
  92. Letter 92
  93. Letter 93
  94. Letter 94
  95. Letter 95
  96. Letter 96
  97. Letter 97
  98. Letter 98
  99. Letter 99
  100. Letter 100
  101. Letter 101
  102. Letter 102
  103. Letter 103
  104. Letter 104
  105. Letter 105
  106. Letter 106
  107. Letter 107
  108. Letter 108
  109. Letter 109
  110. Letter 110
  111. Letter 111
  112. Letter 112
  113. Letter 113
  114. Letter 114
  115. Letter 115
  116. Letter 116
  117. Letter 117
  118. Letter 118
  119. Letter 119
  120. Letter 120
  121. Letter 121
  122. Letter 122
  123. Letter 123
  124. Letter 124
  125. Letter 125
  126. Letter 126
  127. Letter 127
  128. Letter 128
  129. Letter 129
  130. Letter 130
  131. Letter 131
  132. Letter 132
  133. Letter 133
  134. Letter 134
  135. Letter 135
  136. Letter 136
  137. Letter 137
  138. Letter 138
  139. Letter 139
  140. Letter 140
  141. Letter 141
  142. Letter 142
  143. Letter 143
  144. Letter 144
  145. Letter 145
  146. Letter 146
  147. Letter 147
  148. Letter 148
  149. Letter 149
  150. Letter 150
  151. Letter 151
  152. Letter 152
  153. Letter 153
  154. Letter 154
  155. Letter 155
  156. Letter 156
  157. Letter 157
  158. Letter 158
  159. Letter 159
  160. Letter 160
  161. Letter 161
  162. Letter 162