The Idea of Progress

including not only the Christian nations of Europe, but the Turks, Persians, and Tartars, which by means of a court of arbitration sitting at Venice should ensur

thousand years. For they say that then the world will live happily and in repose. Now it happens that that time has nearly expired, and even if it is not, it depends only on the Princes to g

course of the great struggle of the Spanish Succession that he turned his attention to war and came to the conclusion that it is an unnecessary evil and even an absurdity. In 1712 he attended the congress at Utrecht in the capacity of secretary to Cardinal de Polignac, one of the Fren

o have known the work o

ed his proposal under a

e Great to render Peac

ierre. The reference i

y Sully, and aimed at t

on of the Christian St

ovran Diet, which would

in all quarrels. [Fo

ook XXX.] Saint-Pierre

eliminate a rival powe

rpetual alliance of al

other the preservation

of settling their diff

ance, and taking the

it was the plain inter

icles were signed the

grand Design compare th

in the Edinburgh R

nt purpose to comment

teristic simplicity se

. It is easy to critic

to see that, if the im

tried and succeeded, i

ars from that day to thi

itical status quo in Eu

ribution of power was p

interests of all the peo

tion of Poland, but it

talians. The project als

authority and guarded

existing constitutions

scheme would have perpe

. Its author did not p

ponsible power. It neede

mpts at reform under hi

ught that an increase o

esirable, provided this

ightenment and virt

yield to Europe five hundred years after its establishment. Now we can see the first beginnings, but it is beyond the powers of the human mind to discern its infinite effects in the future. It may produce results more precious than a