le seul de leurs livres : Don Quixote, Cervantes

Saavedra's fanious work, thu first part of which appeared in 1605, and in which the author ridiculed the novels of chivahy so popular at the tinie. Montesquieu is very unfair to Spanish lilerature, but his opinion was shared by his contemporaries.

qui soit : see note, p. i 1. 2.

1 2. inconnues : an évident exaggeration.

i8. écrite : see note, p. 46 1. 2.

qui voyagrerait : observe this idioniatic use of the conditional in a relative clause.