The Spirit of Law (French: De l'esprit des lois, originally spelled De l'esprit des loix), also known in English as The Spirit of the Laws, is a treatise on political theory, as well as a pioneering work in comparative law, published in 1748. Originally published anonymously, as was the norm, its influence outside France was aided by its rapid translation into other languages. In 1750 Thomas Nugent published the first English translation. In 1751 the Roman Catholic Church added De l'esprit des lois to its Index Librorum Prohibitorum ("List of Prohibited Books"). Montesquieu's treatise, already widely disseminated, had an enormous influence on the work of many others, most notably: Catherine the Great, who produced Nakaz (Instruction); the Founding Fathers of the United States Constitution; and Alexis de Tocqueville, who applied Montesquieu's methods to a study of American society, in Democracy in America. Macaulay referenced Montesquieu's continuing importance when he wrote in his 1827 essay entitled "Machiavelli" that "Montesquieu enjoys, perhaps, a wider celebrity than any political writer of modern Europe" . Montesquieu said he spent twenty years researching and writing De l'esprit des lois, covering a huge range of topics including law, social life and the study of anthropology. In this treatise Montesquieu argues that political institutions need, for their success, to reflect the social and geographical aspects of the particular community. He pleads for a constitutional system of government with separation of powers, the preservation of legality and civil liberties, and the end of slavery. Structure Preface Part I Book I: On law in general areas Book II: On laws which derive directly from the nature of the government Book III: On the principles of the three governments Book IV: That laws on education must relate to the principles of the government Book V: That the laws made by the legislator must be relative to the principle of the government Book VI: Consequences of the principles of the various governments with respect to the simplicity of the civil and criminal laws, the form of judgments, and the establishment of punishments Book VII: Consequences of the different principles of the three governments with respect to sumptuary laws, to luxury, and to the condition of women Book VIII: On the corruption of the principles of the three governments Part II Book IX: On the laws in their relations to the defensive force Book X: On the laws in their relation to