Abstract

Maistre's Considerations sur la France originally appeared in 1797. Richard A. Lebrun is a long-time Maistre scholar, and this translation, based on the critical French edition of de Johannet and Vermale, can be considered as definitive, especially since he mentions his further consulting of the new critical edition of Jean-Louis Darcel, to emend the translation originally published in 1974. Lebrun's translation includes some material Maistre had struck out of his original manuscript. It appears in both French critical editions, which benefitted from access to Maistre's manuscript and "his own corrected copies of editions published during his lifetime". This material was included when it "seemed to facilitate understanding of Maistre's thought". All of Maistre's own footnotes have been included. Translations of all Latin and Italian citations are very helpful. Also, possibly unfamiliar persons, events, and references are briefly footnoted by Lebrun.