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Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France, first published in 1790, is written as a letter to a French friend of Burke’s family, Charles-Jean-François Depont, who requests Burke’s opinion of the French Revolution to date. Burke is a well-connected politician and political theorist of the late eighteenth century, though this tract would become his first significant work on the subject. In Reflections on the Revolution in France, Burke speaks at length on the development of the French Revolution, and notably, the developments of the French Assembly; the detainment of the French monarch Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette; the seizure of church and aristocratic property and funds; and other subsequent radical changes unfolding in France to date.
Burke’s reply to Depont is in the epistolary tradition. He directs his response to the addressee (Depont), but it is clear that Burke’s audience is more than just Depont. Throughout the letter, Burke offers his summary on the actions taken by the French Assembly; however, he frequently reminds the reader that his knowledge of France is limited, and his accounts are often not of a firsthand nature. The account, being in the epistolary tradition, often takes the form of spontaneous effusions and uses an informal tone; however, what Burke offers here is his opinion on the revolution in France based on his opinion of what constitutes the best-working society available to humankind.
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By Edmund Burke