Contemporary estimate of _The History of the Indies_ 204 Account of Raynal 205 Composition of the book 207 Its varied popularity 209 Frederick the Great dislikes it 210 Signal merit of the History 213 Its shortcomings 214 Its idyllic inventions 215 Its animation and variety 218 Superficial causes of its popularity 220 Its deeper source 221 Catholicism in contact with the lower races 222 The other side of this 223 Raynal's book a plea for justice and humanity 224 Morality towards subject races 226 Slavery 227 Raynal's conduct in the Revolution 229 His end 231 CHAPTER VIII. DIDEROT'S CLOSING YEARS. Diderot's meditation on life and death 232 Age overtakes him on his return from Russia 233 Writes his life of Seneca 235 Its quality 236 Interest to Diderot of Seneca's career 237 Strange digression in the Essay 239 Reason for Diderot's anger against Rousseau 240 His usual magnanimity 241 Diderot's relations with Voltaire 244 Naigeon 246 Romilly's account of Diderot 247 Palissot and the conservative writers 249 The ecclesiastical champions of the old system 251 The precursors gradually disappearing 253 Galiani 254 Beaumarchais's _Mariage de Figaro_ 255 Diderot's famous couplet 256 His fellow-townsmen at Langres 257 Last days 258 CHAPTER IX. CONCLUSION. The variety of Diderot's topics 261