Spirit of Laws By Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu

1. For the better understanding of the first four books of this work, it is to be observed that what I distinguish by the name of virtue, in a republic, is the love of one’s country, that is, the love of equality. It is not a moral, nor a christian, but a political virtue; and it is the spring which sets the republican government in motion, as honour is the spring which gives motion to monarchy. Hence it is that I have distinguished the love of one’s country, and of equality, by the appellation of political virtue. My ideas are new, and, therefore, I have been obliged to find out new words, or to give new acceptations to old terms, in order to convey my meaning. They who are unacquainted with this particular, have made me say most strange absurdities, such as would be shocking in any part of the world, because in all countries and governments morality is requisite.

Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, "Spirit of Laws ", II.1