The French Materialists of the 18th century while waging relentless war against all the "e;infames"e; whose yoke weighed upon the French of this period, by no means scorned the search after what they called "e;perfect legislation,"e; i. e., the best of all possible legislations, such legislation as should secure to "e;human beings"e; the greatest sum of happiness, and could be alike applicable to all existing societies, for the simple reason that it was "e;perfect"e; and therefore the most "e;natural."e;