In 1716, the French diplomat and author Francois de CalliËres published
the treatise "De la Maniere de negocier avec les souverainsoan
outstandingly successful manual of advice for diplomats, perhaps the
best of its kind ever written. It has become the classic text, highly
regarded by 18th century statesmen, who considered it essential reading
for prospective diplomats, and by modern historians who have praised its
insights into the conventions and techniques that remained a distinctive
feature of European statecraft for almost 300 years.