author
Jean Louis de Lolme
1740–1806
A Genevan-born political thinker who found refuge in England, he became best known for explaining how the British constitution balanced liberty and power. His writing helped shape how later readers understood Parliament, monarchy, and the rule of law.
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About the author
Born in Geneva in 1740, Jean-Louis de Lolme trained as a lawyer and began his career there before political trouble pushed him to leave. He settled in England, later became a British subject, and built his reputation as a writer on government and constitutional questions.
His best-known work, The Constitution of England, first appeared in French and was later published in English. In it, he offered a clear, influential account of the English political system, arguing that liberty was protected by a balance among crown, Parliament, and the courts. The book became widely read and helped make him an important interpreter of the British constitution for European and English-speaking audiences.
De Lolme spent much of his adult life writing and commenting on public affairs. Toward the end of his life he returned to the Geneva region, and he died in 1806.