Introduction

The question of relations between Britain and France in the long eighteenth century is currently arousing renewed interest among Enlightenment scholars. It is now widely realised that, as no country develops in isolation from those around it, the study of a country or linguistic zone needs to be situated in a wider context. The history of France or Britain, in particular, cannot be understood without taking into account the neighbour across the Channel. This is particularly true of a period when the Republic of Letters was more than a mere rhetorical flourish. The subject of French and British reactions to their neighbour is of course not new, but contacts across the Channel at all levels at this time were more intense and varied than is generally realisecl. Follo-wing the pioneering studies of scholars such as Ascoli and Grieder, more recent work has attempted to go beyond generalisations about 'Anglomania' and look in closer detail at these interactions. Several publications and conferences have already been devoted to the question of intellectual exchanges, some concentrating on particular individuals or questions, while others have been wider in scope.