<P> The prospectus was reviewed quite positively and cited at some length in several journals . The Mémoires pour l'histoire des sciences et des beaux arts journal was lavish in its praise: "voici deux des plus fortes entreprises de Littérature qu'on ait faites depuis long - temps" (here are two of the greatest efforts undertaken in literature in a very long time). The Mercure Journal in June 1745, printed a 25 - page article that specifically praised Mill's role as translator; the Journal introduced Mills as an English scholar who had been raised in France and who spoke both French and English as a native . The Journal reported that Mills had discussed the work with several academics, was zealous about the project, had devoted his fortune to support this enterprise, and was the sole owner of the publishing privilege . </P> <P> However, the cooperation fell apart later on in 1745 . André Le Breton, the publisher commissioned to manage the physical production and sales of the volumes, cheated Mills out of the subscription money, claiming for example that Mills's knowledge of French was inadequate . In a confrontation Le Breton physically assaulted Mills . Mills took Le Breton to court, but the court decided in Le Breton's favour . Mills returned to England soon after the court's ruling . For his new editor, Le Breton settled on the mathematician Jean Paul de Gua de Malves . Among those hired by Malves were the young Étienne Bonnot de Condillac, Jean le Rond d'Alembert, and Denis Diderot . Within thirteen months, in August 1747, Gua de Malves was fired for being an ineffective leader . Le Breton then hired Diderot and d'Alembert to be the new editors . Diderot would remain as editor for the next twenty - five years, seeing the Encyclopédie through to its completion; d'Alembert would leave this role in 1758 . As d'Alembert worked on the Encyclopédie, its title expanded . As of 1750, the full title was Encyclopédie, ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, par une société de gens de lettres, mis en ordre par M. Diderot de l'Académie des Sciences et Belles - Lettres de Prusse, et quant à la partie mathématique, par M. d'Alembert de l'Académie royale des Sciences de Paris, de celle de Prusse et de la Société royale de Londres . ("Encyclopedia: or a Systematic Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Crafts, by a Company of Persons of Letters, edited by M. Diderot of the Academy of Sciences and Belles - lettres of Prussia: as to the Mathematical Portion, arranged by M. d'Alembert of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Paris, to the Academy of Sciences in Prussia and to the Royal Society of London .") The title page was amended as d'Alembert acquired more titles . </P> <P> The work consisted of 28 volumes, with 71,818 articles and 3,129 illustrations . The first seventeen volumes were published between 1751 and 1765; eleven volumes of plates were finished by 1772 . Engraver Robert Bénard provided at least 1,800 plates for the work . Because of its occasional radical contents (see "Contents" below), the Encyclopédie caused much controversy in conservative circles, and on the initiative of the Parlement of Paris, the French government suspended the encyclopedia's privilège in 1759 . Despite the suspension, work continued "in secret," partially because the project had highly placed supporters, such as Malesherbes and Madame de Pompadour . The authorities deliberately ignored the continued work; they thought their official ban was sufficient to appease the church and other enemies of the project . </P> <P> During the "secretive" period, Diderot accomplished a well - known work of subterfuge . The title pages of volumes 1 through 7, published between 1751 and 1757, claimed Paris as the place of publication . However, the title pages of the subsequent text volumes, 8 through 17, published together in 1765, show Neufchastel as the place of publication . Neufchastel (now Neuchâtel) is safely across the French border in what is now part Switzerland but which was then an independent principality, where official production of the Encyclopédie was secure from interference by agents of the French state . In particular, regime opponents of the Encyclopédie could not seize the production plates for the Encyclopédie in Paris because those printing plates ostensibly existed only in Switzerland . Meanwhile, the actual production of volumes 8 through 17 quietly continued in Paris . </P>

What role did the french government play in the publication of the encyclopedia
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