The package pict2e that is mentioned in the 2nd edition of ``LATEX: A Document Preparation System'' has not yet been produced.
Most of the basic functionality of the proposed package—implementing picture mode commands using driver specific |'s (eg PostScript code) is available in the old LATEX2.09 packages:
Another alternative would be to use the very powerful
pstricks package written by Timothy Van Zandt.
Ctan archives have pstricks in the directory:
|ctan:graphics/pstricks|