the spirit of laws-第107节

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eived　of　its　perfection。　From　the　first　proceeded　those　laws　which　gave　such　authority　to　bishops；　and　which　have　been　the　foundation　of　the　ecclesiastical　jurisdiction；　hence　those　laws　which　weakened　paternal　authority＇102＇　by　depriving　the　father　of　his　property　in　the　possessions　of　his　children。　To　extend　a　new　religion；　they　were　obliged　to　take　away　the　dependence　of　children；　who　are　always　least　attached　to　what　is　already　established。

The　laws　made　with　a　view　to　Christian　perfection　were　more　particularly　those　by　which　the　penalties　of　the　Papian　laws　were　abolished；　the　unmarried　were　equally　exempted　from　them；　with　those　who；　being　married；　had　no　children。

〃These　laws　were　established；〃　says　an　ecclesiastical　historian；＇103＇　〃as　if　the　multiplication　of　human　species　was　an　effect　of　our　care；　instead　of　being　sensible　that　the　number　is　increased　or　diminished　according　to　the　order　of　Providence。〃

Principles　of　religion　have　had　an　extraordinary　influence　on　the　propagation　of　the　human　species。　Sometimes　they　have　promoted　it；　as　among　the　Jews；　the　Mahometans；　the　Gaurs；　and　the　Chinese；　at　others　they　have　put　a　damp　to　it；　as　was　the　case　of　the　Romans　upon　their　conversion　to　Christianity。

They　everywhere　incessantly　preached　continency；　a　virtue　the　more　perfect　because　in　its　own　nature　it　can　be　practised　but　by　very　few。

Constantine　had　not　taken　away　the　decimal　laws　which　granted　a　greater　extent　to　the　donations　between　man　and　wife；　in　proportion　to　the　number　of　their　children。　Theodosius；　the　younger；　abrogated　even　these　laws。＇104＇

Justinian　declared　all　those　marriages　valid　which　had　been　prohibited　by　the　Papian　laws。＇105＇　These　laws　required　people　to　marry　again：　Justinian　granted　privileges　to　those　who　did　not　marry　again。＇106＇

By　the　ancient　institutions；　the　natural　right　which　every　one　had　to　marry　and　beget　children　could　not　be　taken　away。　Thus　when　they　received　a　legacy；＇107＇　on　condition　of　not　marrying；　or　when　a　patron　made　his　freedman　swear＇108＇　that　he　would　neither　marry　nor　beget　children；　the　Papian　law　annulled　both　the　condition　and　the　oath。＇109＇　The　clauses　on　continuing　in　widowhood　established　among　us　contradict　the　ancient　law；　and　descend　from　the　constitutions　of　the　emperors；　founded　on　ideas　of　perfection。

There　is　no　law　that　contains　an　express　abrogation　of　the　privileges　and　honours　which　the　Romans　had　granted　to　marriages；　and　to　a　number　of　children。　But　where　celibacy　had　the　pre…eminence；　marriage　could　not　be　held　in　honour；　and　since　they　could　oblige　the　officers　of　the　public　revenue　to　renounce　so　many　advantages　by　the　abolition　of　the　penalties；　it　is　easy　to　perceive　that　with　yet　greater　ease　they　might　put　a　stop　to　the　rewards。

The　same　spiritual　reason　which　had　permitted　celibacy　soon　imposed　it　even　as　necessary。　God　forbid　that　I　should　here　speak　against　celibacy　as　adopted　by　religion；　but　who　can　be　silent　when　it　is　built　on　libertinism；　when　the　two　sexes；　corrupting　each　other　even　by　the　natural　sensations　themselves；　fly　from　a　union　which　ought　to　make　them　better；　to　live　in　that　which　always　renders　them　worse？

It　is　a　rule　drawn　from　nature；　that　the　more　the　number　of　marriages　is　diminished；　the　more　corrupt　are　those　who　have　entered　into　that　state；　the　fewer　married　men；　the　less　fidelity　is　there　in　marriage；　as　when　there　are　more　thieves；　more　thefts　are　committed。

22。　Of　the　Exposing　of　Children。　The　Roman　policy　was　very　good　in　respect　to　the　exposing　of　children。　Romulus；　says　Dionysius　Halicarnassus；＇110＇　laid　the　citizens　under　an　obligation　to　educate　all　their　male　children；　and　the　eldest　of　their　daughters。　If　the　infants　were　deformed　and　monstrous；　he　permitted　the　exposing　them；　after　having　shown　them　to　five　of　their　nearest　neighbours。

Romulus　did　not　suffer　them　to　kill　any　infants　under　three　years　old：＇111＇　by　which　means　he　reconciled　the　law　that　gave　to　fathers　the　right　over　their　children　of　life　and　death　with　that　which　prohibited　their　being　exposed。

We　find　also　in　Dionysius　Halicarnassus＇112＇　that　the　law　which　obliged　the　citizens　to　marry；　and　to　educate　all　their　children；　was　in　force　in　the　277th　year　of　Rome；　we　see　that　custom　had　restrained　the　law　of　Romulus　which　permitted　them　to　expose　their　younger　daughters。

We　have　no　knowledge　of　what　the　law　of　the　Twelve　Tables　（made　in　the　year　of　Rome　301）　appointed　with　respect　to　the　exposing　of　children；　except　from　a　passage　of　Cicero；＇113＇　who；　speaking　of　the　office　of　tribune　of　the　people；　says　that　soon　after　its　birth；　like　the　monstrous　infant　of　the　law　of　the　Twelve　Tables；　it　was　stifled；　the　infant　that　was　not　monstrous　was　therefore　preserved；　and　the　law　of　the　Twelve　Tables　made　no　alteration　in　the　preceding　institutions。

〃The　Germans；〃　says　Tacitus；＇114＇　〃never　expose　their　children；　among　them　the　best　manners　have　more　force　than　in　other　places　the　best　laws。〃　The　Romans　had　therefore　laws　against　this　custom；　and　yet　they　did　not　follow　them。　We　find　no　Roman　law　that　permitted　the　exposing　of　children；＇115＇　this　was；　without　doubt；　an　abuse　introduced　towards　the　decline　of　the　republic；　when　luxury　robbed　them　of　their　freedom；　when　wealth　divided　was　called　poverty；　when　the　father　believed　that　all　was　lost　which　he　gave　to　his　family；　and　when　this　family　was　distinct　from　his　property。

23。　Of　the　State　of　the　World　after　the　Destruction　of　the　Romans。　The　regulations　made　by　the　Romans　to　increase　the　number　of　their　citizens　had　their　effect　while　the　republic；　in　the　full　vigour　of　her　constitution；　had　nothing　to　repair　but　the　losses　she　sustained　by　her　courage；　by　her　intrepidity；　by　her　firmness；　her　love　of　glory　and　of　virtue。　But　soon　the　wisest　laws　could　not　re…establish　what　a　dying　republic；　what　a　general　anarchy；　what　a　military　government；　what　a　rigid　empire；　what　a　proud　despotic　power；　what　a　feeble　monarchy；　what　a　stupid；　weak；　and　superstitious　court　had　successively　pulled　down。　It　might；　indeed；　be　said　that　they　conquered　the　world　only　to　weaken　it；　and　to　deliver　it　up　defenceless　to　barbarians。　The　Gothic　nations；　the　Getes；　the　Saracens　and　Tartars　by　turns　harassed　them；　and　soon　the　barbarians　had　none　to　destroy　but　barbarians。　Thus；　in　fabulous　times；　after　the　inundations　and　the　deluge；　there　arose　out　of　the　earth　armed　men；　who　exterminated　one　another。

24。　The　Changes　which　happened　in　Europe　with　regard　to　the　Number　of　the　Inhabitants。　In　the　state　Europe　was　in　one　would　not　imagine　it　possible　for　it　to　be　retrieved；　especially　when　under　Charlemagne　it　formed　only　one　vast　empire。　But　by　the　nature　of　government　at　that　time　it　became　divided　into　an　infinite　number　of　petty　sovereignties；　and　as　the　lord　or　sovereign；　who　resided　in　his　village　or　city；　was　neither　great；　rich；　powerful；　nor　even　safe　but　by　the　number　of　his　subjects；　every　one　employed　himself　with　a　singular　attention　to　make　his　little　country　flourish。　This　succeeded　in　such　a　manner　that　notwithstanding　the　irregularities　of　government；　the　want　of　that　knowledge　which　has　since　been　acquired　in　commerce；　and　the　numerous　wars　and　disorders　incessantly　arising；　most　countries　of　Europe　were　better　peopled　in　those　clays　than　they　are　even　at　present。

I　have　not　time　to　treat　fully　of　this　subject；　but　I　shall　cite　the　prodigious　armies　engaged　in　the　Crusades；　composed　of　men　of　all　countries。　Puffendorf　says　that　in　the　reign　of　Charles　IX　there　were　in　France　twenty　millions　of　men。

It　is　the　perpetual　reunion　of　many　little　states　that　has　produced　this　diminution。　Formerly；　every　village　of　France　was　a　capital；　there　is　at　present　only　one　large　one。　Every　part　of　the　state　was　a　centre　of　power；　at　present　all　has　a　relation　to　one　centre；　and　this　centre　is　in　some　measure　the　state　itself。

25。　The　same　Subject　continued。　Europe；　it　is　true；　has　for　these　two　ages　past　greatly　increased　its　navigation；　this　has　both　procured　and　deprived　it　of　inhabitants。　Holland　sends　every　year　a　great　number　of　mariners　to　the　Indies；　of　whom　not　above　two…thirds　return；　the　rest　either　perish　or　settle　in　the　Indies。　The　same　thing　must　happen　to　every　other　nation　concerned　in　that　trade。

We　must　not　judge　of　Europe　as　of　a　particular　state　engaged　alone　in　an　extensive　navigation。　This　state　would　increase　in　people；　because　all　the　neighbouring　nations　would　endeavour　to　have　ashare　in　this　commerce；　and　mariners　would　arrive　from　all　parts。　Europe；　separated　from　the　rest　of　the　world　by　religion；＇116＇　by　vast　seas　and　deserts；　cannot　be　repaired　in　this　manner。

26。　Consequences。　From　all　this　we　may　conclude　that　Europe　is　at　present　in　a　condition　to　require　laws　to　be　made　in　favour　of　the　propagation　of　the　human　species。　The　politics　of　the　ancient　Greeks　incessantly　complain　of　the　inconveniences　attending　a　republic；　from　the　excessive　number　of　citizens；　but　the　politics　of　this　age　call　upon　us　to　take　proper　means　to　increase　ours。

27。　Of　the　Law　made　in　France　to　encourage　the　Propagation　of　the　Species。　Louis　XIV　appointed　particular　pensions　to　those　who　had　ten　children；　and　much　larger　to　such　as　had　twelve。＇117＇　But