the spirit of laws-第112节

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ing　people。　What　could　religion　do　more　to　inspire　them　with　horror　against　murder？　It　declared　that　the　man　who　had　been　murdered　was　enraged　against　the　assassin；　that　he　would　possess　his　mind　with　terror　and　trouble；　and　oblige　him　to　yield　to　him　the　places　he　had　frequented　when　alive。＇22＇　They　could　not　touch　the　criminal；　nor　converse　with　him；　without　being　defiled：＇23＇　the　murderer　was　to　be　expelled　from　the　city；　and　an　expiation　made　for　the　crime。＇24＇

19。　That　it　is　not　so　much　the　Truth　or　Falsity　of　a　Doctrine　which　renders　it　useful　or　pernicious　to　Men　in　civil　Government；　as　the　Use　or　Abuse　of　it。　The　most　true　and　holy　doctrines　may　be　attended　with　the　very　worst　consequences　when　they　are　not　connected　with　the　principles　of　society：　and　on　the　contrary；　doctrines　the　most　false　may　be　attended　with　excellent　consequences　when　contrived　so　as　to　be　connected　with　these　principles。

The　religion　of　Confucius　disowns　the　immortality　of　the　soul：　and　the　sect　of　Zeno　did　not　believe　it。　These　two　sects　have　drawn　from　their　bad　principles　consequences；　not　just　indeed；　but　most　admirable　as　to　their　influence　on　society。　Those　of　the　religion　of　Tao；　and　of　Foe；＇25＇　believe　the　immortality　of　the　soul；　but　from　this　sacred　doctrine　they　draw　the　most　frightful　consequences。

The　doctrine　of　the　immortality　of　the　soul　falsely　understood　has；　almost　in　every　part　of　the　globe　and　in　every　age；　engaged　women；　slaves；　subjects；　friends；　to　murder　themselves；　that　they　might　go　and　serve　in　the　other　world　the　object　of　their　respect　or　love　in　this。　Thus　it　was　in　the　West　Indies；　thus　it　was　among　the　Danes；＇26＇　thus　it　is　at　present　in　Japan；＇27＇　in　Macassar；＇28＇　and　many　other　places。

These　customs　do　not　so　directly　proceed　from　the　doctrine　of　the　immortality　of　the　soul　as　from　that　of　the　resurrection　of　the　body；　whence　they　have　drawn　this　consequence；　that　after　death　the　same　individual　will　have　the　same　wants；　the　same　sentiments；　the　same　passions。　In　this　point　of　view；　the　doctrine　of　the　immortality　of　the　soul　has　a　prodigious　effect　on　mankind；　because　the　idea　of　only　a　simple　change　of　habitation　is　more　within　the　reach　of　the　human　understanding；　and　more　adapted　to　flatter　the　heart；　than　the　idea　of　a　new　modification。

It　is　not　enough　for　religion　to　establish　a　doctrine；　it　must　also　direct　its　influence。　This　the　Christian　religion　performs　in　the　most　admirable　manner；　particularly　with　regard　to　the　doctrines　of　which　we　have　been　speaking。　It　makes　us　hope　for　a　state　which　is　the　object　of　our　belief；　not　for　a　state　which　we　have　already　experienced　or　known：　thus　every　article；　even　the　resurrection　of　the　body；　leads　us　to　spiritual　ideas。

20。　The　same　Subject　continued。　The　sacred　books＇29＇　of　the　ancient　Persians　say；　〃If　you　would　be　holy　instruct　your　children；　because　all　the　good　actions　which　they　perform　will　be　imputed　to　you。〃　They　advise　them　to　marry　betimes；　because　children　at　the　day　of　judgment　will　be　as　a　bridge；　over　which　those　who　have　none　cannot　pass。　These　doctrines　were　false；　but　extremely　useful。

21。　Of　the　Metempsychosis。　The　doctrine　of　the　immortality　of　the　soul　is　divided　into　three　branches　　that　of　pure　immortality；　that　of　a　simple　change　of　habitation；　and　that　of　a　metempsychosis；　that　is；　the　system　of　the　Christians；　that　of　the　Scythians；　and　that　of　the　Indians。　We　have　just　been　speaking　of　the　first　two；　and　I　shall　say　of　the　last　that　as　it　has　been　well　or　ill　explained；　it　has　had　good　or　bad　effects。　As　it　inspires　men　with　a　certain　horror　against　bloodshed；　very　few　murders　are　committed　in　the　Indies；　and　though　they　seldom　punish　with　death；　yet　they　enjoy　a　perfect　tranquillity。

On　the　other　hand；　women　burn　themselves　at　the　death　of　their　husbands；　thus　it　is　only　the　innocent　who　suffer　a　violent　death。

22。　That　it　is　dangerous　for　Religion　to　inspire　an　Aversion　for　Things　in　themselves　indifferent。　A　kind　of　honour　established　in　the　Indies　by　the　prejudices　of　religion　has　made　the　several　tribes　conceive　an　aversion　against　each　other。　This　honour　is　founded　entirely　on　religion；　these　family　distinctions　form　no　civil　distinctions；　there　are　Indians　who　would　think　themselves　dishonoured　by　eating　with　their　king。

These　sorts　of　distinctions　are　connected　with　a　certain　aversion　for　other　men；　very　different　from　those　sentiments　which　naturally　arise　from　difference　of　rank；　which　among　us　comprehends　a　love　for　inferiors。

The　laws　of　religion　should　never　inspire　an　aversion　to　anything　but　vice；　and　above　all　they　should　never　estrange　man　from　a　love　and　tenderness　for　his　own　species。

The　Mahometan　and　Indian　religions　embrace　an　infinite　number　of　people；　the　Indians　hate　the　Mahometans；　because　they　eat　cows；　the　Mahometans　detest　the　Indians　because　they　eat　hogs。

23。　Of　Festivals。　When　religion　appoints　a　cessation　from　labour　it　ought　to　have　a　greater　regard　to　the　necessities　of　mankind　than　to　the　grandeur　of　the　being　it　designs　to　honour。

Athens　was　subject　to　great　inconveniences　from　the　excessive　number　of　its　festivals。＇30＇　These　powerful　people；　to　whose　decision　all　the　cities　of　Greece　came　to　submit　their　quarrels；　could　not　have　time　to　despatch　such　a　multiplicity　of　affairs。

When　Constantine　ordained　that　the　people　should　rest　on　the　Sabbath；　he　made　this　decree　for　the　cities；＇31＇　and　not　for　the　inhabitants　of　the　open　country；　he　was　sensible　that　labour　in　the　cities　was　useful；　but　in　the　fields　necessary。

For　the　same　reason；　in　a　country　supported　by　commerce；　the　number　of　festivals　ought　to　be　relative　to　this　very　commerce。　Protestant　and　Catholic　countries　are　situated　in　such　a　manner　that　there　is　more　need　of　labour　in　the　former　than　in　the　latter；＇32＇　the　suppression　of　festivals　is　therefore　more　suitable　to　Protestant　than　to　Catholic　countries。

Dampier　observes　that　the　diversions　of　different　nations　vary　greatly；　according　to　the　climate。＇33＇　As　hot　climates　produce　a　quantity　of　delicate　fruits；　the　barbarians　easily　find　necessaries；　and　therefore　spend　much　time　in　diversions。　The　Indians　of　colder　countries　have　not　so　much　leisure；　being　obliged　to　fish　and　hunt　continually；　hence　they　have　less　music；　dancing　and　festivals。　If　a　new　religion　should　be　established　among　these　people；　it　ought　to　have　regard　to　this　in　the　institution　of　festivals。

24。　Of　the　local　Laws　of　Religion。　There　are　many　local　laws　in　various　religions；　and　when　Montezuma　with　so　much　obstinacy　insisted　that　the　religion　of　the　Spaniards　was　good　for　their　country；　and　his　for　Mexico；　he　did　not　assert　an　absurdity；　because；　in　fact；　legislators　could　never　help　having　a　regard　to　what　nature　had　established　before　them。

The　opinion　of　the　metempsychosis　is　adapted　to　the　climate　of　the　Indies。　An　excessive　heat　burns　up　all　the　country：＇34＇　they　can　breed　but　very　few　cattle；　they　are　always　in　danger　of　wanting　them　for　tillage；　their　black　cattle　multiply　but　indifferently；＇35＇　and　they　are　subject　to　many　distempers。　A　law　of　religion　which　preserves　them　is　therefore　more　suitable　to　the　policy　of　the　country。

While　the　meadows　are　scorched；　rice　and　pulse；　by　the　assistance　of　water；　are　brought　to　perfection；　a　law　of　religion　which　permits　only　this　kind　of　nourishment　must　therefore　be　extremely　useful　to　men　in　those　climates。

The　flesh　of　cattle　in　that　country　is　insipid36　but　the　milk　and　butter　which　they　receive　from　them　serve　for　a　part　of　their　subsistence；　therefore　the　law　which　prohibits　the　eating　and　killing　of　cows　is　in　the　Indies　not　unreasonable。

Athens　contained　a　prodigious　multitude　of　people；　but　its　territory　was　barren。　It　was　therefore　a　religious　maxim　with　this　people　that　those　who　offered　some　small　presents　to　the　gods　honoured　them　more　than　those　who　sacrificed　an　ox。＇37＇

25。　The　Inconvenience　of　transplanting　a　Religion　from　one　Country　to　another。　It　follows　hence　that　there　are　frequently　many　inconveniences　attending　the　transplanting　a　religion　from　one　country　to　any　other。

〃The　hog；〃　says　M。　de　Boulainvilliers；＇38＇　〃must　be　very　scarce　in　Arabia；　where　there　are　almost　no　woods；　and　hardly　anything　fit　for　the　nourishment　of　these　animals；　besides；　the　saltness　of　the　water　and　food　renders　the　people　most　susceptible　of　cutaneous　disorders。〃　This　local　law　could　not　be　good　in　other　countries；＇39＇　where　the　hog　is　almost　a　universal；　and　in　some　sort　a　necessary；　nourishment。

I　shall　here　make　a　reflection。　Sanctorius　has　observed　that　pork　transpires　but　little；＇40＇　and　that　this　kind　of　meat　greatly　binders　the　transpiration　of　other　food；　he　has　found　that　this　diminution　amounts　to　a　third。＇41＇　Besides；　it　is　known　that　the　want　of　transpiration　forms　or　increases　the　disorders　of　the　skin。　The　feeding　on　pork　ought　rather　to　be　prohibited　in　climates　where　the　people　are　subject　to　these　disorders；　as　in　Palestine；　Arabia；　Egypt；　and　Libya。

26。　The　same　Subject　continued。　Sir　John　Chardin　says＇42＇　that　there　is　not　a　navigable　river　in　Persia；　except　the　Kur；　which　is　at　the　extremity　of　the　empire。　The　ancient　law　of　the　Gaurs　which　prohibited　sailing　on　rivers　was　not　th