the spirit of laws-第120节

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…natured　and　full　of　humanity。　This　law　or　this　custom　has　produced　another；　if　a　husband　has　lost　his　wife；　he　does　not　fail　to　marry　her　sister：＇42＇　which　is　extremely　natural；　for　his　new　consort　becomes　the　mother　of　her　sister's　children；　and　not　a　cruel　stepmother。

15。　That　we　should　not　regulate　by　the　Principles　of　political　Law　those　Things　which　depend　on　the　Principles　of　civil　Law。　As　men　have　given　up　their　natural　independence　to　live　under　political　laws；　they　have　given　up　the　natural　community　of　goods　to　live　under　civil　laws。

By　the　first；　they　acquired　liberty；　by　the　second；　property。　We　should　not　decide　by　the　laws　of　liberty；　which；　as　we　have　already　said；　is　only　the　government　of　the　community；　what　ought　to　be　decided　by　the　laws　concerning　property。　It　is　a　paralogism　to　say　that　the　good　of　the　individual　should　give　way　to　that　of　the　public；　this　can　never　take　place；　except　when　the　government　of　the　community；　or；　in　other　words；　the　liberty　of　the　subject　is　concerned；　this　does　not　affect　such　cases　as　relate　to　private　property；　because　the　public　good　consists　in　every　one's　having　his　property；　which　was　given　him　by　the　civil　laws；　invariably　preserved。

Cicero　maintains　that　the　Agrarian　laws　were　unjust；　because　the　community　was　established　with　no　other　view　than　that　every　one　might　be　able　to　preserve　his　property。

Let　us；　therefore；　lay　down　a　certain　maxim；　that　whenever　the　public　good　happens　to　be　the　matter　in　question；　it　is　not　for　the　advantage　of　the　public　to　deprive　an　individual　of　his　property；　or　even　to　retrench　the　least　part　of　it　by　a　law；　or　a　political　regulation。　In　this　case　we　should　follow　the　rigour　of　the　civil　law；　which　is　the　Palladium　of　property。

Thus　when　the　public　has　occasion　for　the　estate　of　an　individual；　it　ought　never　to　act　by　the　rigour　of　political　law；　it　is　here　that　the　civil　law　ought　to　triumph；　which；　with　the　eyes　of　a　mother；　regards　every　individual　as　the　whole　community。

If　the　political　magistrate　would　erect　a　public　edifice；　or　make　a　new　road；　he　must　indemnify　those　who　are　injured　by　it；　the　public　is　in　this　respect　like　an　individual　who　treats　with　an　individual。　It　is　fully　enough　that　it　can　oblige　a　citizen　to　sell　his　inheritance；　and　that　it　can　strip　him　of　this　great　privilege　which　he　holds　from　the　civil　law；　the　not　being　forced　to　alienate　his　possessions。

After　the　nations　which　subverted　the　Roman　empire　had　abused　their　very　conquests；　the　spirit　of　liberty　called　them　back　to　that　of　equity。　They　exercised　the　most　barbarous　laws　with　moderation：　and　if　any　one　should　doubt　the　truth　of　this；　he　need　only　read　Beaumanoir's　admirable　work　on　jurisprudence；　written　in　the　twelfth　century。

They　mended　the　highways　in　his　time　as　we　do　at　present。　He　says；　that　when　a　highway　could　not　be　repaired；　they　made　a　new　one　as　near　the　old　as　possible；　but　indemnified　the　proprietors　at　the　expense　of　those　who　reaped　any　advantage　from　the　road。＇43＇　They　determined　at　that　time　by　the　civil　law；　in　our　days；　we　determine　by　the　law　of　politics。

16。　That　we　ought　not　to　decide　by　the　Rules　of　the　civil　Law　when　it　is　proper　to　decide　by　those　of　the　political　Law。　Most　difficulties　on　this　subject　may　be　easily　solved　by　not　confounding　the　rules　derived　from　property　with　those　which　spring　from　liberty。

Is　the　demesne　of　a　state　or　government　alienable；　or　is　it　not？　This　question　ought　to　be　decided　by　the　political　law；　and　not　by　the　civil。　It　ought　not　to　be　decided　by　the　civil　law；　because　it　is　as　necessary　that　there　should　be　demesnes　for　the　subsistence　of　a　state；　as　that　the　state　should　have　civil　laws　to　regulate　the　disposal　of　property。

If　then　they　alienate　the　demesne；　the　state　will　be　forced　to　make　a　new　fund　for　another。　But　this　expedient　overturns　the　political　government；　because；　by　the　nature　of　the　thing；　for　every　demesne　that　shall　be　established；　the　subject　will　always　be　obliged　to　pay　more；　and　the　sovereign　to　receive　less；　in　a　word；　the　demesne　is　necessary；　and　the　alienation　is　not。

The　order　of　succession　is；　in　monarchies；　founded　on　the　welfare　of　the　state；　this　makes　it　necessary　that　such　an　order　should　be　fixed　to　avoid　the　misfortunes；　which　I　have　said　must　arise　in　a　despotic　kingdom；　where　all　is　uncertain；　because　all　is　arbitrary。

The　order　of　succession　is　not　fixed　for　the　sake　of　the　reigning　family；　but　because　it　is　the　interest　of　the　state　that　it　should　have　a　reigning　family。　The　law　which　regulates　the　succession　of　individuals　is　a　civil　law；　whose　view　is　the　interest　of　individuals；　that　which　regulates　the　succession　to　monarchy　is　a　political　law；　which　has　in　view　the　welfare　and　preservation　of　the　kingdom。

It　follows　hence；　that　when　the　political　law　has　established　an　order　of　succession　in　government；　and　this　order　is　at　an　end；　it　is　absurd　to　reclaim　the　succession　in　virtue　of　the　civil　law　of　any　nation　whatsoever。　One　particular　society　does　not　make　laws　for　another　society。　The　civil　laws　of　the　Romans　are　no　more　applicable　than　any　other　civil　laws。　They　themselves　did　not　make　use　of　them　when　they　proceeded　against　kings；　and　the　maxims　by　which　they　judged　kings　are　so　abominable　that　they　ought　never　to　be　revived。

It　follows　also　hence；　that　when　the　political　law　has　obliged　a　family　to　renounce　the　succession；　it　is　absurd　to　insist　upon　the　restitutions　drawn　from　the　civil　law。　Restitutions　are　in　the　law；　and　may　be　good　against　those　who　live　in　the　law：　but　they　are　not　proper　for　such　as　have　been　raised　up　for　the　law；　and　who　live　for　the　law。

It　is　ridiculous　to　pretend　to　decide　the　rights　of　kingdoms；　of　nations；　and　of　the　whole　globe　by　the　same　maxims　on　which　（to　make　use　of　an　expression　of　Cicero）＇44＇　we　should　determine　the　right　of　a　gutter　between　individuals。

17。　The　same　Subject　continued。　Ostracism　ought　to　be　examined　by　the　rules　of　politics；　and　not　by　those　of　the　civil　law；　and　so　far　is　this　custom　from　rendering　a　popular　government　odious；　that　it　is；　on　the　contrary；　extremely　well　adapted　to　prove　its　lenity。　We　should　be　sensible　of　this　ourselves；　if；　while　banishment　is　always　considered　among　us　as　a　penalty；　we　are　able　to　separate　the　idea　of　ostracism　from　that　of　punishment。

Aristotle＇45＇　tells　us；　it　is　universally　allowed；　that　this　practice　has　something　in　it　both　humane　and　popular。　If　in　those　times　and　places　where　this　sentence　was　executed　they　found　nothing　in　it　that　appeared　odious；　is　it　for　us　who　see　things　at　such　a　distance　to　think　otherwise　than　the　accuser；　the　judges　and　the　accused　themselves？

And　if　we　consider　that　this　judgment　of　the　people　loaded　the　person　with　glory　on　whom　it　was　passed；　that　when　at　Athens　it　fell　upon　a　man　without　merit；＇46＇　from　that　very　moment　they　ceased　to　use　it；＇47＇　we　shall　find　that　numbers　of　people　have　obtained　a　false　idea　of　it；　for　it　was　an　admirable　law　that　could　prevent　the　ill　consequences　which　the　glory　of　a　citizen　might　produce　by　loading　him　with　new　glory。

18。　That　it　is　necessary　to　inquire　whether　the　Laws　which　seem　contradictory　are　of　the　same　Class。　At　Rome　the　husband　was　permitted　to　lend　his　wife　to　another。　Plutarch　tells　us　this　in　express　terms。＇48＇　We　know　that　Cato　lent　his　wife　to　Hortensius；＇49＇　and　Cato　was　not　a　man　to　violate　the　laws　of　his　country。

On　the　other　hand；　a　husband　who　suffered　his　wife　to　be　debauched；　who　did　not　bring　her　to　justice；　or　who　took　her　again　after　her　condemnation　was　punished。＇50＇　These　laws　seem　to　contradict　each　other；　and　yet　are　not　contradictory。　The　law　which　permitted　a　Roman　to　lend　his　wife　was　visibly　a　Laced？monian　institution；　established　with　a　view　of　giving　the　republic　children　of　a　good　species；　if　I　may　be　allowed　the　term；　the　other　had　in　view　the　preservation　of　morals。　The　first　was　a　law　of　politics；　the　second　a　civil　law。

19。　That　we　should　not　decide　those　Things　by　the　civil　Law　which　ought　to　be　decided　by　domestic　Laws。　The　law　of　the　Visigoths　enjoins　that　the　slaves　of　the　house　shall　be　obliged　to　bind　the　man　and　woman　they　surprise　in　adultery；　and　to　present　them　to　the　husband　and　to　the　judge：＇51＇　a　terrible　law；　which　puts　into　the　hands　of　such　mean　persons；　the　care　of　public；　domestic；　and　private　vengeance！

This　law　can　be　nowhere　proper　but　in　the　seraglios　of　the　East；　where　the　slave　who　has　the　charge　of　the　enclosure　is　deemed　an　accomplice　upon　the　discovery　of　the　least　infidelity。　He　seizes　the　criminals；　not　so　much　with　a　view　to　bring　them　to　justice；　as　to　do　justice　to　himself；　and　to　obtain　a　scrutiny　into　the　circumstances　of　the　action；　in　order　to　remove　the　suspicion　of　his　negligence。

But；　in　countries　where　women　are　not　guarded；　it　is　ridiculous　to　subject　those　who　govern　the　family　to　the　inquisition　of　their　slaves。

This　inquisition　may；　in　certain　cases；　be　at　the　most　a　particular　domestic　regulation；　but　never　a　civil　law。

20。　That　we　ought　not　to　decide　by　the　Principles　of　the　civil　Laws　those　Things　which　belong　to　the　Law　of　Nations。　Liberty　consists　principally　in　not　being　forced　to　do　a　thing；　where　the　laws　do　not　obl