the spirit of laws-第126节

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Romans　as　the　Tartars　who　conquered　China　were　the　friends　of　the　Chinese。　If　some　Catholic　bishops　thought　fit　to　make　use　of　the　Franks　in　destroying　the　Arian　Kings；　does　it　follow　that　they　had　a　desire　of　living　under　those　barbarous　people？　And　can　we　hence　conclude　that　the　Franks　had　any　particular　regard　for　the　Romans？　I　should　draw　quite　different　consequences；　the　less　the　Franks　had　to　fear　from　the　Romans；　the　less　indulgence　they　showed　them。

The　Abbé　du　Bos　has　consulted　but　indifferent　authorities　for　his　history；　such　as　poets　and　orators；　works　of　parade　and　ostentation　are　improper　foundations　for　building　systems。

4。　In　what　manner　the　Roman　Law　came　to　be　lost　in　the　Country　subject　to　the　Franks；　and　preserved　in　that　subject　to　the　Goths　and　Burgundians。　What　has　been　above　said　will　throw　some　light　upon　other　things；　which　have　hitherto　been　involved　in　great　obscurity。

The　country　at　this　day　called　France　was　under　the　first　race　governed　by　the　Roman　law；　or　the　Theodosian　code；　and　by　the　different　laws　of　the　Barbarians；＇33＇　who　settled　in　those　parts。

In　the　country　subject　to　the　Franks；　the　Salic　law　was　established　for　the　Franks；　and　the　Theodosian　code＇34＇　for　the　Romans。　In　that　subject　to　the　Visigoths；　a　compilation　of　the　Theodosian　code；　made　by　order　of　Alaric；＇35＇　regulated　disputes　among　the　Romans；　and　the　national　customs；　which　Euric　caused　to　be　reduced　to　writing；＇36＇　determined　those　among　the　Visigoths。　But　how　comes　it；　some　will　say；　that　the　Salic　laws　gained　almost　a　general　authority　in　the　country　of　the　Franks；　and　the　Roman　law　gradually　declined；　whilst　in　the　jurisdiction　of　the　Visigoths　the　Roman　law　spread　itself；　and　obtained　at　last　a　general　sway？

My　answer　is　that　the　Roman　law　came　to　be　disused　among　the　Franks　because　of　the　great　advantages　accruing　from　being　a　Frank；　a　Barbarian；＇37＇　or　a　person　living　under　the　Salic　law；　every　one；　in　that　case；　readily　quitting　the　Roman　to　live　under　the　Salic　law。

The　clergy　alone　retained　it；＇38＇　as　a　change　would　be　of　no　advantage　to　them。　The　difference　of　conditions　and　ranks　consisted　only　in　the　largeness　of　the　composition；　as　I　shall　show　in　another　place。　Now　particular　laws＇39＇　allowed　the　clergy　as　favourable　compositions　as　those　of　the　Franks；　for　which　reason　they　retained　the　Roman　law。　This　law　brought　no　hardships　upon　them；　and　in　other　respects　it　was　most　proper　for　them；　as　it　was　the　work　of　Christian　emperors。

On　the　other　hand；　in　the　patrimony　of　the　Visigoths；　as　the　Visigoth　law＇40＇　gave　no　civil　advantages　to　the　Visigoths　over　the　Romans；　the　latter　had　no　reason　to　discontinue　living　under　their　own　law　in　order　to　embrace　another。　They　retained　therefore　their　own　laws　without　adopting　those　of　the　Visigoths。

This　is　still　further　confirmed　in　proportion　as　we　proceed　in　our　inquiry。　The　law　of　Gundebald　was　extremely　impartial；　not　favouring　the　Burgundians　more　than　the　Romans。　It　appears　by　the　preamble　to　that　law　that　it　was　made　for　the　Burgundians；　and　to　regulate　the　disputes　which　might　arise　between　them　and　the　Romans；　and　in　the　latter　case　the　judges　were　equally　divided　of　a　side。　This　was　necessary　for　particular　reasons；　drawn　from　the　political　regulations　of　those　times。＇41＇　The　Roman　law　was　continued　in　Burgundy；　in　order　to　regulate　the　disputes　of　Romans　among　themselves。　The　latter　had　no　inducement　to　quit　their　own　law；　as　in　the　country　of　the　Franks；　and　rather　as　the　Salic　law　was　not　established　in　Burgundy；　as　appears　by　the　famous　letter　which　Agobard　wrote　to　Louis　the　Pious。

Agobard＇42＇　desired　that　prince　to　establish　the　Salic　law　in　Burgundy；　consequently　it　had　not　been　established　there　at　that　time。　Thus　the　Roman　law　did；　and　still　does　subsist　in　so　many　provinces；　which　formerly　depended　on　this　kingdom。

The　Roman　and　Gothic　laws　continued　likewise　in　the　country　of　the　establishment　of　the　Goths；　where　the　Salic　law　was　never　received。　When　Pepin　and　Charles　Martel　expelled　the　Saracens；　the　towns　and　provinces　which　submitted　to　these　princes　petitioned　for　a　continuance　of　their　own　laws　and　obtained　it；＇43＇　this；　in　spite　of　the　usages　of　those　times；　when　all　laws　were　personal；　soon　made　the　Roman　law　to　be　considered　as　a　real　and　territorial　law　in　those　countries。

This　appears　by　the　edict　of　Charles　the　Bald；　given　at　Pistes　in　the　year　864；　which　distinguishes　the　countries　where　causes　were　decided　by　the　Roman　law　from　where　it　was　otherwise。＇44＇

The　edict　of　Pistes　shows　two　things；　one；　that　there　were　countries　where　causes　were　decided　by　the　Roman　law；　and　others　where　they　were　not；　and　the　other；　that　those　countries　where　the　Roman　law　obtained　were　precisely　the　same　where　it　is　still　followed　at　this　very　day；　as　appears　by　the　said　edict：＇45＇　thus　the　distinction　of　the　provinces　of　France　under　custom　and　those　under　written　law　was　already　established　at　the　time　of　the　edict　of　Pistes。

I　have　observed　that　in　the　beginning　of　the　monarchy　all　laws　were　personal；　and　thus　when　the　edict　of　Pistes　distinguishes　the　countries　of　the　Roman　law　from　those　which　were　otherwise；　the　meaning　is　that；　in　countries　which　were　not　of　the　Roman　law；　such　a　multitude　of　people　had　chosen　to　live　under　some　or　other　of　the　laws　of　the　Barbarians　that　there　were　scarcely　any　who　would　be　subject　to　the　Roman　law；　and　that　in　the　countries　of　the　Roman　law　there　were　few　who　would　choose　to　live　under　the　laws　of　the　Barbarians。

I　am　not　ignorant　that　what　is　here　advanced　will　be　reckoned　new；　but　if　the　things　which　I　assert　be　true；　surely　they　are　very　ancient。　After　all；　what　great　matter　is　it；　whether　they　come　from　me；　from　the　Valesiuses；　or　from　the　Bignons？

5。　The　same　Subject　continued。　The　law　of　Gundebald　subsisted　a　long　time　among　the　Burgundians；　in　conjunction　with　the　Roman　law；　it　was　still　in　use　under　Louis　the　Pious；　as　Agobard's　letter　plainly　evinces。　In　like　manner；　though　the　edict　of　Pistes　calls　the　country　occupied　by　the　Visigoths　the　country　of　the　Roman　law；　yet　the　law　of　the　Visigoths　was　always　in　force　there；　as　appears　by　the　synod　of　Troyes　held　under　Louis　the　Stammerer；　in　the　year　878；　that　is；　fourteen　years　after　the　edict　of　Pistes。

In　process　of　time　the　Gothic　and　Burgundian　laws　fell　into　disuse　even　in　their　own　country；　which　was　owing　to　those　general　causes　that　everywhere　suppressed　the　personal　laws　of　the　Barbarians。

6。　How　the　Roman　Law　kept　its　Ground　in　the　Demesne　of　the　Lombards。　The　facts　all　coincide　with　my　principles。　The　law　of　the　Lombards　was　impartial；　and　the　Romans　were　under　no　temptation　to　quit　their　own　for　it。　The　motive　which　prevailed　with　the　Romans　under　the　Franks　to　make　choice　of　the　Salic　law　did　not　take　place　in　Italy；　hence　the　Roman　law　maintained　itself　there；　together　with　that　of　the　Lombards。

It　even　fell　out　that　the　latter　gave　way　to　the　Roman　institutes；　and　ceased　to　be　the　law　of　the　ruling　nation；　and　though　it　continued　to　be　that　of　the　principal　nobility；　yet　the　greatest　part　of　the　cities　formed　themselves　into　republics；　and　the　nobility　mouldered　away　of　themselves；　or　were　destroyed。＇46＇　The　citizens　of　the　new　republics　had　no　inclination　to　adopt　a　law　which　established　the　custom　of　judiciary　combats；　and　whose　institutions　retained　much　of　the　customs　and　usages　of　chivalry。　As　the　clergy　of　those　days；　a　clergy　even　then　so　powerful　in　Italy；　lived　almost　all　under　the　Roman　law；　the　number　of　those　who　followed　the　institutions　of　the　Lombards　must　have　daily　diminished。

Besides；　the　institutions　of　the　Lombards　had　not　that　extent；　that　majesty　of　the　Roman　law；　by　which　Italy　was　reminded　of　her　universal　dominion。　The　institutions　of　the　Lombards　and　the　Roman　law　could　be　then　of　no　other　use　than　to　furnish　out　statutes　for　those　cities　that　were　erected　into　republics。　Now　which　could　better　furnish　them；　the　institutions　of　the　Lombards　that　determined　on　some　particular　cases；　or　the　Roman　law　which　embraced　them　all？

7。　How　the　Roman　Law　came　to　be　lost　in　Spain。　Things　happened　otherwise　in　Spain。　The　law　of　the　Visigoths　prevailed；　and　the　Roman　law　was　lost。　Chaindasuinthus＇47＇　and　Recessuinthus　proscribed　the　Roman　laws；＇48＇　and　even　forbade　citing　them　in　their　courts　of　judicature。　Recessuinthus　was　likewise　author　of　the　law　which　took　off　the　prohibition　of　marriage　between　the　Goths　and　Romans。＇49＇　It　is　evident　that　these　two　laws　had　the　same　spirit；　this　king　wanted　to　remove　the　principal　causes　of　separation　which　subsisted　between　the　Goths　and　the　Romans。　Now　it　was　thought　that　nothing　made　a　wider　separation　than　the　prohibition　of　intermarriages；　and　the　liberty　of　living　under　different　institutions。

But　though　the　kings　of　the　Visigoths　had　proscribed　the　Roman　law；　it　still　subsisted　in　the　demesnes　they　possessed　in　South　Gaul。＇50＇　These　countries　being　distant　from　the　centre　of　the　monarchy　lived　in　a　state　of　great　independence。　We　see　from　the　history　of　Vamba；　who　ascended　the　throne　in　672；　that　the　natives　of　the　country　had　become　the　prevailing　party。＇51＇　Hence　the　Roman　law　had　greater　authority　and　the　Gothic　less。　The　Spanish　l