the spirit of laws-第128节

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ssed　upon　him　according　to　the　custom　of　the　place。

In　the　reign　of　King　Pepin；　the　customs　then　established　had　not　the　same　force　as　the　laws；　but　it　was　not　long　before　the　laws　gave　way　to　the　customs。　And　as　new　regulations　are　generally　remedies　that　imply　a　present　evil；　it　may　well　be　imagined　that　as　early　as　Pepin's　time；　they　began　to　prefer　the　customs　to　the　established　laws。

What　has　been　said　sufficiently　explains　the　manner　in　which　the　Roman　law　began　so　very　early　to　become　territorial；　as　may　be　seen　in　the　edict　of　Pistes；　and　how　the　Gothic　law　continued　still　in　force；　as　appears　by　the　synod　of　Troyes　above…mentioned。＇66＇　The　Roman　had　become　the　general　personal　law；　and　the　Gothic　the　particular　personal　law；　consequently　the　Roman　law　was　territorial。　But　how　came　it；　some　will　ask；　that　the　personal　laws　of　the　Barbarians　fell　everywhere　into　disuse；　while　the　Roman　law　was　continued　as　a　territorial　institution　in　the　Visigoth　and　Burgundian　provinces？　I　answer　that　even　the　Roman　law　had　very　nearly　the　same　fate　as　the　other　personal　institutions；　otherwise　we　would　still　have　the　Theodosian　code　in　those　provinces　where　the　Roman　law　was　territorial；　whereas　we　have　the　institutes　of　Justinian。　Those　provinces　retained　scarcely　anything　more　than　the　name　of　the　country　under　the　Roman；　or　written　law；　than　the　natural　affection　which　people　have　for　their　own　institutions；　especially　when　they　consider　them　as　privileges；　and　a　few　regulations　of　the　Roman　law　which　were　not　yet　forgotten。　This　was；　however；　sufficient　to　produce　such　an　effect　that；　when　Justinian's　compilation　appeared；　it　was　received　in　the　provinces　of　the　Gothic　and　Burgundian　demesne　as　a　written　law；　whereas　it　was　admitted　only　as　written　reason　in　the　ancient　demesne　of　the　Franks。

13。　Difference　between　the　Salic　law；　or　that　of　the　Salian　Franks；　and　that　of　the　Ripuarian　Franks　and　other　barbarous　Nations。　The　Salic　law　did　not　allow　of　the　custom　of　negative　proofs；　that　is；　if　a　person　brought　a　demand　or　charge　against　another；　he　was　obliged　by　the　Salic　law　to　prove　it；　and　it　was　not　sufficient　for　the　second　to　deny　it；　which　is　agreeable　to　the　laws　of　almost　all　nations。

The　law　of　the　Ripuarian　Franks　had　quite　a　different　spirit；＇67＇　it　was　contented　with　negative　proofs；　and　the　person）　against　whom　a　demand　or　accusation　was　brought；　might　clear　himself；　in　most　cases；　by　swearing；　in　conjunction　with　a　certain　number　of　witnesses；　that　he　had　not　committed　the　crime　laid　to　his　charge。　The　number　of　witnesses　who　were　obliged　to　swear＇68＇　increased　in　proportion　to　the　importance　of　the　affair；　sometimes　it　amounted　to　seventy…two。＇69＇　The　laws　of　the　Alemans；　Bavarians；　Thuringians；　Frisians；　Saxons；　Lombards；　and　Burgundians　were　formed　on　the　same　plan　as　those　of　the　Ripuarian。

I　observed　that　the　Salic　law　did　not　allow　of　negative　proofs。　There　was　one　case；　however；　in　which　they　were　allowed：＇70＇　but　even　then　they　were　not　admitted　alone；　and　without　the　concurrence　of　positive　proofs。　The　plaintiff　caused　witnesses　to　be　heard；＇71＇　in　order　to　ground　his　action；　the　defendant　produced　also　witnesses　on　his　side；　and　the　judge　was　to　come　at　the　truth　by　comparing　those　testimonies。＇72＇　This　practice　was　vastly　different　from　that　of　the　Ripuarian；　and　other　barbarous　laws；　where　it　was　customary　for　the　party　accused　to　clear　himself　by　swearing　he　was　not　guilty；　and　by　making　his　relatives　also　swear　that　he　had　told　the　truth。　These　laws　could　be　suitable　only　to　a　people　remarkable　for　their　natural　simplicity　and　candour；　we　shall　see　presently　that　the　legislators　were　obliged　to　take　proper　methods　to　prevent　their　being　abused。

14。　Another　Difference。　The　Salic　law　did　not　admit　of　the　trial　by　combat；　though　it　had　been　received　by　the　laws　of　the　Ripuarians＇73＇　and　of　almost　all　the　barbarous　nations。＇74＇　To　me　it　seems　that　the　law　of　combat　was　a　natural　consequence　and　a　remedy　of　the　law　which　established　negative　proofs。　When　an　action　was　brought；　and　it　appeared　that　the　defendant　was　going　to　elude　it　by　an　oath；　what　other　remedy　was　left　to　a　military　man；＇75＇　who　saw　himself　upon　the　point　of　being　confounded；　than　to　demand　satisfaction　for　the　injury　done　to　him：　and　even　for　the　attempt　of　perjury？　The　Salic　law；　which　did　not　allow　the　custom　of　negative　proofs；　neither　admitted　nor　had　any　need　of　the　trial　by　combat；　but　the　laws　of　the　Ripuarians＇76＇　and　of　the　other　barbarous　nations＇77＇　who　had　adopted　the　practice　of　negative　proofs；　were　obliged　to　establish　the　trial　by　combat。

Whoever　will　please　to　examine　the　two　famous　regulations　of　Gundebald；　King　of　Burgundy；　concerning　this　subject　will　find　they　are　derived　from　the　very　nature　of　the　thing。＇78＇　It　was　necessary；　according　to　the　language　of　the　Barbarian　laws；　to　rescue　the　oath　out　of　the　hands　of　a　person　who　was　going　to　abuse　it。

Among　the　Lombards；　the　law　of　Rotharis　admits　of　cases　in　which　a　man　who　had　made　his　defence　by　oath　should　not　be　suffered　to　undergo　the　hardship　of　a　duel。　This　custom　spread　itself　further：＇79＇　we　shall　presently　see　the　mischiefs　that　arose　from　it；　and　how　they　were　obliged　to　return　to　the　ancient　practice。

15。　A　Reflection。　I　do　not　pretend　to　deny　that　in　the　changes　made　in　the　code　of　the　Barbarian　laws；　in　the　regulations　added　to　that　code；　and　in　the　body　of　the　Capitularies；　it　is　possible　to　find　some　passages　where　the　trial　by　combat　is　not　a　consequence　of　the　negative　proof。　Particular　circumstances　might；　in　the　course　of　many　ages；　give　rise　to　particular　laws。　I　speak　only　of　the　general　spirit　of　the　laws　of　the　Germans；　of　their　nature　and　origin；　I　speak　of　the　ancient　customs　of　those　people　that　were　either　hinted　at　or　established　by　those　laws；　and　this　is　the　only　matter　in　question。

16。　Of　the　Ordeal　or　Trial　by　boiling　Water；　established　by　the　Salic　Law。　The　Salic　law＇80＇　allowed　of　the　ordeal；　or　trial　by　boiling　water；　and　as　this　trial　was　excessively　cruel；　the　law　found　an　expedient　to　soften　its　rigour。＇81＇　It　permitted　the　person；　who　had　been　summoned　to　make　the　trial　with　boiling　water；　to　ransom　his　hand；　with　the　consent　of　the　adverse　party。　The　accuser；　for　a　particular　sum　determined　by　the　law；　might　be　satisfied　with　the　oath　of　a　few　witnesses；　declaring　that　the　accused　had　not　committed　the　crime。　This　was　a　particular　case；　in　which　the　Salic　law　admitted　of　the　negative　proof。

This　trial　was　a　thing　privately　agreed　upon；　which　the　law　permitted　only；　but　did　not　ordain。　The　law　gave　a　particular　indemnity　to　the　accuser；　who　would　allow　the　accused　to　make　his　defence　by　a　negative　proof：　the　plaintiff　was　at　liberty　to　be　satisfied　with　the　oath　of　the　defendant；　as　he　was　at　liberty　to　forgive　him　the　injury。

The　law　contrived　a　middle　course；＇82＇　that　before　sentence　passed；　both　parties；　the　one　through　fear　of　a　terrible　trial；　the　other　for　the　sake　of　a　small　indemnity；　should　terminate　their　disputes；　and　put　an　end　to　their　animosities。　It　is　plain；　that　when　once　this　negative　proof　was　completed；　nothing　more　was　requisite；　and；　therefore；　that　the　practice　of　legal　duels　could　not　be　a　consequence　of　this　particular　regulation　of　the　Salic　law。

17。　Particular　Notions　of　our　Ancestors。　It　is　astonishing　that　our　ancestors　should　thus　rest　the　honour；　fortune　and　life　of　the　subject；　on　things　that　depended　less　on　reason　than　on　hazard；　and　that　they　should　incessantly　make　use　of　proofs　incapable　of　convicting；　and　that　had　no　manner　of　connection　either　with　innocence　or　guilt。

The　Germans；　who　had　never　been　subdued；＇83＇　enjoyed　an　excessive　independence。　Different　families　waged　war　with　each　other＇84＇　to　obtain　satisfaction　for　murders；　robberies　or　affronts。　This　custom　was　moderated　by　subjecting　these　hostilities　to　rules；　it　was　ordained　that　they　should　be　no　longer　committed　but　by　the　direction　and　under　the　eye　of　the　magistrate。＇85＇　This　was　far　preferable　to　a　general　licence　of　annoying　each　other。

As　the　Turks　in　their　civil　wars　look　upon　the　first　victory　as　a　decision　of　heaven　in　favour　of　the　victor；　so　the　inhabitants　of　Germany　in　their　private　quarrels　considered　the　event　of　a　combat　as　a　decree　of　Providence；　ever　attentive　to　punish　the　criminal　or　the　usurper。

Tacitus　informs　us　that　when　one　German　nation　intended　to　declare　war　against　another；　they　looked　out　for　a　prisoner　who　was　to　fight　with　one　of　their　people；　and　by　the　event　they　judged　of　the　success　of　the　war。　A　nation　who　believed　that　public　quarrels　could　be　determined　by　a　single　combat　might　very　well　think　that　it　was　proper　also　for　deciding　the　disputes　of　individuals。

Gundebald；　King　of　Burgundy；　gave　the　greatest　sanction　to　the　custom　of　legal　duels。＇86＇　The　reason　he　assigns　for　this　law　is　mentioned　in　his　edict；　〃It　is；〃　says　he；　〃in　order　to　prevent　our　subjects　from　attesting　by　oath　what　is　uncertain；　and　perjuring　themselves　about　what　is　certain。〃　Thus；　while　the　clergy　declared　that　an　impious　law　which　permitted　combats；＇87＇　the　Burgundian　Kings　looked　upon　that　as　a　sacrilegious　law　which　authorized　the　taking　of　an　oath。

The　trial　by　combat　had