the spirit of laws-第131节

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According　to　the　different　circumstances　of　every　country　and　age；　love　inclines　more　to　one　of　those　three　things　than　to　the　other　two。　Now　I　maintain　that　the　prevailing　spirit　at　the　time　of　our　judicial　combats　must　have　been　that　of　gallantry。

I　find　in　the　law　of　the　Lombards；＇133＇　that　if　one　of　the　two　champions　was　found　to　have　any　magic　herbs　about　him；　the　judge　ordered　them　to　be　taken　from　him；　and　obliged　him　to　swear　he　had　no　more。　This　law　could　be　founded　only　on　the　vulgar　opinion；　it　was　fear；　the　alleged　inventor　of　much　that　made　them　imagine　this　kind　of　prestige。　As　in　single　combats　the　champions　were　armed　at　all　points；　and　as　with　heavy　arms；　both　of　the　offensive　and　defensive　kind；　those　of　a　particular　temper　and　strength　gave　immense　advantages；　the　notion　of　some　champions　having　enchanted　arms　must　certainly　have　turned　the　brains　of　a　great　many　people。

Hence　arose　the　marvellous　system　of　chivalry。　The　minds　of　all　sorts　of　people　quickly　imbibed　these　extravagant　ideas；　In　romances　are　found　knights…errant；　necromancers；　and　fairies；　winged　or　intelligent　horses；　invisible　or　invulnerable　men；　magicians　who　concerned　themselves　in　the　birth　and　education　of　great　personages；　enchanted　and　disenchanted　palaces；　a　new　world　in　the　midst　of　the　old　one；　the　usual　course　of　nature　being　left　only　to　the　lower　class　of　mankind。　Knights…errant　ever　in　armour；　in　a　part　of　the　world　abounding　in　castles；　forts；　and　robbers；　placed　all　their　glory　in　punishing　injustice；　and　in　protecting　weakness。　Hence　our　romances　are　full　of　gallantry　founded　on　the　idea　of　love　joined　to　that　of　strength　and　protection。

Such　was　the　origin　of　gallantry；　when　they　formed　the　notion　of　an　extraordinary　race　of　men　who　at　the　sight　of　a　virtuous　and　beautiful　lady　in　distress　were　inclined　to　expose　themselves　to　all　hazards　for　her　sake；　and　to　endeavour　to　please　her　in　the　common　actions　of　life。

Our　romances　of　chivalry　flattered　this　desire　of　pleasing；　and　communicated　to　a　part　of　Europe　that　spirit　of　gallantry　which　we　may　venture　to　affirm　was　very　little　known　to　the　ancients。

The　prodigious　luxury　of　that　immense　city　of　Rome　encouraged　sensuous　pleasures。　The　tranquillity　of　the　plains　of　Greece　gave　rise　to　the　description　of　the　sentiments　of　love。＇134＇　The　idea　of　knights…errant；　protectors　of　the　virtue　and　beauty　of　the　fair　sex；　led　to　that　of　gallantry。

This　spirit　was　continued　by　the　custom　of　tournaments；　which；　uniting　the　rights　of　valour　and　love；　added　still　a　considerable　importance　to　gallantry。

23。　Of　the　Code　of　Laws　on　judicial　Combats。　Some　perhaps　will　have　a　curiosity　to　see　this　abominable　custom　of　judiciary　combat　reduced　to　principles　and　to　find　the　groundwork　of　such　an　extraordinary　code　of　laws。　Men；　though　reasonable　in　the　main；　reduce　their　very　prejudices　to　rule。　Nothing　was　more　contrary　to　good　sense；　than　those　combats；　and　yet　when　once　this　point　was　laid　down；　a　kind　of　prudential　management　was　used　in　carrying　it　into　execution。

In　order　to　be　thoroughly　acquainted　with　the　jurisprudence　of　those　times；　it　is　necessary　to　read　with　attention　the　regulations　of　St。　Louis；　who　made　such　great　changes　in　the　judiciary　order。　Défontaines　was　contemporary　with　that　prince；　Beaumanoir　wrote　after　him；＇135＇　and　the　rest　lived　since　his　time。　We　must；　therefore；　look　for　the　ancient　practice　in　the　amendments　that　have　been　made　of　it。

24。　Rules　established　in　the　judicial　Combat。　When　there　happened　to　be　several　accusers；　they　were　obliged　to　agree　among　themselves　that　the　action　might　be　carried　on　by　a　single　prosecutor；　and；　if　they　could　not　agree；　the　person　before　whom　the　action　was　brought；　appointed　one　of　them　to　prosecute　the　quarrel。＇136＇

When　a　gentleman　challenged　a　villain；　he　was　obliged　to　present　himself　on　foot　with　buckler　and　baston；　but　if　he　came　on　horseback　and　armed　like　a　gentleman；　they　took。　his　horse　and　his　arms　from　him　and；　stripping　him　to　his　shirt；　they　compelled　him　to　fight　in　that　condition　with　the　villain。＇137＇

Before　the　combat　the　magistrates　ordered　three　bans　to　be　published。　By　the　first　the　relatives　of　the　parties　were　commanded　to　retire；　by　the　second　the　people　were　warned　to　be　silent；　and　the　third　prohibited　the　giving　of　any　assistance　to　either　of　the　parties；　under　severe　penalties；　nay；　even　on　pain　of　death　if　by　this　assistance　either　of　the　combatants　should　happen　to　be　vanquished。＇138＇

The　officers　belonging　to　the　civil　magistrate＇139＇　guarded　the　list　or　enclosure　where　the　battle　was　fought；　and　in　case　either　of　the　parties　declared　himself　desirous　of　peace；　they　took　particular　notice　of　the　actual　state　in　which　they　mutually　stood　at　that　very　moment；　to　the　end　that　they　might　be　restored　to　the　same　situation　in　case　they　did　not　come　to　an　understanding。＇140＇

When　the　pledges　were　received　either　for　a　crime　or　for　false　judgment；　the　parties　could　not　make　up　the　matter　without　the　consent　of　the　lord；　and　when　one　of　the　parties　was　overcome；　there　could　be　no　accommodation　without　the　permission　of　the　count；　which　had　some　analogy　to　our　letters　of　grace。＇141＇

But　if　it　happened　to　be　a　capital　crime；　and　the　lord；　corrupted　by　presents；　consented　to　an　accommodation；　he　was　obliged　to　pay　a　fine　of　sixty　livres；　and　the　right　he　had　of　punishing　the　malefactor　devolved　upon　the　count。＇142＇

There　were　a　great　many　people　incapable　either　of　offering；　or　of　accepting　battle。　But　liberty　was　given　them；　on　cause　being　shown；　to　choose　a　champion；　and　that　he　might　have　a　stronger　interest　in　defending　the　party　in　whose　behalf　he　appeared；　his　hand　was　cut　off　if　he　lost　the　battle。＇143＇

When　capital　laws　were　made　in　the　last　century　against　duels；　perhaps　it　would　have　been　sufficient　to　have　deprived　a　warrior　of　his　military　capacity　by　the　loss　of　his　hand；　nothing　in　general　being　a　greater　mortification　to　mankind　than　to　survive　the　loss　of　their　character。

When；　in　capital　cases；　the　duel　was　fought　by　champions；　the　parties　were　placed　where　they　could　not　behold　the　battle；　each　was　bound　with　the　cord　that　was　to　be　used　at　his　execution　in　case　his　champion　was　overcome。＇144＇　The　person　overcome　in　battle　did　not　always　lose　the　point　contested；　if；　for　instance；　they　fought　on　an　imparlance；　he　lost　only　the　imparlance。＇145＇

25。　Of　the　Bounds　prescribed　to　the　Custom　of　judicial　Combats。　When　pledges　of　battle　had　been　received　upon　a　civil　affair　of　small　importance；　the　lord　obliged　the　parties　to　withdraw　them。

If　a　fact　was　notorious；　for　instance；　if　a　man　had　been　assassinated　in　the　open　marketplace；　then　there　was　neither　a　trial　by　witnesses；　nor　by　combat；　the　judge　gave　his　decision　from　the　notoriety　of　the　fact。＇146＇

When　the　court　of　a　lord　had　often　determined　after　the　same　manner；　and　the　usage　was　thus　known；＇147＇　the　lord　refused　to　grant　the　parties　the　privilege　of　duelling；　to　the　end　that　the　usages　might　not　be　altered　by　the　different　success　of　the　combats。

They　were　not　allowed　to　insist　upon　duelling　but　for　themselves；　for　some　one　belonging　to　their　family；　or　for　their　liege　lord。＇148＇

When　the　accused　had　been　acquitted；　another　relative　could　not　insist　on　fighting　him；　otherwise　disputes　would　never　be　terminated。＇149＇

If　a　person　appeared　again　in　public　whose　relatives；　upon　a　supposition　of　his　being　murdered；　wanted　to　revenge　his　death；　there　was　then　no　room　for　a　combat；　the　same　may　be　said　if　by　a　notorious　absence　the　fact　was　proved　to　be　impossible。＇150＇

If　a　man　who　had　been　mortally　wounded　had　exculpated　before　his　death　the　person　accused　and　named　another；　they　did　not　proceed　to　a　duel；　but　if　he　had　mentioned　nobody　his　declaration　was　looked　upon　as　a　forgiveness　on　his　death…bed；　the　prosecution　was　continued；　and　even　among　gentlemen　they　could　make　war　against　each　other。＇151＇

When　there　was　a　conflict；　and　one　of　the　relatives　had　given　or　received　pledges　of　battle；　the　right　of　contest　ceased；　for　then　it　was　thought　that　the　parties　wanted　to　pursue　the　ordinary　course　of　justice；　therefore　he　that　would　have　continued　the　contest　would　have　been　sentenced　to　make　good　all　the　losses。

Thus　the　practice　of　judiciary　combat　had　this　advantage；　that　it　was　apt　to　change　a　general　into　an　individual　quarrel；　to　restore　the　courts　of　judicature　to　their　authority；　and　to　bring　back　into　the　civil　state　those　who　were　no　longer　governed　but　by　the　law　of　nations。

As　there　are　an　infinite　number　of　wise　things　that　are　managed　in　a　very　foolish　manner；　so　there　are　many　foolish　things　that　are　very　wisely　conducted。

When　a　man　who　was　challenged　with　a　crime　visibly　showed　that　it　had　been　committed　by　the　challenger　himself；　there　could　be　then　no　pledges　of　battle；　for　there　is　no　criminal　but　would　prefer　a　duel　of　uncertain　event　to　a　certain　punishment。＇152＇

There　were　no　duels　in　affairs　decided　by　arbiters；＇153＇　nor　by　ecclesiastical　courts；　nor　in　cases　relating　to　women's　dowries。

〃A　woman；〃　says　Beaumanoir；　〃cannot　fight。〃　if　a　woman　challenged　a　person　without　naming　her　champion；　the　pledges　of　battle　were　not　accepted。　It　was　a