the spirit of laws-第137节

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s　or　Institutions　of　St。　Louis；　and　of　the　Roman　law。　Beaumanoir　made　very　little　use　of　the　latter；　but　he　reconciled　the　ancient　French　laws　to　the　regulations　of　St。　Louis。

I　have　a　notion；　therefore；　that　the　law　book　known　by　the　name　of　the　Institutions　was　compiled　by　some　bailiffs；　with　the　same　design　as　that　of　the　authors　of　those　two　Works；　and　especially　of　Défontaines。　The　title　of　this　work　mentions　that　it　is　written　according　to　the　usage　of　Paris；　Orleans；　and　the　court　of　Barony；　and　the　preamble　says　that　it　treats　of　the　usage　of　the　whole　kingdom；　of　Anjou　and　of　the　court　of　Barony。　It　is　plain　that　this　work　was　made　for　Paris；　Orleans　and　Anjou；　as　the　works　of　Beaumanoir　and　Défontaines　were　framed　for　the　counties　of　Clermont　and　Vermandois；　and　as　it　appears　from　Beaumanoir　that　divers　laws　of　St。　Louis　had　been　received　in　the　courts　of　Barony；　the　compiler　was　in　the　right　to　say　that　his　work　related　also　to　those　courts。＇285＇

It　is　manifest　that　the　person　who　composed　this　work　compiled　the　customs　of　the　country　together　with　the　laws　and　Institutions　of　St。　Louis。　This　is　a　very　valuable　work；　because　it　contains　the　ancient　customs　of　Anjou；　the　Institutions　of　St。　Louis；　as　they　were　then　in　use；　and；　in　fine；　the　whole　practice　of　the　ancient　French　law。

The　difference　between　this　work　and　those　of　Défontaines　and　Beaumanoir　is　its　speaking　in　imperative　terms　as　a　legislator；　and　this　might　be　right；　since　it　was　a　medley　of　written　customs　and　laws。

There　was　an　intrinsic　defect　in　this　compilation；　it　formed　an　amphibious　code；　in　which　the　French　and　Roman　laws　were　mixed；　and　where　things　were　joined　that　were　in　no　relation；　but　often　contradictory　to　each　other。

I　am　not　ignorant　that　the　French　courts　of　vassals　or　peers；　the　judgments　without　power　of　appealing　to　another　tribunal；　the　manner　of　pronouncing　sentence　by　these　words　〃I　condemn〃　or　〃I　absolve；〃＇286＇　had　some　conformity　to　the　popular　judgments　of　the　Romans。　But　they　made　very　little　use　of　that　ancient　jurisprudence；　they　rather　chose　that　which　was　afterwards　introduced　by　the　emperor；　in　order　to　regulate；　limit；　correct；　and　extend　the　French　jurisprudence。

39。　The　same　Subject　continued。　The　judiciary　forms　introduced　by　St。　Louis　fell　into　disuse。　This　prince　had　not　so　much　in　view　the　thing　itself；　that　is；　the　best　manner　of　trying　causes；　as　the　best　manner　of　supplying　the　ancient　practice　of　trial。　The　principal　intent　was　to　give　a　disrelish　of　the　ancient　jurisprudence；　and　the　next　to　form　a　new　one。　But　when　the　inconveniences　of　the　latter　appeared；　another　soon　succeeded。

The　Institutions　of　St。　Louis　did　not；　therefore；　so　much　change　the　French　jurisprudence　as　they　afforded　the　means　of　changing　it；　they　opened　new　tribunals；　or　rather　ways　to　come　at　them。　And　when　once　the　public　had　easy　access　to　the　superior　courts；　the　judgments　which　before　constituted　only　the　usages　of　a　particular　lordship　formed　a　universal　digest。　By　means　of　the　Institutions；　they　had　obtained　general　decisions；　which　were　entirely　wanting　in　the　kingdom；　when　the　building　was　finished；　they　let　the　scaffold　fall　to　the　ground。

Thus　the　Institutions　produced　effects　which　could　hardly　be　expected　from　a　masterpiece　of　legislation。　To　prepare　great　changes　whole　ages　are　sometimes　requisite；　the　events　ripen；　and　the　revolutions　follow。

The　parliament　judged　in　the　last　resort　of　almost　all　the　affairs　of　the　kingdom。　Before；＇287＇　it　took　cognizance　only　of　disputes　between　the　dukes；　counts；　barons；　bishops；　abbots；　or　between　the　king　and　his　vassals；＇288＇　rather　in　the　relation　they　bore　to　the　political　than　to　the　civil　order。　They　were　soon　obliged　to　render　it　permanent；　whereas　it　used　to　be　held　only　a　few　times　in　a　year：　and；　in　fine；　a　great　number　were　created；　in　order　to　be　sufficient　for　the　decision　of　all　manner　of　causes。

No　sooner　had　the　parliament　become　a　fixed　body；　than　they　began　to　compile　its　decrees。　Jean　de　Monluc；　in　the　reign　of　Philip　the　Fair；　made　a　collection　which　at　present　is　known　by　the　name　of　the　Olim　registers。＇289＇

40。　In　what　Manner　the　judiciary　Forms　were　borrowed　from　the　Decretals。　But　how　comes　it；　some　will　ask；　that　when　the　Institutions　were　laid　aside；　the　judicial　forms　of　the　canon　law　should　be　preferred　to　those　of　the　Roman？　It　was　because　they　had　constantly　before　their　eyes　the　ecclesiastic　courts；　which　followed　the　forms　of　the　canon　law；　and　they　knew　of　no　court　that　followed　those　of　the　Roman　law。　Besides；　the　limits　of　the　spiritual　and　temporal　jurisdiction　were　at　that　time　very　little　understood；　there　were　people　who　sued　indifferently＇290＇　and　causes　that　were　tried　indifferently；　in　either　court。＇291＇　It　seems＇292＇　as　if　the　temporal　jurisdiction　reserved　no　other　cases　exclusively　to　itself　than　the　judgment　of　feudal　matters；＇293＇　and　of　such　crimes　committed　by　laymen　as　did　not　relate　to　religion。　For＇294＇　if　on　the　account　of　conventions　and　contracts；　they　had　occasion　to　sue　in　a　temporal　court；　the　parties　might　of　their　own　accord　proceed　before　the　spiritual　tribunals；　and　as　the　latter　had　not　a　power　to　oblige　the　temporal　court　to　execute　the　sentence；　they　commanded　submission　by　means　of　excommunications。　Under　those　circumstances；　when　they　wanted　to　change　the　course　of　proceedings　in　the　temporal　court；　they　took　that　of　the　spiritual　tribunals；　because　they　knew　it；　but　did　not　meddle　with　that　of　the　Roman　law；　by　reason　they　were　strangers　to　it：　for　in　point　of　practice　people　know　only　what　is　really　practised。

41。　Flux　and　Reflux　of　the　ecclesiastic　and　temporal　Jurisdiction。　The　civil　power　being　in　the　hands　of　an　infinite　number　of　lords；　it　was　an　easy　matter　for　the　ecclesiastic　jurisdiction　to　gain　daily　a　greater　extent。　But　as　the　ecclesiastic　courts　weakened　those　of　the　lords；　and　contributed　thereby　to　give　strength　to　the　royal　jurisdiction；　the　latter　gradually　checked　the　jurisdiction　of　the　clergy。　The　parliament；　which　in　its　form　of　proceedings　had　adopted　whatever　was　good　and　useful　in　the　spiritual　courts；　soon　perceived　nothing　else　but　the　abuses　which　had　crept　into　those　tribunals；　and　as　the　royal　jurisdiction　gained　ground　every　day；　it　grew　every　day　more　capable　of　correcting　those　abuses。　And；　indeed；　they　were　intolerable；　without　enumerating　them　I　shall　refer　the　reader　to　Beaumanoir；　to　Boutillier　and　to　the　ordinances　of　our　kings。＇295＇　I　shall　mention　only　two　in　which　the　public　interest　was　more　directly　concerned。　These　abuses　we　know　by　the　decrees　that　reformed　them；　they　had　been　introduced　in　the　times　of　the　darkest　ignorance；　and　upon　the　breaking　out　of　the　first　gleam　of　light；　they　vanished。　From　the　silence　of　the　clergy　it　may　be　presumed　that　they　forwarded　this　reformation：　which；　considering　the　nature　of　the　human　mind；　deserves　commendation。　Every　man　that　died　without　bequeathing　a　part　of　his　estate　to　the　church；　which　was　called　dying　〃without　confession；〃　was　deprived　of　the　sacrament　and　of　Christian　burial。　If　he　died　intestate；　his　relatives　were　obliged　to　prevail　upon　the　bishop　that　he　would；　jointly　with　them；　name　proper　arbiters　to　determine　what　sum　the　deceased　ought　to　have　given；　in　case　he　had　made　a　will。　People　could　not　lie　together　the　first　night　of　their　nuptials；　or　even　the　two　following　nights；　without　having　previously　purchased　leave；　these；　indeed；　were　the　best　three　nights　to　choose；　for　as　to　the　others；　they　were　not　worth　much。　All　this　was　redressed　by　the　parliament：　we　find　in　the　glossary　of　the　French　law；＇296＇　by　Ragau；　the　decree　which　it　published　against　the　Bishop　of　Amiens。＇297＇

I　return　to　the　beginning　of　my　chapter。　Whenever　we　observe　in　any　age　or　government　the　different　bodies　of　the　state　endeavouring　to　increase　their　authority；　and　to　take　particular　advantages　of　each　other；　we　should　be　often　mistaken　were　we　to　consider　their　encroachments　as　an　evident　mark　of　their　corruption。　Through　a　fatality　inseparable　from　human　nature；　moderation　in　great　men　is　very　rare：　and　as　it　is　always　much　easier　to　push　on　force　in　the　direction　in　which　it　moves　than　to　stop　its　movement；　so　in　the　superior　class　of　the　people；　it　is　less　difficult；　perhaps；　to　find　men　extremely　virtuous；　than　extremely　prudent。

The　human　mind　feels　such　an　exquisite　pleasure　in　the　exercise　of　power；　even　those　who　are　lovers　of　virtue　are　so　excessively　fond　of　themselves　that　there　is　no　man　so　happy　as　not　still　to　have　reason　to　mistrust　his　honest　intentions；　and；　indeed；　our　actions　depend　on　so　many　things　that　it　is　infinitely　easier　to　do　good；　than　to　do　it　well。

42。　The　Revival　of　the　Roman　Law；　and　the　Result　thereof。　Change　of　Tribunals。　Upon　the　discovery　of　Justinian's　digest　towards　the　year　1137；　the　Roman　law　seemed　to　rise　out　of　its　ashes。　Schools　were　then　established　in　Italy；　where　it　was　publicly　taught；　they　had　already　the　Justinian　code　and　the　Novell？。　I　mentioned　before　that　this　code　had　been　so　favourably　received　in　that　country　as　to　eclipse　the　law　of　the　Lombards。

The　Italian　doctors　brought　the　law　of　Justinian　into　France；　where　they　had　only　the　Theodosian　code