the spirit of laws-第145节

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25。　See　Leg。　4；　ff。　ad　leg。　Aquil。

26。　Ibid。；　see　the　decree　of　Tassillon　added　to　the　law　of　the　Bavarians；　de　popularib。　Legib。　art。　4。

27。　Ut　carmen　necessarium。　　Cicero；　De　Leg。　ii；　23。

28。　It　is　the　work　of　Irnerius。

29。　Testament。　Polit。

30。　Appendix　to　the　Theodosian　code　in　the　first　volume　of　Father　Sirmond's　works；　p。　737。

31。　Aulus　Gellius；　xx。　1。

32。　We　find　in　the　verbal　process　of　this　ordinance　the　motives　that　determined　him。

33。　In　his　ordinance　of　Montel…les…Tours；　in　the　year　1453。

34。　They　might　punish　the　attorney；　without　there　being　any　necessity　of　disturbing　the　public　order。

35。　The　ordinance　of　the　year　1667　has　made　some　regulations　upon　this　head。

36。　Book　ii；　tit。　37。

37。　In　Father　Sirmond's　appendix　to　the　Theodosian　code；　i。

38。　Leg。　1；　Cod。　de　repudiis。

39。　See　the　authentic　sed　hodie；　in　the　Cod。　de　repudiis。

40。　Leg。　1；　ff。　de　Postulando。

41。　Sentences；　iv。　9。

42。　Della　guerra　civile　di　Francia；　p。　96。

43。　It　was　made　on　November　18；　1702。

44。　Laws；　ix。

45。　It　is　the　authentic　sed　cum　testator。

46。　Book　xii；　tit。　2；　§　16。

47。　See　Julius　Capitolinus；　in　Macrinus；　13。

48。　Ibid。

49。　In　his　Utopia。




Book　XXX。　Theory　of　the　Feudal　Laws　among　the　Franks　in　the　Relation　They　Bear　to　the　Establishment　of　the　Monarchy

1。　Of　Feudal　Laws。　I　should　think　my　work　imperfect　were　I　to　pass　over　in　silence　an　event　which　never　again；　perhaps；　will　happen；　were　I　not　to　speak　of　those　laws　which　suddenly　appeared　over　all　Europe　without　being　connected　with　any　of　the　former　institutions；　of　those　laws　which　have　done　infinite　good　and　infinite　mischief；　which　have　suffered　rights　to　remain　when　the　demesne　has　been　ceded；　which　by　vesting　several　with　different　kinds　of　seignory　over　the　same　things　or　persons　have　diminished　the　weight　of　the　whole　seignory；　which　have　established　different　limits　in　empires　of　too　great　extent；　which　have　been　productive　of　rule　with　a　bias　to　anarchy；　and　of　anarchy　with　a　tendency　to　order　and　harmony。

This　would　require　a　particular　work　to　itself；　but　considering　the　nature　of　the　present　undertaking；　the　reader　will　here　meet　rather　with　a　general　survey　than　with　a　complete　treatise　of　those　laws。

The　feudal　laws　form　a　very　beautiful　prospect。　A　venerable　old　oak　raises　its　lofty　head　to　the　skies；　the　eye　sees　from　afar　its　spreading　leaves；　upon　drawing　nearer；　it　perceives　the　trunk　but　does　not　discern　the　root；　the　ground　must　be　dug　up　to　discover　it。＇1＇

2。　Of　the　Source　of　Feudal　Laws。　The　conquerors　of　the　Roman　empire　came　from　Germany。　Though　few　ancient　authors　have　described　their　manners；　yet　we　have　two　of　very　great　weight。　C？sar　making　war　against　the　Germans　describes　the　manners　of　that　nation；＇2＇　and　upon　these　he　regulated　some　of　his　enterprises。＇3＇　A　few　pages　of　C？sar　upon　this　subject　are　equal　to　whole　volumes。

Tacitus　has　written　an　entire　work　on　the　manners　of　the　Germans。　This　work　is　short；　but　it　comes　from　the　pen　of　Tacitus；　who　was　always　concise；　because　he　saw　everything　at　one　glance。

These　two　authors　agree　so　perfectly　with　the　codes　still　extant　of　the　laws　of　the　Barbarians；　that　reading　C？sar　and　Tacitus　we　imagine　we　are　perusing　these　codes；　and　perusing　these　codes　we　fancy　we　are　reading　C？sar　and　Tacitus。

But　if　in　this　research　into　the　feudal　laws　I　should　find　myself　entangled　and　lost　in　a　dark　labyrinth；　I　fancy　I　have　the　clue　in　my　hand；　and　that　I　shall　be　able　to　find　my　way　through。

3。　The　Origin　of　Vassalage。　C？sar　says＇4＇　that；　〃The　Germans　neglected　agriculture；　that　the　greatest　part　of　them　lived　upon　milk；　cheese　and　flesh；　that　no　one　had　lands　or　boundaries　of　his　own；　that　the　princes　and　magistrates　of　each　nation　allotted　what　portion　of　land　they　pleased　to　individuals；　and　obliged　them　the　year　following　to　remove　to　some　other　part。〃　Tacitus　says＇5＇　that；　〃Each　prince　had　a　multitude　of　men；　who　were　attached　to　his　service；　and　followed　him　wherever　he　went。〃　This　author　gives　them　a　name　in　his　language　in　accordance　with　their　state；　which　is　that　of　companions。＇6＇　They　had　a　strong　emulation　to　obtain　the　prince's　esteem；　and　the　princes　had　the　same　emulation　to　distinguish　themselves　in　the　bravery　and　number　of　their　companions。　〃Their　dignity　and　power；〃　continues　Tacitus；　〃consist　in　being　constantly　surrounded　by　a　multitude　of　young　and　chosen　people；　this　they　reckon　their　ornament　in　peace；　this　their　defence　and　support　in　war。　Their　name　becomes　famous　at　home；　and　among　neighbouring　nations；　when　they　excel　all　others　in　the　number　and　courage　of　their　companions：　they　receive　presents　and　embassies　from　all　parts。　Reputation　frequently　decides　the　fate　of　war。　In　battle　it　is　infamy　in　the　prince　to　be　surpassed　in　courage；　it　is　infamy　in　the　companions　not　to　follow　the　brave　example　of　their　prince；　it　is　an　eternal　disgrace　to　survive　him。　To　defend　him　is　their　most　sacred　engagement。　If　a　city　be　at　peace；　the　princes　go　to　those　who　are　at　war；　and　it　is　thus　they　retain　a　great　number　of　friends。　To　these　they　give　the　war　horse　and　the　terrible　javelin。　Their　pay　consists　in　coarse　but　plentiful　repasts。　The　prince　supports　his　liberality　merely　by　war　and　plunder。　You　might　more　easily　persuade　them　to　attack　an　enemy　and　to　expose　themselves　to　the　dangers　of　war；　than　to　cultivate　the　land；　or　to　attend　to　the　cares　of　husbandry；　they　refuse　to　acquire　by　sweat　what　they　can　purchase　with　blood。〃

Thus；　among　the　Germans；　there　were　vassals；　but　no　fiefs；　they　had　no　fiefs；　because　the　princes　had　no　lands　to　give；　or　rather　their　fiefs　consisted　in　horses　trained　for　war；　in　arms；　and　feasting。　There　were　vassals；　because　there　were　trusty　men　who　being　bound　by　their　word　engaged　to　follow　the　prince　to　the　field；　and　did　very　nearly　the　same　service　as　was　afterwards　performed　for　the　fiefs。

4。　The　same　Subject　continued。　C？sar　says＇7＇　that　〃when　any　of　the　princes　declared　to　the　assembly　that　he　intended　to　set　out　upon　an　expedition　and　asked　them　to　follow　him；　those　who　approved　the　leader　and　the　enterprise　stood　up　and　offered　their　assistance。　Upon　which　they　were　commended　by　the　multitude。　But；　if　they　did　not　fulfil　their　engagements；　they　lost　the　public　esteem；　and　were　looked　upon　as　deserters　and　traitors。〃

What　C？sar　says　in　this　place；　and　what　we　have　extracted　in　the　preceding　chapter　from　Tacitus；　are　the　substance　of　the　history　of　our　princes　of　the　first　race。

We　must　not　therefore　be　surprised　that　our　kings　should　have　new　armies　to　raise　upon　every　expedition；　new　troops　to　encourage；　new　people　to　engage；　that　to　acquire　much　they　were　obliged　to　incur　great　expenses；　that　they　should　be　constant　gainers　by　the　division　of　lands　and　spoils；　and　yet　give　these　lands　and　spoils　incessantly　away：　that　their　demesne　should　continually　increase　and　diminish；　that　a　father　upon　settling　a　kingdom　on　one　of　his　children＇8＇　should　always　give　him　a　treasure　with　it：　that　the　king's　treasure　should　be　considered　as　necessary　to　the　monarchy；　and　that　one　king　could　not　give　part　of　it　to　foreigners；　even　in　portion　with　his　daughter；　without　the　consent　of　the　other　kings。＇9＇　The　monarchy　moved　by　springs；　which　they　were　continually　obliged　to　wind　up。

5。　Of　the　Conquests　of　the　Franks。　It　is　not　true　that　the　Franks　upon　entering　Gaul　took　possession　of　the　whole　country　to　turn　it　into　fiefs。　Some　have　been　of　this　opinion　because　they　saw　the　greatest　part　of　the　country　towards　the　end　of　the　second　race　converted　into　fiefs；　rear…fiefs；　or　other　dependencies；　but　such　a　disposition　was　owing　to　particular　causes　which　we　shall　explain　hereafter。

The　consequence　which　sundry　writers　would　infer　thence；　that　the　barbarians　made　a　general　regulation　for　establishing　in　all　parts　the　state　of　villainage　is　as　false　as　the　principle　from　which　it　is　derived。　If　at　a　time　when　the　fiefs　were　precarious；　all　the　lands　of　the　kingdom　had　been　fiefs；　or　dependencies　of　fiefs；　and　all　the　men　in　the　kingdom　vassals　or　bondmen　subordinate　to　vassals；　as　the　person　that　has　property　is　ever　possessed　of　power；　the　king；　who　would　have　continually　disposed　of　the　fiefs；　that　is；　of　the　only　property　then　existing；　would　have　had　a　power　as　arbitrary　as　that　of　the　Sultan　is　in　Turkey；　which　is　contradictory　to　all　history。

6。　Of　the　Goths；　Burgundians；　and　Franks。　Gaul　was　invaded　by　German　nations。　The　Visigoths　took　possession　of　the　province　of　Narbonne；　and　of　almost　all　the　south；　the　Burgundians　settled　in　the　east；　and　the　Franks　subdued　very　nearly　all　the　rest。

No　doubt　but　these　Barbarians　retained　in　their　respective　conquests　the　manners；　inclinations；　and　usages　of　their　own　country；　for　no　nation　can　change　in　an　instant　their　manner　of　thinking　and　acting。　These　people　in　Germany　neglected　agriculture。　It　seems　by　C？sar　and　Tacitus　that　they　applied　themselves　greatly　to　a　pastoral　life；　hence　the　regulations　of　the　codes　of　Barbarian　laws　almost　all　relate　to　their　flocks。　Roricon；　who　wrote　a　history　among　the　Franks；　was　a　shepherd。

7。　Different　Ways　of　dividing　the　Land。　After　the　Goths　and　Burgundians　had；　under　var