the spirit of laws-第30节

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blics　where　this　equality　is　not　quite　lost；　the　spirit　of　commerce；　industry；　and　virtue　renders　every　man　able　and　willing　to　live　on　his　own　property；　and　consequently　prevents　the　growth　of　luxury。

The　laws　concerning　the　new　division　of　lands；　insisted　upon　so　eagerly　in　some　republics；　were　of　the　most　salutary　nature。　They　are　dangerous；　only　as　they　are　sudden。　By　reducing　instantly　the　wealth　of　some；　and　increasing　that　of　others；　they　form　a　revolution　in　each　family；　and　must　produce　a　general　one　in　the　state。

In　proportion　as　luxury　gains　ground　in　a　republic；　the　minds　of　the　people　are　turned　towards　their　particular　interests。　Those　who　are　allowed　only　what　is　necessary　have　nothing　but　their　own　reputation　and　their　country's　glory　in　view。　But　a　soul　depraved　by　luxury　has　many　other　desires；　and　soon　becomes　an　enemy　to　the　laws　that　confine　it。　The　luxury　in　which　the　garrison　of　Rhegium　began　to　live　was　the　cause　of　their　massacring　the　inhabitants。

No　sooner　were　the　Romans　corrupted　than　their　desires　became　boundless　and　immense。　Of　this　we　may　judge　by　the　price　they　set　on　things。　A　pitcher　of　Falernian　wine＇4＇　was　sold　for　a　hundred　Roman　denarii；　a　barrel　of　salt　meat　from　the　kingdom　of　Pontus　cost　four　hundred；　a　good　cook　four　talents；　and　for　boys；　no　price　was　reckoned　too　great。　When　the　whole　world；　impelled　by　the　force　of　corruption；　is　immersed　in　voluptuousness＇5＇　what　must　then　become　of　virtue？

3。　Of　sumptuary　Laws　in　an　Aristocracy。　There　is　this　inconvenience　in　an　ill…constituted　aristocracy；　that　the　wealth　centres　in　the　nobility；　and　yet　they　are　not　allowed　to　spend；　for　as　luxury　is　contrary　to　the　spirit　of　moderation；　it　must　be　banished　thence。　This　government　comprehends；　therefore；　only　people　who　are　extremely　poor　and　cannot　acquire；　and　people　who　are　vastly　rich　and　cannot　spend。

In　Venice；　they　are　compelled　by　the　laws　to　moderation。　They　are　so　habituated　to　parsimony　that　none　but　courtesans　can　make　them　part　with　their　money。　Such　is　the　method　made　use　of　for　the　support　of　industry；　the　most　contemptible　of　women　may　be　profuse　without　danger；　whilst　those　who　contribute　to　their　extravagance　consume　their　days　in　the　greatest　obscurity。

Admirable　in　this　respect　were　the　institutions　of　the　principal　republics　of　Greece。　The　rich　employed　their　money　in　festivals；　musical　choruses；　chariots；　horse…races；　and　chargeable　offices。　Wealth　was；　therefore；　as　burdensome　there　as　poverty。

4。　Of　sumptuary　Laws　in　a　Monarchy。　Tacitus　says＇6＇　that　the　Suiones；　a　German　nation；　has　a　particular　respect　for　riches；　for　which　reason　they　live　under　the　government　of　one　person。　This　shows　that　luxury　is　extremely　proper　for　monarchies；　and　that　under　this　government　there　must　be　no　sumptuary　laws。

As　riches；　by　the　very　constitution　of　monarchies；　are　unequally　divided；　there　is　an　absolute　necessity　for　luxury。　Were　the　rich　not　to　be　lavish；　the　poor　would　starve。　It　is　even　necessary　here　that　the　expenses　of　the　opulent　should　be　in　proportion　to　the　inequality　of　fortunes；　and　that　luxury；　as　we　have　already　observed；　should　increase　in　this　proportion。　The　augmentation　of　private　wealth　is　owing　to　its　having　deprived　one　part　of　the　citizens　of　their　necessary　support；　this　must　therefore　be　restored　to　them。

Hence　it　is　that　for　the　preservation　of　a　monarchical　state；　luxury　ought　continually　to　increase；　and　to　grow　more　extensive；　as　it　rises　from　the　labourer　to　the　artificer；　to　the　merchant；　to　the　magistrate；　to　the　nobility；　to　the　great　officers　of　state；　up　to　the　very　prince；　otherwise　the　nation　will　be　undone。

In　the　reign　of　Augustus；　a　proposal　was　made　in　the　Roman　senate；　which　was　composed　of　grave　magistrates；　learned　civilians；　and　of　men　whose　heads　were　filled　with　the　notion　of　the　primitive　times；　to　reform　the　manners　and　luxury　of　women。　It　is　curious　to　see　in　Dio；＇7＇　with　what　art　this　prince　eluded　the　importunate　solicitations　of　those　senators。　This　was　because　he　was　founding　a　monarchy；　and　dissolving　a　republic。

Under　Tiberius；　the　？diles　proposed　in　the　senate　the　re…establishment　of　the　ancient　sumptuary　laws。＇8＇　This　prince；　who　did　not　want　sense；　opposed　it。　〃The　state；〃　said　he；　〃could　not　possibly　subsist　in　the　present　situation　of　things。　How　could　Rome；　how　could　the　provinces；　live？　We　were　frugal；　while　we　were　only　masters　of　one　city；　now　we　consume　the　riches　of　the　whole　globe；　and　employ　both　the　masters　and　their　slaves　in　our　service。〃　He　plainly　saw　that　sumptuary　laws　would　not　suit　the　present　form　of　government。

When　a　proposal　was　made　under　the　same　emperor　to　the　senate；　to　prohibit　the　governors　from　carrying　their　wives　with　them　into　the　provinces；　because　of　the　dissoluteness　and　irregularity　which　followed　those　ladies；　the　proposal　was　rejected。　It　was　said　that　the　examples　of　ancient　austerity　had　been　changed　into　a　more　agreeable　method　of　living。＇9＇　They　found　there　was　a　necessity　for　different　manners。

Luxury　is　therefore　absolutely　necessary　in　monarchies；　as　it　is　also　in　despotic　states。　In　the　former；　it　is　the　use　of　liberty；　in　the　latter；　it　is　the　abuse　of　servitude。　A　slave　appointed　by　his　master　to　tyrannise　over　other　wretches　of　the　same　condition；　uncertain　of　enjoying　tomorrow　the　blessings　of　to…day；　has　no　other　felicity　than　that　of　glutting　the　pride；　the　passions；　and　voluptuousness　of　the　present　moment。

Hence　arises　a　very　natural　reflection。　Republics　end　with　luxury；　monarchies　with　poverty。＇10＇

5。　In　what　Cases　sumptuary　Laws　are　useful　in　a　Monarchy。　Whether　it　was　from　a　republican　spirit；　or　from。　some　other　particular　circumstance；　sumptuary　laws　were　made　in　Aragon；　in　the　middle　of　the　thirteenth　century。　James　the　First　ordained　that　neither　the　king　nor　any　of　his　subjects　should　have　above　two　sorts　of　dishes　at　a　meal；　and　that　each　dish　should　be　dressed　only　one　way；　except　it　were　game　of　their　own　killing。＇11＇

In　our　days；　sumptuary　laws　have　been　also　enacted　in　Sweden；　but　with　a　different　view　from　those　of　Aragon。

A　government　may　make　sumptuary　laws　with　a　view　to　absolute　frugality；　this　is　the　spirit　of　sumptuary　laws　in　republics；　and　the　very　nature　of　the　thing　shows　that　such　was　the　design　of　those　of　Aragon。

Sumptuary　laws　may　likewise　be　established　with　a　design　to　promote　a　relative　frugality：　when　a　government；　perceiving　that　foreign　merchandise；　being　at　too　high　a　price；　will　require　such　an　exportation　of　home　manufactures　as　to　deprive　them　of　more　advantages　by　the　loss　of　the　latter　than　they　can　receive　from　the　possession　of　the　former；　they　will　forbid　their　being　introduced。　And　this　is　the　spirit　of　the　laws　which　in　our　days　have　been　passed　in　Sweden。＇12＇　Such　are　the　sumptuary　laws　proper　for　monarchies。

In　general；　the　poorer　a　state；　the　more　it　is　ruined　by　its　relative　luxury；　and　consequently　the　more　occasion　it　has　for　relative　sumptuary　laws。　The　richer　a　state；　the　more　it　thrives　by　its　relative　luxury；　for　which　reason　it　must　take　particular　care　not　to　make　any　relative　sumptuary　laws。　This　we　shall　better　explain　in　the　book　on　commerce；＇13＇　here　we　treat　only　of　absolute　luxury。

6。　Of　the　Luxury　of　China。　Sumptuary　laws　may；　in　some　governments；　be　necessary　for　particular　reasons。　The　people；　by　the　influence　of　the　climate；　may　grow　so　numerous；　and　the　means　of　subsisting　may　be　so　uncertain；　as　to　render　a　universal　application　to　agriculture　extremely　necessary。　As　luxury　in　those　countries　is　dangerous；　their　sumptuary　laws　should　be　very　severe。　In　order；　therefore；　to　be　able　to　judge　whether　luxury　ought　to　be　encouraged　or　proscribed；　we　should　examine　first　what　relation　there　is　between　the　number　of　people　and　the　facility　they　have　of　procuring　subsistence。　In　England　the　soil　produces　more　grain　than　is　necessary　for　the　maintenance　of　such　as　cultivate　the　land；　and　of　those　who　are　employed　in　the　woollen　manufactures。　This　country　may　be　therefore　allowed　to　have　some　trifling　arts；　and　consequently　luxury。　In　France；　likewise；　there　is　corn　enough　for　the　support　of　the　husbandman　and　of　the　manufacturer。　Besides；　a　foreign　trade　may　bring　in　so　many　necessaries　in　return　for　toys　that　there　is　no　danger　to　be　apprehended　from　luxury。

On　the　contrary；　in　China；　the　women　are　so　prolific；　and　the　huma。n　species　multiplies　so　fast；　that　the　lands；　though　never　so　much　cultivated；　are　scarcely　sufficient　to　support　the　inhabitants。　Here；　therefore；　luxury　is　pernicious；　and　the　spirit　of　industry　and　economy　is　as　requisite　as　in　any　republic。＇14＇　They　are　obliged　to　pursue　the　necessary　arts；　and　to　shun　those　ot　luxury　and　pleasure。

This　is　the　spirit　of　the　excellent　decrees　of　the　Chinese　emperors。　〃Our　ancestors；〃　says　an　emperor　of　the　family　of　the　Tangs＇15＇　〃held　it　as　a　maxim　that　if　there　was　a　man　who　did　not　work；　or　a　woman　that　was　idle；　somebody　must　suffer　cold　or　hunger　in　the　empire。〃　And　on　this　principle　he　ordered　a　vast　number　of　the　monasteries　of　Bonzes　to　be　destroyed。

The　third　emperor　of　the　one…and…twentieth　dynasty；＇16＇　to　whom　some　precious　stones　were　brought　that　had　been　found　in　a　mine；　ordered　it　to