the spirit of laws-第35节

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12。　The　same　Subject　continued。　In　Rome　the　judges　were　chosen　at　first　from　the　order　of　senators。　This　privilege　the　Gracchi　transferred　to　the　knights；　Drusus　gave　it　to　the　senators　and　knights；　Sulla　to　the　senators　only：　Cotta　to　the　senators；　knights；　and　public　treasurers；　C？sar　excluded　the　latter；　Antony　made　decuries　of　senators；　knights；　and　centurions。

When　once　a　republic　is　corrupted；　there　is　no　possibility　of　remedying　any　of　the　growing　evils；　but　by　removing　the　corruption　and　restoring　its　lost　principles；　every　other　correction　is　either　useless　or　a　new　evil。　While　Rome　preserved　her　principles　entire；　the　judicial　power　might　without　any　abuse　be　lodged　in　the　hands　of　senators；　but　as　soon　as　this　city　became　corrupt；　to　whatsoever　body　that　power　was　transferred；　whether　to　the　senate；　to　the　knights；　to　the　treasurers；　to　two　of　those　bodies；　to　all　three　together；　or　to　any　other；　matters　still　went　wrong。　The　knights　had　no　more　virtue　than　the　senate；　the　treasurers　no　more　than　the　knights；　and　these　as　little　as　the　centurions。

After　the　people　of　Rome　had　obtained　the　privilege　of　sharing　the　magistracy　with　the　patricians；　it　was　natural　to　think　that　their　flatterers　would　immediately　become　arbiters　of　the　government。　But　no　such　thing　ever　happened。　　It　was　observable　that　the　very　people　who　had　rendered　the　plebeians　capable　of　public　offices　ever　fixed　their　choice　upon　the　patricians。　Because　they　were　virtuous；　they　were　magnanimous；　and　because　they　were　free；　they　had　a　contempt　of　power。

But　when　their　morals　were　corrupted；　the　more　power　they　were　possessed　of；　the　less　prudent　was　their　conduct；　till　at　length；　upon　becoming　their　own　tyrants　and　slaves；　they　lost　the　strength　of　liberty　to　fall　into　the　weakness　and　impotency　of　licentiousness。

13。　The　Effect　of　an　Oath　among　virtuous　People。　There　is　no　nation；　says　Livy；＇23＇　that　has　been　longer　uncorrupted　than　the　Romans；　no　nation　where　moderation　and　poverty　have　been　longer　respected。

Such　was　the　influence　of　an　oath　among　those　people　that　nothing　bound　them　more　strongly　to　the　laws。　They　often　did　more　for　the　observance　of　an　oath　than　they　would　ever　have　performed　for　the　thirst　of　glory　or　for　the　love　of　their　country。

When　Quintus　Cincinnatus；　the　consul；　wanted　to　raise　an　army　in　the　city　against　the　？qui　and　the　Volsci；　the　tribunes　opposed　him。　〃Well；〃　said　he；　〃let　all　those　who　have　taken　an　oath　to　the　consul　of　the　preceding　year　march　under　my　banner。〃＇24＇　In　vain　did　the　tribunes　cry　out　that　this　oath　was　no　longer　binding；　and　that　when　they　took　it　Quintus　was　but　a　private　person：　the　people　were　more　religious　than　those　who　pretended　to　direct　them；　they　would　not　listen　to　the　distinctions　or　equivocations　of　the　tribunes。

When　the　same　people　thought　of　retiring　to　the　Sacred　Mount；　they　felt　some　remorse　from　the　oath　they　had　taken　to　the　consuls；　that　they　would　follow　them　into　the　field。＇25＇　They　entered　then　into　a　design　of　killing　the　consuls；　but　dropped　it　when　they　were　given　to　understand　that　their　oath　would　still　be　binding。　Now　it　is　easy　to　judge　of　the　notion　they　entertained　of　the　violation　of　an　oath　from　the　crime　they　intended　to　commit。

After　the　battle　of　Cann？；　the　people　were　seized　with　such　a　panic　that　they　would　fain　have　retired　to　Sicily。　But　Scipio　having　prevailed　upon　them　to　swear　they　would　not　stir　from　Rome；　the　fear　of　violating　this　oath　surpassed　all　other　apprehensions。　Rome　was　a　ship　held　by　two　anchors；　religion　and　morality；　in　the　midst　of　a　furious　tempest。

14。　How　the　smallest　Change　of　the　Constitution　is　attended　with　the　Ruin　of　its　Principles。　Aristotle　mentions　the　city　of　Carthage　as　a　well…regulated　republic。　Polybius　tells　us＇26＇　that　there　was　this　inconvenience　at　Carthage　in　the　second　Punic　war；　that　the　senate　had　lost　almost　all　its　authority。　We　are　informed　by　Livy　that　when　Hannibal　returned　to　Carthage　he　found　that　the　magistrates　and　the　principal　citizens　had　abused　their　power；　and　converted　the　public　revenues　to　their　private　emolument。　The　virtue；　therefore；　of　the　magistrates；　and　the　authority　of　the　senate；　both　fell　at　the　same　time；　and　all　was　owing　to　the　same　cause。

Every　one　knows　the　wonderful　effects　of　the　censorship　among　the　Romans。　There　was　a　time　when　it　grew　burdensome；　but　still　it　was　supported　because　there　was　more　luxury　than　corruption。　Claudius＇27＇　weakened　its　authority；　by　which　means　the　corruption　became　greater　than　the　luxury；　and　the　censorship　dwindled　away　of　itself。＇28＇　After　various　interruptions　and　resumptions；　it　was　entirely　laid　aside；　till　it　became　altogether　useless；　that　is；　till　the　reigns　of　Augustus　and　Claudius。

15。　Sure　Methods　of　preserving　the　three　Principles。　I　shall　not　be　able　to　make　myself　rightly　understood　till　the　reader　has　perused　the　four　following　chapters。

16。　Distinctive　Properties　of　a　Republic。　It　is　natural　for　a　republic　to　have　only　a　small　territory；　otherwise　it　cannot　long　subsist。　In　an　extensive　republic　there　are　men　of　large　fortunes；　and　consequently　of　less　moderation；　there　are　trusts　too　considerable　to　be　placed　in　any　single　subject；　he　has　interests　of　his　own；　he　soon　begins　to　think　that　he　may　be　happy　and　glorious；　by　oppressing　his　fellow…citizens；　and　that　he　may　raise　himself　to　grandeur　on　the　ruins　of　his　country。

In　an　extensive　republic　the　public　good　is　sacrificed　to　a　thousand　private　views；　it　is　subordinate　to　exceptions；　and　depends　on　accidents。　In　a　small　one；　the　interest　of　the　public　is　more　obvious；　better　understood；　and　more　within　the　reach　of　every　citizen；　abuses　have　less　extent；　and　of　course　are　less　protected。

The　long　duration　of　the　republic　of　Sparta　was　owing　to　her　having　continued　in　the　same　extent　of　territory　after　all　her　wars。　The　sole　aim　of　Sparta　was　liberty；　and　the　sole　advantage　of　her　liberty；　glory。

It　was　the　spirit　of　the　Greek　republics　to　be　as　contented　with　their　territories　as　with　their　laws。　Athens　was　first　fired　with　ambition　and　gave　it　to　Laced？mon；　but　it　was　an　ambition　rather　of　commanding　a　free　people　than　of　governing　slaves；　rather　of　directing　than　of　breaking　the　union。　All　was　lost　upon　the　starting　up　of　monarchy　　a　government　whose　spirit　is　more　turned　to　increase　of　dominion。

Excepting　particular　circumstances；＇29＇　it　is　difficult　for　any　other　than　a　republican　government　to　subsist　longer　in　a　single　town。　A　prince　of　so　petty　a　state　would　naturally　endeavour　to　oppress　his　subjects；　because　his　power　would　be　great；　while　the　means　of　enjoying　it　or　of　causing　it　to　be　respected　would　be　inconsiderable。　The　consequence　is；　he　would　trample　upon　his　people。　On　the　other　hand；　such　a　prince　might　be　easily　crushed　by　a　foreign　or　even　a　domestic　force；　the　people　might　any　instant　unite　and　rise　up　against　him。　Now　as　soon　as　the　sovereign　of　a　single　town　is　expelled；　the　quarrel　is　over；　but　if　he　has　many　towns；　it　only　begins。

17。　Distinctive　Properties　of　a　Monarchy。　A　monarchical　state　ought　to　be　of　moderate　extent。　Were　it　small；　it　would　form　itself　into　a　republic；　were　it　very　large；　the　nobility；　possessed　of　great　estates；　far　from　the　eye　of　the　prince；　with　a　private　court　of　their　own；　and　secure；　moreover；　from　sudden　executions　by　the　laws　and　manners　of　the　country　　such　a　nobility；　I　say；　might　throw　off　their　allegiance；　having　nothing　to　fear　from　too　slow　and　too　distant　a　punishment。

Thus　Charlemagne　had　scarcely　founded　his　empire　when　he　was　obliged　to　divide　it；　whether　the　governors　of　the　provinces　refused　to　obey；　or　whether；　in　order　to　keep　them　more　under　subjection；　there　was　a　necessity　of　parcelling　the　empire　into　several　kingdoms。

After　the　decease　of　Alexander　his　empire　was　divided。　How　was　it　possible　for　those　Greek　and　Macedonian　chiefs；　who　were　each　of　them　free　and　independent；　or　commanders　at　least　of　the　victorious　bands　dispersed　throughout　that　vast　extent　of　conquered　land　　how　was　it　possible；　I　say；　for　them　to　obey？

Attila's　empire　was　dissolved　soon　after　his　death；　such　a　number　of　kings；　who　were　no　longer　under　restraint；　could　not　resume　their　fetters。

The　sudden　establishment　of　unlimited　power　is　a　remedy；　which　in　those　cases　may　prevent　a　dissolution：　but　how　dreadful　the　remedy；　which　after　the　enlargement　of　dominion　opens　a　new　scene　of　misery！

The　rivers　hasten　to　mingle　their　waters　with　the　sea；　and　monarchies　lose　themselves　in　despotic　power。

18。　Particular　Case　of　the　Spanish　Monarchy。　Let　not　the　example　of　Spain　be　produced　against　me；　it　rather　proves　what　I　affirm。　To　preserve　America　she　did　what　even　despotic　power　itself　does　not　attempt：　she　destroyed　the　inhabitants。　To　preserve　her　colony；　she　was　obliged　to　keep　it　dependent　even　for　its　subsistence。

In　the　Netherlands；　she　essayed　to　render　herself　arbitrary；　and　as　soon　as　she　abandoned　the　attempt；　her　perplexity　increased。　On　the　one　hand　the　Walloons　would　not　be　governed　by　Spaniards；　and　on　the　other；　the　Spanish　soldiers　refused　to　submit　to　Walloon　officers。＇30＇

In　Italy　she　maintained　her　ground；　merely　by　exhausting　herself　and　by　enriching　that　count