the spirit of laws-第36节

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In　Italy　she　maintained　her　ground；　merely　by　exhausting　herself　and　by　enriching　that　country。　For　those　who　would　have　been　pleased　to　have　got　rid　of　the　king　of　Spain　were　not　in　a　humour　to　refuse　his　gold。

19。　Distinctive　Properties　of　a　despotic　Government。　A　large　empire　supposes　a　despotic　authority　in　the　person　who　governs。　It　is　necessary　that　the　quickness　of　the　prince's　resolutions　should　supply　the　distance　of　the　places　they　are　sent　to；　that　fear　should　prevent　the　remissness　of　the　distant　governor　or　magistrate；　that　the　law　should　be　derived　from　a　single　person；　and　should　shift　continually；　according　to　the　accidents　which　necessarily　multiply　in　a　state　in　proportion　to　its　extent。

20。　Consequence　of　the　preceding　Chapters。　If　it　be；　therefore；　the　natural　property　of　small　states　to　be　governed　as　a　republic；　of　middling　ones　to　be　subject　to　a　monarch；　and　of　large　empires　to　be　swayed　by　a　despotic　prince；　the　consequence　is；　that　in　order　to　preserve　the　principles　of　the　established　government；　the　state　must　be　supported　in　the　extent　it　has　acquired；　and　that　the　spirit　of　this　state　will　alter　in　proportion　as　it　contracts　or　extends　its　limits。

21。　Of　the　Empire　of　China。　Before　I　conclude　this　book；　I　shall　answer　an　objection　that　may　be　made　to　the　foregoing　doctrine。

Our　missionaries　inform　us　that　the　government　of　the　vast　empire　of　China　is　admirable；　and　that　it　has　a　proper　mixture　of　fear；　honour；　and　virtue。　Consequently　I　must　have　given　an　idle　distinction　in　establishing　the　principles　of　the　three　governments。

But　I　cannot　conceive　what　this　honour　can　be　among　a　people　who　act　only　through　fear　of　being　bastinadoed。＇31＇

Again；　our　merchants　are　far　from　giving　us　any　such　accounts　of　the　virtue　so　much　talked　of　by　the　missionaries；　we　need　only　consult　them　in　relation　to　the　robberies　and　extortions　of　the　mandarins。＇32＇　I　likewise　appeal　to　another　unexceptional　witness；　the　great　Lord　Anson。

Besides；　Father　Perennin's　letters　concerning　the　emperor's　proceedings　against　some　of　the　princes　of　the　blood＇33＇　who　had　incurred　his　displeasure　by　their　conversion；　plainly　show　us　a　settled　plan　of　tyranny；　and　barbarities　committed　by　rule；　that　is；　in　cold　blood。

We　have　likewise　Monsieur　de　Mairan's；　and　the　same　Father　Perennin's；　letters　on　the　government　of　China。　I　find　therefore　that　after　a　few　proper　questions　and　answers　the　whole　mystery　is　unfolded。

Might　not　our　missionaries　have　been　deceived　by　an　appearance　of　order？　Might　not　they　have　been　struck　with　that　constant　exercise　of　a　single　person's　will　　an　exercise　by　which　they　themselves　are　governed；　and　which　they　are　so　pleased　to　find　in　the　courts　of　the　Indian　princes；　because　as　they　go　thither　only　in　order　to　introduce　great　changes；　it　is　much　easier　to　persuade　those　princes　that　there　are　no　bounds　to　their　power；　than　to　convince　the　people　that　there　are　none　to　their　submission。＇34＇

In　fine；　there　is　frequently　some　kind　of　truth　even　in　errors　themselves。　It　may　be　owing　to　particular　and；　perhaps；　very　extraordinary　circumstances　that　the　Chinese　government　is　not　so　corrupt　as　one　might　naturally　expect。　The　climate　and　some　other　physical　causes　may；　in　that　country；　have　had　so　strong　an　influence　on　their　morals　as　in　some　measure　to　produce　wonders。

The　climate　of　China　is　surprisingly　favourable　to　the　propagation　of　the　human　species。＇35＇　The　women　are　the　most　prolific　in　the　whole　world。　The　most　barbarous　tyranny　can　put　no　stop　to　the　progress　of　propagation。　The　prince　cannot　say　there　like　Pharaoh；　〃Let　us　deal　wisely　with　them；　lest　they　multiply。〃　He　would　be　rather　reduced　to　Nero's　wish；　that　mankind　had　all　but　one　head。　In　spite　of　tyranny；　China　by　the　force　of　its　climate　will　be　ever　populous；　and　triumph　over　the　tyrannical　oppressor。

China；　like　all　other　countries　that　live　chiefly　upon　rice；　is　subject　to　frequent　famines。　When　the　people　are　ready　to　starve；　they　disperse　in　order　to　seek　for　nourishment；　in　consequence　of　which；　gangs　of　robbers　are　formed　on　every　side。　Most　of　them　are　extirpated　in　their　very　infancy；　others　swell；　and　are　likewise　suppressed。　And　yet　in　so　great　a　number　of　such　distant　provinces；　some　band　or　other　may　happen　to　meet　with　success。　In　that　case　they　maintain　their　ground；　strengthen　their　party；　form　themselves　into　a　military　body；　march　up　to　the　capital；　and　place　their　leader　on　the　throne。

From　the　very　nature　of　things；　a　bad　administration　is　here　immediately　punished。　The　want　of　subsistence　in　so　populous　a　country　produces　sudden　disorders。　The　reason　why　the　redress　of　abuses　in　other　countries　is　attended　with　such　difficulty　is　because　their　effects　are　not　immediately　felt；　the　prince　is　not　informed　in　so　sudden　and　sensible　a　manner　as　in　China。

The　Emperor　of　China　is　not　taught　like　our　princes　that　if　he　governs　ill　he　will　be　less　happy　in　the　other　life；　less　powerful　and　less　opulent　in　this。　He　knows　that　if　his　government　be　not　just　he　will　be　stripped　both　of　empire　and　life。

As　China　grows　every　day　more　populous；　notwithstanding　the　exposing　of　children；＇36＇　the　inhabitants　are　incessantly　employed　in　tilling　the　lands　for　their　subsistence。　This　requires　a　very　extraordinary　attention　in　the　government。　It　is　their　perpetual　concern　that　every　man　should　have　it　in　his　power　to　work；　without　the　apprehension　of　being　deprived　of　the　fruits　of　his　labour。　Consequently　this　is　not　so　much　a　civil　as　a　domestic　government。

Such　has　been　the　origin　of　those　regulations　which　have　been　so　greatly　extolled。　They　wanted　to　make　the　laws　reign　in　conjunction　with　despotic　power；　but　whatever　is　joined　to　the　latter　loses　all　its　force。　In　vain　did　this　arbitrary　sway；　labouring　under　its　own　inconveniences；　desire　to　be　fettered；　it　armed　itself　with　its　chains；　and　has　become　still　more　terrible。

China　is　therefore　a　despotic　state；　whose　principle　is　fear。　Perhaps　in　the　earliest　dynasties；　when　the　empire　had　not　so　large　an　extent；　the　government　might　have　deviated　a　little　from　this　spirit；　but　the　case　is　otherwise　at　present。

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1。　See　Plutarch　in　Timoleon　and　Dion。

2。　It　was　that　of　the　Six　Hundred；　of　whom　mention　is　made　by　Diodorus；　xix。　5。

3。　Upon　the　expulsions　of　the　tyrants；　they　made　citizens　of　strangers　and　mercenary　troops；　which　gave　rise　to　civil　wars。　　Aristotle；　Politics；　v。　3。　The　people　having　been　the　cause　of　the　victory　over　the　Athenians；　the　republic　was　changed。　　Ibid。；　4。　The　passion　of　two　young　magistrates；　one　of　whom　carried　off　the　other's　boy；　and　in　revenge　the　other　debauched　his　wife；　was　attended　with　a　change　in　the　form　of　this　republic。　　Ibid。

4。　Ibid。

5。　Ibid。

6。　The　aristocracy　is　changed　into　an　oligarchy。

7。　Venice　is　one　of　those　republics　that　has　enacted　the　best　laws　for　correcting　the　inconveniences　of　an　hereditary　aristocracy。

8。　Justin　attributes　the　extinction　of　Athenian　virtue　to　the　death　of　Epaminondas。　Having　no　further　emulation；　they　spent　their　revenues　in　feasts；　frequentius　coenam；　quam　castra　visentes。　Then　it　was　that　the　Macedonians　emerged　from　obscurity；　9；　1。　6。

9。　Compilation　of　works　made　under　the　Mings；　related　by　Father　Du　Halde；　Description　of　China；　ii；　p。　648。

10。　During　the　reign　of　Tiberius　statues　were　erected　to；　and　triumphal　ornaments　conferred　on；　informers；　which　debased　these　honours　to　such　a　degree　that　those　who　had　really　merited　them　disdained　to　accept　them。　Frag。　of　Dio；　lviii。　14；　taken　from　the　Extract　of　Virtues　and　Vices；　by　Constantine　Porphyrogenitus。　See　in　Tacitus　in　what　manner　Nero；　on　the　discovery　and　punishment　of　a　pretended　conspiracy；　bestowed　triumphal　ornaments　on　Petronius　Turpilianus；　Nerva；　and　Tigellinus。　　Annals；　xiv。　72。　See　likewise　how　the　generals　refused　to　serve；　because　they　condemned　the　military　honours：　pervulgatis　triumphi　insignibus　　Ibid。；　xiii。　53。

11。　In　this　state　the　prince　knew　extremely　well　the　principle　of　his　government。

12。　Herodian。

13。　Aristotle；　Politics；　ii。　10。

14。　They　always　united　immediately　against　foreign　enemies；　which　was　called　Syncretism。　　Plutarch　Moralia；　p。　88。

15。　Republic；　ix。

16。　Plutarch；　Whether　a　Man　Advanced　in　Years　Ought　to　Meddle　with　Public　Affairs。

17。　Republic；　v。

18。　The　Gymnic　art　was　divided　into　two　parts；　dancing　and　wrestling。　In　Crete　they　had　the　armed　dances　of　the　Curetes；　at　Sparta　they　had　those　of　Castor　and　Pollux；　at　Athens　the　armed　dances　of　Pallas；　which　were　extremely　proper　for　those　that　were　not　yet　of　age　for　military　service。　Wrestling　is　the　image　of　war；　said　Plato　Laws；　vii。　He　commends　antiquity　for　having　established　only　two　dances；　the　pacific　and　the　Pyrrhic。　See　how　the　latter　dance　was　applied　to　the　military　art；　Plato；　ibid。

19。　Aut　libidinosce。　Lad？as　Lacedamonis　pal？stras。　　Mutual；　iv；　55。

20。　Plutarch；　in　the　treatise　entitled　Questions　Concerning　the　Affairs　of　the　Romans；　question　40。

21。　Ibid。

22。　Plutarch；　Table　Propositions；　book　ii；　question　5。

23。　Book　i；　pref。

24。　Livy；　iii。　20。

25。　Ibid。；　32。

26。　About　a　hundred　years　after。

27。　See　xi；　12。

28。　See　Dio；　xxxviii；