the spirit of laws-第54节

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er　laws；　in　order　to　protect　the　innocence　of　the　subject。　At　Athens；　if　an　accuser　had　not　the　fifth　part　of　the　votes　on　his　side；　he　was　obliged　to　pay　a　fine　of　a　thousand　drachms。　？schines；　who　accused　Ctesiphon；　was　condemned　to　pay　this　fine。＇58＇　At　Rome；　a　false　accuser　was　branded　with　infamy＇59＇　by　marking　the　letter　K　on　his　forehead。　Guards　were　also　appointed　to　watch　the　accuser；　in　order　to　prevent　his　corrupting　either　the　judges　or　the　witnesses。＇60＇

I　have　already　taken　notice　of　that　Athenian　and　Roman　law　by　which　the　party　accused　was　allowed　to　withdraw　before　judgment　was　pronounced。

21。　Of　the　Cruelty　of　Laws　in　respect　to　Debtors　in　a　Republic。　Great　is　the　superiority　which　one　fellow…subject　has　already　over　another；　by　lending　him　money；　which　the　latter　borrows　in　order　to　spend；　and；　of　course；　has　no　longer　in　his　possession。　What　must　be　the　consequence　if　the　laws　of　a　republic　make　a　further　addition　to　this　servitude　and　subjection？

At　Athens　and　Rome＇61＇　it　was　at　first　permitted　to　sell　such　debtors　as　were　insolvent。　Solon　redressed　this　abuse　at　Athens＇62＇　by　ordaining　that　no　man's　body　should　answer　for　his　civil　debts。　But　the　decemvirs＇63＇　did　not　reform　the　same　custom　at　Rome；　and　though　they　had　Solon's　regulation　before　their　eyes；　yet　they　did　not　choose　to　follow　it。　This　is　not　the　only　passage　of　the　law　of　the　Twelve　Tables　in　which　the　decemvirs　show　their　design　of　checking　the　spirit　of　democracy。

Often　did　those　cruel　laws　against　debtors　throw　the　Roman　republic　into　danger。　A　man　covered　with　wounds　made　his　escape　from　his　creditor's　house　and　appeared　in　the　forum。＇64＇　The　people　were　moved　with　this　spectacle；　and　other　citizens　whom　their　creditors　durst　no　longer　confine　broke　loose　from　their　dungeons。　They　had　promises　made　them；　which　were　all　broken。　The　people　upon　this；　having　withdrawn　to　the　Sacred　Mount；　obtained；　not　an　abrogation　of　those　laws；　but　a　magistrate　to　defend　them。　Thus　they　quitted　a　state　of　anarchy；　but　were　soon　in　danger　of　falling　into　tyranny。　Manlius；　to　render　himself　popular；　was　going　to　set　those　citizens　at　liberty　who　by　their　inhuman　creditors＇65＇　had　been　reduced　to　slavery。　Manlius's　designs　were　prevented；　but　without　remedying　the　evil。　Particular　laws　facilitated　to　debtors　the　means　of　paying；＇66＇　and　in　the　year　of　Rome　428　the　consuls　proposed　a　law＇67＇　which　deprived　creditors　of　the　power　of　confining　their　debtors　in　their　own　houses。＇68＇　A　usurer；　by　name　Papirius；　attempted　to　corrupt　the　chastity　of　a　young　man　named　Publius；　whom　he　kept　in　irons。　Sextus's　crime　gave　to　Rome　its　political　liberty；　that　of　Papirius　gave　it　also　the　civil。

Such　was　the　fate　of　this　city；　that　new　crimes　confirmed　the　liberty　which　those　of　a　more　ancient　date　had　procured　it。　Appius's　attempt　upon　Virginia　flung　the　people　again　into　that　horror　against　tyrants　with　which　the　misfortune　of　Lucretia　had　first　inspired　them。　Thirty…seven　years　after＇69＇　the　crime　of　the　infamous　Papirius；　an　action　of　the　like　criminal　nature＇70＇　was　the　cause　of　the　people's　retiring　to　the　Janiculum；＇71＇　and　of　giving　new　vigour　to　the　law　made　for　the　safety　of　debtors。

Since　that　time　creditors　were　oftener　prosecuted　by　debtors　for　having　violated　the　laws　against　usury　than　the　latter　were　sued　for　refusing　to　pay　them。

22。　Of　Things　that　strike　at　Liberty　in　Monarchies。　Liberty　often　has　been　weakened　in　monarchies　by　a　thing　of　the　least　use　in　the　world　to　the　prince：　this　is　the　naming　of　commissioners　to　try　a　private　person。

The　prince　himself　derives　so　very　little　advantage　from　those　commissioners　that　it　is　not　worth　while　to　change　for　their　sake　the　common　course　of　things。　He　is　morally　sure　that　he　has　more　of　the　spirit　of　probity　and　justice　than　his　commissioners；　who　think　themselves　sufficiently　justified　by　his　nomination　and　orders；　by　a　vague　interest　of　state；　and　even　by　their　very　apprehensions。

Upon　the　arraigning　of　a　peer　under　Henry　VIII　it　was　customary　to　try　him　by　a　committee　of　the　House　of　Lords：　by　which　means　he　put　to　death　as　many　peers　as　he　pleased。

23。　Of　Spies　in　Monarchies。　Should　I　be　asked　whether　there　is　any　necessity　for　spies　in　monarchies；　my　answer　would　be　that　the　usual　practice　of　good　princes　is　not　to　employ　them。　When　a　man　obeys　the　laws；　he　has　discharged　his　duty　to　his　prince。　He　ought　at　least　to　have　his　own　house　for　an　asylum；　and　the　rest　of　his　conduct　should　be　exempt　from　inquiry。　The　trade　of　a　spy　might　perhaps　be　tolerable；　were　it　practised　by　honest　men；　but　the　necessary　infamy　of　the　person　is　sufficient　to　make　us　judge　of　the　infamy　of　the　thing。　A　prince　ought　to　act　towards　his　subjects　with　candour；　frankness；　and　confidence。

He　that　has　so　much　disquiet；　suspicion；　and　fear　is　an　actor　embarrassed　in　playing　his　part。　When　he　finds　that　the　laws　are　generally　observed　and　respected；　he　may　judge　himself　safe。　The　behaviour　of　the　public　answers　for　that　of　every　individual。　Let　him　not　be　afraid：　he　cannot　imagine　how　natural　it　is　for　his　people　to　love　him。　And　how　should　they　do　otherwise　than　love　him；　since　he　is　the　source　of　almost　all　bounties　and　favours；　punishments　being　generally　charged　to　the　account　of　the　laws？　He　never　shows　himself　to　his　people　but　with　a　serene　countenance；　they　have　even　a　share　of　his　glory；　and　they　are　protected　by　his　power。　A　proof　of　his　being　beloved　is　that　his　subjects　have　confidence　in　him：　what　the　minister　refuses；　they　imagine　the　prince　would　have　granted。　Even　under　public　calamities　they　do　not　accuse　his　person；　they　are　apt　to　complain　of　his　being　misinformed；　or　beset　by　corrupt　men。　〃Did　the　prince　but　know；〃　say　the　people；　these　words　are　a　kind　of　invocation；　and　a　proof　of　the　confidence　they　have　in　his　person。

24。　Of　Anonymous　Letters。　The　Tartars　are　obliged　to　put　their　names　to　their　arrows；　that　the　arm　may　be　known　which　shoots　them。　When　Philip　of　Macedon　was　wounded　at　the　siege　of　a　certain　town；　these　words　were　found　on　the　javelin；　〃Aster　has　given　this　mortal　wound　to　Philip。〃＇72＇　If　they　who　accuse　a　person　did　it　merely　to　serve　the　public；　they　would　not　carry　their　complaint　to　the　prince；　who　may　be　easily　prejudiced；　but　to　the　magistrates；　who　have　rules　that　are　formidable　only　to　calumniators。　But　if　they　are　unwilling　to　leave　the　laws　open　between　them　and　the　accused；　it　is　a　presumption　they　have　reason　to　be　afraid　of　them；　and　the　least　punishment　they　ought　to　suffer　is　not　to　be　credited。　No　notice；　therefore；　should　ever　be　taken　of　those　letters；　except　in　cases　that　admit　not　of　the　delays　of　the　ordinary　course　of　justice；　and　in　which　the　prince's　welfare　is　concerned。　Then　it　may　be　imagined　that　the　accuser　has　made　an　effort；　which　has　untied　his　tongue。　But　in　other　cases　one　ought　to　say；　with　the　Emperor　Constantius：　〃We　cannot　suspect　a　person　who　has　wanted　an　accuser；　whilst　he　did　not　want　an　enemy。〃＇73＇

25。　Of　the　Manner　of　governing　in　Monarchies。　The　royal　authority　is　a　spring　that　ought　to　move　with　the　greatest　freedom　and　ease。　The　Chinese　boast　of　one　of　their　emperors　who　governed；　they　say；　like　the　heavens；　that　is；　by　his　example。

There　are　some　cases　in　which　a　sovereign　ought　to　exert　the　full　extent　of　his　power；　and　others　in　which　he　should　reduce　it　within　narrower　limits。　The　sublimity　of　administration　consists　in　knowing　the　proper　degree　of　power　which　should　be　exerted　on　different　occasions。

The　whole　felicity　of　monarchies　consists　in　the　opinion　which　the　subjects　entertain　of　the　lenity　of　the　government。　A　weak　minister　is　ever　ready　to　remind　us　of　our　slavery。　But　granting；　even；　that　we　are　slaves；　he　should　endeavour　to　conceal　our　misery　from　us。　All　he　can　say　or　write　is　that　the　prince　is　uneasy；　that　he　is　surprised；　and　that　he　will　redress　all　grievances。　There　is　a　certain　ease　in　commanding；　the　prince　ought　only　to　encourage；　and　let　the　laws　menace。＇74＇

26。　That　in　a　Monarchy　the　Prince　ought　to　be　of　easy　Access。　The　utility　of　this　maxim　will　appear　from　the　inconvenience　attending　the　contrary　practice。　〃The　Czar　Peter　I；〃　says　the　Sieur　Perry；＇75＇　〃has　published　a　new　edict；　by　which　he　forbids　any　of　his　subjects　to　offer　him　a　petition　till　after　having　presented　it　to　two　of　his　officers。　In　case　of　refusal　of　justice　they　may　present　him　a　third；　but　upon　pain　of　death　if　they　are　in　the　wrong。　After　this　no　one　ever　presumed　to　offer　a　petition　to　the　Czar。〃

27。　Of　the　Manners　of　a　Monarch。　The　manners　of　a　prince　contribute　as　much　as　the　laws　themselves　to　liberty；　like　these　he　may　transform　men　into　brutes；　and　brutes　into　men。　If　he　prefers　free　and　generous　spirits；　he　will　have　subjects；　if　he　likes　base；　dastardly　souls；　he　will　have　slaves。　Would　he　know　the　great　art　of　ruling；　let　him　call　honour　and　virtue　to　attend　his　person；　and　let　him　encourage　personal　merit。　He　may　even　sometimes　cast　an　eye　on　talents　and　abilities。　Let　him　not　be　afraid　of　those　rivals　who　are　called　men　of　merit；　he　is　their　equal　when　once　he　loves　them。　Let　him　gain　the　hearts　of　his　people；　without　subduing　their　spirits。　Let　him　render　himself　popular；　he　ought　to　be　please