the spirit of laws-第67节

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e　has　many　husbands；　for　then　paternal　love　only　is　held　by　this　opinion；　that　a　father　may　believe；　if　he　will；　or　that　others　may　believe；　that　certain　children　belong　to　him。

They　say　that　the　Emperor　of　Morocco　has　women　of　all　colours；　white；　black；　and　tawny；　in　his　seraglio。　But　the　wretch　has　scarcely　need　of　a　single　colour。

Besides；　the　possession　of　so　many　wives　does　not　always　prevent　their　entertaining　desires　for　those　of　others；＇11＇　it　is　with　lust　as　with　avarice；　whose　thirst　increases　by　the　acquisition　of　treasure。

In　the　reign　of　Justinian；　many　philosophers；　displeased　with　the　constraint　of　Christianity；　retired　into　Persia。　What　struck　them　the　most；　says　Agathias；＇12＇　was　that　polygamy　was　permitted　amongst　men　who　did　not　even　abstain　from　adultery。

May　I　not　say　that　a　plurality　of　wives　leads　to　that　passion　which　nature　disallows？　for　one　depravation　always　draws　on　another。　I　remember　that　in　the　revolution　which　happened　at　Constantinople；　when　Sultan　Achmet　was　deposed；　history　says　that　the　people；　having　plundered　the　Kiaya's　house；　found　not　a　single　woman；　they　tell　us　that　at　Algiers；＇13＇　in　the　greatest　part　of　their　seraglios；　they　have　none　at　all。

7。　Of　an　Equality　of　Treatment　in　case　of　many　Wives。　From　the　law　which　permitted　a　plurality　of　wives　followed　that　of　an　equal　behaviour　to　each。　Mahomet；　who　allowed　of　four；　would　have　everything；　as　provisions；　dress；　and　conjugal　duty；　equally　divided　between　them。　This　law　is　also　in　force　in　the　Maldivian　isles；＇14＇　where　they　are　at　liberty　to　marry　three　wives。

The　law　of　Moses＇15＇　even　declares　that　if　any　one　has　married　his　son　to　a　slave；　and　this　son　should　afterwards　espouse　a　free　woman；　her　food；　her　raiment；　and　her　duty　of　marriage　shall　he　not　diminish。　They　might　give　more　to　the　new　wife；　but　the　first　was　not　to　have　less　than　she　had　before。

8。　Of　the　Separation　of　Women　from　Men。　The　prodigious　number　of　wives　possessed　by　those　who　live　in　rich　and　voluptuous　countries　is　a　consequence　of　the　law　of　polygamy。　Their　separation　from　men；　and　their　close　confinement；　naturally　follow　from　the　greatness　of　this　number。　Domestic　order　renders　this　necessary；　thus　an　insolvent　debtor　seeks　to　conceal　himself　from　the　pursuit　of　his　creditors。　There　are　climates　where　the　impulses　of　nature　have　such　force　that　morality　has　almost

none。　If　a　man　be　left　with　a　woman；　the　temptation　and　the　fall　will　be　the　same　thing；　the　attack　certain；　the　resistance　none。　In　these　countries；　instead　of　precepts；　they　have　recourse　to　bolts　and　bars。

One　of　the　Chinese　classic　authors　considers　the　man　as　a　prodigy　of　virtue　who；　finding　a　woman　alone　in　a　distant　apartment；　can　forbear　making　use　of　force。＇16＇

9。　Of　the　Connection　between　domestic　and　political　Government。　In　a　republic　the　condition　of　citizens　is　moderate；　equal；　mild；　and　agreeable；　everything　partakes　of　the　benefit　of　public　liberty。　An　empire　over　the　women　cannot；　among　them；　be　so　well　exerted；　and　where　the　climate　demands　this　empire；　it　is　most　agreeable　to　a　monarchical　government。　This　is　one　of　the　reasons　why　it　has　ever　been　difficult　to　establish　a　popular　government　in　the　East。

On　the　contrary；　the　slavery　of　women　is　perfectly　conformable　to　the　genius　of　a　despotic　government；　which　delights　in　treating　all　with　severity。　Thus　at　all　times　have　we　seen　in　Asia　domestic　slavery　and　despotic　government　walk　hand　in　hand　with　an　equal　pace。

In　a　government　which　requires；　above　all　things；　that　a　particular　regard　be　paid　to　its　tranquillity；　and　where　the　extreme　subordination　calls　for　peace；　it　is　absolutely　necessary　to　shut　up　the　women；　for　their　intrigues　would　prove　fatal　to　their　husbands。　A　government　which　has　not　time　to　examine　into　the　conduct　of　its　subjects　views　them　with　a　suspicious　eye；　only　because　they　appear　and　suffer　themselves　to　be　known。

Let　us　only　suppose　that　the　levity　of　mind；　the　indiscretions；　the　tastes　and　caprices　of　our　women；　attended　by　their　passions　of　a　higher　and　a　lower　kind；　with　all　their　active　fire；　and　in　that　full　liberty　with　which　they　appear　amongst　us；　were　conveyed　into　an　eastern　government；　where　would　be　the　father　of　a　family　who　could　enjoy　a　moment's　repose？　The　men　would　be　everywhere　suspected；　everywhere　enemies；　the　state　would　be　overturned；　and　the　kingdom　overflowed　with　rivers　of　blood。

10。　The　Principle　on　which　the　Morals　of　the　East　are　founded。　In　the　case　of　a　multiplicity　of　wives；　the　more　a　family　ceases　to　be　united；　the　more　ought　the　laws　to　reunite　its　detached　parts　in　a　common　centre；　and　the　greater　the　diversity　of　interests；　the　more　necessary　is　it　for　the　laws　to　bring　them　back　to　a　common　interest。

This　is　more　particularly　done　by　confinement。　The　women　should　not　only　be　separated　from　the　men　by　the　walls　of　the　house；　but　they　ought　also　to　be　separated　in　the　same　enclosure；　in　such　a　manner　that　each　may　have　a　distinct　household　in　the　same　family。　Hence　each　derives　all　that　relates　to　the　practice　of　morality；　modesty；　chastity；　reserve；　silence；　peace；　dependence；　respect；　and　love；　and；　in　short；　a　general　direction　of　her　thoughts　to　that　which；　in　its　own　nature；　is　a　thing　of　the　greatest　importance；　a　single　and　entire　attachment　to　her　family。

Women　have　naturally　so　many　duties　to　fulfil　　duties　which　are　peculiarly　theirs　　that　they　cannot　be　sufficiently　excluded　from　everything　capable　of　inspiring　other　ideas；　from　everything　that　goes　by　the　name　of　amusements；　and　from　everything　which　we　call　business。

We　find　the　manners　more　pure　in　the　several　parts　of　the　East；　in　proportion　as　the　confinement　of　women　is　more　strictly　observed。　In　great　kingdoms　there　are　necessarily　great　lords。　The　greater　their　wealth；　the　more　enlarged　is　their　ability　of　keeping　their　wives　in　an　exact　confinement；　and　of　preventing　them　from　entering　again　into　society。　Hence　it　proceeds　that　in　the　empires　of　Turkey；　Persia；　of　the　Mogul；　China；　and　Japan；　the　manners　of　their　wives　are　admirable。

But　the　case　is　not　the　same　in　India；　where　a　multitude　of　islands　and　the　situation　of　the　land　have　divided　the　country　into　an　infinite　number　of　petty　states；　which　from　causes　that　we　have　not　here　room　to　mention　are　rendered　despotic。

There　are　none　there　but　wretches；　some　pillaging　and　others　pillaged。　Their　grandees　have　very　moderate　fortunes；　and　those　whom　they　call　rich　have　only　a　bare　subsistence。　The　confinement　of　their　women　cannot　therefore　be　very　strict；　nor　can　they　make　use　of　any　great　precautions　to　keep　them　within　due　bounds；　hence　it　proceeds　that　the　corruption　of　their　manners　is　scarcely　to　be　conceived。

We　may　there　see　to　what　an　extreme　the　vices　of　a　climate　indulged　in　full　liberty　will　carry　licentiousness。　It　is　there　that　nature　has　a　force　and　modesty　a　weakness；　which　exceeds　all　comprehension。　At　Patan＇17＇　the　wanton　desires　of　the　women　are　so　outrageous；　that　the　men　are　obliged　to　make　use　of　a　certain　apparel　to　shelter　them　from　their　designs。＇18＇　According　to　Mr。　Smith；＇19＇　things　are　not　better　conducted　in　the　petty　kingdoms　of　Guinea。　In　these　countries　the　two　sexes　lose　even　those　laws　which　properly　belong　to　each。

11。　Of　domestic　Slavery　independently　of　Polygamy。　It　is　not　only　a　plurality　of　wives　which　in　certain　places　of　the　East　requires　their　confinement；　but　also　the　climate　itself。　Those　who　consider　the　horrible　crimes；　the　treachery；　the　dark　villainies；　the　poisonings；　the　assassinations；　which　the　liberty　of　women　has　occasioned　at　Goa　and　in　the　Portuguese　settlements　in　the　Indies；　where　religion　permits　only　one　wife；　and　who　compare　them　with　the　innocence　and　purity　of　manners　of　the　women　of　Turkey；　Persia；　Hindostan；　China；　and　Japan；　will　clearly　see　that　it　is　frequently　as　necessary　to　separate　them　from　the　men；　when　they　have　but　one；　as　when　they　have　many。

These　are　things　which　ought　to　be　decided　by　the　climate。　What　purpose　would　it　answer　to　shut　up　women　in　our　northern　countries；　where　their　manners　are　naturally　good；　where　all　their　passions　are　calm；　and　where　love　rules　over　the　heart　with　so　regular　and　gentle　an　empire　that　the　least　degree　of　prudence　is　sufficient　to　conduct　it？

It　is　a　happiness　to　live　in　those　climates　which　permit　such　freedom　of　converse；　where　that　sex　which　has　most　charms　seems　to　embellish　society；　and　where　wives；　reserving　themselves　for　the　pleasures　of　one；　contribute　to　the　amusement　of　all。

12。　Of　natural　Modesty。　All　nations　are　equally　agreed　in　fixing　contempt　and　ignominy　on　the　incontinence　of　women。　Nature　has　dictated　this　to　all。　She　has　established　the　attack；　and　she　has　established　too　the　resistance；　and　having　implanted　desires　in　both；　she　has　given　to　the　one　boldness；　and　to　the　other　shame。　To　individuals　she　has　granted　a　long　succession　of　years　to　attend　to　their　preservation：　but　to　continue　the　species；　she　has　granted　only　a　moment。

It　is　then　far　from　being　true　that　to　be　incontinent　is　to　follow　the　laws　of　nature；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　a　violation　of　these　laws；　which　can　be　observed　only　by　behaving　with　modesty　and　discretion。

Besides；　it　is　nat