the spirit of laws-第71节

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〃Who　is　there　that　forms　this　goodly　party？〃　said　Cicero　to　Atticus；＇1＇　〃are　they　the　men　of　commerce　and　husbandry？　Let　us　not　imagine　that　these　are　averse　to　monarchy　　these　to　whom　all　governments　are　equal；　as　soon　as　they　bestow　tranquillity。〃

Thus　monarchy　is　more　frequently　found　in　fruitful　countries；　and　a　republican　government　in　those　which　are　not　so；　and　this　is　sometimes　a　sufficient　compensation　for　the　inconveniences　they　suffer　by　the　sterility　of　the　land。

The　barrenness　of　the　Attic　soil　established　there　a　democracy；　and　the　fertility　of　that　of　Laced？monia　an　aristocratic　constitution。　For　in　those　times　Greece　was　averse　to　the　government　of　a　single　person；　and　aristocracy　bore　the　nearest　resemblance　to　that　government。

Plutarch　says＇2＇　that　the　Cilonian　sedition　having　been　appeased　at　Athens；　the　city　fell　into　its　ancient　dissensions；　and　was　divided　into　as　many　parties　as　there　were　kinds　of　land　in　Attica。　The　men　who　inhabited　the　eminences　would；　by　all　means；　have　a　popular　government；　those　of　the　flat；　open　country　demanded　a　government　composed　of　the　chiefs；　and　they　who　were　near　the　sea　desired　a　mixture　of　both。

2。　The　same　Subject　continued。　These　fertile　provinces　are　always　of　a　level　surface；　where　the　inhabitants　are　unable　to　dispute　against　a　stronger　power；　they　are　then　obliged　to　submit；　and　when　they　have　once　submitted；　the　spirit　of　liberty　cannot　return；　the　wealth　of　the　country　is　a　pledge　of　their　fidelity。　But　in　mountainous　districts；　as　they　have　but　little；　they　may　preserve　what　they　have。　The　liberty　they　enjoy；　or；　in　other　words；　the　government　they　are　under；　is　the　only　blessing　worthy　of　their　defence。　It　reigns；　therefore；　more　in　mountainous　and　rugged　countries　than　in　those　which　nature　seems　to　have　most　favoured。

The　mountaineers　preserve　a　more　moderate　government；　because　they　are　not　so　liable　to　be　conquered。　They　defend　themselves　easily；　and　are　attacked　with　difficulty；　ammunition　and　provisions　are　collected　and　carried　against　them　with　great　expense；　for　the　country　furnishes　none。　It　is；　then；　a　more　arduous；　a　more　dangerous；　enterprise　to　make　war　against　them；　and　all　the　laws　that　can　be　enacted　for　the　safety　of　the　people　are　there　of　least　use。

3。　What　Countries　are　best　cultivated。　Countries　are　not　cultivated　in　proportion　to　their　fertility；　but　to　their　liberty；　and　if　we　make　an　imaginary　division　of　the　earth；　we　shall　be　astonished　to　see　in　most　ages　deserts　in　the　most　fruitful　parts；　and　great　nations　in　those　where　nature　seems　to　refuse　everything。

It　is　natural　for　a　people　to　leave　a　bad　soil　to　seek　a　better；　and　not　to　leave　a　good　soil　to　go　in　search　of　worse。　Most　invasions　have；　therefore；　been　made　in　countries　which　nature　seems　to　have　formed　for　happiness；　and　as　nothing　is　more　nearly　allied　than　desolation　and　invasion；　the　best　provinces　are　most　frequently　depopulated；　while　the　frightful　countries　of　the　north　continue　always　inhabited；　from　their　being　almost　uninhabitable。

We　find　by　what　historians　tell　us　of　the　passage　of　the　people　of　Scandinavia　along　the　banks　of　the　Danube　that　this　was　not　a　conquest；　but　only　a　migration　into　desert　countries。

These　happy　climates　must　therefore　have　been　depopulated　by　other　migrations；　though　we　know　not　the　tragic　scenes　that　happened。　〃It　appears　by　many　monuments　of　antiquity；〃　says　Aristotle；＇3＇　〃that　the　Sardinians　were　a　Grecian　colony。　They　were　formerly　very　rich；　and　Aristeus；　so　famed　for　his　love　of　agriculture；　was　their　law…giver。　But　they　have　since　fallen　to　decay；　for　the　Carthaginians；　becoming　their　masters；　destroyed　everything　proper　tor　the　nourishment　of　man；　and　forbade　the　cultivation　of　the　lands　on　pain　of　death。〃　Sardinia　was　not　recovered　in　the　time　of　Aristotle；　nor　is　it　to　this　day。

The　most　temperate　parts　of　Persia；　Turkey；　Muscovy；　and　Poland　have　not　been　able　to　recover　perfectly　from　the　devastations　of　the　Tartars。

4。　New　Effects　of　the　Fertility　and　Barrenness　of　Countries。　The　barrenness　of　the　earth　renders　men　industrious；　sober；　inured　to　hardship；　courageous；　and　fit　for　war；　they　are　obliged　to　procure　by　labour　what　the　earth　refuses　to　bestow　spontaneously。　The　fertility　of　a　country　gives　ease；　effeminacy；　and　a　certain　fondness　for　the　preservation　of　life。　It　has　been　remarked　that　the　German　troops　raised　in　those　places　where　the　peasants　are　rich；　as；　for　instance；　in　Saxony；　are　not　so　good　as　the　others。　Military　laws　may　provide　against　this　inconvenience　by　a　more　severe　discipline。

5。　Of　the　Inhabitants　of　Islands。　The　inhabitants　of　islands　have　a　higher　relish　for　liberty　than　those　of　the　continent。　Islands　are　commonly　of　small　extent；＇4＇　one　part　of　the　people　cannot　be　so　easily　employed　to　oppress　the　other；　the　sea　separates　them　from　great　empires；　tyranny　cannot　so　well　support　itself　within　a　small　compass：　conquerors　are　stopped　by　the　sea；　and　the　islanders；　being　without　the　reach　of　their　arms；　more　easily　preserve　their　own　laws。

6。　Of　Countries　raised　by　the　Industry　of　Man。　Those　countries　which　the　industry　of　man　has　rendered　habitable；　and　which　stand　in　need　of　the　same　industry　to　provide　for　their　subsistence；　require　a　mild　and　moderate　government。　There　are　principally　three　of　this　species：　the　two　fine　provinces　of　Kiang…nan　and　Tsekiang　in　China；　Egypt；　and　Holland。

The　ancient　emperors　of　China　were　not　conquerors。　The　first　thing　they　did　to　aggrandise　themselves　was　what　gave　the　highest　proof　of　their　wisdom。　They　raised　from　beneath　the　waters　two　of　the　finest　provinces　of　the　empire；　these　owe　their　existence　to　the　labour　of　man。　And　it　is　the　inexpressible　fertility　of　these　two　provinces　which　has　given　Europe　such　ideas　of　the　felicity　of　that　vast　country。　But　a　continual　and　necessary　care　to　preserve　from　destruction　so　considerable　a　part　of　the　empire　demanded　rather　the　manners　of　a　wise　than　of　a　voluptuous　nation；　rather　the　lawful　authority　of　a　monarch　than　the　tyrannic　sway　of　a　despotic　prince。　Power　was；　therefore；　necessarily　moderated　in　that　country；　as　it　was　formerly　in　Egypt；　and　as　it　is　now　in　Holland；　which　nature　has　made　to　attend　to　herself；　and　not　to　be　abandoned　to　negligence　or　caprice。

Thus；　in　spite　of　the　climate　of　China；　where　they　are　naturally　led　to　a　servile　obedience；　in　spite　of　the　apprehensions　which　follow　too　great　an　extent　of　empire；　the　first　legislators　of　this　country　were　obliged　to　make　excellent　laws；　and　the　government　was　frequently　obliged　to　follow　them。

7。　Of　human　Industry。　Mankind　by　their　industry；　and　by　the　influence　of　good　laws；　have　rendered　the　earth　more　proper　for　their　abode。　We　see　rivers　flow　where　there　have　been　lakes　and　marshes：　this　is　a　benefit　which　nature　has　not　bestowed；　but　it　is　a　benefit　maintained　and　supplied　by　nature。　When　the　Persians＇5＇　were　masters　of　Asia；　they　permitted　those　who　conveyed　a　spring　to　any　place　which　had　not　been　watered　before　to　enjoy　the　benefit　for　five　generations；　and　as　a　number　of　rivulets　flowed　from　Mount　Taurus；　they　spared　no　expense　in　directing　the　course　of　their　streams。　At　this　day；　without　knowing　how　they　came　thither；　they　are　found　in　the　fields　and　gardens。

Thus；　as　destructive　nations　produce　evils　more　durable　than　themselves；　the　actions　of　an　industrious　people　are　the　source　of　blessings　which　last　when　they　are　no　more。

8。　The　general　Relation　of　Laws。　The　laws　have　a　very　great　relation　to　the　manner　in　which　the　several　nations　procure　their　subsistence。　There　should　be　a　code　of　laws　of　a　much　larger　extent　for　a　nation　attached　to　trade　and　navigation　than　for　people　who　are　content　with　cultivating　the　earth。　There　should　be　a　much　greater　for　the　latter　than　for　those　who　subsist　by　their　flocks　and　herds。　There　must　be　a　still　greater　for　these　than　for　such　as　live　by　hunting。

9。　Of　the　Soil　of　America。　The　cause　of　there　being　such　a　number　of　savage　nations　in　America　is　the　fertility　of　the　earth；　which　spontaneously　produces　many　fruits　capable　of　affording　them　nourishment。　If　the　women　cultivate　a　spot　of　land　around　their　cottages；　the　maize　grows　up　presently；　and　hunting　and　fishing　put　the　men　in　a　state　of　complete　abundance。　Besides；　black　cattle；　as　cows；　buffaloes；　&c。；　thrive　there　better　than　carnivorous　beasts。　The　latter　have　always　reigned　in　Africa。

We　should　not；　I　believe；　have　all　these　advantages　in　Europe　if　the　land　was　left　uncultivated；　it　would　scarcely　produce　anything　besides　forests　of　oaks　and　other　barren　trees。

10。　Of　Population　in　the　Relation　it　bears　to　the　Manner　of　procuring　Subsistence。　Let　us　see　in　what　proportion　countries　are　peopled　where　the　inhabitants　do　not　cultivate　the　earth。　As　the　produce　of　uncultivated　land　is　to　that　of　land　improved　by　culture；　so　the　number　of　savages　in　one　country　is　to　that　of　husbandmen　in　another：　and　when　the　people　who　cultivate　the　land　cultivate　also　the　arts；　this　is　also　in　such　proportions　as　would　require　a　minute　detail。

They　can　scarcely　form　a　great　nation。　If　they　are　herdsmen　and　shepherds；　they　have　need　of　an　extensive　country　to　furnish　subsistence　for　a　small　number；　if　th