the spirit of laws-第72节

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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　they　live　by　hunting；　their　number　must　be　still　less；　and　in　order　to　find　the　means　of　life　they　must　constitute　a　very　small　nation。

Their　country　commonly　abounds　with　forests；　which；　as　the　inhabitants　have　not　the　art　of　draining　off　the　waters；　are　filled　with　bogs；　here　each　troop　canton　themselves；　and　form　a　petty　nation。

11。　Of　savage　and　barbarous　Nations。　There　is　this　difference　between　savage　and　barbarous　nations：　the　former　are　dispersed　clans；　which　for　some　particular　reason　cannot　be　joined　in　a　body；　and　the　latter　are　commonly　small　nations；　capable　of　being　united。　The　savages　are　generally　hunters；　the　barbarians　are　herdsmen　and　shepherds。

This　appears　plain　in　the　north　of　Asia。　The　people　of　Siberia　cannot　live　in　bodies；　because　they　are　unable　to　find　subsistence；　the　Tartars　may　live　in　bodies　for　some　time；　because　their　herds　and　flocks　may　for　a　time　be　reassembled。　All　the　clans　may　then　be　reunited；　and　this　is　effected　when　one　chief　has　subdued　many　others；　after　which　they　may　do　two　things　　either　separate；　or　set　out　with　a　design　to　make　a　great　conquest　in　some　southern　empire。

12。　Of　the　Law　of　Nations　among　People　who　do　not　cultivate　the　Earth。　As　these　people　do　not　live　in　circumscribed　territories；　many　causes　of　strife　arise　between　them；　they　quarrel　about　waste　land　as　we　about　inheritances。　Thus　they　find　frequent　occasions　for　war；　in　disputes　in　relation　either　to　their　hunting；　their　fishing；　the　pasture　for　their　cattle；　or　the　violent　seizing　of　their　slaves；　and　as　they　are　not　possessed　of　landed　property；　they　have　many　things　to　regulate　by　the　law　of　nations；　and　but　few　to　decide　by　the　civil　law。

13。　Of　the　Civil　Laws　of　those　Nations　who　do　not　cultivate　the　Earth。　The　division　of　lands　is　what　principally　increases　the　civil　code。　Among　nations　where　they　have　not　made　this　division　there　are　very　few　civil　laws。

The　institutions　of　these　people　may　be　called　manners　rather　than　laws。

Among　such　nations　as　these　the　old　men；　who　remember　things　past；　have　great　authority；　they　cannot　there　be　distinguished　by　wealth；　but　by　wisdom　and　valour。

These　people　wander　and　disperse　themselves　in　pasture　grounds　or　in　forests。　Marriage　cannot　there　have　the　security　which　it　has　among　us；　where　it　is　fixed　by　the　habitation；　and　where　the　wife　continues　in　one　house；　they　may　then　more　easily　change　their　wives；　possess　many；　and　sometimes　mix　indifferently　like　brutes。

Nations　of　herdsmen　and　shepherds　cannot　leave　their　cattle；　which　are　their　subsistence；　neither　can　they　separate　themselves　from　their　wives；　who　look　after　them。　All　this　ought；　then；　to　go　together；　especially　as　living　generally　in　a　flat　open　country；　where　there　are　few　places　of　considerable　strength；　their　wives；　their　children；　their　flocks；　may　become　the　prey　of　their　enemies。

The　laws　regulate　the　division　of　plunder；　and　give；　like　our　Salic　laws；　a　particular　attention　to　theft。

14。　Of　the　political　State　of　the　People　who　do　not　cultivate　the　Land。　These　people　enjoy　great　liberty；　for　as　they　do　not　cultivate　the　earth；　they　are　not　fixed：　they　are　wanderers　and　vagabonds；　and　if　a　chief　should　deprive　them　of　their　liberty；　they　would　immediately　go　and　seek　it　under　another；　or　retire　into　the　woods；　and　there　live　with　their　families。　The　liberty　of　the　man　is　so　great　among　these　people　that　it　necessarily　draws　after　it　that　of　the　citizen。

15。　Of　People　who　know　the　Use　of　Money。　Aristippus；　being　cast　away；　swam　and　got　safely　to　the　next　shore；　where；　beholding　geometrical　figures　traced　in　the　sand；　he　was　seized　with　a　transport　of　joy；　judging　that　he　was　among　Greeks；　and　not　in　a　nation　of　barbarians。

Should　you　ever　happen　to　be　cast　by　some　adventure　among　an　unknown　people；　upon　seeing　a　piece　of　money　you　may　be　assured　that　you　have　arrived　in　a　civilised　country。

The　culture　of　lands　requires　the　use　of　money。　This　culture　supposes　many　inventions　and　many　degrees　of　knowledge；　and　we　always　see　ingenuity；　the　arts；　and　a　sense　of　want　making　their　progress　with　an　equal　pace。　All　this　conduces　to　the　establishment　of　a　sign　of　value。

Torrents　and　eruptions　have　made　the　discovery　that　metals　are　contained　in　the　bowels　of　the　earth。＇6＇　When　once　they　have　been　separated；　they　have　easily　been　applied　to　their　proper　use。

16。　Of　Civil　Laws　among　People　who　know　not　the　Use　of　Money。　When　a　people　have　not　the　use　of　money；　they　are　seldom　acquainted　with　any　other　injustice　than　that　which　arises　from　violence；　and　the　weak；　by　uniting；　defend　themselves　from　its　effects。　They　have　nothing　there　but　political　regulations。　But　where　money　is　established；　they　are　subject　to　that　injustice　which　proceeds　from　craft　　an　injustice　that　may　be　exercised　in　a　thousand　ways。　Hence　they　are　forced　to　have　good　civil　laws；　which　spring　up　with　the　new　practices　of　iniquity。

In　countries　where　they　have　no　specie；　the　robber　takes　only　bare　movables；　which　have　no　mutual　resemblance。　But　where　they　make　use　of　money；　the　robber　takes　the　signs；　and　these　always　resemble　each　other。　In　the　former　nothing　can　be　concealed；　because　the　robber　takes　along　with　him　the　proofs　of　his　conviction；　but　in　the　latter　it　is　quite　the　contrary。

17。　Of　political　Laws　among　Nations　who　have　not　the　Use　of　Money。　The　greatest　security　of　the　liberties　of　a　people　who　do　not　cultivate　the　earth　is　their　not　knowing　the　use　of　money。　What　is　gained　by　hunting；　fishing；　or　keeping　herds　of　cattle　cannot　be　assembled　in　such　great　quantity；　nor　be　sufficiently　preserved；　for　one　man　to　find　himself　in　a　condition　to　corrupt　many　others：　but　when；　instead　of　this；　a　man　has　a　sign　of　riches；　he　may　obtain　a　large　quantity　of　these　signs；　and　distribute　them　as　he　pleases。

The　people　who　have　no　money　have　but　few　wants；　and　these　are　supplied　with　ease；　and　in　an　equal　manner。　Equality　is　then　unavoidable；　and　hence　it　proceeds　that　their　chiefs　are　not　despotic。

If　what　travellers　tell　us　be　true；　the　constitution　of　a　nation　of　Louisiana；　called　the　Natches；　is　an　exception　to　this。　Their　chief　disposes　of　the　goods　of　all　his　subjects；　and　obliges　them　to　work　and　toil；　according　to　his　pleasure。＇7＇　He　has　a　power　like　that　of　the　grand　signior；　and　they　cannot　even　refuse　him　their　heads。　When　the　presumptive　heir　enters　the　world；　they　devote　all　the　sucking　children　to　his　service　during　his　life。　One　would　imagine　that　this　is　the　great　Sesostris。　He　is　treated　in　his　cottage　with　as　much　ceremony　as　an　emperor　of　Japan　or　China。

18。　Of　the　Power　of　Superstition。　The　prejudices　of　superstition　are　superior　to　all　others；　and　have　the　strongest　influence　on　the　human　mind。　Thus；　though　the　savage　nations　have　naturally　no　knowledge　of　despotic　tyranny；　still　they　feel　the　weight　of　it。　They　adore　the　sun；　and　if　their　chief　had　not　imagined　that　he　was　the　brother　of　this　glorious　luminary；　they　would　have　thought　him　a　wretch　like　themselves。

19。　Of　the　Liberty　of　the　Arabs　and　the　Servitude　of　the　Tartars。　The　Arabs　and　Tartars　are　nations　of　herdsmen　and　shepherds。　The　Arabs　find　themselves　in　that　situation　of　which　we　have　been　speaking；　and　are　therefore　free；　whilst　the　Tartars　（the　most　singular　people　on　earth）　are　involved　in　a　political　slavery。＇8＇　I　have　already　given　reasons　for　this＇9＇　and　shall　now　assign　some　others。

They　have　no　towns；　no　forests；　and　but　few　marshes；　their　rivers　are　generally　frozen；　and　they　dwell　in　a　level　country　of　an　immense　extent。　They　have　pasture　for　their　herds　and　flocks；　and　consequently　property；　but　they　have　no　kind　of　retreat；　or　place　of　safety。　A　khan　is　no　sooner　overcome　than　they　cut　off　his　head；　his　children　are　treated　in　the　same　manner；＇10＇　and　all　his　subjects　belong　to　the　conqueror。　These　are　not　condemned　to　a　civil　slavery；　for　in　that　case　they　would　be　a　burden　to　a　simple　people；　who　have　no　lands　to　cultivate；　and　no　need　of　any　domestic　service。　They　therefore　add　to　the　bulk　of　the　nation；　but　instead　of　civil　servitude；　a　political　slavery　must　naturally　be　introduced　among　them。

It　is　apparent　that　in　a　country　where　the　several　clans　make　continual　war；　and　are　perpetually　conquering　each　other；　in　a　country　where；　by　the　death　of　the　chief；　the　body　politic　of　the　vanquished　clan　is　always　destroyed；　the　nation　in　general　can　enjoy　but　little　freedom；　for　there　is　not　a　single　party　that　must　not　have　been　often　subdued。

A　conquered　people　may　preserve　some　degree　of　liberty　when；　by　the　strength　of　their　situation；　they　are　in　a　state　that　will　admit　of　capitulating　after　their　defeat。　But　the　Tartars；　always　defenceless；　being　once　overcome；　can　never　be　able　to　obtain　conditions。

I　have　said；　in　chapter　2；　that　the　inhabitants　of　cultivated　plains　are　seldom　free。　Circumstances　have　occurred　to　put　the　Tartars；　who　dwell　in　uncultivated　plains；　in　the　same　situation。

20。　Of　the　Law　of　Nations　as　practised　by　the　Tartars。　The　Tartars　appear　to　be　mild　and　humane　among　themselves；　and　ye