the spirit of laws-第76节

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emselves。　I　shall　be　obliged　to　wander　to　the　right　and　to　the　left；　that　I　may　investigate　and　discover　the　truth。

2。　That　it　is　necessary　People's　Minds　should　be　prepared　for　the　Reception　of　the　best　Laws。　Nothing　could　appear　more　insupportable　to　the　Germans　than　the　tribunal　of　Varus。＇1＇　That　which　Justinian＇2＇　erected　amongst　the　Lazi；　to　proceed　against　the　murderers　of　their　king；　appeared　to　them　as　an　affair　most　horrid　and　barbarous。　Mithridates；＇3＇　haranguing　against　the　Romans；　reproached　them　more　particularly　for　their　law　proceedings。＇4＇　The　Parthians　could　not　bear　with　one　of　their　kings　who；　having　been　educated　at　Rome；　rendered　himself　affable　and　easy　of　access　to　all。＇5＇　Liberty　itself　has　appeared　intolerable　to　those　nations　who　have　not　been　accustomed　to　enjoy　it。　Thus　pure　air　is　sometimes　disagreeable　to　such　as　have　lived　in　a　fenny　country。

Baibi；　a　Venetian；　being　at　Pegu；　was　introduced　to　the　king。＇6＇　When　the　monarch　was　informed　that　they　had　no　king　at　Venice；　he　burst　into　such　a　fit　of　laughter　that　he　was　seized　with　a　cough；　and　with　difficulty　could　speak　to　his　courtiers。　What　legislator　could　propose　a　popular　government　to　a　people　like　this？

3。　Of　Tyranny。　There　are　two　sorts　of　tyranny：　one　real；　which　arises　from　oppression；　the　other　is　seated　in　opinion；　and　is　sure　to　be　felt　whenever　those　who　govern　establish　things　shocking　to　the　existing　ideas　of　a　nation。

Dio＇7＇　tells　us　that　Augustus　was　desirous　of　being　called　Romulus；　but　having　been　informed　that　the　people　feared　that　he　would　cause　himself　to　be　crowned　king；　he　changed　his　design。　The　old　Romans　were　averse　to　a　king；　because　they　could　not　suffer　any　man　to　enjoy　such　power；　these　would　not　have　a　king；　because　they　could　not　bear　his　manners。　For　though　C？sar；　the　Triumvirs；　and　Augustus　were　really　invested　with　regal　power；　they　had　preserved　all　the　outward　appearance　of　equality；　while　their　private　lives　were　a　kind　of　contrast　to　the　pomp　and　luxury　of　foreign　monarchs；　so　that　when　the　Romans　were　resolved　to　have　no　king；　this　only　signified　that　they　would　preserve　their　customs；　and　not　imitate　those　of　the　African　and　eastern　nations。

The　same　writer　informs　us　that　the　Romans　were　exasperated　against　Augustus　for　making　certain　laws　which　were　too　severe；　but　as　soon　as　he　had　recalled　Pylades　the　comedian；　whom　the　jarring　of　different　factions　had　driven　out　of　the　city；　the　discontent　ceased。　A　people　of　this　stamp　have　a　more　lively　sense　of　tyranny　when　a　player　is　banished　than　when　they　are　deprived　of　their　laws。

4。　Of　the　general　Spirit　of　Mankind。　Mankind　are　influenced　by　various　causes：　by　the　climate；　by　the　religion；　by　the　laws；　by　the　maxims　of　government；　by　precedents；　morals；　and　customs；　whence　is　formed　a　general　spirit　of　nations。

In　proportion　as；　in　every　country；　any　one　of　these　causes　acts　with　more　force；　the　others　in　the　same　degree　are　weakened。　Nature　and　the　climate　rule　almost　alone　over　the　savages；　customs　govern　the　Chinese；　the　laws　tyrannise　in　Japan；　morals　had　formerly　all　their　influence　at　Sparta；　maxims　of　government；　and　the　ancient　simplicity　of　manners；　once　prevailed　at　Rome。

5。　How　far　we　should　be　attentive　lest　the　general　Spirit　of　a　Nation　be　changed。　Should　there　happen　to　be　a　country　whose　inhabitants　were　of　a　social　temper；　open…hearted；　cheerful；　endowed　with　taste　and　a　facility　in　communicating　their　thoughts；　who　were　sprightly　and　agreeable；　sometimes　imprudent；　often　indiscreet；　and　besides　had　courage；　generosity；　frankness；　and　a　certain　notion　of　honour；　no　one　ought　to　endeavour　to　restrain　their　manners　by　laws；　unless　he　would　lay　a　constraint　on　their　virtues。　If　in　general　the　character　be　good；　the　little　foibles　that　may　be　found　in　it　are　of　small　importance。

They　might　lay　a　restraint　upon　women；　enact　laws　to　reform　their　manners　and　to　reduce　their　luxury；　but　who　knows　but　that　by　these　means　they　might　lose　that　peculiar　taste　which　would　be　the　source　of　the　wealth　of　the　nation；　and　that　politeness　which　would　render　the　country　frequented　by　strangers？

It　is　the　business　of　the　legislature　to　follow　the　spirit　of　the　nation；　when　it　is　not　contrary　to　the　principles　of　government；　for　we　do　nothing　so　well　as　when　we　act　with　freedom；　and　follow　the　bent　of　our　natural　genius。

If　an　air　of　pedantry　be　given　to　a　nation　that　is　naturally　gay；　the　state　will　gain　no　advantage　from　it；　either　at　home　or　abroad。　Leave　it　to　do　frivolous　things　in　the　most　serious　manner；　and　with　gaiety　the　things　most　serious。

6。　That　Everything　ought　not　to　be　corrected。　Let　them　but　leave　us　as　we　are；　said　a　gentleman　of　a　nation　which　had　a　very　great　resemblance　to　that　we　have　been　describing；　and　nature　will　repair　whatever　is　amiss。　She　has　given　us　a　vivacity　capable　of　offending；　and　hurrying　us　beyond　the　bounds　of　respect：　this　same　vivacity　is　corrected　by　the　politeness　it　procures；　inspiring　us　with　a　taste　of　the　world；　and；　above　all；　for　the　conversation　of　the　fair　sex。

Let　them　leave　us　as　we　are；　our　indiscretions　joined　to　our　good　nature　would　make　the　laws　which　should　constrain　our　sociability　not　at　all　proper　for　us。

7。　Of　the　Athenians　and　Laced？monians。　The　Athenians；　this　gentleman　adds；　were　a　nation　that　had　some　relation　to　ours。　They　mingled　gaiety　with　business；　a　stroke　of　raillery　was　as　agreeable　in　the　senate　as　in　the　theatre。　This　vivacity；　which　discovered　itself　in　their　councils；　went　along　with　them　in　the　execution　of　their　resolves。　The　characteristic　of　the　Spartans　was　gravity；　seriousness；　severity；　and　silence。　It　would　have　been　as　difficult　to　bring　over　an　Athenian　by　teasing　as　it　would　a　Spartan　by　diverting　him。

8。　Effects　of　a　sociable　Temper。　The　more　communicative　a　people　are；　the　more　easily　they　change　their　habits；　because　each　is　in　a　greater　degree　a　spectacle　to　the　other　and　the　singularities　of　individuals　are　better　observed。　The　climate　which　influences　one　nation　to　take　pleasure　in　being　communicative；　makes　it　also　delight　in　change；　and　that　which　makes　it　delight　in　change　forms　its　taste。

The　society　of　the　fair　sex　spoils　the　manners　and　forms　the　taste；　the　desire　of　giving　greater　pleasure　than　others　establishes　the　embellishments　of　dress；　and　the　desire　of　pleasing　others　more　than　ourselves　gives　rise　to　fashions。　Thus　fashion　is　a　subject　of　importance；　by　encouraging　a　trifling　turn　of　mind；　it　continually　increases　the　branches　of　its　commerce。＇8＇

9。　Of　the　Vanity　and　Pride　of　Nations。　Vanity　is　as　advantageous　to　a　government　as　pride　is　dangerous。　To　be　convinced　of　this　we　need　only　represent；　on　the　one　hand；　the　numberless　benefits　which　result　from　vanity；　as　industry；　the　arts；　fashions；　politeness；　and　taste；　on　the　other；　the　infinite　evils　which　spring　from　the　pride　of　certain　nations；　as　laziness；　poverty；　a　total　neglect　of　everything　　in　fine；　the　destruction　of　the　nations　which　have　happened　to　fall　under　their　government；　as　well　as　of　their　own。　Laziness　is　the　effect　of　pride；＇9＇　labour；　a　consequence　of　vanity。　The　pride　of　a　Spaniard　leads　him　to　decline　labour；　the　vanity　of　a　Frenchman　to　work　better　than　others。

All　lazy　nations　are　grave；　for　those　who　do　not　labour　regard　themselves　as　the　sovereigns　of　those　who　do。

If　we　search　among　all　nations；　we　shall　find　that　for　the　most　part　gravity；　pride；　and　indolence　go　hand　in　hand。

The　people　of　Achim＇10＇　are　proud　and　lazy；　those　who　have　no　slaves；　hire　one；　if　it　be　only　to　carry　a　quart　of　rice　a　hundred　paces；　they　would　be　dishonoured　if　they　carried　it　themselves。

In　many　places　people　let　their　nails　grow；　that　all　may　see　they　do　not　work。

Women　in　the　Indies＇11＇　believe　it　shameful　for　them　to　learn　to　read：　this　is；　they　say；　the　business　of　their　slaves；　who　sing　their　spiritual　songs　in　the　temples　of　their　pagods。　In　one　tribe　they　do　not　spin；　in　another　they　make　nothing　but　baskets　and　mats；　they　are　not　even　to　pound　rice；　and　in　others　they　must　not　go　to　fetch　water。　These　rules　are　established　by　pride；　and　the　same　passion　makes　them　followed。　There　is　no　necessity　for　mentioning　that　the　moral　qualities；　according　as　they　are　blended　with　others；　are　productive　of　different　effects；　thus　pride；　joined　to　a　vast　ambition　and　notions　of　grandeur；　produced　such　effects　among　the　Romans　as　are　known　to　all　the　world。

10。　Of　the　Character　of　the　Spaniards　and　Chinese。　The　characters　of　the　several　nations　are　formed　of　virtues　and　vices；　of　good　and　bad　qualities。　From　the　happy　mixture　of　these；　great　advantages　result；　and　frequently　where　it　would　be　least　expected；　there　are　others　whence　great　evils　arise　　evils　which　one　would　not　suspect。

The　Spaniards　have　been　in　all　ages　famous　for　their　honesty。　Justin＇12＇　mentions　their　fidelity　in　keeping　whatever　was　entrusted　to　their　care；　they　have　frequently　suffered　death　rather　than　reveal　a　secret。　They　have　still　the　same　fidelity　for　which　they　were　formerly　distinguished。　All　the　nations　who　trade　at　Cadiz　trust　their　fortunes　to　the　Spaniards；　and　have　never　yet　repented　it。　But　this　admirable　quality；　joined　to　their　indolence；　forms　a　mixt