the spirit of laws-第80节

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ere　conquered；　have　a　new　motive　to　make　fresh　efforts　in　defence　of　its　liberty。

This　nation；　inhabiting　an　island；　is　not　fond　of　conquering；　because　it　would　be　weakened　by　distant　conquests　　especially　as　the　soil　of　the　island　is　good；　for　it　has　then　no　need　of　enriching　itself　by　war；　and　as　no　citizen　is　subject　to　another；　each　sets　a　greater　value　on　his　own　liberty　than　on　the　glory　of　one　or　any　number　of　citizens。

Military　men　are　there　regarded　as　belonging　to　a　profession　which　may　be　useful　but　is　often　dangerous；　and　as　men　whose　very　services　are　burdensome　to　the　nation：　civil　qualifications　are　therefore　more　esteemed　than　the　military。

This　nation；　which　liberty　and　the　laws　render　easy；　on　being　freed　from　pernicious　prejudices；　has　become　a　trading　people；　and　as　it　has　some　of　those　primitive　materials　of　trade　out　of　which　are　manufactured　such　things　as　from　the　artist's　hand　receive　a　considerable　value；　it　has　made　settlements　proper　to　procure　the　enjoyment　of　this　gift　of　heaven　in　its　fullest　extent。

As　this　nation　is　situated　towards　the　north；　and　has　many　superfluous　commodities；　it　must　want　also　a　great　amount　of　merchandise　which　its　climate　will　not　produce：　it　has　therefore　entered　into　a　great　and　necessary　intercourse　with　the　southern　nations；　and　making　choice　of　those　states　whom　it　is　willing　to　favour　with　an　advantageous　commerce；　it　enters　into　such　treaties　with　the　nation　it　has　chosen　as　are　reciprocally　useful　to　both。

In　a　state　where；　on　the　one　hand；　the　opulence　is　extreme；　and　on　the　other　the　taxes　are　excessive；　they　are　hardly　able　to　live　on　a　small　fortune　without　industry。　Many；　therefore；　under　a　pretence　of　travelling；　or　of　health；　retire　from　among　them；　and　go　in　search　of　plenty；　even　to　the　countries　of　slavery。

A　trading　nation　has　a　prodigious　number　of　little　particular　interests；　it　may　then　injure　or　be　injured　in　an　infinite　number　of　ways。　Thus　it　becomes　immoderately　jealous；　and　is　more　afflicted　at　the　prosperity　of　others　than　it　rejoices　at　its　own。

And　its　laws；　otherwise　mild　and　easy；　may　be　so　rigid　with　respect　to　the　trade　and　navigation　carried　on　with　it；　that　it　may　seem　to　trade　only　with　enemies。

If　this　nation　sends　colonies　abroad；　it　must　rather　be　to　extend　its　commerce　than　its　dominion。

As　men　are　fond　of　introducing　into　other　places　what　they　have　established　among　themselves；　they　have　given　the　people　of　the　colonies　their　own　form　of　government；　and　this　government　carrying　prosperity　along　with　it；　they　have　raised　great　nations　in　the　forests　they　were　sent　to　inhabit。

Having　formerly　subdued　a　neighbouring　nation；　which　by　its　situation；　the　goodness　of　its　ports；　and　the　nature　of　its　products；　inspires　it　with　jealousy；　though　it　has　given　this　nation　its　own　laws；　yet　it　holds　it　in　great　dependence：　the　subjects　there　are　free　and　the　state　itself　in　slavery。

The　conquered　state　has　an　excellent　civil　government；　but　is　oppressed　by　the　law　of　nations。　Laws　are　imposed　by　one　country　on　the　other；　and　these　are　such　as　render　its　prosperity　precarious　and　dependent　on　the　will　of　a　master。

The　ruling　nation　inhabiting　a　large　island；　and　being　in　possession　of　a　great　trade；　has　with　extraordinary　ease　grown　powerful　at　sea；　and　as　the　preservation　of　its　liberties　requires　that　it　should　have　neither　strongholds　nor　fortresses　nor　land　forces；　it　has　occasion　for　a　formidable　navy　to　defend　it　against　invasions；　a　navy　which　must　be　superior　to　that　of　all　other　powers；　who；　employing　their　treasures　in　wars　on　land；　have　not　sufficient　for　those　at　sea。

The　empire　of　the　sea　has　always　given　those　who　have　enjoyed　it　a　natural　pride；　because；　thinking　themselves　capable　of　extending　their　insults　wherever　they　please；　they　imagine　that　their　power　is　as　boundless　as　the　ocean。

This　nation　has　a　great　influence　in　the　affairs　of　its　neighbours；　for　as　its　power　is　not　employed　in　conquests；　its　friendship　is　more　courted；　and　its　resentment　more　dreaded；　than　could　naturally　be　expected　from　the　inconstancy　of　its　government；　and　its　domestic　divisions。

Thus　it　is　the　fate　of　the　executive　power　to　be　almost　always　disturbed　at　home　and　respected　abroad。

Should　this　nation　on　some　occasions　become　the　centre　of　the　negotiations　of　Europe；　probity　and　good　faith　would　be　carried　to　a　greater　height　than　in　other　places；　because　the　ministers　being　frequently　obliged　to　justify　their　conduct　before　a　popular　council；　their　negotiations　could　not　be　secret；　and　they　would　be　forced　to　be；　in　this　respect；　a　little　more　honest。

Besides；　as　they　would　in　some　sort　be　answerable　for　the　events　which　an　irregular　conduct　might　produce；　the　surest；　the　safest　way　for　them　would　be　to　take　the　straightest　path。

If　the　nobles　were　formerly　possessed　of　an　immoderate　power；　and　the　monarch　had　found　the　means　of　abasing　them　by　raising　the　people；　the　point　of　extreme　servitude　must　have　been　that　between　humbling　the　nobility　and　that　in　which　the　people　began　to　feel　their　power。

Thus　this　nation；　having　been　formerly　subject　to　an　arbitrary　power；　on　many　occasions　preserves　the　style　of　it；　in　such　a　manner　as　to　let　us　frequently　see　upon　the　foundation　of　a　free　government　the　form　of　an　absolute　monarchy。

With　regard　to　religion；　as　in　this　state　every　subject　has　a　free　will；　and　must　consequently　be　either　conducted　by　the　light　of　his　own　mind　or　by　the　caprice　of　fancy；　it　necessarily　follows　that　every　one　must　either　look　upon　all　religion　with　indifference；　by　which　means　they　are　led　to　embrace　the　established　religion；　or　they　must　be　zealous　for　religion　in　general；　by　which　means　the　number　of　sects　is　increased。

It　is　not　impossible　but　that　in　this　nation　there　may　be　men　of　no　religion；　who　would　not；　however；　bear　to　be　obliged　to　change　that　which　they　would　choose；　if　they　cared　to　choose　any；　for　they　would　immediately　perceive　that　their　lives　and　fortunes　are　not　more　peculiarly　theirs　than　their　manner　of　thinking；　and　that　whoever　would　deprive　them　of　the　one　might　even　with　better　reason　take　away　the　other。

If；　among　the　different　religions；　there　is　one　that　has　been　attempted　to　be　established　by　methods　of　slavery；　it　must　there　be　odious；　because　as　we　judge　of　things　by　the　appendages　we　join　with　them；　it　could　never　present　itself　to　the　mind　in　conjunction　with　the　idea　of　liberty。

The　laws　against　those　who　profess　this　religion　could　not；　however；　be　of　the　sanguinary　kind；　for　liberty　can　never　inflict　such　punishments；　but　they　may　be　so　rigorous　as　to　do　all　the　mischief　that　can　be　done　in　cold　blood。

It　is　possible　that　a　thousand　circumstances　might　concur　to　give　the　clergy　so　little　credit；　that　other　citizens　may　have　more。　Therefore；　instead　of　a　separation；　they　have　chosen　rather　to　support　the　same　burdens　as　the　laity；　and　in　this　respect　to　make　only　one　body　with　them；　but　as　they　always　seek　to　conciliate　the　respect　of　the　people；　they　distinguish　themselves　by　a　more　retired　life；　a　conduct　more　reserved；　and　a　greater　purity　of　manners。

The　clergy　not　being　able　to　protect　religion；　nor　to　be　protected　by　it；　only　seek　to　persuade；　their　pens　therefore　furnish　us　with　excellent　works　in　proof　of　a　revelation　and　of　the　providence　of　the　Supreme　Being。

Yet　the　state　prevents　the　sitting　of　their　assemblies；　and　does　not　suffer　them　to　correct　their　own　abuses；　it　chooses　thus；　through　a　caprice　of　liberty；　rather　to　leave　their　reformation　imperfect　than　to　suffer　the　clergy　to　be　the　reformers。

Those　dignities　which　make　a　fundamental　part　of　the　constitution　are　more　fixed　than　elsewhere；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　the　great　in　this　country　of　liberty　are　nearer　upon　a　level　with　the　people；　their　ranks　are　more　separated；　and　their　persons　more　confounded。

As　those　who　govern　have　a　power　which；　in　some　measure；　has　need　of　fresh　vigour　every　day；　they　have　a　greater　regard　for　such　as　are　useful　to　them　than　for　those　who　only　contribute　to　their　amusement：　we　see；　therefore；　fewer　courtiers；　flatterers；　and　parasites；　in　short；　fewer　of　all　those　who　make　their　own　advantage　of　the　folly　of　the　great。

Men　are　less　esteemed　for　frivolous　talents　and　attainments　than　for　essential　qualities；　and　of　this　kind　there　are　but　two；　riches　and　personal　merit。

They　enjoy　a　solid　luxury；　founded；　not　on　the　refinements　of　vanity；　but　on　that　of　real　wants；　they　ask　nothing　of　nature　but　what　nature　can　bestow。

The　rich　enjoy　a　great　superfluity　of　fortune；　and　yet　have　no　relish　for　frivolous　amusements；　thus；　many　having　more　wealth　than　opportunities　of　expense；　employ　it　in　a　fantastic　manner：　in　this　nation　they　have　more　judgment　than　taste。

As　they　are　always　employed　about　their　own　interest；　they　have　not　that　politeness　which　is　founded　on　indolence；　and　they　really　have　not　leisure　to　attain　it。

The　era　of　Roman　politeness　is　the　same　as　that　of　the　establishment　of　arbitrary　power。　An　absolute　government　produces　indolence；　and　this　gives　birth　to　politeness。

The　more　people　there　are　in　a　nation　who　require　circumspect　behaviour；　and　care　not　to　displease；　the　more　there　is　o