the spirit of laws-第81节

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The　more　people　there　are　in　a　nation　who　require　circumspect　behaviour；　and　care　not　to　displease；　the　more　there　is　of　politeness。　But　it　is　rather　the　politeness　of　morals　than　that　of　manners　which　ought　to　distinguish　us　from　barbarous　nations。

In　a　country　where　every　man　has；　in　some　sort；　a　share　in　the　administration　of　the　government；　the　women　ought　scarcely　to　live　with　the　men。　They　are　therefore　modest；　that　is；　timid；　and　this　timidity　constitutes　their　virtue：　whilst　the　men　without　a　taste　for　gallantry　plunge　themselves　into　a　debauchery；　which　leaves　them　at　leisure；　and　in　the　enjoyment　of　their　full　liberty。

Their　laws　not　being　made　for　one　individual　more　than　another；　each　considers　himself　a　monarch；　and；　indeed；　the　men　of　this　nation　are　rather　confederates　than　fellow…subjects。

As　the　climate　has　given　many　persons　a　restless　spirit　and　extended　views；　in　a　country　where　the　constitution　gives　every　man　a　share　in　its　government　and　political　interests；　conversation　generally　turns　upon　politics：　and　we　see　men　spend　their　lives　in　the　calculation　of　events　which；　considering　the　nature　of　things　and　the　caprices　of　fortune；　or　rather　of　men；　can　scarcely　be　thought　subject　to　the　rules　of　calculation。

In　a　free　nation　it　is　very　often　a　matter　of　indifference　whether　individuals　reason　well　or　ill；　it　is　sufficient　that　they　do　reason：　hence　springs　that　liberty　which　is　a　security　from　the　effects　of　these　reasonings。

But　in　a　despotic　government；　it　is　equally　pernicious　whether　they　reason　well　or　ill；　their　reasoning　is　alone　sufficient　to　shock　the　principle　of　that　government。

Many　people　who　have　no　desire　of　pleasing　abandon　themselves　to　their　own　particular　humour；　and　most　of　those　who　have　wit　and　ingenuity　are　ingenious　in　tormenting　themselves：　filled　with　contempt　or　disgust　for　all　things；　they　are　unhappy　amidst　all　the　blessings　that　can　possibly　contribute　to　promote　their　felicity。

As　no　subject　fears　another；　the　whole　nation　is　proud；　for　the　pride　of　kings　is　founded　only　on　their　independence。

Free　nations　are　haughty；　others　may　more　properly　be　called　vain。

But　as　these　men　who　are　naturally　so　proud　live　much　by　themselves；　they　are　commonly　bashful　when　they　appear　among　strangers；　and　we　frequently　see　them　behave　for　a　considerable　time　with　an　odd　mixture　of　pride　and　ill…placed　shame。

The　character　of　the　nation　is　more　particularly　discovered　in　their　literary　performances；　in　which　we　find　the　men　of　thought　and　deep　meditation。

As　society　gives　us　a　sense　of　the　ridicule　of　mankind；　retirement　renders　us　more　fit　to　reflect　on　the　folly　of　vice。　Their　satirical　writings　are　sharp　and　severe；　and　we　find　among　them　many　Juvenals；　without　discovering　one　Horace。

In　monarchies　extremely　absolute；　historians　betray　the　truth；　because　they　are　not　at　liberty　to　speak　it；　in　states　remarkably　free；　they　betray　the　truth；　because　of　their　liberty　itself；　which　always　produces　divisions；　every　one　becoming　as　great　a　slave　to　the　prejudices　of　his　faction　as　he　could　be　in　a　despotic　state。

Their　poets　have　more　frequently　an　original　rudeness　of　invention　than　that　particular　kind　of　delicacy　which　springs　from　taste；　we　there　find　something　which　approaches　nearer　to　the　bold　strength　of　a　Mich？l　Angelo　than　to　the　softer　graces　of　a　Raph？l。

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1。　They　cut　out　the　tongues　of　the　advocates；　and　cried；　〃Viper；　don't　hiss。〃　　Tacitus。

2。　Agathias；　iv。

3。　Justin；　xxxviii。

4。　Calumnias　litium　　Ibid。

5。　Tacitus。

6。　He　has　described　this　interview；　which　happened　in　1596；　in　the　Collection　of　Voyages　that　Contributed　to　the　Establishment　of　the　East　India　Company；　iii；　part　I；　p。　33。

7。　Book　liv。　17；　p。　532。

8。　Fable　of　the　Bees。

9。　The　people　who　follow　the　khan　of　Malacamber；　those　of　Carnataca　and　Coromandel；　are　proud　and　indolent；　they　consume　little；　because　they　are　miserably　poor；　while　the　subjects　of　the　Mogul　and　the　people　of　Hindostan　employ　themselves；　and　enjoy　the　conveniences　of　life；　like　the　Europeans。　　Collection　of　Voyages　that　Contributed　to　the　Establishment　of　the　East　India　Company；　i；　p。　54。

10。　See　Dampier；　iii。

11。　Edifying　Letters；　coll。　xil；　p。　80。

12。　Book　xliii。　2。

13。　By　the　nature　of　the　soil　and　climate。

14。　Father　Du　Halde；　ii。

15。　Father　Du　Halde。

16。　Moses　made　the　same　code　for　laws　and　religion。　The　old　Romans　confounded　the　ancient　customs　with　the　laws。

17。　See　Father　Du　Halde。

18。　See　the　classic　books　from　which　Father　Du　Halde　gives　us　some　excellent　extracts。

19。　It　is　this　which　has　established　emulation；　which　has　banished　laziness；　and　cultivated　a　love　of　learning。

20。　See　the　reasons　given　by　the　Chinese　magistrates　in　their　decrees　for　proscribing　the　Christian　religion。　Edifying　Letters；　coll。　xvii。

21。　See　iv。　3；　xix。　13。

22。　See　xxiv。　3。

23。　Lange；　Journal　in　1721　and　1722；　in　Voyages　to　the　North；　viii；　p。　363。

24。　Plutarch；　Solon。

25。　Laws；　xii。

26。　Ibid。；　xii。

27。　In　simplum。

28。　Livy；　xxxviii。

29。　Institutes；　ii。　tit。　6；　§　2。　Ozel's　compilation；　Leyden；　1658。

30。　Ibid。；　ii。；　De　Pupil。　substit。　§　3。

31。　The　form　of　the　vulgar　substitution　ran　thus：　〃If　such　a　one　is　unwilling　to　take　the　inheritance；　I　substitute　in　his　stead；〃　&c。；　the　pupillary　substitution：　〃If　such　a　one　dies　before　he　arrives　at　the　age　of　puberty；　I　substitute；〃　&c。

32。　Book　iii；　tit。　5；　§　5。

33。　Leg。　8；　Cod。；　De　Repud。

34。　And　the　law　of　the　Twelve　Tables。　See　Cicero；　Philipp。；　ii。　69。

35。　Si　verberibus　qua　ingenuis　aliena　sunt；　afficientem　probaverit。

36。　In　Nov。　117；　cap。　xiv。

37。　Chapter　6。




Book　XX。　Of　Laws　in　Relation　to　Commerce；　Considered　in　its　Nature　and　Distinctions

1。　Of　Commerce。　The　following　subjects　deserve　to　be　treated　in　a　more　extensive　manner　than　the　nature　of　this　work　will　permit。　Fain　would　I　glide　down　a　gentle　river；　but　I　am　carried　away　by　a　torrent。

Commerce　is　a　cure　for　the　most　destructive　prejudices；　for　it　is　almost　a　general　rule　that　wherever　we　find　agreeable　manners；　there　commerce　flourishes；　and　that　wherever　there　is　commerce；　there　we　meet　with　agreeable　manners。

Let　us　not　be　astonished；　then；　if　our　manners　are　now　less　savage　than　formerly。　Commerce　has　everywhere　diffused　a　knowledge　of　the　manners　of　all　nations：　these　are　compared　one　with　another；　and　from　this　comparison　arise　the　greatest　advantages。

Commercial　laws；　it　may　be　said；　improve　manners　tor　the　same　reason　that　they　destroy　them。　They　corrupt　the　purest　morals。＇1＇　This　was　the　subject　of　Plato's　complaints；　and　we　every　day　see　that　they　polish　and　refine　the　most　barbarous。

2。　Of　the　Spirit　of　Commerce。　Peace　is　the　natural　effect　of　trade。　Two　nations　who　traffic　with　each　other　become　reciprocally　dependent；　for　if　one　has　an　interest　in　buying；　the　other　has　an　interest　in　selling：　and　thus　their　union　is　founded　on　their　mutual　necessities。

But　if　the　spirit　of　commerce　unites　nations；　it　does　not　in　the　same　manner　unite　individuals。　We　see　that　in　countries＇2＇　where　the　people　move　only　by　the　spirit　of　commerce；　they　make　a　traffic　of　all　the　humane；　all　the　moral　virtues；　the　most　trifling　things；　those　which　humanity　would　demand；　are　there　done；　or　there　given；　only　for　money。

The　spirit　of　trade　produces　in　the　mind　of　a　man　a　certain　sense　of　exact　justice；　opposite；　on　the　one　hand；　to　robbery；　and　on　the　other　to　those　moral　virtues　which　forbid　our　always　adhering　rigidly　to　the　rules　of　private　interest；　and　suffer　us　to　neglect　this　for　the　advantage　of　others。

The　total　privation　of　trade；　on　the　contrary；　produces　robbery；　which　Aristotle　ranks　in　the　number　of　means　of　acquiring；　yet　it　is　not　at　all　inconsistent　with　certain　moral　virtues。　Hospitality；　for　instance；　is　most　rare　in　trading　countries；　while　it　is　found　in　the　most　admirable　perfection　among　nations　of　vagabonds。

It　is　a　sacrilege；　says　Tacitus；　for　a　German　to　shut　his　door　against　any　man　whomsoever；　whether　known　or　unknown。　He　who　has　behaved　with　hospitality　to　a　stranger　goes　to　show　him　another　house　where　this　hospitality　is　also　practised；　and　he　is　there　received　with　the　same　humanity。＇3＇　But　when　the　Germans　had　founded　kingdoms；　hospitality　had　become　burdensome。　This　appears　by　two　laws　of　the　code　of　the　Burgundians；＇4＇　one　of　which　inflicted　a　penalty　on　every　barbarian　who　presumed　to　show　a　stranger　the　house　of　a　Roman；　and　the　other　decreed　that　whoever　received　a　stranger　should　be　indemnified　by　the　inhabitants；　every　one　being　obliged　to　pay　his　proper　proportion。

3。　Of　the　Poverty　of　the　People。　There　are　two　sorts　of　poor；　those　who　are　rendered　such　by　the　severity　of　government：　these　are；　indeed；　incapable　of　performing　almost　any　great　action；　because　their　indigence　is　a　consequence　of　their　slavery。　Others　are　poor；　only　because　they　either　despise　or　know　not　the　conveniences　of　life；　and　these　are　capable　of　accomplishing　great　things；　because　their　poverty　constitutes　a　part　of　their　liberty。

4。　Of　Commerce　in　different　Governments。　Trade　has　some　relation　to　forms　of　government。　In　a　monarchy；　it　is　generally　founded　on　luxury