the spirit of laws-第105部分

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5。　Entering　the　mosque　of　Bochara；　he　took　the　Koran；　and　threw　it　under　his　horse's　feet。　　History　of　the　Tartars；　part　III；　p。　273。

6。　Ibid。；　p。　342。

7。　This　disposition　of　mind　has　been　communicated　to　the　Japanese；　who；　as　it　may　be　easily　proved；　derive　their　origin　from　the　Tartars。

8。　Annals；　iii。　60。

9。　Numb。；　35；　14。

10。　Ibid。；　16；　ff。

11。　De　Abstinentia　animal；　ii；　§　5。

12。　Lilius　Giraldus；　p。　726。

13。　A　people　of　Siberia。　See　the　account　given　by　Mr。　Everard　Ysbrant　Ides；　in　the　Collection　of　Travels　to　the　North；　viii。

14。　Mr。　Hyde。

15。　Laws；　x。

16。　Rogum　vino　ne　respergito　　Law　of　the　Twelve　Tables。

17。　Cicero　derives　these　appropriate　words　from　Plato；　Laws；　xii。　　ED。

18。　Laws；　iv。

19。　I　do　not　mean　to　speak　in　this　chapter　of　the　Christian　religion；　for；　as　I　have　elsewhere　observed；　the　Christian　religion　is　our　chief　blessing。　See　the　end　of　the　preceding　chapter；　and　the　Defence　of　the　Spirit　of　Laws；　part　II。

20。　In　the　Collection　of　Voyages　that　Contributed　to　the　Establishment　of　the　East　India　Company；　v；　part　1；　p。　192。

21。　The　source　of　the　blindness　of　the　Jews　is　their　not　perceiving　that　the　economy　of　the　Gospel　is　in　the　order　of　the　decrees　of　God　and　that　it　is　in　this　light　a　consequence　of　his　immutability。

22。　Book　vi。　13。

23。　See　Kempfer。

24。　Forbin；　Memoirs。

25。　History　of　the　Tartars；　part　V。

26。　Pirard；　Travels；　27。




Book　XXVI。　Of　Laws　in　Relation　to　the　Order　of　Things　Which　They　Determine

1。　Idea　of　this　Book。　Men　are　governed　by　several　kinds　of　laws；　by　the　law　of　nature；　by　the　divine　law；　which　is　that　of　religion；　by　ecclesiastical；　otherwise　called　canon　law；　which　is　that　of　religious　polity；　by　the　law　of　nations；　which　may　be　considered　as　the　civil　law　of　the　whole　globe；　in　which　sense　every　nation　is　a　citizen；　by　the　general　political　law；　which　relates　to　that　human　wisdom　whence　all　societies　derive　their　origin；　by　the　particular　political　law；　the　object　of　which　is　each　society；　by　the　law　of　conquest　founded　on　this；　that　one　nation　has　been　willing　and　able；　or　has　had　a　right　to　offer　violence　to　another；　by　the　civil　law　of　every　society；　by　which　a　citizen　may　defend　his　possessions　and　his　life　against　the　attacks　of　any　other　citizen；　in　fine；　by　domestic　law；　which　proceeds　from　a　society's　being　divided　into　several　families；　all　which　have　need　of　a　particular　government。

There　are　therefore　different　orders　of　laws；　and　the　sublimity　of　human　reason　consists　in　perfectly　knowing　to　which　of　these　orders　the　things　that　are　to　be　determined　ought　to　have　a　principal　relation；　and　not　to　throw　into　confusion　those　principles　which　should　govern　mankind。

2。　Of　Laws　divine　and　human。　We　ought　not　to　decide　by　divine　laws　what　should　be　decided　by　human　laws；　nor　determine　by　human　what　should　be　determined　by　divine　laws。

These　two　sorts　of　laws　differ　in　their　origin；　in　their　object；　and　in　their　nature。

It　is　universally　acknowledged；　that　human　laws　are；　in　their　own　nature；　different　from　those　of　religion；　this　is　an　important　principle：　but　this　principle　is　itself　subject　to　others；　which　must　be　inquired　into。

1。　It　is　in　the　nature　of　human　laws　to　be　subject　to　all　the　accidents　which　can　happen；　and　to　vary　in　proportion　as　the　will　of　man　changes；　on　the　contrary；　by　the　nature　of　the　laws　of　religion；　they　are　never　to　vary。　Human　laws　appoint　for　some　good；　those　of　religion　for　the　best：　good　may　have　another　object；　because　there　are　many　kinds　of　good；　but　the　best　is　but　one；　it　cannot　therefore　change。　We　may　alter　laws；　because　they　are　reputed　no　more　than　good；　but　the　institutions　of　religion　are　always　supposed　to　be　the　best。

2。　There　are　kingdoms　in　which　the　laws　are　of　no　value　as　they　depend　only　on　the　capricious　and　fickle　humour　of　the　sovereign。　If　in　these　kingdoms　the　laws　of　religion　were　of　the　same　nature　as　the　human　institutions；　the　laws　of　religion　too　would　be　of　no　value。　It　is　however；　necessary　to　the　society　that　it　should　have　something　fixed；　and　it　is　religion　that　has　this　stability。

3。　The　influence　of　religion　proceeds　from　its　being　believed；　that　of　human　laws　from　their　being　feared。　Antiquity　accords　with　religion；　because　we　have　frequently　a　firmer　belief　in　things　in　proportion　to　their　distance；　for　we　have　no　ideas　annexed　to　them　drawn　from　those　times　which　can　contradict　them。　Human　laws；　on　the　contrary；　receive　advantage　from　their　novelty；　which　implies　the　actual　and　particular　attention　of　the　legislator　to　put　them　in　execution。

3。　Of　civil　Laws　contrary　to　the　Law　of　Nature。　If　a　slave；　says　Plato；　defends　himself；　and　kills　a　freeman；　he　ought　to　be　treated　as　a　parricide。＇1＇　This　is　a　civil　law　which　punishes　self…defence；　though　dictated　by　nature。

The　law　of　Henry　VIII　which　condemned　a　man　without　being　confronted　by　witnesses　was　contrary　to　self…defence。　In　order　to　pass　sentence　of　condemnation；　it　is　necessary　that　the　witnesses　should　know　whether　the　man　against　whom　they　make　their　deposition　is　he　whom　they　accuse；　and　that　this　man　be　at　liberty　to　say；　〃I　am　not　the　person　you　mean。〃

The　law　passed　during　the　same　reign；　which　condemned　every　woman；　who；　having　carried　on　a　criminal　commerce　did　not　declare　it　to　the　king　before　she　married　him；　violated　the　regard　due　to　natural　modesty。　It　is　as　unreasonable　to　oblige　a　woman　to　make　this　declaration；　as　to　oblige　a　man　not　to　attempt　the　defence　of　his　own　life。

The　law　of　Henry　II　which　condemned　the　woman　to　death　who　lost　her　child；　in　case　she　did　not　make　known　her　pregnancy　to　the　magistrate；　was　not　less　contrary　to　self…defence。　It　would　have　been　sufficient　to　oblige　her　to　inform　one　of　her　nearest　relatives；　who　might　watch　over　the　preservation　of　the　infant。

What　other　information　could　she　give　in　this　situation；　so　torturing　to　natural　modesty？　Education　has　heightened　the　notion　of　preserving　that　modesty；　and　in　those　critical　moments　scarcely　has　she　any　idea　remaining　of　the　loss　of　life。

There　has　been　much　talk　of　a　law　in　England　which　permitted　girls　seven　years　old　to　choose　a　husband。＇2＇　This　law　was　shocking　in　two　ways；　it　had　no　regard　to　the　time　when　nature　gives　maturity　to　the　understanding；　nor　to　that　in　which　she　gives　maturity　to　the　body。

Among　the　Romans；　a　father　might　oblige　his　daughter　to　repudiate　her　husband；　though　he　himself　had　consented　to　the　marriage。＇3＇　But　it　is　contrary　to　nature　for　a　divorce　to　be　in　the　power　of　a　third　person。

A　divorce　can　be　agreeable　to　nature　only　when　it　is　by　consent　of　the　two　parties；　or　at　least　of　one　of　them；　but　when　neither　consents　it　is　a　monstrous　separation。　In　short；　the　power　of　divorce　can　be　given　only　to　those　who　feel　the　inconveniences　of　marriage；　and　who　are　sensible　of　the　moment　when　it　is　for　their　interest　to　make　them　cease。

4。　The　same　Subject　continued。　Gundebald；　King　of　Burgundy；　decreed　that　if　the　wife　or　son　of　a　person　guilty　of　robbery　did　not　reveal　the　crime；　they　were　to　become　slaves。＇4＇　This　was　contrary　to　nature：　a　wife　to　inform　against　her　husband！　a　son　to　accuse　his　father！　To　avenge　one　criminal　action；　they　ordained　another　still　more　criminal。

The　law　of　Recessuinthus　permits　the　children　of　the　adulteress；　or　those　of　her　husband；　to　accuse　her；　and　to　put　the　slaves　of　the　house　to　the　torture。＇5＇　How　iniquitous　the　law　which；　to　preserve　a　purity　of　morals　overturns　nature；　the　origin；　the　source　of　all　morality！

With　pleasure　we　behold　in　our　theatres　a　young　hero　express　as　much　horror　against　the　discovery　of　his　mother…in…law's　guilt；　as　against　the　guilt　itself。　In　his　surprise；　though　accused；　judged；　condemned；　proscribed；　and　covered　with　infamy；　he　scarcely　dares　to　reflect　on　the　abominable　blood　whence　Ph？dra　sprang；　he　abandons　the　most　tender　object；　all　that　is　most　dear；　all　that　lies　nearest　his　heart；　all　that　can　fill　him　with　rage；　to　deliver　himself　up　to　the　unmerited　vengeance　of　the　gods。　It　is　nature's　voice；　the　sweetest　of　all　sounds；　that　inspires　us　with　this　pleasure。

5。　Cases　in　which　we　may　judge　by　the　Principles　of　the　civil　Law　in　limiting　the　Principles　of　the　Law　of　Nature。　An　Athenian　law　obliged　children　to　provide　for　their　fathers　when　fallen　into　poverty；＇6＇　it　excepted　those　who　were　born　of　a　courtesan；＇7＇　those　whose　chastity　had　been　infamously　prostituted　by　their　father；　and　those　to　whom　he　had　not　given　any　means　of　gaining　a　livelihood。＇8＇

The　law　considered　that；　in　the　first　case；　the　father　being　uncertain；　he　had　rendered　the　natural　obligation　precarious；　that　in　the　second；　he　had　sullied　the　life　he　had　given；　and　done　the　greatest　injury　he　could　do　to　his　children　in　depriving　them　of　their　reputation；　that　in　the　third；　he　had　rendered　insupportable　a　life　which　had　no　means　of　subsistence。　The　law　suspended　the　natural　obligation　of　children　because　the　father　had　violated　his；　it　looked　upon　the　father　and　the　son　as　no　more　than　two　citizens；　and　determined　in　respect　to　them　only　from　civil　and　political　views；　ever　considering　that　a　good　republic　ought　to　have　a　particular　regard　to　manners。　I　am　apt　to　think　that　Solon's　law　was　a　wise　regulation　in　the　first　two　cases；　whether　that　in　which　nature　has　left　the　son　in　ignorance　with　regard　to　his　father；　or　that　in　which　she　even　seems　to　ordain　he　should　not　own　him；　but　it　cannot　be　approved　with　respect　to　the　third；　where　the　father　had　only　violated　a　civil　institution。

6。　That　the　Order　of　succession　or　Inheritance　depends　on　the　Principles　of　political　or　civil　Law；　and　not　on　those　of　the　Law　of　Nature。　The　Voconian　law　ordained　that　no　woman　should　be　left　heiress　to　an　estate；　not　even　if　she　had　an　only　child。　Never　was　there　a　law；　says　St。　Augustine；　more　unjust。＇9＇　A　formula　of　Marculfus　treats　that　custom　as　impious　which　deprives　daughters　of　the　right　of　succeeding　to　the　estate　of　their　fathers。＇10＇　Justinian　gives　the　appellation　of　barbarous　to　the　right　which　the　males　had　formerly　of　succeeding　in　prejudice　to　the　daughters。＇11＇　These　notions　proceeded　from　their　having　considered　the　right　of　children　to　succeed　to　their　father's　posse