the spirit of laws-第114部分

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I　have　observed　that　in　the　beginning　of　the　monarchy　all　laws　were　personal；　and　thus　when　the　edict　of　Pistes　distinguishes　the　countries　of　the　Roman　law　from　those　which　were　otherwise；　the　meaning　is　that；　in　countries　which　were　not　of　the　Roman　law；　such　a　multitude　of　people　had　chosen　to　live　under　some　or　other　of　the　laws　of　the　Barbarians　that　there　were　scarcely　any　who　would　be　subject　to　the　Roman　law；　and　that　in　the　countries　of　the　Roman　law　there　were　few　who　would　choose　to　live　under　the　laws　of　the　Barbarians。

I　am　not　ignorant　that　what　is　here　advanced　will　be　reckoned　new；　but　if　the　things　which　I　assert　be　true；　surely　they　are　very　ancient。　After　all；　what　great　matter　is　it；　whether　they　come　from　me；　from　the　Valesiuses；　or　from　the　Bignons？

5。　The　same　Subject　continued。　The　law　of　Gundebald　subsisted　a　long　time　among　the　Burgundians；　in　conjunction　with　the　Roman　law；　it　was　still　in　use　under　Louis　the　Pious；　as　Agobard's　letter　plainly　evinces。　In　like　manner；　though　the　edict　of　Pistes　calls　the　country　occupied　by　the　Visigoths　the　country　of　the　Roman　law；　yet　the　law　of　the　Visigoths　was　always　in　force　there；　as　appears　by　the　synod　of　Troyes　held　under　Louis　the　Stammerer；　in　the　year　878；　that　is；　fourteen　years　after　the　edict　of　Pistes。

In　process　of　time　the　Gothic　and　Burgundian　laws　fell　into　disuse　even　in　their　own　country；　which　was　owing　to　those　general　causes　that　everywhere　suppressed　the　personal　laws　of　the　Barbarians。

6。　How　the　Roman　Law　kept　its　Ground　in　the　Demesne　of　the　Lombards。　The　facts　all　coincide　with　my　principles。　The　law　of　the　Lombards　was　impartial；　and　the　Romans　were　under　no　temptation　to　quit　their　own　for　it。　The　motive　which　prevailed　with　the　Romans　under　the　Franks　to　make　choice　of　the　Salic　law　did　not　take　place　in　Italy；　hence　the　Roman　law　maintained　itself　there；　together　with　that　of　the　Lombards。

It　even　fell　out　that　the　latter　gave　way　to　the　Roman　institutes；　and　ceased　to　be　the　law　of　the　ruling　nation；　and　though　it　continued　to　be　that　of　the　principal　nobility；　yet　the　greatest　part　of　the　cities　formed　themselves　into　republics；　and　the　nobility　mouldered　away　of　themselves；　or　were　destroyed。＇46＇　The　citizens　of　the　new　republics　had　no　inclination　to　adopt　a　law　which　established　the　custom　of　judiciary　combats；　and　whose　institutions　retained　much　of　the　customs　and　usages　of　chivalry。　As　the　clergy　of　those　days；　a　clergy　even　then　so　powerful　in　Italy；　lived　almost　all　under　the　Roman　law；　the　number　of　those　who　followed　the　institutions　of　the　Lombards　must　have　daily　diminished。

Besides；　the　institutions　of　the　Lombards　had　not　that　extent；　that　majesty　of　the　Roman　law；　by　which　Italy　was　reminded　of　her　universal　dominion。　The　institutions　of　the　Lombards　and　the　Roman　law　could　be　then　of　no　other　use　than　to　furnish　out　statutes　for　those　cities　that　were　erected　into　republics。　Now　which　could　better　furnish　them；　the　institutions　of　the　Lombards　that　determined　on　some　particular　cases；　or　the　Roman　law　which　embraced　them　all？

7。　How　the　Roman　Law　came　to　be　lost　in　Spain。　Things　happened　otherwise　in　Spain。　The　law　of　the　Visigoths　prevailed；　and　the　Roman　law　was　lost。　Chaindasuinthus＇47＇　and　Recessuinthus　proscribed　the　Roman　laws；＇48＇　and　even　forbade　citing　them　in　their　courts　of　judicature。　Recessuinthus　was　likewise　author　of　the　law　which　took　off　the　prohibition　of　marriage　between　the　Goths　and　Romans。＇49＇　It　is　evident　that　these　two　laws　had　the　same　spirit；　this　king　wanted　to　remove　the　principal　causes　of　separation　which　subsisted　between　the　Goths　and　the　Romans。　Now　it　was　thought　that　nothing　made　a　wider　separation　than　the　prohibition　of　intermarriages；　and　the　liberty　of　living　under　different　institutions。

But　though　the　kings　of　the　Visigoths　had　proscribed　the　Roman　law；　it　still　subsisted　in　the　demesnes　they　possessed　in　South　Gaul。＇50＇　These　countries　being　distant　from　the　centre　of　the　monarchy　lived　in　a　state　of　great　independence。　We　see　from　the　history　of　Vamba；　who　ascended　the　throne　in　672；　that　the　natives　of　the　country　had　become　the　prevailing　party。＇51＇　Hence　the　Roman　law　had　greater　authority　and　the　Gothic　less。　The　Spanish　laws　neither　suited　their　manners　nor　their　actual　situation；　the　people　might　likewise　be　obstinately　attached　to　the　Roman　law；　because　they　had　annexed　to　it　the　idea　of　liberty。　Besides；　the　laws　of　Chaindasuinthus　and　of　Recessuinthus　contained　most　severe　regulations　against　the　Jews；　but　these　Jews　had　a　vast　deal　of　power　in　South　Gaul。　The　author　of　the　history　of　King　Vamba　calls　these　provinces　the　brothel　of　the　Jews。　When　the　Saracens　invaded　these　provinces；　it　was　by　invitation；　and　who　could　have　invited　them　but　the　Jews　or　the　Romans？　The　Goths　were　the　first　that　were　oppressed；　because　they　were　the　ruling　nation。　We　see　in　Procopius；　that　during　their　calamities　they　withdrew　out　of　Narbonne　Gaul　into　Spain。＇52＇　Doubtless；　under　this　misfortune；　they　took　refuge　in　those　provinces　of　Spain　which　still　held　out；　and　the　number　of　those　who　in　South　Gaul　lived　under　the　law　of　the　Visigoths　was　thereby　greatly　diminished。

8。　A　false　Capitulary。　Did　not　that　wretched　compiler　Benedictus　Levita　attempt　to　transform　this　Visigoth　establishment；　which　prohibited　the　use　of　Roman　law；　into　a　capitulary＇53＇　ascribed　since　to　Charlemagne？　He　made　of　this　particular　institution　a　general　one；　as　if　he　intended　to　exterminate　the　Roman　law　throughout　the　universe。

9。　In　what　manner　the　Codes　of　Barbarian　Laws　and　the　Capitularies　came　to　be　lost。　The　Salic；　the　Ripuarian；　Burgundian；　and　Visigoth　laws　came；　by　degrees；　to　be　disused　among　the　French　in　the　following　manner：

As　fiefs　became　hereditary；　and　arrière…fiefs　extended；　many　usages　were　introduced；　to　which　these　laws　were　no　longer　applicable。　Their　spirit　indeed　was　continued；　which　was　to　regulate　most　disputes　by　fines。　But　as　the　value　of　money　was；　doubtless；　subject　to　change；　the　fines　were　also　changed；　and　we　see　several　charters；＇54＇　where　the　lords　fixed　the　fines；　that　were　payable　in　their　petty　courts。　Thus　the　spirit　of　the　law　was　followed；　without　adhering　to　the　law　itself。

Besides；　as　France　was　divided　into　a　number　of　petty　lordships；　which　acknowledged　rather　a　feudal　than　a　political　dependence；　it　was　very　difficult　for　only　one　law　to　be　authorised。　And；　indeed；　it　would　be　impossible　to　see　it　observed。　The　custom　no　longer　prevailed　of　sending　extraordinary　officers＇55＇　into　the　provinces　to　inspect　the　administration　of　justice　and　political　affairs；　it　appears；　even　by　the　charters；　that　when　new　fiefs　were　established　our　kings　divested　themselves　of　the　right　of　sending　those　officers。　Thus；　when　almost　everything　had　become　a　fief；　these　officers　could　not　be　employed；　there　was　no　longer　a　common　law　because　no　one　could　enforce　the　observance　of　it。

The　Salic；　Burgundian；　and　Visigoth　laws　were；　therefore；　extremely　neglected　at　the　end　of　the　second　race；　and　at　the　beginning　of　the　third；　they　were　scarcely　ever　mentioned。

Under　the　first　and　second　race；　the　nation　was　often　assembled；　that　is；　the　lords　and　bishops；　the　commons　were　not　yet　thought　of。　In　these　assemblies；　attempts　were　made　to　regulate　the　clergy；　a　body　which　formed　itself；　if　I　may　so　speak；　under　the　conquerors；　and　established　its　privileges。　The　laws　made　in　these　assemblies　are　what　we　call　the　Capitularies。　Hence　four　things　ensued：　the　feudal　laws　were　established　and　a　great　part　of　the　church　revenues　was　administered　by　those　laws；　the　clergy　effected　a　wider　separation；　and　neglected　those　decrees　of　reformation　where　they　themselves　were　not　the　only　reformers；＇56＇　a　collection　was　made　of　the　canons　of　councils　and　of　the　decretals　of　popes；＇57＇　and　these　the　clergy　received；　as　coming　from　a　purer　source。　Ever　since　the　erection　of　the　grand　fiefs；　our　kings；　as　we　have　already　observed；　had　no　longer　any　deputies　in　the　provinces　to　enforce　the　observance　of　their　laws；　and　hence　it　is　that；　under　the　third　race；　we　find　no　more　mention　made　of　Capitularies。

10。　The　same　Subject　continued。　Several　capitularies　were　added　to　the　law　of　the　Lombards；　as　well　as　to　the　Salic　and　Bavarian　laws。　The　reason　of　this　has　been　a　matter　of　inquiry；　but　it　must　be　sought　for　in　the　thing　itself。　There　were　several　sorts　of　capitularies。　Some　had　relation　to　political　government；　others　to　economical；　most　of　them　to　ecclesiastical　polity；　and　some　few　to　civil　government。　Those　of　the　last　species　were　added　to　the　civil　law；　that　is；　to　the　personal　laws　of　each　nation；　for　which　reason　it　is　said　in　the　Capitularies　that　there　is　nothing　stipulated　therein　contrary　to　the　Roman　law。＇58＇　In　effect；　those　capitularies　regarding　economical；　ecclesiastical；　or　political　government　had　no　relation　to　that　law；　and　those　concerning　civil　government　had　reference　only　to　the　laws　of　the　barbarous　people；　which　were　explained；　amended；　enlarged；　or　abridged。　But　the　adding　of　these　capitularies　to　the　personal　laws　occasioned；　I　imagine；　the　neglect　of　the　very　body　of　the　Capitularies　themselves；　in　times　of　ignorance；　the　abridgment　of　a　work　often　causes　the　loss　of　the　work　itself。

11。　Other　Causes　of　the　Disuse　of　the　Codes　of　Barbarian　Laws；　as　well　as　of　the　Roman　Law；　and　of　the　Capitularies。　When　the　German　nations　subdued　the　Roman　empire；　they　learned　the　use　of　writing；　and；　in　imitation　of　the　Romans；　they　wrote　down　their　own　usages；　and　digested　them　into　codes。＇59＇　The　unhappy　reigns　which　followed　that　of　Charlemagne；　the　invasions　of　the　Normans　and　the　civil　wars；　plunged　the　conquering　nations　again　into　the　darkness　out　of　which　they　had　emerged；　so　that　reading　and　writing　were　quite　neglected。　Hence　it　is；　that　in　France　and　Germany　the　written　laws　of　the　Barbarians；　as　well　as　the　Roman　law　and　the　Capitularies　fell　into　oblivion。　The　use　of　writing　was　better　preserved　in　Italy；　where　reigned　the　Popes　and　the　Greek　Emperors；　and　where　there　were　flourishing　cities；　which　enjoyed　almost　the　only　commerce　in　those　days。　To　this　neighbourhood　of　Italy　it　was　owing　that　the　Roman　law　was　preserved　in　the　provinces　of　G