第23章

3。ContradictionintheTempersofsomeSouthernNations。TheIndians[5]

arenaturallyapusillanimouspeople；eventhechildren[6]ofEuropeansborninIndialosethecouragepeculiartotheirownclimate。Buthowshallwereconcilethiswiththeircustomsandpenancessofullofbarbarity？Themenvoluntarilyundergothegreatesthardships，andthewomenburnthemselves；herewefindaveryoddcompoundoffortitudeandweakness。

Nature，havingframedthosepeopleofatexturesoweakastofillthemwithtimidity，hasformedthematthesametimeofanimaginationsolivelythateveryobjectmakesthestrongestimpressionuponthem。Thatdelicacyoforganswhichrendersthemapprehensiveofdeathcontributeslikewisetomakethemdreadathousandthingsmorethandeath：theverysamesensibilityinducesthemtoflyanddarealldangers。

Asagoodeducationismorenecessarytochildrenthantosuchashavearrivedatmaturityofunderstanding，sotheinhabitantsofthosecountrieshavemuchgreaterneedthantheEuropeannationsofawiserlegislator。Thegreatertheirsensibility，themoreitbehovesthemtoreceiveproperimpressions，toimbibenoprejudices，andtoletthemselvesbedirectedbyreason。

AtthetimeoftheRomanstheinhabitantsofthenorthofEuropeweredestituteofarts，education，andalmostoflaws；andyetthegoodsenseannexedtothegrossfibresofthoseclimatesenabledthemtomakeanadmirablestandagainstthepowerofRome，tillthememorableperiodinwhichtheyquittedtheirwoodstosubvertthatgreatempire。

4。CauseoftheImmutabilityofReligion，Manners，Customs，andLawsintheEasternCountries。Iftothatdelicacyoforganswhichrenderstheeasternnationssosusceptibleofeveryimpressionyouaddlikewiseasortofindolenceofmind，naturallyconnectedwiththatofthebody，bymeansofwhichtheygrowincapableofanyexertionoreffort，itiseasytocomprehendthatwhenoncethesoulhasreceivedanimpressionitcannotchangeit。Thisisthereasonthatthelaws，manners，andcustoms，[7]eventhosewhichseemquiteindifferent，suchastheirmodeofdress，arethesametothisverydayineasterncountriesastheywereathousandyearsago。

5。ThatthosearebadLegislatorswhofavourtheVicesoftheClimate，andgoodLegislatorswhoopposethoseVices。TheIndiansbelievethatreposeandnon—existencearethefoundationofallthings，andtheendinwhichtheyterminate。Hencetheyconsiderentireinactionasthemostperfectofallstates，andtheobjectoftheirdesires。TotheSupremeBeingtheygivethetitleofimmovable。[8]TheinhabitantsofSiambelievethattheirutmosthappiness[9]consistsinnotbeingobligedtoanimateamachine，ortogivemotiontoabody。

Inthosecountrieswheretheexcessofheatenervatesandexhauststhebody，restissodelicious，andmotionsopainful，thatthissystemofmetaphysicsseemsnatural；andFoe，[10]thelegislatoroftheIndies，wasdirectedbyhisownsensationswhenheplacedmankindinastateextremelypassive；buthisdoctrinearisingfromthelazinessoftheclimatefavoureditalsoinitsturn；whichhasbeenthesourceofaninfinitedealofmischief。

ThelegislatorsofChinaweremorerationalwhen，consideringmennotinthepeacefulstatewhichtheyaretoenjoyhereafter，butinthesituationproperfordischargingtheseveraldutiesoflife，theymadetheirreligion，philosophy，andlawsallpractical。Themorethephysicalcausesinclinemankindtoinaction，themorethemoralcausesshouldestrangethemfromit。

6。OfAgricultureinwarmClimates。Agricultureistheprincipallabourofman。Themoretheclimateinclineshimtoshunthislabour，themorethereligionandlawsofthecountryoughttoincitehimtoit。ThustheIndianlaws，whichgivethelandstotheprince，anddestroythespiritofpropertyamongthesubjects，increasethebadeffectsoftheclimate，thatis，theirnaturalindolence。

7。OfMonkery。Theverysamemischiefsresultfrommonkery：ithaditsriseinthewarmcountriesoftheEast，wheretheyarelessinclinedtoactionthantospeculation。

InAsiathenumberofdervishesormonksseemstoincreasetogetherwiththewarmthoftheclimate。TheIndies，wheretheheatisexcessive，arefullofthem；andthesamedifferenceisfoundinEurope。

Inordertosurmountthelazinessoftheclimate，thelawsoughttoendeavourtoremoveallmeansofsubsistingwithoutlabour：butinthesouthernpartsofEuropetheyactquitethereverse。Tothosewhowanttoliveinastateofindolence，theyaffordretreatsthemostproperforaspeculativelife，andendowthemwithimmenserevenues。Thesemen，wholiveinthemidstofplentywhichtheyknownothowtoenjoy，areintherighttogivetheirsuperfluitiesawaytothecommonpeople。Thepoorarebereftofproperty；andthesemenindemnifythembysupportingtheminidleness，soastomakethemevengrowfondoftheirmisery。

8。AnexcellentCustomofChina。Thehistoricalrelations[11]ofChinamentionaceremony[12]ofopeningthegroundwhichtheemperorperformseveryyear。Thedesignofthispublicandsolemnactistoexcitethepeopletotillage。[13]

Further，theemperoriseveryyearinformedofthehusbandmanwhohasdistinguishedhimselfmostinhisprofession；andhemakeshimamandarinoftheeighthorder。

AmongtheancientPersians[14]thekingsquittedtheirgrandeurandpompontheeighthdayofthemonth，calledChorrem—ruz，toeatwiththehusbandmen。Theseinstitutionswereadmirablycalculatedfortheencouragementofagriculture。

9。MeansofencouragingIndustry。Weshallshow，inthenineteenthbook，thatlazynationsaregenerallyproud。Nowtheeffectmightwellbeturnedagainstthecause，andlazinessbedestroyedbypride。InthesouthofEurope，wherepeoplehavesuchahighnotionofthepointofhonour，itwouldberighttogiveprizestohusbandmenwhohadexcelledinagriculture；ortoartistswhohadmadethegreatestimprovementsintheirseveralprofessions。ThispracticehassucceededinourdaysinIreland，whereithasestablishedoneofthemostconsiderablelinenmanufacturesinEurope。

10。OftheLawsinrelationtotheSobrietyofthePeople。Inwarmcountriestheaqueouspartofthebloodlosesitselfgreatlybyperspiration；[15]itmustthereforebesuppliedbyalikeliquid。Wateristhereofadmirableuse；strongliquorswouldcongealtheglobules[16]

ofbloodthatremainafterthetransudingoftheaqueoushumour。

Incoldcountriestheaqueouspartofthebloodisverylittleevacuatedbyperspiration。Theymaythereforemakeuseofspirituousliquors，withoutwhichthebloodwouldcongeal。Theyarefullofhumours；

consequentlystrongliquors，whichgiveamotiontotheblood，areproperforthosecountries。

ThelawofMahomet，whichprohibitsthedrinkingofwine，isthereforefittedtotheclimateofArabia：andindeed，beforeMahomet’stime，waterwasthecommondrinkoftheArabs。Thelaw[17]whichforbadetheCarthaginianstodrinkwinewasalawoftheclimate；and，indeed，theclimateofthosetwocountriesisprettynearlythesame。

Suchalawwouldbeimproperforcoldcountries，wheretheclimateseemstoforcethemtoakindofnationalintemperance，verydifferentfrompersonalebriety。Drunkennesspredominatesthroughouttheworld，inproportiontothecoldnessandhumidityoftheclimate。Gofromtheequatortothenorthpole，andyouwillfindthisviceincreasingtogetherwiththedegreeoflatitude。Gofromtheequatoragaintothesouthpole，andyouwillfindthesamevicetravellingsouth，[18]

exactlyinthesameproportion。

Itisverynaturalthatwherewineiscontrarytotheclimate，andconsequentlytohealth，theexcessofitshouldbemoreseverelypunishedthanincountrieswhereintoxicationproducesveryfewbadeffectstotheperson，fewertothesociety，andwhereitdoesnotmakepeoplefranticandwild，butonlystupidandheavy。Hencethoselaws[19]

whichinflictedadoublepunishmentforcrimescommittedindrunkennesswereapplicableonlytoapersonal，andnottoanational，ebriety。A

Germandrinksthroughcustom，andaSpaniardbychoice。

Inwarmcountriestherelaxingofthefibresproducesagreatevacuationofthe