第25章

Whentheprincipalslavesareeunuchs，letneversomanyprivilegesbegrantedthem，theycanhardlyberegardedasfreedmen。Forastheyareincapableofhavingafamilyoftheirown，theyarenaturallyattachedtothatofanother：anditisonlybyakindoffictionthattheyareconsideredascitizens。

Andyettherearecountrieswherethemagistracyisentirelyintheirhands。"InTonquin，"[41]saysDampier，[42]"allthemandarins，civilandmilitary，areeunuchs。"Theyhavenofamilies，andthoughtheyarenaturallyavaricious，themasterortheprincebenefitsintheendbythisverypassion。

Dampiertellsus，too，[43]thatinthiscountrytheeunuchscannotlivewithoutwomen，andthereforemarry。Thelawwhichpermitstheirmarriagemaybefoundedpartlyontheirrespectfortheseeunuchs，andpartlyontheircontemptofthefairsex。

Thustheyaretrustedwiththemagistracy，becausetheyhavenofamily；

andpermittedtomarry，becausetheyaremagistrates。

Thenitisthatthesensewhichremainswouldfainsupplythatwhichtheyhavelost；andtheenterprisesofdespairbecomeakindofenjoyment。So，inMilton，thatspiritwhohasnothingleftbutdesires，enragedathisdegradation，wouldmakeuseofhisimpotencyitself。

WeseeinthehistoryofChinaagreatnumberoflawstodepriveeunuchsofallcivilandmilitaryemployments；buttheyalwaysreturnedtothemagain。Itseemsasiftheeunuchsoftheeastwereanecessaryevil。

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1。Justinian，Institutes，i。

2。Exceptingafewcannibals。

3。Imeanslaveryinastrictsense，asformerlyamongtheRomans，andatpresentinourcolonies。

4。Biblioth。Ang。，xiii，partII，art。3。

5。SeeSolis，HistoryoftheConquestofMexico，andGarcilassodelaVega，HistoryoftheConquestofPeru。

6。Labat，NewVoyagetotheIslesofAmerica，iv，p。114，1728，12mo。

7。PresentStateofRussia。

8。Dampier，Voyages，iii。

9。Politics，i。5。

10。AsmaybeseenintheminesofHartz，inLowerSaxony，andinthoseofHungary。

11。DeMoribusGermanorum，25。

12。Tacitus，DeMoribusGermanorum，20，saysthemasterisnottobedistinguishedfromtheslavebyanydelicacyofliving。

13。SirJohnChardin，TravelstoPersia。

14。SirJohnChardin，ii，inhisdescriptionofthemarketofIzagour。

15。Booki，tit。32，§5。

16。TherevoltoftheMamelukeswasadifferentcase；thiswasabodyofthemilitiawhousurpedtheempire。

17。LawoftheVisigoths，iii，tit。1，§1。

18。Ibid。，v，tit。7，§20。

19。Ibid。，v，tit。2，§9。

20。LawoftheAlemans，5，§3。

21。Ibid。，§5，pervirtutem。

22。"Sicily，"saysFlorus，"sufferedmoreintheServilethaninthePunicwar。"——iii。19。

23。Seethewholetitleofthesenat。cons。Sillan。，ff。

24。Leg。Siquis，§12，ff。desenat。cons。Sillan。

25。WhenAntonycommandedErostokillhim，itwasthesameascommandinghimtokillhimself；because，ifhehadobeyed，hewouldhavebeenpunishedasthemurdererofhismaster。

26。Leg。i，§22，ff。desenat。cons。Sillan。

27。Leg。i，§31，ff。ibid。，xxix，tit。5。

28。Xiphilin，InClaudio。

29。SeeLeg。3，inCod。，DePatriapotestate，bytheEmperorAlexander。

30。Exod。，21。20，21。

31。Plutarch，OnSuperstition。

32。SeetheconstitutionofAntoninusPius，Institutes，i，tit。7。

33。Laws，Bookix。

34。ThiswasfrequentlythespiritofthelawsofthosenationswhocameoutofGermany，asmaybeseenbytheircodes。

35。Demosthenes，Orat。contraMidian，p。610，Frankfort，1604。

36。Tacitus，Annals，xiii。27。

37。Freinshemius，Supplement，dec。2，v。

38。Exod。，21。

39。Tacitus，Annals，xiii。27。

40。Augustus’sspeechinDio，lvi。

41。ItwasformerlythesameinChina。ThetwoMahometanArabswhotravelledthitherintheninthcenturyusethewordeunuchwhenevertheyspeakofagovernorofthecity。

42。Volumeiii，p。91。

43。Ibid。，p。94。

BookXVI。HowtheLawsofDomesticSlaveryBearaRelationtotheNatureoftheClimate1。OfdomesticServitude。Slavesareestablishedforthefamily；buttheyarenotapartofit。ThusIdistinguishtheirservitudefromthatwhichthewomeninsomecountriessuffer，andwhichIshallproperlycalldomesticservitude。

2。ThatintheCountriesoftheSouththereisanaturalInequalitybetweenthetwoSexes。Women，inhotclimates，aremarriageableateight，nine，ortenyearsofage；[1]thus，inthosecountries，infancyandmarriagegenerallygotogether。Theyareoldattwenty：theirreasonthereforeneveraccompaniestheirbeauty。Whenbeautydemandstheempire，thewantofreasonforbidstheclaim；whenreasonisobtained，beautyisnomore。Thesewomenoughtthentobeinastateofdependence；forreasoncannotprocureinoldagethatempirewhichevenyouthandbeautycouldnotgive。Itisthereforeextremelynaturalthatintheseplacesaman，whennolawopposesit，shouldleaveonewifetotakeanother，andthatpolygamyshouldbeintroduced。

Intemperateclimates，wherethecharmsofwomenarebestpreserved，wheretheyarrivelateratmaturity，andhavechildrenatamoreadvancedseasonoflife，theoldageoftheirhusbandsinsomedegreefollowstheirs；andastheyhavemorereasonandknowledgeatthetimeofmarriage，ifitbeonlyonaccountoftheirhavingcontinuedlongerinlife，itmustnaturallyintroduceakindofequalitybetweenthetwosexes；and，inconsequenceofthis，thelawofhavingonlyonewife。

Incoldcountriesthealmostnecessarycustomofdrinkingstrongliquorsestablishesintemperanceamongstmen。Women，whointhisrespecthaveanaturalrestraint，becausetheyarealwaysonthedefensive，havethereforetheadvantageofreasonoverthem。

Nature，whichhasdistinguishedmenbytheirreasonandbodilystrength，hassetnootherboundstotheirpowerthanthoseofthisstrengthandreason。Ithasgivencharmstowomen，andordainedthattheirascendancyovermanshallendwiththesecharms：butinhotcountries，thesearefoundonlyatthebeginning，andneverintheprogressoflife。

ThusthelawwhichpermitsonlyonewifeisphysicallyconformabletotheclimateofEurope，andnottothatofAsia。ThisisthereasonwhyMahometanismwassoeasilyestablishedinAsia，andwithsuchdifficultyextendedinEurope；whyChristianityismaintainedinEurope，andhasbeendestroyedinAsia；and，infine，whytheMahometanshavemadesuchprogressinChina，andtheChristianssolittle。Humanreasons，however，aresubordinatetothatSupremeCausewhodoeswhateverHepleases，andrenderseverythingsubservienttoHiswill。

SomeparticularreasonsinducedValentinian[2]topermitpolygamyintheempire。Thatlaw，soimproperforourclimates，wasabrogatedbyTheodosius，Arcadius，andHonorius。[3]

3。ThataPluralityofWivesgreatlydependsontheMeansofsupportingthem。Thoughincountrieswherepolygamyisonceestablishedthenumberofwivesisprincipallydeterminedbytheopulenceofthehusband，yetitcannotbesaidthatopulenceestablishedpolygamyinthosestates，sincepovertymayproducethesameeffect，asIshallprovewhenIcometospeakofthesavages。

Polygamy，inpowerfulnations，islessaluxuryinitselfthantheoccasionofgreatluxury。Inhotclimatestheyhavefewwants，anditcostslittletomaintainawifeandchildren；[4]theymaythereforehaveagreatnumberofwives。

4。ThattheLawofPolygamyisanaffairthatdependsonCalculation。

AccordingtothecalculationsmadeinseveralpartsofEurope，thereareherebornmoreboysthangirls；[5]onthecontrary，bytheaccountswehaveofAsia，therearetherebornmoregirlsthanboys。[6]ThelawwhichinEuropeallowsonlyonewife，andthatinAsiawhichpermitsmany，havethereforeacertainrelationtotheclimate。

InthecoldclimatesofAsiathereareborn，asinEurope，moremalesthanfemales；andhence，saytheLamas，[7]isderivedthereasonofthatlawwhichamongstthempermitsawomantohavemanyhusbands。[8]

Butitisdifficultformetobelievethattherearemanycountrieswherethedisproportioncanbegreatenoughforanyexigencytojustifytheintroducingeitherthelawinfavourofmanywivesorthatofmanyhusbands。Thiswouldonlyimplythatamajorityofwomen，orevenamajorityofmen，ismoreconformabletonatureincertaincountriesthaninothers。

Iconfessthatifwhathistorytellsusbetrue，thatatBantamtherearetenwomentooneman，[9]thismustbeacaseparticularlyfavourabletopolygamy。

InallthisIonlygivetheirreasons，butdonotjustifytheircustoms。

5。TheReasonofaLawofMalabar。Inthetribeof