第29章

ThecharacteroftheChineseisformedofanothermixture，directlyoppositetothatoftheSpaniards；theprecariousnessoftheirsubsistence[13]inspiresthemwithaprodigiousactivity，andsuchanexcessivedesireofgain，thatnotradingnationcanconfideinthem。[14]ThisacknowledgedinfidelityhassecuredthemthepossessionofthetradetoJapan。NoEuropeanmerchanthaseverdaredtoundertakeitintheirname，howeasysoeveritmightbeforthemtodoitfromtheirmaritimeprovincesinthenorth。

11。AReflection。Ihavesaidnothingherewithaviewtolessenthatinfinitedistancewhichmusteverbebetweenvirtueandvice。GodforbidthatIshouldbeguiltyofsuchanattempt！Iwouldonlymakemyreaderscomprehendthatallpoliticalarenotallmoralvices；andthatallmoralarenotpoliticalvices；andthatthosewhomakelawswhichshockthegeneralspiritofanationoughtnottobeignorantofthis。

12。OfCustomsandMannersinadespoticState。Itisacapitalmaximthatthemannersandcustomsofadespoticempireoughtnevertobechanged；fornothingwouldmorespeedilyproducearevolution。Thereasonisthatinthesestatestherearenolaws，thatis，nonethatcanbeproperlycalledso；thereareonlymannersandcustoms；andifyouoverturntheseyouoverturnall。

Lawsareestablished，mannersareinspired；theseproceedfromageneralspirit，thosefromaparticularinstitution：nowitisasdangerous，naymoreso，tosubvertthegeneralspiritastochangeaparticularinstitution。

Thereislesscommunicationinacountrywhereeach，eitherassuperiororinferior，exercisesorisoppressedbyarbitrarypower，thanthereisinthosewherelibertyreignsineverystation。Theydonot，therefore，sooftenchangetheirmannersandbehaviour。Fixedandestablishedcustomshaveanearresemblancetolaws。Thusitisherenecessarythataprinceoralegislatorshouldlessopposethemannersandcustomsofthepeoplethaninanyothercountryuponearth。

Theirwomenarecommonlyconfined，andhavenoinfluenceinsociety。Inothercountries，wheretheyhaveintercoursewithmen，theirdesireofpleasing，andthedesiremenalsohaveofgivingthempleasure，produceacontinualchangeofcustoms。Thetwosexesspoileachother；theybothlosetheirdistinctiveandessentialquality；whatwasnaturallyfixedbecomesquiteunsettled，andtheircustomsandbehaviouraltereveryday。

13。OftheBehaviouroftheChinese。ButChinaistheplacewherethecustomsofthecountrycanneverbechanged。Besidestheirwomenbeingabsolutelyseparatedfromthemen，theircustoms，liketheirmorals，aretaughtintheschools。Amanoflettersmaybeknownbyhiseasyaddress。[15]Thesethingsbeingoncetaughtbyprecept，andinculcatedbygravedoctors，becomefixed，liketheprinciplesofmorality，andareneverchanged。

14。WhatarethenaturalMeansofchangingtheMannersandCustomsofaNation。Wehavesaidthatthelawsweretheparticularandpreciseinstitutionsofalegislator，andmannersandcustomstheinstitutionsofanationingeneral。Henceitfollowsthatwhenthesemannersandcustomsaretobechanged，itoughtnottobedonebylaws；thiswouldhavetoomuchtheairoftyranny：itwouldbebettertochangethembyintroducingothermannersandothercustoms。

Thuswhenaprincewouldmakegreatalterationsinhiskingdom，heshouldreformbylawwhatisestablishedbylaw，andchangebycustomwhatissettledbycustom；foritisverybadpolicytochangebylawwhatoughttobechangedbycustom。

ThelawwhichobligedtheMuscovitestocutofftheirbeardsandtoshortentheirclothes，andtherigourwithwhichPeterImadethemcrop，eventotheirknees，thelongcloaksofthosewhoenteredintothecities，wereinstancesoftyranny。Therearemeansthatmaybemadeuseoftopreventcrimes；thesearepunishments：therearethoseforchangingourcustoms；theseareexamples。

Thefacilityandeasewithwhichthatnationhasbeenpolishedplainlyshowsthatthisprincehadaworseopinionofhispeoplethantheydeserved；andthattheywerenotbrutes，thoughhewaspleasedtocallthemso。Theviolentmeasureswhichheemployedwereneedless；hewouldhaveattainedhisendaswellbymildermethods。

Hehimselfexperiencedthefacilityofbringingaboutthesealterations。

Thewomenwereshutup，andinsomemeasureslaves；hecalledthemtocourt；hesentthemsilksandfinestuffs，andmadethemdressliketheGermanladies。Thisseximmediatelyrelishedamanneroflifewhichsogreatlyflatteredtheirtaste，theirvanity，andtheirpassions；andbytheirmeansitwasrelishedbythemen。

Whatrenderedthechangethemoreeasywasthattheirmannersatthattimewereforeigntotheclimate，andhadbeenintroducedamongthembyconquestandbyamixtureofnations。PeterI，ingivingthemannersandcustomsofEuropetoaEuropeannation，foundafacilitywhichhedidnothimselfexpect。Theempireoftheclimateisthefirst，themostpowerful，ofallempires。Hehadthennooccasionforlawstochangethemannersandcustomsofhiscountry；itwouldhavebeensufficienttohaveintroducedothermannersandothercustoms。

Nationsareingeneralverytenaciousoftheircustoms；totakethemawaybyviolenceistorenderthemunhappy：weshouldnotthereforechangethem，butengagethepeopletomakethechangethemselves。

Allpunishmentwhichisnotderivedfromnecessityistyrannical。Thelawisnotamereactofpower；thingsintheirownnatureindifferentarenotwithinitsprovince。

15。TheInfluenceofdomesticGovernmentonthepolitical。ThisalterationinthemannersofwomenwilldoubtlesshaveagreatinfluenceonthegovernmentofMuscovy。Onenaturallyfollowstheother：thedespoticpoweroftheprinceisconnectedwiththeservitudeofwomen；

thelibertyofwomenwiththespiritofmonarchy。

16。HowsomeLegislatorshaveconfoundedthePrincipleswhichgovernMankind。Mannersandcustomsarethosehabitswhicharenotestablishedbylegislators，eitherbecausetheywerenotableorwerenotwillingtoestablishthem。

Thereisthisdifferencebetweenlawsandmanners，thatthelawsaremostadaptedtoregulatetheactionsofthesubject，andmannerstoregulatetheactionsoftheman。Thereisthisdifferencebetweenmannersandcustoms，thattheformerprincipallyrelatetotheinteriorconduct，thelattertotheexterior。

Thesethingshavebeensometimesconfounded。[16]Lycurgusmadethesamecodeforthelaws，manners，andcustoms，andthelegislatorsofChinahavedonethesame。

WeoughtnottobesurprisedthatthelegislatorsofChinaandSpartashouldconfoundthelaws，manners，andcustoms；thereasonis，theirmannersrepresenttheirlaws，andtheircustomstheirmanners。

TheprincipalobjectwhichthelegislatorsofChinahadinviewwastomaketheirsubjectsliveinpeaceandtranquillity。Theywouldhavepeoplefilledwithavenerationforoneanother，thateachshouldbeeverymomentsensibleofhisdependenceonsociety，andoftheobligationsheowedtohisfellow—citizens。Theythereforegaverulesofthemostextensivecivility。

ThustheinhabitantsofthevillagesofChina[17]practiseamongstthemselvesthesameceremoniesasthoseobservedbypersonsofanexaltedstation；averypropermethodofinspiringmildandgentledispositions，ofmaintainingpeaceandgoodorder，andofbanishingalltheviceswhichspringfromanasperityoftemper。Ineffect，wouldnotthefreeingthemfromtherulesofcivilitybetosearchoutamethodforthemtoindulgetheirownhumours？

Civilityisinthisrespectofmorevaluethanpoliteness。Politenessflattersthevicesofothers，andcivilitypreventsoursfrombeingbroughttolight。Itisabarrierwhichmenhaveplacedwithinthemselvestopreventthecorruptionofeachother。

Lycurgus，whoseinstitutionsweresevere，hadnoregardtocivility；informingtheexternalbehaviourhehadaviewtothatwarlikespiritwithwhichhewouldfaininspirehispeople。Apeoplewhowereinacontinualstateofdisciplineandinstruction，andwhowereenduedwithequalsimplicityandrigour，atonedbytheirvirtuesfortheirwantofcomplaisance。

17。OfthepeculiarQualityoftheChineseGovernment。ThelegislatorsofChinawentfurther。[18]Theyconfoundedtheirreligion，laws，manners，andcustoms；alltheseweremorality，allthesewerevirtue。

Thepreceptsrelatingtothe