下载辰思小说免费APP
16。TheConcernoftheLegislatorinthePropagationoftheSpecies。
Regulationsonthenumberofcitizensdependgreatlyoncircumstances。
Therearecountriesinwhichnaturedoesall；thelegislatorthenhasnothingtodo。Whatneedisthereofinducingmenbylawstopropagationwhenafruitfulclimateyieldsasufficientnumberofinhabitants？
Sometimestheclimateismorefavourablethanthesoil；thepeoplemultiply，andaredestroyedbyfamine：thisisthecaseofChina。Henceafathersellshisdaughtersandexposeshischildren。InTonquin，[19]
thesamecausesproducethesameeffects；soweneednot，liketheArabiantravellersmentionedbyRenaudot，searchfortheoriginofthisintheirsentimentsonthemetempsychosis。[20]
Forthesamereason，thereligionoftheIsleofFormosadoesnotsufferthewomentobringtheirchildrenintotheworldtilltheyarethirty—fiveyearsofage：[21]thepriestess，beforethisage，bybruisingthebellyprocuresabortion。
17。OfGreeceandtheNumberofitsInhabitants。ThateffectwhichincertaincountriesoftheEastspringsfromphysicalcauseswasproducedinGreecebythenatureofthegovernment。TheGreekswereagreatnation，composedofcities，eachofwhichhadadistinctgovernmentandseparatelaws。TheyhadnomorethespiritofconquestandambitionthanthoseofSwitzerland，Holland，andGermanyhaveatthisday。Ineveryrepublicthelegislatorhadinviewthehappinessofthecitizensathome，andtheirpowerabroad，lestitshouldproveinferiortothatoftheneighbouringcities。[22]Thus，withtheenjoymentofasmallterritoryandgreathappiness，itwaseasyforthenumberofthecitizenstoincreasetosuchadegreeastobecomeburdensome。Thisobligedthemincessantlytosendoutcolonies，[23]and，astheSwissdonow，tolettheirmenouttowar。Nothingwasneglectedthatcouldhinderthetoogreatmultiplicationofchildren。
Theyhadamongthemrepublics，whoseconstitutionwasveryremarkable。
Thenationstheyhadsubduedwereobligedtoprovidesubsistenceforthecitizens。TheLaced？monianswerefedbytheHelotes，theCretansbythePeriecians，andtheThessaliansbythePenestes。Theywereobligedtohaveonlyacertainnumberoffreemen，thattheirslavesmightbeabletofurnishthemwithsubsistence。Itisareceivedmaximinourdays，thatitisnecessarytolimitthenumberofregulartroops：nowtheLaced？monianswereanarmymaintainedbythepeasants：itwasproper，therefore，thatthisarmyshouldbelimited；withoutthisthefreemen，whohadalltheadvantagesofsociety，wouldincreasebeyondnumber，andthelabourersbeoverloaded。
ThepoliticsoftheGreekswereparticularlyemployedinregulatingthenumberofcitizens。Platofixesthematfivethousandandforty，[24]andhewouldhavethemstoporencouragepropagation，aswasmostconvenient，byhonours，shame，andtheadviceoftheoldmen；hewouldevenregulatethenumberofmarriagesinsuchamannerthattherepublicmightberecruitedwithoutbeingovercharged。[25]
Ifthelawsofacountry，saysAristotle，forbidtheexposingofchildren，thenumberofthosebroughtforthoughttobelimited。[26]Iftheyhavemorethanthenumberprescribedbylaw，headvisestomakethewomenmiscarrybeforethefoetusbeformed。[27]
ThesameauthormentionstheinfamousmeansmadeuseofbytheCretanstopreventtheirhavingtoogreatanumberofchildren——aproceedingtooindecenttorepeat。
Thereareplaces，saysAristotleagain[28]wherethelawsgivetheprivilegeofbeingcitizenstostrangers，ortobastards，ortothosewhosemothersonlyarecitizens；butassoonastheyhaveasufficientnumberofpeoplethisprivilegeceases。ThesavagesofCanadaburntheirprisoners；butwhentheyhaveemptycottagestogivethem，theyreceivethemintotheirnation。
SirWilliamPetty，inhiscalculations，supposesthatamaninEnglandisworthwhathewouldsellforatAlgiers。[29]ThiscanbetrueonlywithrespecttoEngland。Therearecountrieswhereamanisworthnothing；thereareotherswhereheisworthlessthannothing。
18。OftheStateandNumberofPeoplebeforetheRomans。Italy，Sicily，AsiaMinor，Gaul，andGermanywerenearlyinthesamestateasGreece；
fullofsmallnationsthataboundedwithinhabitants，theyhadnoneedoflawstoincreasetheirnumber。
19。OftheDepopulationoftheGlobe。Alltheselittlerepublicswereswallowedupinalargeone，andtheglobeinsensiblybecamedepopulated：inordertobeconvincedofthis，weneedonlyconsiderthestateofItalyandGreecebeforeandafterthevictoriesoftheRomans。
"Youwillaskme，"saysLivy，[30]"wheretheVolscicouldfindsoldierstosupportthewar，afterhavingbeensooftendefeated。Theremusthavebeenformerlyaninfinitenumberofpeopleinthosecountries，whichatpresentwouldbelittlebetterthanadesert，wereitnotforafewsoldiersandRomanslaves。"
"TheOracleshaveceased，"saysPlutarch，"becausetheplaceswheretheyspokearedestroyed。AtpresentwecanscarcelyfindinGreecethreethousandmenfittobeararms。"
"Ishallnotdescribe，"saysStrabo，[31]"Epirusandtheadjacentplaces，becausethesecountriesareentirelydeserted。Thisdepopulation，whichbeganlongago，stillcontinues；sothattheRomansoldiersencampinthehousestheyhaveabandoned。"WefindthecauseofthisinPolybius，whosaysthatPaulus？milius，afterhisvictory，destroyedseventycitiesofEpirus，andcarriedawayahundredandfiftythousandslaves。
20。ThattheRomanswereundertheNecessityofmakingLawstoencouragethePropagationoftheSpecies。TheRomans，bydestroyingothers，werethemselvesdestroyed：incessantlyinaction，intheheatofbattle，andinthemostviolentattempts，theyworeoutlikeaweaponkeptconstantlyinuse。
Ishallnotherespeakoftheattentionwithwhichtheyappliedthemselvestoprocurecitizensintheroomofthosetheylost，[32]oftheassociationstheyenteredinto，theprivilegestheybestowed，andofthatimmensenurseryofcitizens，theirslaves。Ishallmentionwhattheydidtorecruitthenumber，notoftheircitizens，butoftheirmen；
andasthesewerethepeopleintheworldwhoknewbesthowtoadapttheirlawstotheirprojects，anexaminationoftheirconductinthisrespectcannotbeamatterofindifference。
21。OftheLawsoftheRomansrelatingtothePropagationoftheSpecies。TheancientlawsofRomeendeavouredgreatlytoincitethecitizenstomarriage。Thesenateandthepeoplemadefrequentregulationsonthissubject，asAugustussaysinhisspeechrelatedbyDio。[33]
DionysiusHalicarnassus[34]cannotbelievethatafterthedeathofthreehundredandfiveoftheFabii，exterminatedbytheVeientes，thereremainednomoreofthisfamilythanonesinglechild；becausetheancientlaw，whichobligedeverycitizentomarryandtoeducateallhischildren，wasstillinforce。[35]
Independentlyofthelaws，thecensorshadaparticulareyeuponmarriages，andaccordingtotheexigenciesoftherepublicengagedthemtoitbyshameandbypunishments。[36]
Thecorruptionofmannersthatbegantotakeplacecontributedvastlytodisgustthecitizenswithmarriage，whichwaspainfultothosewhohadnotasteforthepleasuresofinnocence。ThisisthepurportofthatspeechwhichMetellusNumidicus，whenhewascensor，madetothepeople：[37]"Ifitwerepossibleforustodowithoutwives，weshoulddeliverourselvesfromthisevil：butasnaturehasordainedthatwecannotliveveryhappilywiththem，norsubsistwithoutthem，weoughttohavemoreregardtoourownpreservationthantotransientgratifications。"
Thecorruptionofmannersdestroyedthecensorship，whichwasitselfestablishedtodestroythecorruptionofmanners：forwhenthisdepravationbecamegeneral，thecensorlosthispower。[38]
Civildiscords，triumvirates，andproscriptionsweakenedRomemorethananywarshehadhithertoengagedin。Theyleftbutfewcitizens，[39]andthegreatestpartofthemunmarried。Toremedythislastevil，C？sarandAugustusre—establishedthecensorship，andwouldevenbecensorsthemselves。[40]C？sargaverewardstothosewhohadmanychildren。[41]
Allwomenunderforty—fiveyearsofagewhohadneitherhusbandnorchildrenwereforbiddentowearjewelsortorideinlitters；[42]anexcellentmethodthustoattackcelibacybythepowerofvanity。ThelawsofAugustusweremorepressing；[43]heimposednewpenaltiesonsuchaswerenotmarried，[44]andincreasedtherewardsbothofthosewhoweremarriedandofthosewhohadchildren。TacituscallstheseJulianlaws；[45]toallappearancetheywerefoundedontheancientregulationsmadebythesenate，thepeople，andthecensors。
ThelawofAugustusmetwithinnumerableobstacles，andthirty—fouryearsafterithadbeenmadetheRomanknightsinsistedonitsbeingabolished。[46]Heplacedononesidesuchasweremarried，andontheothersidethosewhowerenot：theselastappearedbyfarthegreatestnumber；uponwhichthecitizenswereastonishedandconfounded。
Augustus，withthegravityoftheancientcensors，addressedtheminthismanner：[47]
"Whilesicknessandwarsnatchawaysomanycitizens，whatmustbecomeofthisstateifmarriagesarenolongercontracted？Thecitydoesnotconsistofhouses，ofporticos，ofpublicplaces，butofinhabitants。
YoudonotseemenlikethosementionedinFablestartingoutoftheearthtotakecareofyouraffairs。Yourcelibacyisnotowingtothedesireoflivingalone；fornoneofyoueatsorsleepsbyhimself。Youonlyseektoenjoyyourirregularitiesundisturbed。DoyoucitetheexampleoftheVestalVirgins？Ifyoupreservenotthelawsofchastity，yououghttobepunishedlikethem。Youareeq
