第50章

St。Louis，inordertogiveadistasteoftheFrenchjurisprudence，causedthebooksoftheRomanlawtobetranslated；bywhichmeanstheyweremadeknowntothelawyersofthosetimes。Défontaines，whoistheoldestlawwriterwehave，madegreatuseofthoseRomanlaws。[284]Hisworkis，insomemeasure，aresultfromtheancientFrenchjurisprudence，ofthelawsorInstitutionsofSt。Louis，andoftheRomanlaw。Beaumanoirmadeverylittleuseofthelatter；buthereconciledtheancientFrenchlawstotheregulationsofSt。Louis。

Ihaveanotion，therefore，thatthelawbookknownbythenameoftheInstitutionswascompiledbysomebailiffs，withthesamedesignasthatoftheauthorsofthosetwoWorks，andespeciallyofDéfontaines。ThetitleofthisworkmentionsthatitiswrittenaccordingtotheusageofParis，Orleans，andthecourtofBarony；andthepreamblesaysthatittreatsoftheusageofthewholekingdom，ofAnjouandofthecourtofBarony。ItisplainthatthisworkwasmadeforParis，OrleansandAnjou，astheworksofBeaumanoirandDéfontaineswereframedforthecountiesofClermontandVermandois；andasitappearsfromBeaumanoirthatdiverslawsofSt。LouishadbeenreceivedinthecourtsofBarony，thecompilerwasintherighttosaythathisworkrelatedalsotothosecourts。[285]

ItismanifestthatthepersonwhocomposedthisworkcompiledthecustomsofthecountrytogetherwiththelawsandInstitutionsofSt。

Louis。Thisisaveryvaluablework，becauseitcontainstheancientcustomsofAnjou，theInstitutionsofSt。Louis，astheyweretheninuse；and，infine，thewholepracticeoftheancientFrenchlaw。

ThedifferencebetweenthisworkandthoseofDéfontainesandBeaumanoirisitsspeakinginimperativetermsasalegislator；andthismightberight，sinceitwasamedleyofwrittencustomsandlaws。

Therewasanintrinsicdefectinthiscompilation；itformedanamphibiouscode，inwhichtheFrenchandRomanlawsweremixed，andwherethingswerejoinedthatwereinnorelation，butoftencontradictorytoeachother。

IamnotignorantthattheFrenchcourtsofvassalsorpeers；thejudgmentswithoutpowerofappealingtoanothertribunal；themannerofpronouncingsentencebythesewords"Icondemn"or"Iabsolve，"[286]hadsomeconformitytothepopularjudgmentsoftheRomans。Buttheymadeverylittleuseofthatancientjurisprudence；theyratherchosethatwhichwasafterwardsintroducedbytheemperor，inordertoregulate，limit，correct，andextendtheFrenchjurisprudence。

39。ThesameSubjectcontinued。ThejudiciaryformsintroducedbySt。

Louisfellintodisuse。Thisprincehadnotsomuchinviewthethingitself，thatis，thebestmanneroftryingcauses，asthebestmannerofsupplyingtheancientpracticeoftrial。Theprincipalintentwastogiveadisrelishoftheancientjurisprudence，andthenexttoformanewone。Butwhentheinconveniencesofthelatterappeared，anothersoonsucceeded。

TheInstitutionsofSt。Louisdidnot，therefore，somuchchangetheFrenchjurisprudenceastheyaffordedthemeansofchangingit；theyopenednewtribunals，orratherwaystocomeatthem。Andwhenoncethepublichadeasyaccesstothesuperiorcourts，thejudgmentswhichbeforeconstitutedonlytheusagesofaparticularlordshipformedauniversaldigest。BymeansoftheInstitutions，theyhadobtainedgeneraldecisions，whichwereentirelywantinginthekingdom；whenthebuildingwasfinished，theyletthescaffoldfalltotheground。

ThustheInstitutionsproducedeffectswhichcouldhardlybeexpectedfromamasterpieceoflegislation。Topreparegreatchangeswholeagesaresometimesrequisite；theeventsripen，andtherevolutionsfollow。

Theparliamentjudgedinthelastresortofalmostalltheaffairsofthekingdom。Before，[287]ittookcognizanceonlyofdisputesbetweenthedukes，counts，barons，bishops，abbots，orbetweenthekingandhisvassals，[288]ratherintherelationtheyboretothepoliticalthantothecivilorder。Theyweresoonobligedtorenderitpermanent，whereasitusedtobeheldonlyafewtimesinayear：and，infine，agreatnumberwerecreated；inordertobesufficientforthedecisionofallmannerofcauses。

Nosoonerhadtheparliamentbecomeafixedbody，thantheybegantocompileitsdecrees。JeandeMonluc，inthereignofPhiliptheFair，madeacollectionwhichatpresentisknownbythenameoftheOlimregisters。[289]

40。InwhatMannerthejudiciaryFormswereborrowedfromtheDecretals。

Buthowcomesit，somewillask，thatwhentheInstitutionswerelaidaside，thejudicialformsofthecanonlawshouldbepreferredtothoseoftheRoman？Itwasbecausetheyhadconstantlybeforetheireyestheecclesiasticcourts，whichfollowedtheformsofthecanonlaw，andtheyknewofnocourtthatfollowedthoseoftheRomanlaw。Besides，thelimitsofthespiritualandtemporaljurisdictionwereatthattimeverylittleunderstood；therewerepeoplewhosuedindifferently[290]andcausesthatweretriedindifferently，ineithercourt。[291]Itseems[292]asifthetemporaljurisdictionreservednoothercasesexclusivelytoitselfthanthejudgmentoffeudalmatters，[293]andofsuchcrimescommittedbylaymenasdidnotrelatetoreligion。For[294]

ifontheaccountofconventionsandcontracts，theyhadoccasiontosueinatemporalcourt，thepartiesmightoftheirownaccordproceedbeforethespiritualtribunals；andasthelatterhadnotapowertoobligethetemporalcourttoexecutethesentence，theycommandedsubmissionbymeansofexcommunications。Underthosecircumstances，whentheywantedtochangethecourseofproceedingsinthetemporalcourt，theytookthatofthespiritualtribunals，becausetheyknewit；butdidnotmeddlewiththatoftheRomanlaw，byreasontheywerestrangerstoit：forinpointofpracticepeopleknowonlywhatisreallypractised。

41。FluxandRefluxoftheecclesiasticandtemporalJurisdiction。Thecivilpowerbeinginthehandsofaninfinitenumberoflords，itwasaneasymatterfortheecclesiasticjurisdictiontogaindailyagreaterextent。Butastheecclesiasticcourtsweakenedthoseofthelords，andcontributedtherebytogivestrengthtotheroyaljurisdiction，thelattergraduallycheckedthejurisdictionoftheclergy。Theparliament，whichinitsformofproceedingshadadoptedwhateverwasgoodandusefulinthespiritualcourts，soonperceivednothingelsebuttheabuseswhichhadcreptintothosetribunals；andastheroyaljurisdictiongainedgroundeveryday，itgreweverydaymorecapableofcorrectingthoseabuses。And，indeed，theywereintolerable；withoutenumeratingthemIshallreferthereadertoBeaumanoir，toBoutillierandtotheordinancesofourkings。[295]Ishallmentiononlytwoinwhichthepublicinterestwasmoredirectlyconcerned。Theseabusesweknowbythedecreesthatreformedthem；theyhadbeenintroducedinthetimesofthedarkestignorance，anduponthebreakingoutofthefirstgleamoflight，theyvanished。Fromthesilenceoftheclergyitmaybepresumedthattheyforwardedthisreformation：which，consideringthenatureofthehumanmind，deservescommendation。Everymanthatdiedwithoutbequeathingapartofhisestatetothechurch，whichwascalleddying"withoutconfession，"wasdeprivedofthesacramentandofChristianburial。Ifhediedintestate，hisrelativeswereobligedtoprevailuponthebishopthathewould，jointlywiththem，nameproperarbiterstodeterminewhatsumthedeceasedoughttohavegiven，incasehehadmadeawill。Peoplecouldnotlietogetherthefirstnightoftheirnuptials，oreventhetwofollowingnights，withouthavingpreviouslypurchasedleave；these，indeed，werethebestthreenightstochoose；forastotheothers，theywerenotworthmuch。Allthiswasredressedbytheparliament：wefindintheglossaryoftheFrenchlaw，[296]byRagau，thedecreewhichitpublishedagainsttheBishopofAmiens。[297]

Ireturntothebeginningofmychapter。Wheneverweobserveinanyageorgovernmentthedifferentbodiesofthestateendeavouringtoincreasetheirauthority，andtotakeparticularadv